Just Trying to Help

Nothing, not love, not greed, not passion or hatred, is stronger than a writer's need to change another writer's copy. - Arthur Evans

Add Spice to Dry Topics

Your editor assigns you a 1000-word article on leaks in commercial aircraft lavatory waste tanks. What a snoozer! But, by utilizing some simple techniques, you can turn the piece into an enjoyable, as well as educational, read.

"A chunk of blue ice fell right through our bedroom roof," Suzie Smith said, pointing to the gaping ten-foot hole in the ceiling of her double-wide mobile home. "Landed right in the center of the bed!"

Now few people may want to read about leaking waste tanks but most folks love to read about people. Inserting people into your stories adds spice and interest.

In my course, Write Magazine Articles That Sell! we'll look at different categories of people you should consider adding to your articles : experts, witnesses, 'faces', and others.

Can you tell what category Suzie Smith falls under? She is a witness and her close encounter should pull the reader into the story and along the way learn about leaking lavatories and blue ice.

Carol Thomas - Write Magazine Artiles That Sell!

A Safe Prescription for Writing

If you're like me, you're always looking for shortcuts. Believe me when I tell you there aren't many, if any. The only thing we can do to get our book written is sit butt in chair and write. We can make writing a little easier by educating ourselves by taking writing classes and reading how-to books. We can also go to the bookstore and study what's on the shelves. What was the last book you read? If you don't read, you won't be too successful at creating your romance, mystery or action novel. We learn to write by reading. We learn to write by writing.

I'm not a pill-popper, but I'll admit if there was a pill for creativity or plotting or even effective brainstorming, I'd probably be the first to ask for a prescription. I wouldn't even ask about side-effects! :)

Let us be the pill you pop. Our Professional Writer's Center is working on the Spring schedule now. If there's a particular class you'd like to see offered, leave a comment, please, and we'll try to make it happen just for you.

Now get back to your computer and write 500 words before midnight. :)
Jess

Backup your Work!

I just returned home after a five-day evacuation from the Southern California wildfires. So many of my writing friends have told me stories about how their computers don't work now (smoke, fire, water damage) and they haven't backed up their work for weeks, months and some for years.

I have a simple backup method that works great; I keep a flash drive plugged in all the time and the software backs up any modified files on a regular basis. Unfortunately, in my rush to evacuate 3 daughters, 3 dogs, 3 horses, 2 cats and a bird, I forgot to grab the flash drive.

Fortunately for me my computer was undamaged and I didn't lose any work. But please remember to back up your work on a regular basis and, if at all possible, keep a backup copy in a different physical location whenever possible.

Carol R. Thomas - Write Magazine Articles That Sell!