Ways to Improve Your Creative Writing Skills
Top 10 Tips to Complete a Creative Writing Project Without Losing Your Creativity
Freelance Writers: Don't Waste Your Time with Query Letters
Attention Struggling Freelance Writers: To Get Published, Do Your Homework
Freelance Writers: To Make More Money, Keep Your Clients Happy
An Advocate for Your Screenplay
What is holding you back from being the writer you want to be?
Crafting a Novel From the Inside Out and Back to Front
Working and Writing Full-time If I Can, You Can
I began writing my first novel in 1997. Six years, five drafts
(give or take), two sons, and one major surgery later it was
finally complete. Then it took another two years to get Cryptid
published and on bookstore shelves. And don’t even ask how
much Cryptid has earned me. The gravy train is certainly gaining
speed, but don’t ever fool yourself that writing novels is a
get-rich-quick scheme. Even the big boys like Crichton, Koontz,
and Cussler will tell you that. The best-case scenario is a
get-rich-slow—eternally slow—scheme. Which is to say,
don’t quit your day job.
Ah, but then where does one find the time, resources, energy, and
muse to write after coming home from slaving for the Man (or
Woman) all day?
Well, that’s the million-dollar question. Actually,
it’s only half the question. The whole question is where
does one find the time, resources, energy, and muse to write
after working all day… and then cooking dinner, doing the
dishes, helping the kids with their homework, paying bills,
cutting the grass, washing the cars, checking your email, doing
your nails, going for a run, seeing a movie, getting the flu,
finishing your degree… need I go on?
We all have twenty-four hours in the day, even the big boys like
Crichton, Koontz, and Cussler. Life happens to us all. Just ask
Stephen King what a crimp his car accident put on his writing.
We all have a list of reasons to not write. They’re not
excuses, really. Life doesn’t leave much room for excuses.
So don’t add guilt to that list. But that doesn’t
change the fact that you’ve only written a thousand words in
the past six weeks, does it? Then what’s the answer? How did
I do it?
Well, it took me six years. So one answer is simply that I
didn’t quit. Little-by-little, day-by-day, year-by-year I
worked at it until it was done. But be more specific. Exactly how
did I find the time? OK, well another answer is that I woke my
computer every night at 9 PM, Sunday through Thursday, and worked
until midnight or 1 AM. I did this religiously for six years,
sometimes working seven days straight.
I took a two-year commercial fiction course at the University of
Washington. I was part of a weekly critique group for three
years. I immersed myself in the craft. I did everything I could
to make myself the best craftsman possible. Does that help?
No, I’m sure it doesn’t, because you’re not me.
You will not be able to work at the craft in the same way I do.
You may work a double shift for the Man and the Woman and not be
able to write from 9 PM to 1 AM every night. So here’s the
answer you’re really after, though you’re not going to
like it because it means there’s no short cut, no magic
recipe that you can simply follow and be assured success.
You see, the million-dollar answer is that I quit.
Or at least I tried to; many, many times I tried to. But I
couldn’t. You know why? Because writing is not something I
do, it is something I am. I’m a writer. So there is no
quitting. I cannot quit being who I am. I can only accept who I
am. And once I did, I never failed to find time to write. My cars
may not sparkle, I hired someone to cut the grass, and I often
sleep less than eight hours a night, but I write.
So my advise to you is to quit. And if you can, then you’re
not a writer. It’s OK. Not everyone is. Then find out what
you are and do that, but don’t go back to writing. The craft
is too hard and the rewards too slow in coming to labor at it
unless you have to. And writers have to.
However, if you can’t quit then you are a writer. And once
you realize that you can only find joy in life if writing is a
part of your life, then you will find the time. I promise you.
And it won’t be my way; it’ll be your way. Just
don’t quit your day job. It may not be who you are, but it
will pay the bills until who you are is a writer whose name is
listed in the same sentence with the big boys.
Eric Penz is the
author of Cryptid: The Lost Legacy of Lewis and Clark. Did Lewis
and Clark meet Bigfoot? Visit Eric's Web site for more
information, http://www.ericpenz.com
Crafting a Novel From the Inside Out and Back to
Front
By: Eric Penz
I flunked out of architecture school. I survived long enough,
though, to learn a thing or two about the craft of designing and
constructing buildings. For example, I learned that regardless of
whether the project is a simple dream home or a fifty-story
skyscraper one doesn’t just show up at the job site with a
stack of lumber, a good hammer, and an endless supply of nails
and then proceed to pound one two-by-four to another adhoc until
you run out. It’s surprising, I know, but it’s true.
