http://www.writermag.com/Columns/Ask the Writer/2010/02/Why writers should read good and bad writing The importance of proofreading.aspx?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Quick_WRT_NW1_2012&utm_content=.

I have spent a glorious day dusting off my poems, short stories and essays with a renewed commitment to getting them all published. I am  seriously considering publishing a book of these pieces on my own. I don’t feel like dealing with the whole process of seeking an agent or publisher, been down that route and it is basically, in my opinion, an exercise in futility for the majority of writers.

One thing I realized as I went through my goodies is that I need to flex my writing muscles before I dive into my creative life again. It’s been a long time since I have written creatively.  I decided the best way to get back in the swing of things is to enter some writing contests. I have created a list of the most interesting ones I have found-the majority of which require no entry fee-below for you to hopefully join with me in getting back to creative writing!

Below is the list of free entry contests with deadlines over the next few months: (At the bottom of the list is the link to a great article from the WOW, (Women on Writing) blog about self-publishing that any writer considering doing so should read.)

Contests listed by WOW, (some of these have entry fees, but some don’t.)

Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Card Contest

Literary Laundry Competitions

2012 Rattle Poetry Prize

The Vocabula Well-Written Writing Contest

May MG/YA Manuscript Critique Contest-Saturday, May 19th at 9 a.m. EST, read the details.

Which Self-Publishing Path is Right for YOU?

When I first decided to write full-time four years ago the first thing I did was to study. Not study for one of the many online degrees specializing in writing, but studying at becoming a better writer. My plan was to be a full-time fiction writer for the rest of my life. But as we all know, life is what happens while you are making plans and I have ended up being a full-time blogger instead. Still, since this IS a freelance writing blog I thought it only fair that I should share some of the most important tips I learned during my period of study. I didn’t take a class and I don’t believe you have to, although if you can afford it there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a creative writing course. If nothing else, you will learn the basics while making new friends with others who are learning the craft. But you CAN learn on your own. At the end of this article will be a list of the books I recommend for those of you who want to learn the basics of creative writing. They are the ones that made the most impact on me.

Now, without further ado, here are the main things I learned that helped me to become a multi-published creative writer:

1. Learn the difference between viewpoints–This was the hardest thing for me to get. I studied it extensively, due to the fact that it can be very confusing. When I talk about viewpoint I am referring to how the story is told, whether it be first person, third person limited, or third person omniscient. Those are the main viewpoints that stories are told from. Each one has its pros and cons and the decision about which viewpoint to tell your story from depends largely on your writing style and the type of story you want to tell, the message you want to convey. If you want to be more personal, first person is often the choice, though many writers detest the use of first person, claiming that it is too repetitious and confining. Personally I don’t like to write in first person for those very reasons. I prefer third person limited, which is told from the viewpoint of one character. The reason is simple. It is the easiest and most compelling viewpoint, in my opinion. Writing in third person omniscient is harder because you have to tell the story from the viewpoint of several different characters. Of course, there is also second person but rarely will you read a story or book told this way. However, this viewpoint DOES exist, so at least learn what it entails.

But the main thing is, once you start a story from one viewpoint stick with it. Otherwise you lose your credibility with the reader and most often will not find yourself published. Besides, it is confusing as a new writer to try and switch between viewpoints. However, seasoned pros often do this and do it well.

2. Pretend you are a psychic camera–This is the best way for me to phrase what I am talking about. It has to do with creating characters and setting. If you have learned anything at all so far about creative writing you have learned the first rule, SHOW, DON’T TELL. Say you have your character walking into the room for the first time. You want you reader to know what the character looks like, not by telling them specifically, but my mentioning things that they do and their body language, their habits–maybe they stumble, making them a clumsy person, or they could be cutting their eyes, which creates an aura of distrust–the way they are dressed, etc. This creates their personality for the reader without you having to explain the kind of person that they are. And you want the reader to feel like they are IN the setting by describing the surroundings, much like they were watching a movie. You don’t want to go overboard by taking away from the character or the story, but mentioning things that are in the room, setting the scene, helps your reader visualize and makes the story real. *note: the reason I included the word “psychic” is because you can convey what a person is thinking by showing emotions, like fear, anger, excitement, simply with facial expressions, body language and actions.
3. Don’t use purple prose–Wikipedia describes purple prose as: “A term of literary criticism,purple prose is used to describe passages, or sometimes entire literary works, written in prose so overly extravagant, ornate or flowery as to break the flow and draw attention to itself. Purple prose is sensuously evocative beyond the requirements of its context. It also refers to writing that employs certain rhetorical effects such as exaggerated sentiment or pathos in an attempt to manipulate a reader’s response.” In other words, don’t fall so in love with your own writing that you lose your reader. Taking advantage sparingly of apt metaphors and similes is great, and required, in my opinion, for great writing, but take the advice of Mark Twain in this letter he wrote to D.W.Bowser in 1880–”I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English – it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don’t let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don’t mean utterly, but kill most of them – then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice.”

