Posts
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Writing is a difficult thing to accomplish at times. Few have the ability to write, fewer still have the ability to write well. Most have to work very hard at writing, but occasionally, a writer comes along who is naturally gifted.
Every now and then, I have a student in my office who is really impressive with his or her writing skills. The shocking thing about some of these unpretentious souls is that they do not realize how well they write. I have to say to them, “You write very well.”
“Thanks,” is the usual response.
“Did you ever think about writing for a magazine?”
“No, not really.”
“Why not?”
Here is where they pause. Some have never thought of writing for money, some have no idea of where to start, others do not realize there are entities out there willing to pay money for good writing. Sometimes the answer is, “I don’t think it would be worth it.” This is where I drag them out of my office and into the hallway to the bulletin board outside my door. I point to an article.
“See this? Two hours worth of research, writing, editing, and re-write. Five hundred bucks.” They look at me a little stunned and then they look again at the 800-word piece.
“Five hundred dollars?”
“Yep.”
“You’re kidding. That’s $250 an hour!”
“Yep.”
Sometimes, but rarely, I can be a man of few words. I fully take pleasure in watching their faces when they make the connection between the work and the pay and then have that wonderful, “Ah-ha!” moment.
“Which would you rather do? Work some menial job for $12 an hour, or attain some form of professional recognition writing at a rate of $50 to $500 an hour?”
I really enjoy watching young people when they “get it.” All of a sudden, their minds open to an array of endless possibilities. Their eyes become so bright, their smiles so wide. They immediately get the connection between being able to communicate in writing and their chosen professional field—whatever their craft might be.
After the initial shock wears off, they start asking questions about how to begin earning money from working as a wordsmith. I tell them the basics about the writing craft, the nuts and bolts of writing for money, and then I tell them about Writer’s Market.
I explain that writersmarket.com is not a free site; then in the same breath, I say it is the best use of $40 for most writers—as well as being tax deductible.
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Showing posts with label freelance writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freelance writing. Show all posts
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Writing Software
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In the execution of writing, there are many tools from which the writer may choose when it comes to word processing software. One of the most popular is Microsoft's Word.
Word comes in the latest version of 2007 with a previous version of 2003. Both are powerful writing tools no writer should be without.
MS did a fantastic job developing Word. The tools inside the software are many, varied, and extremely useful. There is a built in dictionary, a thesaurus, research tools, and more.
Word, as with any other software application, takes a little time to master. It is complex and has its own language of keyboard shortcuts to use it effectively. At first, someone new to the software may seem inundated with the scope and depth of the commands to learn.
Once mastered, however, every writer will quickly recognize how the tools of Word allow elevation of their writing to a completely new level. Many authors have found the use of Word makes the task of writing much easier.
Word does a great job of helping your writing. For the student still in school trying to get A's in English, Word places a squiggly red line under each misspelled word and a green one underneath improper phrases. You can make corrections as you write, or wait until the piece is complete and run a complete spelling and grammatical check on the whole document.
In addition to writing tools, Word also presents an array of organizational tools. This is the business side of writing and Word is again, phenomenally useful in this area.
These tools include mailing, references, and reviewing options. With Mail Merge, you can create a form letter and individualize it to many recipients without having to type the same letter many times, or inserting different names or phrases multiple times.
The references tab allows a writer to research on the go, while writing in the middle of the article or story. Multiple authors can use the review tab to chance and track revisions to any writing project.
Although this sounds like a commercial for Word, it is not. There are other word processing programs to choose from, this just happens to be the most powerful - in my humble opinion.
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In the execution of writing, there are many tools from which the writer may choose when it comes to word processing software. One of the most popular is Microsoft's Word.
Word comes in the latest version of 2007 with a previous version of 2003. Both are powerful writing tools no writer should be without.
MS did a fantastic job developing Word. The tools inside the software are many, varied, and extremely useful. There is a built in dictionary, a thesaurus, research tools, and more.
Word, as with any other software application, takes a little time to master. It is complex and has its own language of keyboard shortcuts to use it effectively. At first, someone new to the software may seem inundated with the scope and depth of the commands to learn.
Once mastered, however, every writer will quickly recognize how the tools of Word allow elevation of their writing to a completely new level. Many authors have found the use of Word makes the task of writing much easier.