Craftsmen of construction actually spend months or even years
first developing, editing, and refining a blueprint of their
project before they even think of ordering that stack of lumber
and bottomless bag of nails. And yet so many of us craftsmen of
stories plop our butts into a chair, wake our computers, and
proceed to pound one word to another adhoc until we run out. At
such time we then declare this unstable mess of words to be a
story.
Of course, unlike that dream home or skyscraper, if a story
collapses in on itself no one dies, though the reader may wish
they had. But does there have to be life-and-death consequences
at stake for the consumer before they should expect quality
craftsmanship in the product they purchase? Certainly not.
Now given that I’m a self-proclaimed architect flunky turned
student of the craft of novel writing for the past ten years who
has had many a story come crashing down all around me, the reader
and presumably fellow student of the craft is within their rights
to dismiss what follows as they might a grain of salt. But before
you do I should tell you that I did manage to craft at least one
story that remained standing all on its own. And believe it or
not, the darn thing may even be on a bookstore shelf near you.
Curiously, there is essentially only one difference between the
many stories littering my office floor in heaps of collapsed
rubble and the one standing tall atop a bookstore shelf. The many
were built by blindly pounding one word to another, whereas the
one was built by closely following a methodically conceived
blueprint. And like any building’s blueprint, my
story’s blueprint was crafted in layers, each layer a
culmination of all preceding layers. And this is my grain of salt
to you, the blueprint of a story.
Crafting a story is done from the inside out. And at the core of
any story lies its premise. Thus, the first layer of the
blueprint develops this premise, which functions much like a
building’s foundation. The four cornerstones of this
foundation are the story’s thematic elements (those
subliminal messages the author wishes to communicate to the
reader), the emotions it should evoke in the reader, novel ideas
to be presented, and most importantly the stakes (hopefully worst
case scenarios from both the protagonist’s and
antagonist’s respective points of view). The second layer
builds upon these cornerstones and establishes the story’s
climax. But the climax comes at the end of the story, you say.
And that’s like writing a story from back to front.
It’s also much like a builder who first renders an image of
his finished project long before he breaks ground, or, in this
case, the first scene is written. The craftsman must be able to
envision his project in its completed form before he begins
construction. Without worrying about details, create the best
dramatic portrayal of the conflict between antagonist and
protagonist while incorporating all four elements of the premise.
The next layer is that of the synopsis, or loose, chronological
narrative of the plot. Starting with the rendered climax, work
out toward the beginning and ends of the story, filling in all
that’s required to understand and feel the climax and to
accept the consequences of the ending. From this layer move on to
the scene-by-scene outline. Here the synopsis is segmented into
specific scenes in whatever chronological order is necessary to
obtain the desired emotional effect.
With the outline complete, the story is now ready for
construction. It’s time to write the manuscript; time to
pound one word to another by following the blueprint or
scene-by-scene outline.
And when that bag of words is finally empty don’t hesitate
to step back and let go of the story. Take it from an architect
flunky. Your story may not become a bestseller, but because you
crafted it from the inside out and from back to front it will
stand on its own, perhaps even on a bookstore shelf near me.
Article Source: http://www.artsymmetry.com
Eric Penz is
the author of Cryptid: The Lost Legacy of Lewis and Clark. Did
Lewis and Clark meet Bigfoot? Visit Eric's Web site for more
information, http://www.ericpenz.com
What
is holding you back from being the writer you want to be?
By: Deanna Mascle
Ways
to Improve Your Creative Writing Skills
By: James Hunt
For
some people creative writing is very hard. They have a hard time
trying to put their thoughts and ideas on paper. For some no
matter what they do, the writing is always of poor quality and
the ideas seem jumbled and non-seneschal. People make the mistake
of thinking that creative writing has to be off the wall, out of
this world writing. That is not the cases at all.
There are ways in which you can improve your creative writing
skills. These are simple and hardly require much effort at all.
The most important thing about creative writing is that you write
about things that have meaning to you. If you are writing about
things that you know nothing about or do not care about then yes,
the writing will be bad. When people write about things they care
about the writing automatically improves because the reader can
see the reader's personality coming through in the words that
they have written. The writer begins to capture the reader, and
when this happens then you know you have written a good piece.
