Archive for the 'General' Category

Writing World

A very useful website is the one at Writing-World.com. It is run by experienced writer and editor Moira Allen. The site also offers a free emailed monthly newsletter full of articles of interest to writers. The newsletter also has many links to articles and sites of help to authors.

Top 101

The web site is currently boasting that it has been included in the Writers Digest Top 101 Web Sites for writers. This means that many writers regard this site to be a very useful resource. With over 16000 world-wide subscribers to the newsletter they must be doing something right – or should that be – something “write”.

Useful Resources

The web site has an extensive list of resource about 100 articles online for the writers who are looking for extra help. Topics include:

  • Begin at the beginning.
  • Rejection, writer’s block and other aspects of the writer’s life.
  • How to find markets
  • Queries and submissions
  • Research, writing and skill building
  • Rights and contracts
  • Handling income…and getting paid.
  • Expanding your career
  • Related Links
  • Reading material – including books by Moira Allen.

Writing Advice from an Editor

Ellen Datlow is a highly awarded, respected and experienced editor in the field of speculative fiction. Many prominent writers have been edited by her, including the likes of Stephen King. She was recently interviewed while in Australia as an international guest of honour at the National Science Fiction Convention (Conflux conference in Canberra). A part of the interview has been published on the ABC News Arts and Entertainment column.

In the interview Ellen gave some important advice for aspiring writers of short stories in general, not just in the speculative fiction genre.

“One thing writers must do is keep sending out stories, you can’t sit and wait, you can’t send one story out and wait and see what the response is,” she said.

“Keep writing, keep producing, write many stories – send them out and then write another.

This is an area where I need to improve – vastly improve. My mother misnamed me. My middle name should be “procrastinate.” I busy myself with so many non-productive tasks that the real business of writing gets neglected. Publishers are loathe to come knocking on your door demanding your next story – unless you have a name like Stephen King et al.

Write, write, write and send those stories out. Then get back to writing and send some more out. Then, if you have say, fifteen stories out there being considered, and one rejection letter comes back, you still have fourteen “live” stories. Then dry the tears, and send out the rejected story to someone else with hopefully better judgment than the editor who just rejected your story. And keep on writing.

This is one of the reason I love blogging. One is “published” immediately with a potential world-wide audience. Then there is the wonderful feedback from readers in the comments section. A simple, cheap dialogue with readers is now available, giving one a closer sense of community with one’s readers.

A final piece of advice from Ellen concerns the writer’s voice.

“Develop your own voice – I think a lot of young writers think they’re doing something new but there aren’t that many new ideas. It’s the way the idea is approached. That’s much more important than a new idea, whether in science fiction, fantasy or horror.”

This is not as easy to do. Getting a new slant on an old theme, or a well worn story line takes thought, creativity, inspiration and hard work.

What do you think?

Okay – I’ve been brave enough to post four of my haiku over recent days.

Baring my creative soul, so to speak.

I invite readers’ comments.

What do you think?

Excellent? Good? Average? Could do better? Stinks?

Thinking about writing

Today I read a very helpful article about writing. It was in a newsletter that I receive by email. The author once met an unusual lady at a writers’ conference. This lady was planning to spend the next few years studying about how to be a writer and the techniques of writing. She had never written anything but planned to do so in two or three years. She said she was in the “thinking about writing stage”.

Candy Arrington, the writer relating this incident, was amazed. The best way to learn how to write is simply to start writing. Sure, study books on technique, attend conferences and workshops, attend writers’ seminars as they are all useful in the process of honing skills, especially workshops.

Candy then goes on to give five reasons why some writers wait – I’d call it procrastination.

Fear: Many would-be writers fear criticism, rejection and failure. (Note to self: guilty as charged!)

Perfectionism: Many writers edit and re-edit and polish their work endlessly and never get around to actually finishing anything. Sure, aim to submit writing that exudes excellence – perfection may take a little longer, like a lifetime – or even longer. (Note to self: dangerously close to committing this crime too!)

Much Ado: Candy goes on to say that some writers show a lot of busyness and activity without ever getting anywhere. They research endlessly or “spend a fortune acquiring, although not always reading, how-to books about writing. Others become professional writer conference junkies.” (Note to self: guilty of acquiring books about writing BUT in my defence – I have read most of them!)

Failure to envision the end result: Imagining the finished product and set a firm goal to accomplish that goal. (Note to self: Not Guilty – but can do better.)

Lack of discipline: There is no boss hovering over one motivating one to write so a lack of discipline can be a real trap (though being accountable to my long-suffering wife can be motivational in a way). Candy mentions that the internet can be a real threat to self-discipline and gives a good hint on overcoming this problem. (Note to self: Guilty as charged, though some improvement is evident in recent months.)

Overall – this is a short but useful article. Her final summary is very good advice:

In the final analysis, it is those who believe, risk, write, and submit who are published. So don’t wait. Just do it. Write.

Read the whole article “Why Wait? Just Write” by Candy Arrington here.

How to be a Freelance Writer

Here is another very useful article about being a freelance writer. It has lots of useful hints and suggestions. The article was written by Adelaide writer and blogger Shai Coggins.

Read the article here.