I wrote my first book when I was 8 (Glasses for Shelly…really it should be a children’s bestseller, but my illustrations need some help), and from that moment on writing has held a special place in my heart. I’ve been a writer for 21 years, and I have loved every minute of it. I like doing it, I like to think I am somewhat good at it, and someday I want to be a writer full time. I’m still working on this goal. Sometimes it goes well. Other times I feel like I’m just spinning my tires.

When those rough times hit, it is very tempting to just give up. I think about just walking away and forcing myself to be content with my regular 8-5 job. Then I remember I gave up once before. I wasn’t nearly as established as I am now, but I decided to just focus on my career in the education sector and move on. That only lasted a few years. Soon I was ready to resurrect my writing career from the ashes.

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Do you hear that sound of smacking lips? That’s me trying to get the bad taste of Austin out of my mouth.

That sounds really negative, doesn’t it? It wasn’t all bad. I’m just let down. In my previous post, I wrote with excitement about going to Austin to the Agents and Editors Conference. The trip really was worthwhile. I met some interesting (in a good way) writers and even made a couple of friends.
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(Photo courtesy Wikipedia Commons)

Don't write what is obvious.

Eliminate all redundant words and phrases.

Your readers will still get your drift without any over-explanations.

EXAMPLE: The judge sentenced the thief to six years in jail.

BETTER: The judge sentenced the thief to six years.

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(Photo courtesy Wikipedia Commons)

You've heard it a thousand times that "passive voice" is bad and "active voice" is good.

In general, I also agree with that advice.

For example, "I wrote this e-mail" (active voice) is a much better way of stating the fact than "this e-mail was written by me".

However, as with everything else under the sun, there are exceptions to this rule as well.

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Rules 7 - 10

7) Repeat after Kenny Rogers: “You got to know when to hold’em; know when to fold’em…”

Sometimes we all get stuck on a track that leads to nowhere but for some reason we keep banging our heads on the same wall.

There ARE alternatives in life, especially for writers. Remember that.

I was a newspaper reporter for four years in Washington DC. The first couple of years I thought my career was going somewhere.

During the last two years I realized, nope, it wasn’t really going to add up to anything. I was on a treadmill repeating the same old things for the same old results. No progress.

After looking around for six months, someone suggested “technical writing” – something I didn't even think before. I wasn’t even sure what tech writers exactly did. But I decided to take a calculated gamble anyways.

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Rules 3 - 6

3) Know your heart and your inner voice.

WHY are you writing? Money is fine, but what else? What are your beliefs and core values? What is your Truth?

The answers to these questions do not come easy and they change over time too.

I’m for example still formulating my answers and refining them, re-configuring some of them. But the questions are smoking alive, burning while illuminating my way.

Without that inner sense of who you are, you’ll never have the courage to make the necessary investment and sacrifice. You need that to create the kind of writing that will benefit you and the world. We can talk more about this important point later if you’d like.

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Rules 1 and 2

I've been working as a professional writer for almost 20 years now.

It’s been a long haul, and fun too. I always enjoyed sitting at my keyboard and click-clicking the keys. Remember that B.B. King classic, “The Thrill Is Gone”? I never had to sing that one, knock on wood.

God knows I tried many genres and styles in the past, including academic papers, journalism, desk top publishing, screen writing, short stories, blogging, copy writing, and technical writing.

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(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)

Tip 1: Vary Your Sentence Length

One sure way to put your readers to sleep is to write with constant-length sentences. Change the length for a better copy.

SHORT SENTENCE Copy:

"Times are bad. Economy's tanking. Latest figures are not good. Government published a report. It confirms the rumors. We're in a recession."

LONG SENTENCE Copy:

"We are going through some turbulent times these days. Our economy, which is supposed to be doing well according to some indicators, is showing strains of high unemployment and the effects of the sub-prime mortgage crisis. The latest figures quoted in leading industry journals and publications do not instill confidence in analysts and consumers alike. The Department of Commerce has just published a White Paper citing several Wall Street observers who claimed that we are nowhere near the end of this current impasse. Whether we like to admit it or not, the facts are staring us in the face: we seem to be sliding headlong into a recession the likes of which have not been since the '30s."

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Helen Gurley Brown has been a force of nature in the magazine publishing circles for decades.

Her name became synonymous with the name and success of the Cosmopolitan magazine as its longtime editor. She is the author of many bestsellers, including Sex and the Single Girl.

“The Writer’s Rules: The Power of Positive Prose – How to Create It and Get It Published” is one of my favorite reference books on writing for 2 reasons:

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I heard people say I'm “lucky” because (knock on wood) I almost never had a “writer's block” throughout my career as a professional writer.

But it's not luck really. The truth is much more simple and obvious: I write only what I feel strongly about.

Sometimes I puzzle people with 800 words about a movie shot back in 1956 or 1934. Why? Because I happen to love that film with a passion, regardless of when it was shot.

If, by contrast, I try to write about anything that does not really move me, then I'm “blocked” too because then I'd be just pretending. And when I pretend, I can't write.

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(Photo: Peggy Noonan)

Here are some my favorite American journalists who rarely fail to amaze me with their wit and erudition, powerful prose, and clarity of thought.

Peggy Noonan

She writes for the Wall Street Journal. Her Friday columns is a must reading for me. She used to be Ronald Reagan’s speechwriter. A devout Catholic and a committed Republican that I trust, despite the fact that I’m neither.

Her recent comments on Hillary Clinton’s turbulent candidacy should be enough to give you a sense of her depth and brilliance as a political commentator:

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