You should always carry a notebook or journal around with you.
This way you can write down feelings and emotions. You can write
about things that you see and how you felt. From these little
notes you can expand and create fantastic stories. Some people
even begin writing a book from these little sentences they write
in their notebooks.
Another key to good creative writing is to organize your thoughts
and ideas. If the writing is not organized, no matter what you do
the writing will not be good. The reader will be confused and in
some cases they will give up reading. You should always separate
your ideas into plot, setting, characters and climax. Under each
heading write you thoughts and ideas. Once this is done, you a
begin putting together the piece of the puzzle, which is your
story.
James Hunt has
spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering
stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at http://www.creative-writing-central.info
Have
you ever started a creative writing project with great
excitement, only to have your interest dwindle as the process,
itself, interfere with your creativity? How do you keep the
momentum going and continue to enjoy the creative process? Follow
these tips for high creativity, fun and success!
1.Create a writing environment that inspires you.
Create a place in your home or outdoors that calls you to write.
Consider light, color, sound, scent, taste, writing materials.
2.Follow The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron.
I highly recommend this book. It keeps you focused, observant,
playful, and creative - and it keeps you believing in yourself as
a writer!
3.Choose your writing project in a joyful way.
When choosing a writing project, come from your heart - not your
head. Be playful. Be creative about how you choose your project.
4.Make a creative representation of the project’s ideal end.
Draw, paint - use a creative medium other than writing to
represent the completed project. Consider, especially, how you
will feel when it’s done. Put your model in a prominent
place. Use this to trigger the desired feeling, before the
completion - every day!
5.Make a timeline with celebration points.
Make it visually appealing. Have a step-by-step outline and
celebrate creatively as you complete each step.
6.Create an R&D Team for your project.
Contact a number of your friends, colleagues, and readers. Invite
them to join your R&D Team. Send them snippets of what you
write, questions you have about the process, or anything else you
want input on - on a regular basis. Their input will keep you
going.
7.Keep Creating & Editing times separate.
If you edit while you write, the process can become boring.
Clearly block a specific amount of time for editing into your
schedule. Don’t let it interfere with your creative writing
time!
8.If blocked, shake things up!
Do something fun, unusual, active! Get your mind somewhere else
and move your body. Your creative side will work in your
subconscious while you’re at play. Read the tips in The
Artist’s Way. There are also many resources on the internet
for handling writers’ block. Check some of these links:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_block.html
http://www.sff.net/people/LisaRC/
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/block.html
9.Have a Fan Club.
Critics and editors are fine, but have a few friends or family
members who you can ask to cheer you on or cheer you up, no
matter what you write. Hire a Creativity Coach to keep you
focused and to be an unbiased supporter of your creative success!
10.Celebrate in a big way!
When you reach the big finish, give it a big finish! Do something
you’ve always wanted to do, but have never done before. Make
the finish so memorable that you’ll be eager to begin your
next creative writing project!
Ginger
Blanchette is a Life and Business Coach who supports her clients
to share their creativity. She works with professionals and
business people who are ready to complete big projects involving
writing and/or public speaking and to be recognized for what they
do! Contact her at http://www.lanterncoach.com for a free sample coaching
session.
Freelance
Writers: Don't Waste Your Time with Query Letters
By: Susan Daffron
Virtually
everything ever written about freelance writing and getting
published says that you need to write query letters. Yet in the
Internet Age, the truth of the matter is that query letters are
almost always a huge waste of time.
Certainly some people do get work by writing query letters. But
the query process soon turns into a numbers game, almost like a
direct mail campaign. You have to send out so many queries to get
meaningful responses that you won't have much time left to do any
actual work. A good query letter must be carefully crafted and
painstakingly personalized. To compose one that doesn't sound
cutesy or contrived is difficult and time-consuming.
The reality is that you must think of editors as your potential
customers. They control the budget and whether or not to buy from
you. It is NEVER a good idea to harass or inconvenience a
customer. For many busy editors, query letters are annoying.
Often they are just another form of junk mail.
Now you're probably thinking, "If editors don't read query
letters, how does anyone ever get published?" What the
writing books don't tell you is that article topics are often
defined far in advance. At many magazines, editors figure out a
monthly or yearly plan. Barring some earth-shattering
catastrophe, the editors stick to that plan. The standard query
letter is usually a waste of time because with the calendar of
topics decided well in advance, off-topic queries are ignored. In
other words, your carefully crafted query letter gets
round-filed, not because it's bad, but because it had no hope of
being used.
