Writing And Publishing Advice | Lillie Ammann, Writer and Editor

Writers Worth Month 2017

by Lillie

May 19th, 2017

Lori Widmer at Words on the Page has deemed May as Writers Worth Month. Lori is on a crusade for writers to recognize their own worth and to stop writing for content mills that pay little or nothing.

She started off the month with a listing of 101 (New) Free Freelance Writer Resources. Although some of the resources are writing-related, most will be useful for freelancers of all kinds.

I recommend you check out all the Writers Worth posts from both Lori and guest posters. You’ll find useful information and encouragement.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/DimaGavrish

Categories Writing and Publishing Advice

Infographic: How to Stay Productive When You’re Tired

by Lillie

April 19th, 2017

When you’re tired, the best thing you can do is to get some rest. However, when you’re a freelance writer and editor, sometimes you must keep working to meet a critical deadline. The infographic below from STL provides some helpful tips to stay productive even when you’re exhausted. Use these tips to get you through your deadline—then get some rest.

How to stay productive when you’re tired [Infographic] by the team at STL

Categories Writing and Publishing Advice

Increasing Productivity and Creativity Through Your Workspace: Guest Post from Adam Robertson

by Lillie

March 22nd, 2017

Studies have shown that the ability to focus and concentrate and the ability to think creatively as a writer has a lot to do with your physical surroundings.

Something as simple as seating yourself in a comfortable chair, such as an ergonomic office chair, can increase your overall performance.

Here we will discuss ways that can help you to increase levels of productivity and creativity through your workspace.

Improving Physical Ergonomics

Today, a large percentage of the population, including those who write for a living, is seated in a chair all day long.

A chair can be monitored to ultimately ensure that a writer’s body is positioned correctly in their workspace. If you as a writer choose to use a computer to write, then it is best to make sure that your screen is at eye level. Similarly, it is best to ensure that your feet are flat on the floor to improve your physical ergonomics when writing.

Eliminate Clutter in Your Writing Environment

Mentally, when you are surrounded by clutter in your writing environment, it can cause your mind to feel cluttered, and this can eliminate all aspects of creativity.

Keeping your writing environment clean and tidy is particularly important. Spending a few minutes every morning tidying your writing environment isn’t a lot to ask. However, it will provide you with a huge difference in levels of productivity.

Place Yourself in New Seating and Environments

When you are seated in the same writing environment every day, you might begin to lack creativity. Because of this, it is best to visit new places and environments to increase your overall creativity. This could be as little as visiting the park rather than sitting in your home where you are restricting your level of experience.

As well as seating yourself in different working environments, it is good to invest in a new and comfortable seat. This way you could eliminate the possibility of getting distracted from your writing due to back pains. Ergonomic office chairs are a great choice of seating as they help improve posture. This is especially good for writers who spend most of their time seated in a chair.

The Importance of Storage

As a writer, it is important to keep yourself, as well as your workspace environment, tidy and organized. A great way to keep the workspace organized is the use of storage, such as filing cabinets. This way, you will find it particularly easy to access any of your resources and supplies such as reference books, which help you with your writing.

As a result, you won’t be wasting time trying to find your equipment, and in time this will help to improve your productivity level.

Finding the Right Lighting

Lighting is important while working, especially for a writer. The lighting in the workspace environment can ultimately help a writer’s ability to perform well.

Straining your eyes due to writing in the dark is bad, therefore it is always best to invest in a small lamp to help improve the lighting in the room.

Listening to Evocative Music

Furthermore, another way that a writer can spark their level of creativity is listening to evocative music. For writers, it is always great to listen to music before sitting down to write, or even before brainstorming ideas.

Writers often find listening to music a useful way of getting the creative juices flowing. However, don’t be shocked if you find that working in complete silence is better for you to concentrate and be more productive when writing.

