These tips apply to editing your own work – a manuscript you’re submitting to a publisher, a letter to the editor, a report for work, a blog post, an entry in your personal journal … or anything else. Not everything you write requires all of these steps – an e-mail to a friend may just need … Read more
Pixel advertising seems to be the new craze on the Internet. According to Pixel Traffic Watcher, “traffic from sites selling advertising space by way of selling blocks of pixels is one of the hottest things going on the internet.” It seems this fad was started by a British student to earn money for university – and … Read more
In the latest issue of her newsletter, author Gayle Trent shared a dilemma. Should she write about a tragic and violent incident that resulted in two deaths at her husband’s workplace? Although she would like to write something that might help prevent future incidents of this kind, she is deeply concerned that what she writes might bring more pain to the families … Read more
As the New Year approaches, many of us are thinking about making resolutions or setting goals. New Year’s resolutions are often cliches – lose weight, save money, give up smoking or other bad habit – and just as often broken and forgotten early in the year. However, setting goals and making plans at the beginning … Read more
As a follow-up to my post about resources for writers, I thought I would share reference sites that are excellent resources for both writers and readers. On the Reference Resources page, you will find links to dictionaries and other reference books, libraries, search engines to find people and companies, grammar and style guides, quotations and … Read more
As I mentioned in the last post, I recently answered a writer’s question about finding writing jobs. I thought you might like to see the list of sites I sent her. Here are some places to look for writing jobs and freelance projects: http://www.writersmarkets.com/ http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/wri/ (You can also search other cities for telecommute opportunities) http://www.geteditingjobs.com/ http://www.writejobs.com/ … Read more
A writer friend e-mailed me recently and asked for advice on finding a part-time telecommuting writing job. As I prepared my answer, I checked the Resources for Writers page on my Web site to make recommendations. In the process, I checked all the links … and of course found some dead links. Sites – even good ones … Read more
I’ve been following a discussion on a writers e-mail list. Must writers follow all the rules of grammar, spelling, and punctuation or do the rules stifle the writer’s creativity? Some writers consider themselves artists who can’t be restricted by rules, while others consider themselves craftsmen bound by conventions. I fall in the middle – as … Read more
In an earlier post, I talked about the value of critique groups. I failed to mention one important benefit: brainstorming. In a critique group, you can tell your fellow writers if you’re stuck on something or if you’re trying to decide between two storylines, scenes, or options. The whole group pitches in with suggestions, reactions, … Read more
EPIC, an organization of writers, publishers, and other professionals in the e-book industry, is sponsoring the 2007 EPIC New Voices Writing Competition for middle school and high school students. Students in public, private, or home schools may enter short story (fiction), essay (nonfiction), and poetry categories at either the middle school or high school level. … Read more