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We writers often stay in our own wheelhouse, our comfort zone. We stick with topics that allow us the ease and knowledge to keep money flowing in. Therefore, the articles and essays we write often come from the wealth of information we’ve gathered over the years. But what happens when creativity for those same topics stops? What if you’re bored with your writing? That happened to me last year. I would start writing an article and then stop. I’d start an essay then put it aside. Nothing I wrote excited me, and I knew if I wasn’t excited, no one else would be. Since my income depends upon my ability to write, I came up with a five-week game plan that helped me break out of the rut. Step One Since I’m a subscriber to FundsforWriters, I challenged myself to write for one market in each week’s newsletter even if it was something I didn’t normally write about. I read the guidelines, did some research, and jumped in. Soon, I found myself looking forward to the weekly newsletters even more. Recently, I wrote and pitched to Insider Freelance about grocery shopping! Step Two Then, I wrote out a list of topics I More

First, I don’t believe in a muse. I believe you write or you don’t write. If you feel you need to be in a mood to write, then conjure up the mood. Candles, music, coffee, bourbon, whatever. Make it happen instead of waiting for it to happen. There are some days where you sit down and you’ve got nothing. You feel like words have bottled up someplace you cannot see, and to write would only create a mess. There are some days you don’t bother to sit. You don’t even want to face the screen, much less type. It doesn’t feel like fun. It doesn’t feel motivational. It doesn’t seem worth the effort. So you find something else to do. You are at a crossroad. It is at this moment that you define whether you really want to write. Writing is not easy. It’s not supposed to be. Good writing is agonizing, over time, during the times you least want to touch it. Writing is not this exercise that makes you feel alive, scrumptious, and smart. While there are moments like these, they are not the average moments. Most of the time, you ponder, delete, rewrite, curse, and stack words More

I’ve written about a plethora of topics over the years, but metaphysical, occult, and spiritual writing is a more specific authorship path. Only you can decide if it feels right for you. In case you aren’t sure, here’s how to branch into metaphysical writing, and why it can be fulfilling. Understanding belief systems in writing There’s a Venn-diagram crossing paganism, naturism, wicca, the occult, and metaphysical topics like crystals or tarot. Spirituality (paganism) isn’t akin to wicca (religion), or metaphysical topics that do not require a religious basis. There’s a lot to sift through and a lot to respect. I’ve interviewed the Tarot Museum (Gifts for Mystics), but also wrote about the Holy Bible translated into Zulu for The South African in 2023. The point is to achieve careful balance and write respectfully. If you don’t share an opinion, cover the topic without bias, and document with resources, like you would any subject you land as a writer. Interviewing the cream of the crop Interviews sell, especially when they’re topical (for new book or tarot deck releases) or with key figures considered experts. I’ve interviewed pagan founding father and eccentric Oberon-Zell Ravenheart (Gifts for Mystics). I also interviewed founding figure Raymond Buckland (Penton Press), as one of the last More

Crowdfunding has been around for decades. It’s a manner of telling the world what you have to offer, how you intend to make it successful, and asking for financial endorsement. Many genre fiction writers self-publish by earning funds to do so via crowdfunding. The largest crowdfunding tool to use is Kickstarter. There are thousands of projects on the site, so start by going under Publishing. Then search for the projects category that interests you. I used FICTION in this link. Then I broadened the search to UNITED STATES and sorted by MOST FUNDED, because I wanted to see the successful campaigns/books. (See here) There are some serious projects here. On this search I did, the books were funded well over 100% of their requested amount. Some as high as 4000%. That’s exciting. However, what I want you to see is how these campaigns were formed. Link into each of them and see what they are offering, how they offer it, the rewards they offer, and how they make themselves appealing. I suggest Kickstarted. Now, they request that your campaign (you have to declare the dollar amount you need) has to be totally funded before they pay out to you. As More

Literary magazines have been around for hundreds of years and feature a writing style different from what we commonly read. Many writers may see this style as a barrier and, therefore, never pitch these types of magazines. This writer is here to tell you there’s opportunity! Is this writer the kind who graduated from a writing program with an MFA? No. Is this writer someone who has gotten published in literary magazines? Yes. Read on. Before you take a leap into literary magazines, remember that they are difficult to break into. Most maintain high standards and will automatically reject your work if it’s not there. Others only publish writers who have either an MFA or an MLA. Most of these types of publications also prioritize writers who have received a prestigious writing award or been awarded a fellowship. If this isn’t you, then stay with me. In order to surpass the barrier to getting published in a literary magazine, consider these tips: Not all literary mags are the same While most of these publications publish a more academic style of writing, there are others which don’t. In fact, some of them, such as Longleaf Review (https://longleafreview.com/) and The Stinging Fly More