Word does a great job of helping your writing. For the student still in school trying to get A's in English, Word places a squiggly red line under each misspelled word and a green one underneath improper phrases. You can make corrections as you write, or wait until the piece is complete and run a complete spelling and grammatical check on the whole document.
In addition to writing tools, Word also presents an array of organizational tools. This is the business side of writing and Word is again, phenomenally useful in this area.
These tools include mailing, references, and reviewing options. With Mail Merge, you can create a form letter and individualize it to many recipients without having to type the same letter many times, or inserting different names or phrases multiple times.
The references tab allows a writer to research on the go, while writing in the middle of the article or story. Multiple authors can use the review tab to chance and track revisions to any writing project.
Although this sounds like a commercial for Word, it is not. There are other word processing programs to choose from, this just happens to be the most powerful - in my humble opinion.
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Saturday, May 29, 2010
Tools for the Writer
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What kind of tools do you need to write? At the low end of the scale, nothing more than a few sheets of paper and a couple of pencils. On the high end of the scale, an expensive computer with all kinds of peripheral equipment such as printers, scanners, and more. Between the two, a writer can find exactly what he or she needs to accomplish their writing requirements, as well as fit their budget.
The purists among writers would use the paper and pencils, or maybe a typewriter. The more prolific writers have discovered computers. The difference between the old way and the new is speed. Speed in production that is, writing itself still remains a slow process because of the editing, re-writing, and revisions.
It is in the process of editing and re-writing in which the computer shines. Editing and re-writing using the paper process is more laborious and consumes a lot of paper; on the computer screen, the touch of a key can change the text, rearrange words, or move paragraphs. The writer can change the writing as many times as they wish and when printed, there is little waste of paper.
Another area in which owning and using a computer is beneficial for the writer is in research, communications, and business. For these reasons, a serious writer should invest in a computer. In addition to serving as a writing tool, the computer can also store important papers in electronic format for easier organization; spreadsheets can be used for tracking writing projects, income and expenses, taxes, and deadlines; financial software is useful for banking and online bill-paying; and when you think you have writer's block, you can play a game of chess.
Regarding research, the Internet is a wonderful tool for writers. With the click of a mouse button, a writer can research the electronic files of the Library of Congress from the comfort of their own writing office. Not only can you research the LOC, there are numerous universities which allow public research in their databases.
Email, for communications, is an absolute must for writers. The purists, the old-fashioned writers, they like the feel and smell of paper. They write their query letters very carefully, take great pride in folding the page just right into the perfectly addressed envelope, and apply the stamp. Then they wait for the mailing process to work. Sometimes they wait forever.
More editors and publishers accept electronic query letters. As timeliness becomes critical to magazine articles, rapid communication between editors and writers is essential. Nothing can beat the lightning speed transmission of a well written email. While one writer waits by the mailbox for a response from an editor, the modern-day journalist will query, write, and publish the same article.
If you are one of those people who has no desire to move into the 21st Century and learn how to use computers, think about this: all living species (including writers) must adapt to change or die. Learning to use a computer may be frustrating at first, but after you get the hang of it, you will quickly realize it does indeed, make your job easier.
.
What kind of tools do you need to write? At the low end of the scale, nothing more than a few sheets of paper and a couple of pencils. On the high end of the scale, an expensive computer with all kinds of peripheral equipment such as printers, scanners, and more. Between the two, a writer can find exactly what he or she needs to accomplish their writing requirements, as well as fit their budget.
The purists among writers would use the paper and pencils, or maybe a typewriter. The more prolific writers have discovered computers. The difference between the old way and the new is speed. Speed in production that is, writing itself still remains a slow process because of the editing, re-writing, and revisions.
It is in the process of editing and re-writing in which the computer shines. Editing and re-writing using the paper process is more laborious and consumes a lot of paper; on the computer screen, the touch of a key can change the text, rearrange words, or move paragraphs. The writer can change the writing as many times as they wish and when printed, there is little waste of paper.
Another area in which owning and using a computer is beneficial for the writer is in research, communications, and business. For these reasons, a serious writer should invest in a computer. In addition to serving as a writing tool, the computer can also store important papers in electronic format for easier organization; spreadsheets can be used for tracking writing projects, income and expenses, taxes, and deadlines; financial software is useful for banking and online bill-paying; and when you think you have writer's block, you can play a game of chess.