Which leads us to this tip:

4. Edit, edit, edit–Different writers have different formulas for editing. Some writers edit as they go while others insist that the only way they can flow creatively is to just start writing, let the words flow and worry about the details later. It will take some time to figure out what works best for you. Most writers I have talked to fall somewhere in between. But no matter what kind of editor you are, make sure of one thing, NEVER allow a story to contain misspelled words or wrong grammar. Also, punctuation and format are crucial to getting your story published. By considering yourself a professional, even if you haven ‘t been published yet, you will become one.

But the main thing I am talking about when I mention editing is getting rid of the fluff, the unnecessary words, characters, scenes, etc. Most writers have to create several drafts before the story is complete. Rarely will you hear of a writer, any writer, no matter how famous, who writes a story in one draft. In fact, most writers have to create at least three or four drafts of a story before they are satisfied that it is right. Don’t be satisfied until it is.

5. Do not fear rejectionn–This may be one of the hardest things to learn when you start out writing. But believe you me, as every famous writer has attested to, rejection is part of the process. And just because your story is rejected doesn’t mean it is bad, it may just not be the right market for it. I have never re-edited a story based on a rejection. I just find another market to send it out to. If I have done the editing that I feel it deserves I have faith in the story itself and its ability to find a home eventually. There is a lot of competition out there too, so don’t give up. That is the main lesson I learned.

6. DON’T GIVE UP!

As promised, here is a list of books I recommend that I have read for beginning creative writers. All of these I found at my local public library, but I am sure you can find them all on Amazon or some other book seller online or in a bookstore. They are all older books so they are going to be very affordable.

DARE TO BE A GREAT WRITER by Leonard Bishop

BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott

WRITING DOWN THE BONES by Natalie Goldberg

THE LIE THAT TELLS A TRUTH by John Dufresne

I hope that this article has been helpful to you and I wish you all the luck in your new creative writing endeavor! If you DO feel like you have learned something valuable, won’t you take the time to Stumble or Digg this post using one of the icons below? Thanks!

So you’ve decided to become a freelance writer. Congratulations. Exciting, isn’t it, and more than a little daunting? But I’m assuming you’ve done your homework; maybe you’ve taken a journalism or creative writing class, or read books you’ve either bought or checked out from the library about what it takes to be successful. You’ve probably been all over the internet, reading articles, collecting links to helpful websites, information on rights and contracts, tips on writing query letters. You probably belong to an online forum or a local writer’s group where you share ideas and hobnob with fellow writers. I bet you even have a file of market databases that are updated constantly. If you’re like me, you have an idea file of things you either have experience in or subjects that interest you, ones you’d like to research and write about. You’ve found a niche.

Good deal. You are on your way. But what I want to talk to you about is the emotional minefield the job of freelancing can be. I am not trying to discourage you, far from it. If anything I am offering you encouragement with a big dose of reality. Besides knowledge–which is critical and I don’t believe you can succeed without it—you will need in your arsenal the following things that can’t be bought, borrowed or stolen. You already possess them; you just have to bring them to the forefront and make sure they don’t get lost.

1. A THICK SKIN–You WILL receive plenty of rejections. Don’t let them get to you. They are part and parcel of the writing life. I don’t save mine–except the one I got last week from The Atlantic Monthly–I might want to frame that one someday.
2. PERSERVANCE–Don’t give up; every time you receive a rejection, send that article or story right back out. You should already have another market in mind.
3. A POSITIVE ATTITUDE–Your biggest enemy will be your own self-doubt. At first, you will be on fire, filled with hope and big plans. Don’t let fear rob you of that. Remind yourself everyday that you will succeed.
4. PATIENCE—I probably should have put this one first. The waiting is the worst part, for especially when you submit to the big boys, the response time seems like an eternity. I like to say, “Write, submit, forget,” just send that article or story off and write something else.
5. CONFIDENCE–You probably didn’t decide to be a writer without someone, somewhere, telling you that your writing was good. You know it, or you wouldn’t be taking on this job.
6. PROFESSIONALISM—I can’t say enough about how important this is. Your first step to being taken seriously is to make sure even your cover letters are professional, error free, business-like, that your work follows the guidelines of the publication you are submitting to, and to the letter. Pretend you are already a pro.

