- A Writer's Forum: Time Waster or Valuable Resource?
The use of an online forum for writers is viewed as a 'waste of time' by some and a 'valuable tool of encouragement' by others. Should you participate in an online forum? If so, when is too much of a good thing just 'too much'? - A Writer's Life for Me
The advise of a full-time writer may help aspiring writers to gain a clear understanding of some of the myths and facts surrounding what it means to write 'full-time.' It may be the hope of all who have ever put pen to paper that they might be able to write on a full-time basis. - Allegory: A Writer's Tool
Allegory is a time honored writing technique, yet is little used today as a means of conveying a specific moral or political perspective. While once used as a staple in children's literature allegory is an effective tool that may be worth considering. - Am I Repeating Myself or Did I Say That Before?
The repetition of phrases or certain words can become an irritant to readers. Find out why a better mix of ingredients in your story salsa may have your readers saying, "Great taste!" - Before Painting Words
The process of writing generally requires research. Unless you are recounting personal events in a first person non-fiction narrative the use of research tools is a highly valued counterpart to effective writing. - Being a Writer is so TAXing
For many writers the idea of trying to figure out how to manage taxes related to writing is laughable because they are still dreaming of selling their first article, story or manuscript. However, you may well find yourself receiving payment for your writing one day – and when you do, it's important to know some tax basics as they relate to writing. - Being Paid to Learn
The term content writing has taken on a new meaning with the advent of the internet. In strict writing discipline the term refers to adapting your writing to match a specific style or voice. This type of writing has nothing to do with personal taste or style preference. It is, however, a means of forcing yourself to learn to write in a style that you may have never chosen on your own. - Content or Passion: Balance in the Writing Journey
Being a successful writer requires a balanced approach between the things we are passionate about and freelance work that can provide both skills and income. Have you explored all your options? - Creative Jumpstart
When you feel the loss of creativity as a writer what steps should you take to recapture that creative edge? This article explores ways to restore creativity to your writing. - Deciding What To Write - Can You Get There From Here?
I have to admit there are times when I just start writing and worry about the details later. Interestingly, it is a unique exercise in taking something without purpose and finding one for it. However, there is a method called ‘clustering’ that can help you define key elements to a story before it is subjected to creative phrase turning. - Did You Know? Understanding The Publishing World
Sometimes putting things in perspective is useful when trying to gain a clear understanding of the many facets of the publishing world. This article is intended to provide some random statistics to help you understand the publishing world a little better. - Doctor, Doctor, Give Me the News
You may have heard of the term, "Book Doctor" in your writing career. Maybe you've wondered what a Book Doctor does and if it's a good idea to utilize their services. - Don't Sell Yourself Short
What should you charge a client to write a freelance article for print or the web? Have you thought about it? This article can help. - Dusting Off a Dream: Writing Success at Any Age
Even if you have put off writing because life interrupted a dream, it is never too late to pick up where you left off and express something you may have thought was forgotten. Your life experiences may make a return to the dream a very rich experience. - Fanfiction: Because a Good Story Never Really Dies
Intellectual property in story writing is giving way to a genre of writing that allows fans to tell new stories based on existing characters. Why would writers allow this to happen? Perhaps imitation really is the best form of flattery. - Fluff Elimination: Compaction Contraction
Have you worked through the elimination of fluff in your writing? Have you removed nonessentials? Have you eliminated excess adjective use? This article addresses these issues and helps you learn to define the core purpose of a paragraph. - Free For All
You have a body of work that hasn’t been published yet. Should you allow anyone to use it free of charge? Should you keep it for other singular uses? This article presents two contrasting views. - Freelancing: Pleasure or Business
Freelancing has become an important way for writers to connect with a variety of individuals and publications requiring specific writing. Should a freelancer consider their writing an art form or a business? Can it be both? - Genuine Imitation Flattery
In order to imitate a certain style requires one of two approaches. The first is designed to imitate the style for the purpose of creating a similar work. The second approach is the theme of this article - parody. - Greeting Cards: For In-between Freelancing
Have you ever wondered who actually writes all of those greeting cards you purchase each year? It could be you. This article provides a few suggestions for breaking into the greeting card writing business. - Have Pen, Will Write (Freelance Writing)
The term freelance has been described as "A person who sells services to employers without a long-term commitment to any of them." This is essentially the truth of freelance writing. In many ways a freelancer works as a subcontractor. A freelance writer accepts work offered by a magazine or newspaper with no long-term commitment or promise of ongoing assignments. - Have You Read My Book?
Perhaps you are fortunate enough to have your own book published. Your publisher might be a large firm with allocated resources to manage the Public Relations (PR) for your book or they might be a smaller firm that relies on their authors to do some of the legwork in promoting the book. - How To Avoid Cliches - That Sounds Familiar
When writing articles, stories for full blown manuscripts it is often in your best interest to avoid common phrases or colloquialisms. Many writers refer to the overuse of these phrases as cliché and they avoid them like the plague. - Is Anyone Out There?