Regarding research, the Internet is a wonderful tool for writers. With the click of a mouse button, a writer can research the electronic files of the Library of Congress from the comfort of their own writing office. Not only can you research the LOC, there are numerous universities which allow public research in their databases.
Email, for communications, is an absolute must for writers. The purists, the old-fashioned writers, they like the feel and smell of paper. They write their query letters very carefully, take great pride in folding the page just right into the perfectly addressed envelope, and apply the stamp. Then they wait for the mailing process to work. Sometimes they wait forever.
More editors and publishers accept electronic query letters. As timeliness becomes critical to magazine articles, rapid communication between editors and writers is essential. Nothing can beat the lightning speed transmission of a well written email. While one writer waits by the mailbox for a response from an editor, the modern-day journalist will query, write, and publish the same article.
If you are one of those people who has no desire to move into the 21st Century and learn how to use computers, think about this: all living species (including writers) must adapt to change or die. Learning to use a computer may be frustrating at first, but after you get the hang of it, you will quickly realize it does indeed, make your job easier.
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Saturday, May 30, 2009
Welcome to the 21st Century
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We were on a road trip, having shut down production for a very rare moment. Typically, we work close to 14 hours a day and through the weekend. It reminds me of my days in the Navy when I was an attack pilot and managed sailors in all different kinds of offices and shops, in addition to being shot off the pointy end of a boat. A 14-hour day on the aircraft carrier was a short day. As we waited for our meal to come from the kitchen, we talked shop, as we often do.
“I really wish some of the authors querying us would come into the Twenty-first Century and use computers,” I said to Ardis. We come across some great stories, but some of the writers submit their proposals on notebook paper, napkins, and other inappropriate media. “I should write about it in the blog to get the word out.”
At that moment, she stated the obvious.
“Sweetie, people reading a blog probably are in the Twenty-first Century.” Man, I hate it when she’s right, but I had my retort ready.
“What do you want me to do? Yell, ‘Stop the Presses’ and put it in the newspaper? Nobody reads newspapers anymore.”
But the writers still want to write… And they are still looking for publishers.
When I worked as a full time writer and later as a freelancer, I wondered about publishers and editors. I questioned how they got to be the way they are. Since becoming one, I am discovering the answers.
What most writers fail to understand about editors and publishers is that they work like electricity – no, I don’t mean as in the speed of light. They work like electricity by taking the path of least resistance. Think about it – Physics 101 applied to a business situation.
If it takes two weeks to publish Project A and it takes seven weeks for Project B, which project do you think the editor will run? Which do you believe the editors will accept and which reject? What might be the difference between projects A and B?
Can you say, “Following the submission guidelines?”
Writers are a funny lot; they always want to do things their way. Editors are funny, too; they also want to do things, well, their way. That’s why they go to the trouble of publishing submission guidelines. It makes their jobs easier, it allows them to accomplish more, and they can work like electricity – following the path of least resistance to the completion of their tasks.
The bottom line is this – if you want to be successful as a writer, you need to do things the company way. They went to a lot of trouble to create their department in a particular style to allow projects to flow seamlessly from the query letter to final publication.
If you follow their guidelines, you will help them in their jobs. You will also have a much higher chance of having your project accepted, leading of course, to a successful career as a writer.
As Ardis so well pointed out, people reading this on a blog are already in the Twenty-first Century. However, I am sure you know some of those other people in your writing circles. If you care for them, help them out.
Print this article and take them a copy and talk them into buying a computer.
jC
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We were on a road trip, having shut down production for a very rare moment. Typically, we work close to 14 hours a day and through the weekend. It reminds me of my days in the Navy when I was an attack pilot and managed sailors in all different kinds of offices and shops, in addition to being shot off the pointy end of a boat. A 14-hour day on the aircraft carrier was a short day. As we waited for our meal to come from the kitchen, we talked shop, as we often do.
“I really wish some of the authors querying us would come into the Twenty-first Century and use computers,” I said to Ardis. We come across some great stories, but some of the writers submit their proposals on notebook paper, napkins, and other inappropriate media. “I should write about it in the blog to get the word out.”