I honestly believe you can be anything you want if you want it bad enough and you set your mind to it. Still, this is not an easy profession. It’s not for the faint of heart. But one thing it won’t be is boring. There will always be something new to learn. Freelancing will be a constant experience of growth and improvement.

I would wish you luck, but you’ll notice I didn’t include luck in your emotional toolkit. I believe you make your own luck. So instead, let me wish you a long and successful career!

_________________________________________

This article first appeared in the December 2005 issue of Writers-Online.Com. It is available for reprint if the following information is included:

Denise Kincy is a full-time freelance writer and Pushcart nominee. Her work has appeared in dozens of online and print publications. For more articles, job leads, markets and helpful links for writers go to Denise’s webpage, Learn Web Writing.

I would imagine that everyone has heard the saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” As a newly single writer, I am here to tell you that never were truer words spoken. For three years I wrote poetry, short stories, essays, a few articles here and there, not really worrying about whether the markets paid or not. My husband paid the bills and supported me in my writing endeavors. (At least I thought he did.) I was building my publishing credits, creating a portfolio while I looked for a publisher for my novel.

Don’t get me wrong, I worked hard and I worked long hours. I was dedicated. I created a blog which I still maintain for other writers, listing markets and links to help guide them through their journey. I created and edited an online flash fiction journal. I also spent a lot of time on writer’s message boards, giving and receiving advice and searching for markets, making friends; and yes, wasting time chit chatting.

Those days are gone. I have been forced by circumstance to support myself. I had several choices when my husband left: I could go out and get a regular job or start my advertising business back up–which I created and ran for ten years and grew to hate–or I could try to make a living as a freelance writer. I chose the latter. I had to do a lot of soul searching, for as anyone who writes for a living knows, security is not a word that applies to freelancing, or at least not to new freelancers. But I love writing. I made a commitment to myself when I gave up my advertising business that I would spend the rest of my life writing. And that is what I am going to do.

I find that the biggest challenge for me is a psychological one. It truly is mind over matter. Still, I get up everyday with a clean slate, determined that I will not give up on my dreams. I am strong, smart, industrious and a good writer. And there ARE ways to make a living writing, though what I have found is that the easiest way for a beginning freelancer is to write for the web. I get paid through Paypal for most jobs. I look for jobs that pay quickly. I write content. I have written for a soap opera site. Whatever writing I have to do to make sure the bills get paid that’s what I do; so far so good.

But I find it highly ironic that I used to be such a Prima Donna about writing for the web. When I would read post by writers on message boards who were working for very little pay I would bombast them, telling them that they shouldn’t give their work away. Now I eat crow everyday as I check the job boards and submit my beautiful words for less than I think I deserve.

I guess you could consider this a confession, the confession of a woman who is determined to make it as a freelance writer and is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. The good news is that I no longer have the luxury of hanging out on message boards. Time is money, and the hours that I don’t spend writing for the web I spend sending out queries to magazines that pay good money. I have created a resume and am starting to get more offers for web work than I can handle. I have also learned that my background in writing ad copy in real life equates in the writing world to copywriting. Beginning copywriting, granted, but still, I’ll take whatever accolades come my way.

I realize that the road ahead is a long one but I am hopeful and excited. I know that as I continue on my journey as a freelance writer the more experience I get under my belt the more often better paying jobs will be available to me. I also know that the time will come will I will want to write new poetry and short stories, maybe even more novels, or who knows? Maybe I’ll even write a non-fiction book. The writing world is wide open before me. All I need to do is keep plugging along and not lose faith.

I am sure I am not alone in my predicament. My hope is that these words will help other writers who may be in a similar life situation. And on that note, I’d like to close this confession with a challenge. I have always firmly believed that you can do anything you set your mind to. I intend to be a shining example of exactly that. What about you?

I have been doing research on page rank and back links for some time now and I wanted to share with you what I have learned. For those of you who are new to blogging and don’t know what back links are, or the importance of them when it comes to Google page rank, (heck, maybe you don’t even understand page rank or why it is important), I will do my best to explain.

PAGE RANK

Google bases page rank on several factors, one of them being keywords. SEO, or search engine optimization, which is the art of using the right keywords, plays a big part in obtaining a good page rank. Google’s spiders pick up on these keywords and move you up in the search engine. But from what I see, Google bases their page rank more importantly on traffic, quality content and back links.

