Welcome to Writer Tips

Write what you like

"It´s a business in flux. You may as well write what you want to, because there´s no predicting what will sell."
Judith Guest, Errands (Ballantine)

On Work Habits...

"Best advice on writing I´ve ever received: Finish."
Peter Mayle

Showing your article to the source

Should you show your article to a source before
publication? Some say yes, it will give you a great technical advantage. It will ensure the information you wrote is correct. Others say no, that the only person who should have any say over the article is you and your editor. Why should a non-writer try to edit your work?

To see what more than a dozen writers and
editors have to say on the subject at:
http://www.writersdigest.com/information.asp?220_Sources

Publishing Craft Designs - a new kind of idea!

Get your craft designs published. Been there, done that designer and writer Kelley Taylor has put together articles, resources and links to diversify your writing income by helping you get your craft ideas and projects in print.

Kelley has a fantastic free newsletter!
Mailto:craftdesigning-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Working from home

When writing from home, you need to keep things in perspective. Keep in mind these points:

1. Everyone makes mistakes. Just because you are working where you want to, doesn´t mean you won´t have problems. Learn from your mistakes and go on.

2. When communicating from home, your associates cannot see your body language. Write and speak clearly. Do not send hasty emails or voice messages. Think out what you want to say, before you talk.

3.Balance home life and work life. Don´t let your work life schedules let you miss out on time with your family, and vice versa.

4.Tackle short term goals daily. Don´t let the whole project overwhelm you.

5. Be your own #1 best fan. Believe in yourself. If you really want to work from home, it will happen.

Unique Perspectives

"I need a reason to take a chance on a new writer. I want to feel this writer will bring a fresh, unique or intimate perspective to this story."
Mel R. Allen, Senior Editor, Yankee

Help, I need a writing schedule!

If you are having trouble setting up a writing schedule, start writing on any topic for 15 minutes Monday through Friday. This will help you develop some structured writing time.

Open Yourself To New Ideas and Write!

Choose one of your favorite topics. Ask the four w's and how about the topic. Jot down your answers. Repeat the exercise exploring a related topic, until one idea pops out at you. Once you've discovered that idea then switch your focus toward developing it.

How Much Did You Complete?

I measure my writing progress by how much I've completed in one writing session. For example, writing five new sentences of a new section, plus adding some key words to write about ater. Or setting a timer and freewriting on your topic for five minutes. Finally, writing a list of topic sentences that fit with your topic. Thoroughly completing any one of these exercises would be enough for one writing session.

Let Your Creativity Guide You!

Write a free association word list. Just as you can free associate verbally, just write down the same words and ideas that you verbalize, so you won't forget them. Stop at twenty words or ideas. Take a few minutes to connect some of them together. You should discover at least one phrase worth exploring.

The Dog Ate My Notes!

Be sure to take organized notes as you research your writing project. Don't try to remember everything, especially bibliographical information. Save your brain's energy for the writing task at hand.

Learn From The Masters!

Subscribe to Writer's Digest Market magazine for a good overview of writing markets. In addition to reading the magazine content, make sure to read their advertising sections for more topic and marketing ideas.

What Makes Your Heart Sing?

Write a list of topics that interest you. Take a few minutes to choose five of your favorites. From that list choose three topics that you can't wait to write about. Start writing your first articles about one of those three favorite topics.

Free Article Submission Works!

You can write and post your articles for free at several article directory sites on the internet. This will give you some exposure to more people and help you develop a regular writing and production schedule.

Is Collaboration For You?

Whenever you considering collaborating with another writer,you both need to be very clear about your topic, the form you will write in (book, ebook, etc.), the division of labor (who is writing about what), the schedule (how much time for writing the first draft, etc.) and how you will publish, market and distribute your product.(This may require several meetings to create) After you have addressed these topics, make sure to put your agreements in writing to avoid future miscommunication.

Looking for a Writers' Group?

When researching writing groups try several out and see how you interact and work with group members. When you feel comfortable with other group members, can contribute to others' and are challenged others' work then you have found a good writing group.