Overall, increasing productivity and creativity through your workspace can ultimately help improve your level of writing. This can be something as little as purchasing a new office chair, changing working environments, or even eliminating the clutter in your workspace environment.

As well as the above, browsing through images could be a bright idea for writers to do in order to improve their creativity. Searching for images on Google can give you ideas to write about.

Author Bio: Adam Robertson is a professional in the office furnishings industry. He works for Allard Office Furniture, an office furniture company that has eighteen years of shared experience in office desks, chairs, supplies, and accessories.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/alexeys

Categories Writing and Publishing Advice

Choosing Your Niche: A Guide for Beginners—Guest Post from Kate Thora

by Lillie

February 22nd, 2017

Becoming a writer always starts with a bit of soul-searching. If you want to make it in the world of creative writing, you need to have something that will make you stand out from the pack. You can either focus on developing a distinctive style or write about controversial topics.

But first of all, you need to find your field of expertise that will best represent your skills and interests. If you are wondering how to get started in creative writing, read on and equip yourself with the most effective tips on finding the right niche and getting passionate about work as an author.

Study time
When you take a closer look at the history of literature, you may notice that world-famous authors are remembered for excellence in one field— Edgar Allan Poe is known for thrilling short stories, Charles Dickens for captivating bildungsromans, Robert Frost for honest poetry, and Susan Sontag for politically involved essays. In order to pick your niche, you need to know what particular fields you can choose from. It is, therefore, recommended to read on the subject of creative writing and learn the genres as well as subgenres of fiction and nonfiction.

Fiction vs. nonfiction
The next big decision you will have to make is to decide whether you are more passionate about fiction or nonfiction. Nowadays, both genres are very competitive, however if you are great at what you do and are able to grab the attention of your readers with unique style and captivating story or comprehensive knowledge and competent analysis, the fans will follow naturally. People are drawn to charismatic writers who are not afraid to voice their opinions through their fiction or nonfiction works.

Three is a crowd
While some people find success in writing about almost anything, most authors, bloggers, and freelance journalists decide to narrow down their field of expertise and focus on the topics they are most passionate about. If you have not written anything yet, you may want to start by listing the disciplines you like talking, reading, and listening about. If you already have a bit of experience in writing, go down memory lane and recall what topics lifted you up and gave you that natural flow most writers desire.

Write for yourself
After you have established the basics, it’s time to get cracking. The best way to find out if you’re good at what you do is to write for yourself and evaluate your work. Let go of your fear of failure, forget the worries and struggles of publishing process, don’t think about sales charts—just focus on writing. I’m aware that it’s easier said than done, but remember that the good things come straight from the heart. No one can pressure you to do things you don’t want to do or write stories that aren’t right up your alley. After all, you are your best and harshest critic, so write something that you would enjoy reading for years to come.

Write regularly
Many beginning writers struggle with a so-called writer’s block. This condition is associated with a lack of creativity followed by an inability to produce good content. If you feel like you have run out of ideas, it’s always good to go for a walk, exercise, or call a dear friend. Many writers also recommend to create some routines around writing. One of them is writing regularly, at similar times, in similar conditions. Choose the place that inspires you, but at the same time lets you summon your ideas.

Choosing the right niche can take some time, but finding your true field of expertise is a rewarding and freeing feeling that will give you a powerful dose of motivation to complete your work. Good luck!

Kate Thora is a Senior Content Specialist for Uphours, an online resource with information about businesses worldwide. Aside from her passion for writing, Kate’s artistic soul manifests itself also in her love for singing and dancing, especially to traditional Indian music. Follow her on Twitter @katethora1.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/feedough

Categories Writing and Publishing Advice

The Ubiquitous and Elusive Apostrophe

by Lillie

August 17th, 2016

After reading my last post about random capitalization, a friend asked me on Facebook to write about apostrophes. Since the apostrophe is such an abused punctuation mark, I agreed.