The fact that query letters are often thrown away doesn't mean
editors don't use freelance writers; they do. But the reality is
that editors tend to rely on a stable of writers who have proven
themselves experts on the magazine's chosen topics. So if you
want to be published, your task is to discover those topics and
become one of those experts.
From an editor's point of view, few decent writers actually exist
out there in the big world. Editors have simple needs: they want
articles that are original, easy to read, accurate, and on time.
Flakey writers that don't meet deadlines are the bane of every
editor and publisher in the industry. If you meet your deadlines,
every time with no excuses, you will stand out from the pack. If
you consistently send articles that are:
* precisely focused on a topic the magazine wants to run;
* written in the magazine's chosen style and tone;
* 100% accurate and error free;
* formatted the way the magazine wants them;
* and arrive BEFORE the deadline
an editor will notice you!
Okay, so what if you've never written for that magazine before?
Instead of querying, do some research on the magazine. After you
have read the magazine and any available writer's guidelines,
write a polite letter to the editor to ask for an editorial
calendar and explain your expertise.
This method is far preferable to any query letter, no matter how
clever or well-written.
Why? With some concise information about you, often an editor can
tell whether or not your writing will be a good fit for my
publication.
For example, if you say that you have written articles for
managers about "enterprise computing" and the editor
works for a "how to use Microsoft Word step by step"
magazine, it's likely that you won't be the right writer for that
magazine.
However, if you explain that you spent two years teaching
"introduction to word processing" classes at your local
YMCA, and that you wrote handouts for your students about how to
get started using Microsoft Word, that same editor might just
encourage you to submit a few articles! At the very least, the
editor might send you the editorial calendar.
Don't forget the basics! Simple little things often make you
stand out from the crowd and help your chances of getting
published. For example, when writing an e-mail or letter to an
editor, always remember that you are writing to someone who
spends a lot of time with words and probably has a degree in
English or Journalism. Double-check your spelling, grammar, and
punctuation. Format properly. If you don't compose your e-mail
competently and professionally, editors won't believe that you
can write a good article.
And finally, be truthful. Don't inflate your credentials. Don't
fib about how much you know about a topic. Don't gush, and don't
sell. Just state your credentials concisely, clearly, and
correctly. Editors don't need to be sold and they have no
tolerance for hype. They're just too busy to put up with it.
Susan Daffron
is the President of Logical Expressions, Inc. ( http://www.logicalexpressions.com ) and has written more than
300 newspaper and national magazine articles. She regularly
publishes ezines on computers ( http://www.LogicalTips.com ), pet care ( http://www.Pet-Tails.com ), and other topics.
Attention Struggling Freelance Writers: To Get
Published, Do Your Homework
By: Susan Daffron
Writing is a product. A basic marketing truism is that
you can't sell a product if no one wants to buy it. Whether or
not your writing is wonderful doesn't matter if you are writing
about a subject no one wants to publish. The moral of the story?
Never create your writing in a vacuum.
It's extremely easy to find out what topics are in demand by
doing a little Internet surfing. In fact, the Internet is
actually the best place to research hot topics. It's far better
than the library, chain bookstores, print media, or television.
Today's publishing trends will appear online first, long before
they hit the bookstores.
Before you write anything, try to think like a publisher. Ask
yourself, what do they want to buy?
Above all else, publishers want to print what is going to sell.
For example, if you want to submit a book proposal to a
publisher, go to the Web and find out what the hot topics are in
your chosen field. As a writer, you are, by nature, a researcher.
The Internet is a researcher's dream come true.
For example, if you are a computer nerd and want to write about
technology topics, what is the latest "buzz" on the
propeller-head discussion boards? What are people complaining
about? What new techie toy is your average 14 year old dying to
get his hands on?
Or let's say you want to break into a magazine. Every single
magazine editor on the planet, without exception, will tell you
to "read the magazine first" before you get in touch.
Many, many magazines put their writer's guidelines online. If
they don't, you can usually read a few issues online to get a
feel for the magazine's tone. You no longer have to waste postage
begging for a copy of the magazine before you contact the editor
or publisher. All you need to do is get online, go to your
favorite search engine, and start digging.
