Articles

[Shelagh Watkins]

I sent out a request to all members of the Published Authors Fourm asking for articles. The response produced four new articles (two about query letters, one about character development and one about publishing contracts) written by members of the network:

http://www.publishedauthors.org/Articles-h33.htm

If you have an article on any aspect of writing/publishing that you would like to add, join the forum and submit your article.

~Shelagh

[Ron Kruger]

Good comment, Dick; and I'm glad to see you're still kicking.

[Micki Peluso]

Like Barbara, I have some problems logging into al ning sites--no idea why. If you are still looking forr articles let me know and I'll be glad to submit.

Micki Peluso

[Dick Stodghill]

Only one word needs to be added to Ron Kruger's comment: AMEN!

[Barbara]

Shelagh, I'm having a problem when I try to log into the forum.

[Malcolm R. Campbell]

Very helpful articles, Shelagh. I like the idea of a mix of inspiration and nitty-gritty advice. It will be fun watching this area evolve.

Malcolm

[Ron Kruger]

Give Me That Old Time Inspiration–It’s good enough for me.
By Ron Kruger
Is writing a religion? Should we have hymns? Tax exempt status? Holidays? Saints? Crusades, maybe?
Have you been washed in the words? Have you been saved from the blank page?
Listen closely, brothers and sisters, and I’ll reveal the “word.”
To most, writing is a mysterious endeavor, filled with mystical muses and awe-inspiring spirits, sort of like some ancient belief that taps into a transcending force and emerges as “art.” Hallaolulla, brother!
From what I see, this is what most “aspiring” writers believe. There’s a certain, but mystifying, theology about it, and it all revolves around the teaching of St. Inspiration, our patron saint.
Hardly anyone thinks it is “work,” especially those who’ve never tried it. And almost no one thinks it is “real” work, except for those who toil on a regular basis to, as Hemingway once put it: “get the words right.”
The whole key to writing is simple, yet extremely difficult to achieve. It is the craft of communicating with clarity and brevity. Even the best writers in the world have to work (most of them very hard) at that.
But it seems as though aspiring writers tend to set around like some Buddha in the shade of a pulp mill seeking enlightenment, while real writers just keep plugging along, putting words together like a bricklayer building a house, every once in a while stopping to lay a level along the wall.
Mostly, it’s like that: putting one word next to the other, until you have a solid structure.
And I’m tired of hearing writing referred to as an “art.” I’ll admit: sometimes writing rises to an art form, but this is always the outgrowth of a well-honed craft, not the poltergeist possession of St. Inspiration.
There may be an element of natural talent involved, too, or a calling, if you prefer; or maybe it’s just a subtle form of insanity that causes words to chime and rhyme in one’s head, like a mild form of schizophrenia. But the process of making the noises legible still remains one of trial and error, editing and rewriting–or, in other words–WORK. Those who look for a short-cut through St. Inspiration rarely find it, but they spend a lot of time asking other writers how “they find their inspiration.” At best, all they get are fleeting glimpses of intense concentration free of fear of blank page.
I’ve come to realize, after toiling at this craft for decades, that my earlier attempts to commune with St. Inspiration were mostly denials of my feelings of inadequacy, my lack of experience and an overriding fear of rejection.
The real poltergeist is the demon Rejection that ghosts around on a blank page. That’s the ghost behind “writer’s block.” To write for publication requires bravery. You’re not only exposing yourself to public scrutiny, the truth is that no matter how good your writing, someone is going to criticize it–and you. Even the most successful writers occasionally receive scathing reviews and defaming critiques of their abilities. In his day, Hemingway was often condemned as a simpleton by intellectuals. Such criticism is to be expected, and if you can’t take it, you might be better off restricting your writing to a journal.
I’ve been doing this for a long time–for publications that pay money to publish my work–and I’ve learned to view both criticisms and praise with the same impartial skepticism. You must consider the source and what “inspires” or motivates your critics and your fans. Both sides are suspect, and everyone has an opinion, whether it is backed up by credentials and experience–or not. Over the years, I’ve noticed the strongest criticisms come from frustrated and generally angry people who despise any semblance of success that doesn’t belong to them. Writer’s groups are some help, but they tend to be peopled by aspiring, not experienced writers. Those folks usually stay home and work.
It doesn’t matter much what anyone says. The most reliable form of praise, and the hardest to obtain, is payment, even if it is a paltry sum. I say that because one thing I’ve learned for sure from over 30 years of freelancing is that most everyone respects the written word–except those who pay for it. That’s just the way it is. There is no Easter Bunny, either.
Constructive criticism, however, is wonderful, if you can recognize it. But some writers protect their sentences like they were direct offspring. They let maternal instincts for their precious and cute little words get in the way.
Get over it. Little Johnnie is not perfect.
An egotistical attachment to our own words is the biggest impediment to improvement. Personally, I’ve never written anything I couldn’t improve. With experience, writing does become easier, and you do tend to settle into a comfortable tone or voice, but improvement is a never ending struggle. While perfection in writing is impossible, it helps to be a perfectionist, or, in other words, an editor.
We’re not really inspired by ideas, either. The process of writing begins with an idea, but they are no more inspired than a business plan, a marketing strategy, an architectural drawing or an accounting technique. They’re just ideas, and without hard work and knowledge of the craft they crumble.
I don’t mean to offend anyone’s religion. Believe what you like, but there are no short cuts, no magical mantras or divine hymns to fill a writer with lasting inspiration.
I’ve just realized this article is far from inspiring.
Sorry. Never mind.
Let’s all sing along:
“Give that old time inspiration. Give me that old time inspiration. It’s good enough for me...”

[Tom Mcgreevy]

( Tom's new book , out end of this month(March),

Brill articles, and very helpful
Tom Mcgreevy
POETRY FROM TOM MCGREEVY
http://poetryfromtommcgreevy.weebly.com

[Shelagh Watkins]

Thanks Sue!

[Susie Sunshine]

Hi, Shelagh,

I haven't had the time. I did look at the articles. They were good. I do have an idea for an article. I will attempt to develop it soon for you.