At that moment, she stated the obvious.
“Sweetie, people reading a blog probably are in the Twenty-first Century.” Man, I hate it when she’s right, but I had my retort ready.
“What do you want me to do? Yell, ‘Stop the Presses’ and put it in the newspaper? Nobody reads newspapers anymore.”
But the writers still want to write… And they are still looking for publishers.
When I worked as a full time writer and later as a freelancer, I wondered about publishers and editors. I questioned how they got to be the way they are. Since becoming one, I am discovering the answers.
What most writers fail to understand about editors and publishers is that they work like electricity – no, I don’t mean as in the speed of light. They work like electricity by taking the path of least resistance. Think about it – Physics 101 applied to a business situation.
If it takes two weeks to publish Project A and it takes seven weeks for Project B, which project do you think the editor will run? Which do you believe the editors will accept and which reject? What might be the difference between projects A and B?
Can you say, “Following the submission guidelines?”
Writers are a funny lot; they always want to do things their way. Editors are funny, too; they also want to do things, well, their way. That’s why they go to the trouble of publishing submission guidelines. It makes their jobs easier, it allows them to accomplish more, and they can work like electricity – following the path of least resistance to the completion of their tasks.
The bottom line is this – if you want to be successful as a writer, you need to do things the company way. They went to a lot of trouble to create their department in a particular style to allow projects to flow seamlessly from the query letter to final publication.
If you follow their guidelines, you will help them in their jobs. You will also have a much higher chance of having your project accepted, leading of course, to a successful career as a writer.
As Ardis so well pointed out, people reading this on a blog are already in the Twenty-first Century. However, I am sure you know some of those other people in your writing circles. If you care for them, help them out.
Print this article and take them a copy and talk them into buying a computer.
jC
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Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Proofing & Editing
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You have a great idea for a story and you have put it to paper. Now what? Well, the first thing you should do is save the file, or print it out, and then bury it for a while.
Bury it?
Yes, bury it. If you can afford to, bury it for a couple of weeks. When you take it out and look at it again, it will seem unfamiliar to you. This will allow you to see your work with a more objective eye than while you are actually writing.
After you have spent so much time writing your masterpiece, you are too close to the creation of the work to properly edit. You have to edit. I guarantee it. Your manuscript will be overflowing with mistakes. And the amazing thing about this will be the surprise you experience when you actually look at your work with a discerning eye.
If you try editing your work right after you finish writing, the mistakes will not stand out. After all, you just finished creating your work the way you wanted and all of your hard work will camouflage the mistakes. Another thing helping hide the errors is your immediate familiarity with the writing style.
In order to make your article, novel, or journal entry perfect, you have to be able to edit with an unbiased eye. You have to maintain objectivity in order to cut phrases, sentences, and paragraphs, or add to the piece to make it more understandable or flow effortlessly.
Why is this so important?
If you finish your article and send it off to an editor or publisher filled with mistakes, you dramatically increase the probability of a rejection letter. Editors tend to work with writers who decrease their workload, not the other way around. It is a competitive field out there and usually, an editor has options.
If you want to be successful in this career, your writing has to be – well – almost perfect.
jC
.
You have a great idea for a story and you have put it to paper. Now what? Well, the first thing you should do is save the file, or print it out, and then bury it for a while.
Bury it?
Yes, bury it. If you can afford to, bury it for a couple of weeks. When you take it out and look at it again, it will seem unfamiliar to you. This will allow you to see your work with a more objective eye than while you are actually writing.
After you have spent so much time writing your masterpiece, you are too close to the creation of the work to properly edit. You have to edit. I guarantee it. Your manuscript will be overflowing with mistakes. And the amazing thing about this will be the surprise you experience when you actually look at your work with a discerning eye.
If you try editing your work right after you finish writing, the mistakes will not stand out. After all, you just finished creating your work the way you wanted and all of your hard work will camouflage the mistakes. Another thing helping hide the errors is your immediate familiarity with the writing style.
In order to make your article, novel, or journal entry perfect, you have to be able to edit with an unbiased eye. You have to maintain objectivity in order to cut phrases, sentences, and paragraphs, or add to the piece to make it more understandable or flow effortlessly.
Why is this so important?
