We hear that phrase all the time. Some say it is the basis of good writing, especially for new writers. Others claim it’s false, that writers should be able to write anything, or they are at their best when having to dig down and research. But there’s more to writing “what you know” than to reference the education, history, experience, hobbies, and profession of a writer’s life. I recently ran across this quote from Virginia Woolf in an essay in The New Yorker. “Let us record the atoms as they fall upon the mind in the order in which they fall, let us trace the pattern, however disconnected and incoherent in appearance, which each sight or incident scores upon the consciousness. Let us not take it for granted that life exists more fully in what is commonly thought big than in what is commonly thought small.” ~Virginia Woolf Writing what you know isn’t necessarily from a macro viewpoint. In other words, not necessarily from a big picture or factual knowledge aspect. Writing what you know could be defined as how well you picture life. In other words, you don’t necessarily see a boat on the water. You see the spray leaving drops More
Want Publicity? Go Local
/ 2021-01-22Writers appreciate that reviews are golden, but self-promotion is also key. Sometimes that means promoting ourselves through guest blog posts or interviews with a podcaster. But in addition to all the work to reach a wider audience, it’s also important to remember where we came from, or where we are. I found as a writer that home, whether my hometown or the place I currently live, will always support my work, whether through a local newspaper article or a talk at the library. When promoting, go local as well as far and wide. I’ve come up with a few tips and ideas that have helped me in my search for local exposure. No Matter How Big the City, There’s a Local Somewhere When I published my last literary novel, The Beekeeper’s Daughter, I lived in New York City. I asked the Barnes and Noble on the Upper West Side if I could do a reading there as a local author. They told me there were no fewer than 500 “local” authors within a five-block radius, but even in New York I managed to find a local angle. I taught at an all-girls school in the Bronx and realized that the headline “Bronx More
An Annual Rant about the Art of Critique
/ 2021-01-22Critiquing has an etiquette all its own, but way too many people have never been taught those manners or do not care to follow them. As a result, they impact their own character. They will argue that character does not play into the equation; however, critiquing, like any human interaction, comes with best practices. The person who boldly steps outside those rules is often remembered, and not in a good way. Worse, even though they might have the best of intentions, the party upon which they heap their criticisms will not only remember them in a bad light, but will also not heed the criticism. Thus, time wasted for all. Excellent and famous writers recall fondest memories of mentors. And they often remain attached to those mentors over the years. That is because there is a fondness infused into the lesson. There is a respect for the writer woven into the delivery. If we’ve learned anything during these times of pandemic, it should be a respect for humankind. After a year of teeth gnashing and condemnation of anything spoken in public, we are beginning to feel like we might be settling down a tad. That effort should include critiquing. I recently More
The Daring and the Tentative
/ 2021-01-16The difference between the tentative and the daring is that the tentative ask too many questions beginning with BUT or WHAT IF. The daring, however, are too busy forging ahead, diagramming how they will arrive at success. The daring and diligent are focused. The tentative are scouting for obstacles so they are not blindsided. The daring push forward, willing to make mistakes. The tentative hunt for ways to not make mistakes. Thomas Jefferson said, “Act! Action will delineate and define you.” All too often we study and study and never get around to applying ourselves. I know authors who have 30 how-to books on their shelves, afraid to put pen to paper until they’ve read all there is, to avoid any and all mistakes. Others, however, start writing and choose to learn from the doing. The truth is, when you believe something is doable, you find ways to make it so. You accept the challenges, which, according to Bette Davis, is the key to life. Then there’s this piece of advice, which I absolutely love: “I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run towards it because the only way to escape fear is to trample More
Being Accountable
/ 2021-01-16I’ve had a rash of queries from folks asking how they find a way to be accountable in their writing, because while they are still quarantined, they are wasting the time away. Would you want to be the person who says, “Hey, how many words did you write today?” only for the other person to get testy about being nagged. Frankly, you want to write or you do not. Or you like what you are writing or you don’t. So are there any accountability options? Sure. 1) Join a writer’s group that requires X number of words per visit. 2) Keep a spreadsheet or calendar and set a minimum number of words per day. Mark the missed days with fat, red Xs. 3) Stay up later or get up earlier, with that time solely dedicated to writing. See Monk Mode Morning 4) Deny yourself privileges until a word count is done. 5) Set one hour per day, and dictate the hour. No exceptions. 6) Find reminder apps like Beeminder 7) Pay money for a personal coach (my least favorite). But you know . . . the responsibility is yours. If writing is not your thing, find something that is. It isn’t a mortal More
Connecting with Clients and Writing Markets
/ 2021-01-08Connections with our clients and writing markets form the cornerstones of a successful freelance business. When people remember YOU ARE THE WRITER, they hire you – but if clients forget your name, other writers get the job. When starting out, I had a small handful of customers. Building and maintaining client relationships has increased my number of active clients, and I’m still connecting with new potential markets every month. There’s no single secret. It took work, time, and trust. Here’s how to spark and maintain lasting professional relationships with your client list as a writer. Get to know more people Most freelance writers know people. Get to know business owners, budding entrepreneurs, fellow writers, local and international bloggers, and marketing teams. Join the Chamber of Commerce. Anyone you know can be a potential client or referral route, either now or in the future. I play regular contract bridge. I started corresponding with the team of Bridge Base Online some years back. Today, I write a daily column for one of Bill Gates’ favorite online bridge websites. Connect over questions Asking questions can establish a connection. Use questions to contact new markets, or probe clients that have been quiet for a while. More
Could UX Writing Be for You?