If you're interested in a particular magazine or trade journal,
simply to go your favorite search engine such as Google. Then
type:
[the magazine name] +guidelines OR
[the magazine name] +"writer information"
For more general searches, try these phrases:
"editorial calendar"
"writer's guidelines"
"author's guidelines"
"contributor's guidelines"
"write for us"
"freelance writing markets"
"freelance markets"
"writing markets"
Yes, the quotation marks are important. They tell the search
engine to find the entire phrase, as opposed to the individual
words. You also might try derivatives of these searches, such as
"writer guidelines" and "writers guidelines".
Sometimes web sites or search engines aren't good at handling
punctuation, such as apostrophes.
Armed with a little information, you can give publishers what
they want. And in turn, they'll give you what you want: a byline!
Susan Daffron
is the President of Logical Expressions, Inc. ( http://www.logicalexpressions.com ) and has written more than
300 newspaper and national magazine articles. She regularly
publishes ezines on computers ( http://www.LogicalTips.com ), pet care ( http://www.Pet-Tails.com ), and other topics.
Freelance Writers: To Make More Money, Keep Your
Clients Happy
By: Susan Daffron
As a freelance writer, your job is to create a product that your
customers absolutely love. Once you're in business, you probably
want to stay in business, so you can continue paying the bills,
eating, and so forth. So here's a little secret to freelance
writing success: it is easier, less time consuming, and less
expensive to sell an existing customer than it is to dredge up a
new one.
For a freelance writer that means you need to be more than just a
good writer, you need to be a conscientious one. You need to be
easy to communicate with and easy to find. Yes, find. You
wouldn't believe how many people complain that their service
provider (writer, graphic artist, whatever) has apparently
disappeared off the face of the planet. So keep a client list
with physical addresses and phone numbers. Don't just squirrel
away a bunch of email addresses -- they can and do change all too
quickly.
Always treat your writing like a business. It's amazing how many
business-people fail to return phone messages and e-mail. You
won't get work if you don't return phone calls. Publishing of any
type is by its very nature a deadline-oriented world. Editors
have no tolerance for those who waste their time.
Although editors always say it, the point can't be emphasized
enough: you get more work when you meet deadlines and make an
editor's life easier. Every editor has experienced the writer who
procrastinates and then turns in drek. Don't be one of them!
Do a good job on every single project, no matter how small. Be
sure to spell check everything you write, and get a real live
human being to read your writings before you hand them in. The
result will be happy editors who will be thrilled to give you
more work over the years.
Many writers who are in it for the long haul keep clients for
years. Trust is easily lost and much can change in the world over
the course of many years. Do what you say you're going to do when
you say you are going to do it. It sounds simple, but meeting
deadlines is hard. Don't commit to any project you can't really
do. Telling people what you think they want to hear can backfire
badly in the long run.
Many writers would like to curl up with their keyboards and just
write, but the reality is, to eat, you must tell the world you're
in business. A big part of marketing is keeping your clients
happy. With just a little effort, you too can be one of those
dependable writers that editors turn to again and again.
Susan Daffron
is the President of Logical Expressions, Inc. ( http://www.logicalexpressions.com ) and has written more than
300 newspaper and national magazine articles. She regularly
publishes ezines on computers ( http://www.LogicalTips.com ), pet care ( http://www.Pet-Tails.com ), and other topics.
An Advocate for Your Screenplay
By: Michael C. Murphy
I think a lot of struggling screenwriters believe if they could
just get an agent they would sell a script, get a bunch of
writing assignments, and life would be beautiful, but I’m
not sure that’s the case.
What follows is information taken from my conversations with
agents, talking to other screenwriters who have agents, panel
discussions I’ve watched with agents, interviews with agents
I’ve read or witnessed, or other bits of information
I’ve stumbled over through the years.
First of all, most agents don’t read query letters. I get
the feeling that even those who say they do – don’t.
Agents much prefer to get their clients by referral from
producers, other known screenwriters, managers, or some other
person they trust. Of course, there are agents who read every
query letter, but I’m not sure those are people you would
actually want as an agent.
This is a complicated problem for screenwriters trying to break
in, because often the advice I hear from top agents is that we
should look for a hot agent just starting out, someone who is
hungry for clients. That would be those agents reading all the
query letters, but how do you know which one is “hot”?