If you finish your article and send it off to an editor or publisher filled with mistakes, you dramatically increase the probability of a rejection letter. Editors tend to work with writers who decrease their workload, not the other way around. It is a competitive field out there and usually, an editor has options.
If you want to be successful in this career, your writing has to be – well – almost perfect.
jC
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Saturday, April 18, 2009
Experience
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I remember a time when I seriously talked to my mother about what I should do when I grew up. She knew I wanted to fly airplanes for a living; she also knew I had a proclivity for writing. I don’t believe she liked the idea of my flying around in far reaches of the atmosphere. After all, if you are screaming about the air with your hair on fire, there is a chance you could get hurt. I think my mother could see my life as a writer being so much safer than my life as a pilot.
Being a practical woman, however, when I asked her more pointed questions about writing, she told me I was not ready. “What do you mean?” I asked, somewhat indignant.
“You have not lived enough,” she replied.
“Huh?” I answered in the time honored traditional teenaged response.
“You don’t know enough right now,” she said. Then she went on to explain that in order to write about life, you must have lived a life. She said all great writers were older and not only have they lived their lives, they observed how others lived. They understood what was important in life and what was not. “In order to acquire that kind of understanding, you have to be older,” mom said. I was still puzzled. I had not yet read Catch-22.
She tried to explain to me the classic question posed in Joseph Heller’s novel. In Catch-22, Heller illustrated the concept that to go to war was insane, and to get out of it, the authorities had to declare you insane. This idea birthed so many variants of this phrase. “In order to get a job, you have to have experience. To get experience, you have to have a job.”
The same holds true of writing. In order to write about life, you must have lived a life. At the time, I could not fully understand what my mother was trying to tell me. Today, after having lived a good portion of my life, I now understand. Perceptions of the young are refreshing, but the reality of age and experience provides not only the subject of a painting, but also the canvas on which the artist brushed the painting.
To acquire perceptions and a canvas on which to paint, a writer has to live and experience a great deal. Sitting in a library reading books and journals is an experience, but not necessarily the proper experience. You can become an expert in any field through reading, but if that is the extent of your knowledge, you are going to play second fiddle to those who went out and actually did it.
Today, after a lifetime as a pilot, I am able to write about aviation from an expert point of view. I may have also surprised my mother – I am still here, enjoying both my writing and my flying.
jC
I remember a time when I seriously talked to my mother about what I should do when I grew up. She knew I wanted to fly airplanes for a living; she also knew I had a proclivity for writing. I don’t believe she liked the idea of my flying around in far reaches of the atmosphere. After all, if you are screaming about the air with your hair on fire, there is a chance you could get hurt. I think my mother could see my life as a writer being so much safer than my life as a pilot.
Being a practical woman, however, when I asked her more pointed questions about writing, she told me I was not ready. “What do you mean?” I asked, somewhat indignant.
“You have not lived enough,” she replied.
“Huh?” I answered in the time honored traditional teenaged response.
“You don’t know enough right now,” she said. Then she went on to explain that in order to write about life, you must have lived a life. She said all great writers were older and not only have they lived their lives, they observed how others lived. They understood what was important in life and what was not. “In order to acquire that kind of understanding, you have to be older,” mom said. I was still puzzled. I had not yet read Catch-22.
She tried to explain to me the classic question posed in Joseph Heller’s novel. In Catch-22, Heller illustrated the concept that to go to war was insane, and to get out of it, the authorities had to declare you insane. This idea birthed so many variants of this phrase. “In order to get a job, you have to have experience. To get experience, you have to have a job.”
The same holds true of writing. In order to write about life, you must have lived a life. At the time, I could not fully understand what my mother was trying to tell me. Today, after having lived a good portion of my life, I now understand. Perceptions of the young are refreshing, but the reality of age and experience provides not only the subject of a painting, but also the canvas on which the artist brushed the painting.
To acquire perceptions and a canvas on which to paint, a writer has to live and experience a great deal. Sitting in a library reading books and journals is an experience, but not necessarily the proper experience. You can become an expert in any field through reading, but if that is the extent of your knowledge, you are going to play second fiddle to those who went out and actually did it.
Today, after a lifetime as a pilot, I am able to write about aviation from an expert point of view. I may have also surprised my mother – I am still here, enjoying both my writing and my flying.
jC
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