/ 2021-01-02UX writing is a growing area that generally pays well and is specialised without being impossible to break into. So what is it and could it be for you? What is UX writing? UX stands for usability or user experience, which is basically about how easy it is for people to use a website or app. UX writing basically refers to all the little bits of copy that guide people through processes on apps, websites, games consoles, software and more: instructional text, calls to action, labels, buttons, menu items, error messages, Help text and acknowledgment messages. Why is it growing in importance? More and more of us are carrying out tasks online, from registering to vote to joining a dating app to buying foreign currency. All these interactive processes, or user journeys, involve an interface between a human and a computer. Increased use of apps and mobile has created many more such interfaces. All the big players like Google, Facebook and Apple have UX writers in their design teams. If people (users) don’t have a user-friendly experience when they try to navigate a business’s processes, lost customers and money could result. Businesses have realised that it’s not just the design More
New Year Wake Up
/ 2021-01-02The year taught us that the norm can quickly change if not disappear, leaving us wondering what the heck do we do next. The year taught us that conforming can be good and bad. We learned that there are options to our lives with many throwing themselves in new directions. Some made bread, others read, others worked out, others protested, but the point was to take the gift of time we’d been given and mold something from it. I admit that when COVID first started, I saw it as two to four weeks of quarantine and time to rest and recoup and maybe write a little more. But when what might be seen as a long vacation turned into a serious, international, mind-blowing event, I had to realize what mattered to me. It didn’t come easily. I lost a parent then lost a congenial relationship with a son, both of us probably lost in the midst of pandemic behavior we couldn’t wrap our heads around. I lost touch with the audiobooks I did for the blind since I could not go in to record. I could not see people I wanted to see. So I decided to wake up. As More
Four Ways to Build a Business Case for Your Content Writing
/ 2020-12-19While content is a multimillion industry for big brands worldwide, there are still many business sectors – especially smaller businesses – that don’t see that content as worthwhile. They’re not necessarily against content; they may in fact quite like the idea of having a blog or publishing regular articles or ebooks. It’s just that their marketing budgets are finite, and they aren’t sure how paying a freelance writer like you to write content for them will yield a decent return on their investment. Here are some key ways to help you build a business case when selling your content work. Content is essential for SEO These days, by the time a potential customer gets in touch with a business, they will already have done a lot of their own research online. They will be looking not for sales messages, though, but for answers to real questions: How does a first-time mortgage work? If I buy a rabbit, will it get on with my cats? What’s the best way to migrate my accounting records to the cloud? Companies with a commercial interest in reaching the people asking such questions (e.g., mortgage providers, pet stores, cloud providers) can win favourable attention by More
Are You Zoomed Out?
/ 2020-12-19Whether you like it or not, Zoom (and its cousins) will be the gateway to appearances for a while. Very few bookstores, libraries, and other public venues will venture to host public events for quite some time. Some have grown accustomed to Zoom, and prefer the mode of communication. My question to you is this. . . are you tired of Zoom? I belong to a local book club, and they refuse to use it, preferring social distancing, masks, and face-to-face. I cannot decide if I want to attend with everyone sitting so far apart, mouth covered, such that they cannot hear each other, or prefer to be on my computer seeing them as they normally are. Per Psychiatric Times, “There is robust evidence on how eye contact improves connection—faster responses, more memorization of faces, and increased likeability and attractiveness. These tools that make interactions organically rewarding are compromised over video.” Per Wired.com, “Other things that might help to fight off Zoom fatigue are to block off times before and after meetings to catch your breath, and limit nonurgent calls to one or two per week. For short or informal conversations, you can even make a suggestion to switch up More