The “Fade In” directory is probably the best source to
look for agents, since it gives a little information along with
the phone number and address. And there is the old standard WGA
list of guild signatory agents, which is an important
consideration, because it means they abide by the WGA guidelines
that protect writers.
But you still have that problem of knowing which one is honest
and capable of actually helping you get where you want to go.
Personally, I want to be with one of the major players:
Creative Artists Agency
William Morris Agency
International Creative Management
United Talent Agency
Endeavor Agency
The Gersh Agency
Innovative Artists
Paradigm
Agency for the Performing Arts
Broder-Webb-Chervin-Silbermann Agency
Now, agents leave these companies and form their own agencies,
and those agents probably have some good contacts. And it may be
better to be with a smaller company, since you are less likely to
get lost and forgotten about, but you will miss out on those
inside agency connections. In a big agency, agents communicate
with each other about who is looking for what, and packaging
deals are made that could make it easier for your agent to find
you work.
The most important reason to have an agent is to gain access to
all the assignment work available. When studios are developing
projects, they often put out a call for screenwriters to adapt a
book, or rewrite someone else’s screenplay. Often, that spec
script that you think is going to be your first big sale,
actually becomes your writing sample, which your agent will use
to get you writing assignments.
Remember, when you go looking for an agent, that agents are
generally not looking for screenplays as much as they are looking
for clients. In other words, they generally don’t want
someone with just one script. They usually look for someone with
several solid scripts, who has the ability to be marketed in
several different directions at once. They play the odds, and if
you only have one good script the odds aren’t that good.
Also, agents don’t like scripts that have already been
shopped around. A good agent wants a fresh script that has never
been seen anywhere, so he/she can build some buzz, before sending
it out to a large group of production companies all at once, in
an effort to start a bidding war.
Finally, keep in mind an agent works for you, not the other way
around. Don’t just grab the first agent that shows interest.
Get face-to-face with anyone you are considering and look in
their eyes for sincerity. Ask probing questions. Don’t sign
a contract without legal advice, and don’t expect your agent
to do all the work – they won’t.
Michael C.
Murphy is the founder and president of The Writers' Building, a
nonprofit organization and online screenwriting workshop,
dedicated to helping aspiring screenwriters succeed. Join the
workshop at http://www.thewritersbuilding.org
Ten Tips For Budding Authors
By: Kevin Hart
1. For me the most important tip is to write, write every day,
365 days a year. Remember practice makes perfect.
2. Very few authors are published on their first attempt; it's a
hard slog and you'll often want to pact the whole writing
business in. It's then you've got to remember patience and
perseverance.
3. If you are serious about writing as a career then treat it as
such. If you wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, plumber, chef then
you'd expect to have to learn the trade. Why should writing be
any different? It will pay you to visit workshops and listen to
what successful authors have to say. Learn from the masters.
4. I'm a member of a writers group and for me it is essential it
helps feed me. Also visit sites like
http:www.abcwritersnetwork.co.uk where you will learn about
current creative writing contests. Use these contests to help
hone your skills. If you are involved in promoting creative
writing locally let them know they will advertise the event for
you free of charge.
5. In my early days of writing one of my main faults was my
failure to accept criticism. This was one of the problems my
writers group helped me overcome.
6. Be cautious of loved ones who tell you that your writing is
'marvelous,' quite often they don't want to offend. I've found it
best to avoid showing my work to close family until I've had it
tested elsewhere.
7. Don't become a writer because you think it is an easy option.
It is not. It is hard work. To become successful you have to work
365 days a year. There are very few other jobs that demand that
sort of commitment. Maybe after you've hit the big time you can
drop that down to six months in the year - maybe.
8 Carry a note book. If you get a sudden idea write it down.
Ideas are like dreams they are very soon forgotten, but ideas are
also like oak trees they can grow mighty big.
9. Believe in yourself, if you have what it takes to be
successful then you will succeed. If you haven't then you'll soon
know.
10. Finally Maeve Binchy gives this advice 'write as you talk.'
Also write about what you know. I know that's old hat but its
true nevertheless.
Good luck Kevin Hart Copyright © 2005
Kevin Hart is a
published author and chair of Armagh Creative Writers. He created
and maintains the hightly successful web site http://www.abcwritersnetwork.co.uk The website offers
invaluable information to creative writing. In particular it
holds a large data base of creative writing contests and
competitions.