WHY PAGE RANK IS IMPORTANT

For me it is of the utmost importance. I blog for paid to post services and the better your page rank the more money you can make by being offered higher paying opportunities. But page rank is important to bloggers who don’t use paid to post services as well. Most bloggers I know monetize their blogs by using programs like Google Adsense, Yahoo ads, Text Links ads, and recently arriving on the scene Ask.Com and Ad-Click, along with tons of affiliate programs that pay per click, per sale or per referral. You need traffic to make any decent money because it is a numbers game. The more traffic the more possible hits. And if you have good traffic it is usually a given that your page rank will increase.

BACK LINKS

It is not so much the quantity of your back links when it comes to page rank as it is the quality of these back links. By quality back links I mean links from sites that talk about the same things you do and have a good page rank and are respected by search engines for their traffic, content and popularity. There are several ways to gain quality back links. One is by making sure your content is helpful in your chosen field. You will discover that by continuously providing quality content, back links will show up from respected sites naturally, because quality begats quality and your information WILL be found. This is the best kind of back link in my opinion, because it came to you organically, honestly, simply by doing a good job, thus the link counts for a lot. For example, I discovered that you can actually move up in page rank if you have one high page rank back link as opposed to many links from low ranking sites. Alexa, which is another barometer of your site’s popularity and one that affects the rating of paid to post bloggers, has a free tool bar you can download which will show you the page rank of each site you visit. This shows up as a very non-intrusive box at the bottom of the screen and one I have come to totally rely on in helping me to build both my page rank and my Alexa score, (the later which is done automatically just by having the tool bar installed, by the way.)

OTHER WAYS TO OBTAIN QUALITY BACK LINKS

You can gain quality links aggressively without simply depending on your content, although, as they say, content is king. One of these ways is by becoming a member of forums in your chosen field with your signature in your posts and be a helpful, knowledgeable participant. Another way is to make thoughtful comments on blogs in your field that have a high page rank. You can also gain quality back links by reviewing sites with high page rank, linking to them in your post and hoping that when they see your link they will reciprocate. Of course, you can ask to trade links, but personally I feel better when I get a back links without asking. I feel like I have earned it. You don’t have to buy back links, although I see plenty of this going on and I suppose it works and is another option, but one that is not necessary and actually doesn’t buy you the strong back links you really want, those you worked for. The main thing to remember is that it is the quality of the back links, not the quantity that affects your page rank in a positive way.

Though building quality and natural back links and thus page rank takes time, if you are passionate and hardworking, they will come to you.

The majority of writers, especially those who write online articles, are NOT getting paid what they deserve. In fact it should be criminal, the wages offered to those who write online. The sad part is that so many of us writers who are trying to make a living online need the money so bad that we’ll accept whatever is offered. I can’t tell you what harm this sort of thinking does to all of us. The more we accept less than standard wages for our writing the farther down the price is pushed. This is a perfect example of the law of supply and demand.

The only way to fix the problem of low pay for your writing is to change your attitude about yourself and your skill level. What if I told you that you could actually become one of those writers you hear about who makes six figures as a copywriter? AWAI, (American Writers & Artists, Inc.) offers a copywriting course that can make this happen. And what’s really great is that it doesn’t matter what skill level you have as a writer, you CAN become the high-paid copywriter you’ve always dreamed of being.

You may tell yourself you can’t afford to pay for a course on copywriting. But with the sorry state of affairs when it comes to pay for writers I say you can’t afford not to! However, if you don’t feel it’s the right time for you to take a copywriting course, be sure to check out this link anyway, for there are some priceless articles you can read for free that will help you in your current writing situation.

The Copyblogger “Secret” to Creating Better Content Copyblogger.

Guest post from: Bruno Smith

I have come across a really cool website. I have gotten to where I do most of my shopping on-line using my media clear internet connection. The website that a friend suggested allows you to get cash money back from your purchases on-line and also provides you with the latest coupon codes. The site is called ebates.com. Before you log onto an on-line retailer, you visit the site and click on the link to the site. That allows ebates.com to track your purchases. They also tell you how much cash back that they are offering for a particular site. Sometimes they have daily double sites too, like yesterday, Sephora.com is usually three to four percent back and was a whole ten percent back! I made sure to order some makeup! You get your cash back in the form of money transferred to your PayPal account quarterly! I really love to save money, and this is a really great way to do so! You should definitely check if out if you haven’t already done it!

Advice from Robert McKee Writing advice from leading authors Gotham Writers Workshop.