How can the apostrophe be both ubiquitous (everywhere) and elusive (hard to find)? The apostrophe, if not exactly ubiquitous, certainly shows up in many places it doesn’t belong. At the same time it is frequently missing from places it does belong.

There are two major uses for the apostrophe:

To show possession—Add ‘s to singular words and plural words not ending in s: Carolyn’s question, Jane’s purse, the dog’s bowl, children’s teacher, oxen’s yoke. Add an apostrophe only to plural words ending in s: students’ questions, the girls’ purses, the dogs’ bowls, twins’ bedroom.
To indicate missing letters or numerals as in contractions—can’t (cannot), shouldn’t (should not), ’tis (it is), she’d (she had). An apostrophe can also be used in other places where letters or numbers are missing—’98, dancin’.

An apostrophe is used to form a plural only in the rare case of making lowercase letters plural: x’s and y’s. Uppercase letters used as words do not require an apostrophe for their plural form: 3Rs.

The apostrophe and the single quotation mark look the same but have different uses. The single quotation mark is used primarily for quotations within quotations.

The most common apostrophe errors are using them when they aren’t needed, using them in the wrong place in the word, or not using them when they are needed.

Do not use an apostrophe to form plural except in the unusual situation mentioned above (making individual lower-case letters plural). The Johnson family is not the Johnson’s, more than one book is not book’s, and a bouquet of flowers is not flower’s.
Put the apostrophe either before the s or at the end of the word, depending on whether it the word is singular or plural: The secretary’s phone (not the secretarys’ phone), the student’s classes (one student) or the students’ classes (many students), the children’s toys.
Use apostrophes to show possession or to indicate missing letters or words: Tony’s hobby, neighbors’ pets, can’t, didn’t, singin’.

Have you sent other misuses of the apostrophe? Share on social media.

And let me know if you would like me to address special writing mistakes in future posts.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/IntelWond

Categories Writing and Publishing Advice

The Plague of Random Capitalization

by Lillie

August 9th, 2016

As an editor, I encounter the same problems over and over again, regardless of the genre or the writer.

One persistent problem is random capitalization. Although this is common from writers of all kinds, I find it most often in business writing. I think it’s part of many corporate cultures, and the people who see and do this every day at work tend to make the same mistake in other kinds of writing as well.

When should you capitalize and when should put the whole word in lowercase?

Names of people and places are almost always capitalized: Jane Doe, San Antonio, Texas. Follow the lead of the individual who lowercases part of his or her name (John de Paul).
Titles are capitalized when they are used with the name—President Obama, but not when they are used generically—the president. Complete titles may be capitalized following the person’s name—John Smith, Chief Executive Officer, but not when used as a description—John Smith, the chief executive officer of the company.
Respectful forms of address—Your Honor, Mr. President, Your Excellency—are always capitalized.
Kinship names—mom, dad, aunt, grandmother—are lowercased unless they are used as part of or in place of a name: Mom, Uncle John, Grandma Sadie (when addressing or identifying the person by that name) but my mom, my uncle, and my grandma.
Names of ethnic or national groups (Americans, Hispanics, African Americans) are capitalized, but colors (white, black) are lowercased.
The names and titles of religious organizations, clergy, and books are capitalized, but generic descriptions are not: All Saints Anglican Church, the church, Pastor Joe, the pastor, The Holy Bible, holy book.
Words like nature, science, success are not capitalized unless they are part of a name or title.

Organizations (corporations, nonprofits, and military) often over-use capitals. They typically capitalize every title down to the lowliest position, perhaps to make the people in those positions feel important. If you are writing something for an organization that follows this practice, you should, of course, follow the company style. However, if you are writing something outside the company, follow the style of the publication or group for whom you are writing. When in doubt, don’t capitalize.

Organizations often capitalize the name of every department, every program, every process…. The best way to determine if capitalizing a word or phrase is appropriate is to determine whether it is an actual name or title of something or simply a description. The Department of Science and Technology is capitalized if that is its actual name, but the science and technology department is not. Zero Defects Quality Control Program is capitalized if that is its proper name, but the quality control program is not.