When crafting a piece of writing it is important to define who the audience for the piece will be. It doesn't matter if the piece is fiction, non-fiction or technical. What is important is knowing a little bit about your intended reader. - Just Write: Wherever You Are
The reasons to become a freelance writer are as impressive as the reasons to hire a freelance writer. The work is hard, but it is work that you already enjoy. Whether you have considered a freelance writer or you are a person interested in freelance writing this article contains valuable considerations. - Memoirs: Reality TV in Print
Has the rise in the popularity of reality television given a boost to a very specific writing genre? Memoirs are growing in popularity and writers may have to thank television for their newfound success. - Off the Top of My Head - Freewriting
In writing there is a technique known as Freewriting which is essentially designed to encourage you to write and it comes without bounds of structure, format or plot. Freewriting may seem frivolous to some, however it is useful in bringing creativity to the forefront in ways that are often surprising to those who try this exercise. - One Epic Flashback
You've probably watched a movie where you observe the lead character in a quiet, contemplative moment. It's not long before you hear a sound similar to a camera and the movie shifts to an event from the past that provides a clue about what is happening to the character in the present. - Peer Review: Let Me Down Easy
When someone asks you to review his or her writing, how do you approach your review? Is there a way to point them in the right direction with a dose of encouragement? This article explains how to do just that. - Plagiarism: A Case of Copy & Paste
A writer’s style is often the result of blending the styles of those the writer has admired. While this may be done unconsciously it is possible to boldly lift material from another author. This is plagiarism and is not acceptable in writing. - Production Percolation: The Beauty of a Well-aged Manuscript
Writers are enthusiastic about getting their manuscripts into the hands of publishers. They have spent time working through the storyline, but is the manuscript ready to be sent? For many writers, the best answer is patience. - Self-Marketing Techniques for Writers
A broad overview of ways to self-market writing skills. The use of the Internet has allowed writers to take their skills international with clients who may wish to use one writer for all their content requirements. Self-marketing can help you locate these clients. - Simply Academic
The importance of academic writing is to supply a thesis or an arguable point. Academic writing cannot stand on its own by simply presenting the observations of others. As a writer, you must present your own argument and then supply points of support that assist in furthering your argument. You should be fully aware of what questions you are seeking to answer in your work. - The Moral of the Story
The means of conveying a moral specific theme in a fictional story is termed Moral Fiction. This designation may seem self-explanatory since you most likely grew up with stories that contained a moral lesson. So many classic children's stories were infused with value based story lines it may seem strange to think that is not the primary purpose of storytelling. - The One You Love To Hate
The antagonist is the story’s villain. The best bad guys are the ones we love to hate. We don’t need to know why they are bad, we don’t need a play by play of the choices they made early in life, we simply recognize they are bad and we don’t want them to win. - The Perfect Freelance Writer
A humorous look at how some clients view the perfect freelance writer. While none of us can ever be perfect this article encourages learning, growth and commitment to providing superior work. - The Skill of Speech: A Writer's Friend
How important are public speaking skills to a writer? Have you ever considered what might happen if you should find broad success with your writing? This article provides some direction on developing your speaking skills as a writer. - There's Always a Critic
A writer is often faced with a certain amount of criticism. How should we respond? What if the critic is right? - What's in a Name? Naming Characters
You have developed a plot, setting and have even come up the main characters for your latest story. You start to write, but it isn't long before your come to a road block. It's not the storyline; after all you know where you're headed. It’s not the setting; you mapped that out before the first word was committed to paper. - Writing Advice From The Experts Part #1
One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper pattern at the right moment. - Hart Crane - Writing as a Business
If you are looking at making writing a means of providing a personal income it may be important to understand how to develop your passion for writing into a successful small business. The first step is one you've already taken. Discover what you are passionate about. If you are reading this article you are probably most interested in the written word. - Writing as Therapy
Have you ever considered your writing as therapy? This article provides a case study for those who may be skeptical regarding the use of writing as a means of being able to move forward emotionally. - Writing Success: What Does it Mean to You
The art of contentment is a needed component in instilling happiness with your writing success. No matter what stage you are in as a writer, a goal without a mechanism for contentment can lead to disillusionment. - Writing the Morning Pages
There is a simple tool that can assist you in the area of idea recall. Morning Pages is a process that can take an inspired muse and allow it to grow by ensuring the idea is properly recorded for further review. - Writing with an Open Hand
If emotional energy is required for creative writing should you also expend similar energy in the success or failure of your article? Is there a better way to participate in the process of marketing your skill? This article looks at the writing process from the standpoint of marketing. - Writing: Passion Validation
What if those closest to you do not understand your passion for writing? Do you need their validation? Do you need them to perceive you as a writer? Changing the perception others have of you is a long and difficult journey. This article provides some encouragement to keep writing even when there is no validation from others. - You Might Be a Published Author If
The truth is, the definition of a published author might be more encompassing than you may have realized. Most aspiring writers tend to think of a published author as one who has had a manuscript accepted for publication in a book or magazine. However, because there are assignable rights to your work it is important to know that chances are very strong that you are already a published author. - You Write, but Who Are You?
Discovering who we are individuals is an important step in being effective writers. The very things that have shaped us as human beings are the things that forge our creativity and insight. So, who are you?
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