Trust me, they were not easy to land in the beginning. In the early days, when I had one book, even two, bookstores all but laughed in my face. One told me to come back when I had two books; they weren’t interested in a one-book author. I remember that bookstore to this day. I have not been back to them. I would pitch myself as a presenter, stating what I had published, and, yes, I spoke for free as long as books could be sold afterward. Some queries were cringe-worthy, even embarrassing. Others treated me kindly, even while saying no. However, enough said yes. Those are the ones to list as experience and to ask for testimonial from, because as you rise in popularity, they do, too. It’s definitely a symbiotic relationship. Honestly, starting local makes the most sense. Inquire in an area that already recognizes you, or at least appreciates that you are local. Even if there are only six people in the room when you present, act like it’s a hundred, because those six will tell one or two more people. . . each. Being welcomed will NOT happen overnight. Not many people risk their free time More

Here lately, when I sign books or speak, people look at my stack of books or my banner with all 19 books and say, “Wow, you must have some kind of work ethic to make yourself write that many books.” Only one person in five years or more has recognized my reality when they said, “You treat this as your job, don’t you?” Absolutely yes. You do not accidentally get successful. You do not suddenly become known. You do not write books overnight. You do not short cut the process of writing well. You do not stop reading good books or improving how well you write. You do not “get discovered.” The books do not sell themselves. You have a greater chance of winning the lottery rather than suddenly becoming famous as a writer. But it isn’t all negative. The positive is you love writing. You love publishing. You love pushing stories into the world. But if you want this exercise you love so much to become a career. . . Decide why you write. Decide why you want to be read. Decide what your long game is as a writer. Decide where you want to be in one year, More

Almost Famous and Spinal Tap are two of my favourite movies – but also (rather accurately) depict the niche of music industry interviews. I’ve shared the stage with many but switched to journalism and decided to bring some of the music along. Here’s how to ‘make it happen’ for interviews in the music industry. Publications and Editors in Music There are two types of publications: ones about music, and ones that aren’t. Rolling Stone and SA Music Magazine are the aforementioned; mainstream news and blogs are the second. The good news: it’s possible to sell a music industry interview anywhere. I sold the story “Band on the Road” to Moneyweb, a financial publication. We interviewed Cortina Whiplash about their finances for a great piece. Mainstream publication Maroela Media let me interview musician Koos Kombuis in 2024, along with other celebrities, about their favourite apps. Beware the Lawsuit Musicians and their agents can be sensitive about what goes to print. Confirm an article’s draft with the subjects or press team – sometimes it’s a conditional clause in the agreement. Make sure they’re okay with the draft, or your reputation could take a hit. For The sports bet & the bunny chow (LitNet), I suffered through edits once someone said: “You More

Recently a local lady asked me if I could squeeze in a book club for this week. They had chosen Murder on Edisto and wondered last minute if I’d be available to discuss it. Of course I accepted. I arrived to the smell of shrimp and grits, cheese tarts, cheese biscuits, salmon snacks, homemade chocolate chip cookies, and orange fluff (Southerners know that that is). The aromas were wonderful. The book club consisted of five couples, average age 78-80. Once I got used to people not hearing, we were good. OMG, they talked the characters like they knew them! They loved Jeb, Sophie, and Seabrook. They hated Raysor. And when they go to Edisto again (they’d all been), would they recognize the house. We talked and ate for over two hours! Book clubs and eager readers are what make writing crazy fun. I went home on a high, and since I turned in a Slade manuscript last night and had Edge of Edisto released today, well, you could say I was really on a high. But I have to quote one gentleman. Toward the end, he thanked me for coming. “I really enjoyed the book, Ms. Clark. But even better More

If you want to write, first find your niche, find the thing or things you are most interested in and knowledgeable about, be it motorcycles, plants, or backwoods camping and write. There is a need for writing on every topic under the sun. When I first started writing, I knew how to write essays and I taught myself to write short stories. I had a passion for nonfiction, describing things like stigma, bullying, hospitalizations, and other things surrounding mental health. I wrote every day, and soon, my book, titled “Through the Withering Storm” was finished. An old friend knew an editor. After polishing the manuscript, I self-published. I prefer using Amazon/Kindle Direct Publishing. The key is getting the format and the cover worked out, then author copies are around $5 each with shipping. I set the price of my first book at $20. Most bookstores charge around 45% for selling your books. It is great to sell books directly, but bookstores can be a lifeline for an author and you need to leave room for some profit. Look for organizations where you can learn about and market your writing as I did when I approached The Schizophrenia Society. They were More