If you’re not sure about whether to capitalize a word or phrase, ask yourself, “Is this an actual name or title of something?” If so, capitalize. If the word or phrase is just a description, begin the word(s) with lowercase letters.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/Lappenno2

Categories Writing and Publishing Advice

Get to Know Yourself: Guest Post from David Grover

by Lillie

July 13th, 2016

Guest Post from David Grover—Get to Know Yourself: 5 Self-Discoveries You Make When Writing a Journal

One of the most powerful and efficient ways to get to know yourself is through keeping a journal. Writing down your deepest inner thoughts is incredibly therapeutic and allows you to gain control of your emotions and to set tasks to achieve your goals.

You might think that keeping a journal is a lot of work for no reward, but the truth is the number of self-discoveries you make while journaling is astounding. Here are five that are worth paying attention to.

1 The things you love
It sounds kind of simple, doesn’t it? Of course, you discover the things you love when you write a journal; you already know them. However, it isn’t as simple as that. One of the benefits of writing a journal is the knowledge that no one but yourself will ever read it, and with that knowledge comes security and the absence of deceit.

When you realize that your journal is just for you, the things that you write become increasingly personal and edge closer to the truth you either hide or play down. This happens because journal writing allows you to let go and permit your subconscious to have an audible voice. You then discover things, people, and places that you love but were unable to realize.

2 The things you hate
Just as you discover the things you love when you write a journal, you also discover the things that you hate. And again it sounds simple, but we tend to bury the things that truly bother us. Writing out your feelings, both positive and negative, allows you to assess and confront any problems you may have in a very positive and healthy way.

3 Your core values
Your core values are what make your personality unique to you, and while we might think we know how we feel or think about certain things, the fact is, until you examine your feelings and intuitions, you’ll never know for sure. That’s where journaling comes in. Keeping a journal and reviewing it from time to time will allow you to see inside of your soul, including your core values, in a way you haven’t before.

4 Your dreams
We all know what our dreams and aspirations are; from the ridiculous to the mundane, we have a good idea of our wants and wishes. When you keep a journal not only do you discover new ambitions, you also figure out a way to make them a lot more tangible.

A great benefit to keeping a journal is reviewing it and taking note of running themes and recurring events. Through doing this you will be able to see where you are going wrong and how to make it right. When you see the details of your life laid out in black and white, you automatically make a conscious effort to change it for the better, including chasing those dreams of yours.

5 Creative sparks
A great self-discovery that is made when keeping a journal is creativity. The act of writing every day tends to light an artistic fire in your belly, and you will discover a talent you never knew you had. Even if you are already quite inventive, the therapeutic nature of journaling relaxes your mind, leaving you free to tap into the creative side of your brain that you may have previously ignored.

Amazing self-discoveries aside, keeping a journal is a lot of fun. It’s a great way to spend your time. Your writing skills improve, and you learn so much more about yourself. So, if you were ever on the fence about keeping a journal, now might be the time to start!

David Grover is a Communications Manager at Timeo, a useful tool for businesses in the UK. He’s also a freelance career coach who’s always eager to share his experience. In his free time he enjoys traveling.

Categories Writing and Publishing Advice

Writers Worth Month

by Lillie

May 2nd, 2016

Lori Widmer at Words on the Page has declared May to be Writers Worth Month.

Not only is Lori successful as a freelance writer, but she is also generous in sharing advice with other writers on her blog. She advocates for writers to earn what they are worth and for writers to be worth what they want to earn.

All month Lori and other freelancers will share advice on how to deserve and earn more money. Whether you’re an established freelance writer seeking to advance in your career or a complete novice just learning the ropes, drop by Words on the Page every day of Writers Worth Month.

Here are a few posts I’ve written related to freelance writing and editing rates:

Categories Writing and Publishing Advice

The Ultimate Writer’s Guide to Success

by Lillie

April 4th, 2016

Matt Banner of On Blast Blog calls his infographic “The Ultimate Writer’s Guide to Success.” It may not be the ultimate guide–after all, it’s an infographic, not a book, but it has some helpful tips. I learned of some resources I didn’t know about.

Credit: On Blast Blog

Categories Writing and Publishing Advice

Five Tips to Increase Freelance Productivity—Guest Post from Carol Williams

by Lillie

March 1st, 2016

Even if working freelance is a strong trend, many freelancers are still in the dark as to how to make the most from their creative freedom. If you’re a freelance writer in need of productivity boost, this post is for you. Here are 5 actionable tips to help you increase—maybe double—your productivity in freelance writing.

1. Schedule your time.

A daily routine is your best strategy for boosting productivity. Start your day by writing on a sticky note all the tasks you must complete. It will help you stay focused on your work. Plus, ticking off an item from your list will feel incredibly satisfying.

For more complex to-do lists, try apps like Wunderlist or Evernote. They synchronize across your devices, helping you to stay on top of your tasks on the go. Develop a clear plan for every day, break your objectives into small tasks, and stick to your routine. You’ll never feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to complete and consequently make the most from your time.

2. Set the right focus.

Instead of counting the minutes or hours, set your eyes on your objectives. Even if you spend 3 hours on a project, it doesn’t mean the quality of your work was high—especially if you spent half of that time with eyes glued to your social media feed.

Don’t let hours available to you during a day define your work rhythm. Work enough to accomplish your short term goals and push bigger projects forward. Great articles can be created in a matter of hours, so don’t organize your work by time. This new approach will help you to maximize your output from every minute of work.

3. Take productive breaks.

Not every break will help you relax and return to work with a refreshed mind. If you eat a fatty snack, browse social media, or watch cat videos on YouTube, you’re bound to feel less energetic and motivated. Why not go out, take a walk, or even do some mundane things like organizing your workspace or doing the dishes? All will help your brain to relax and effectively use your time every single day.

4. Switch to a new task when experiencing a block.

Writer’s block is something we all know. How can you deal with it and remain productive? Switch to a completely different task. Don’t stop working, but direct your attention somewhere else. And make sure that the task at hand is completely different—research a different topic, try your hand at turning your post into a Slideshare presentation, or respond to that stack of emails left abandoned in your inbox. This will help you to return to writing with new motivation.

5. Use strategies that work for other freelancers.

Finally, try one of the methods that boost productivity and help freelancers get lots of work done in record time. One such strategy is called the Pomodoro Technique. Take a timer, break down your work into 25-minute intervals, and set off to work. Once your time is up, you can take a short break and then return to your task. During those 25 minutes, you should be completely focused on your task—you’ll see how the time passing will motivate you to enter into a highly productive workflow.

Success in freelance writing depends on your productivity and how fast you’re able to deliver a product to your client. Without anyone supervising your work or motivating you to work harder, it’s up to you to employ smart strategies to give you an instant energy boost and lots of motivation to keep on writing.

About the author: Carol Williams is part of the team behind checkdirector.co.uk – free online check directors tool. She is interested in productivity at work issues and loves to share her insights through writing and lecturing.

Categories Writing and Publishing Advice

Archive for Writing and Publishing Advice

Writers Worth Month 2017

Infographic: How to Stay Productive When You’re Tired

Increasing Productivity and Creativity Through Your Workspace: Guest Post from Adam Robertson

Choosing Your Niche: A Guide for Beginners—Guest Post from Kate Thora

The Ubiquitous and Elusive Apostrophe

The Plague of Random Capitalization

Get to Know Yourself: Guest Post from David Grover

Writers Worth Month

The Ultimate Writer’s Guide to Success

Five Tips to Increase Freelance Productivity—Guest Post from Carol Williams

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