Writing and Publishing News from

The whole country is experiencing extraordinary heat this summer and, at least for some of us, our traditionally hottest months are yet to come.

Everyone is suffering. Those of us without central air conditioning or whose window units aren’t keeping up with the heat, must be creative. Some writers are contending with smoke and threats from nearby wildfires. And countless thousands of people are experiencing power outages. My writer friend in St. Louis has been without power for an entire week now. And they’re having temps in the triple digits.

Of course, it’s almost impossible to write when the first thing on your mind is survival—when the only way you can get cool is by driving around with your car air conditioner on and it’s impossible to find refrigerated food anywhere in town. However, knowing my friend, she is jotting down her observations and experiences. She is creating storylines and coming up with enough article ideas to keep her writing for the next few years.

But what about those of us who are just a bit distracted because of the heat? I know how it is (it was 112 here over the weekend). You’re hot and you’re uncomfortable. Your body is exhausted, your brain feels fried and all of this discomfort is distracting. Perhaps you feel like a prisoner in your own home because it’s just too hot to go outside. You live for that time in the evening when the outside temperature is cooler than the inside temperature and you can open the doors and windows.

How do you write when you are so preoccupied by how the heat is affecting you?

I write very early in the morning before the heat settles into my office. I can usually tolerate the temperature in here until about 3 in the afternoon. Some days I use a trick I learned when I was younger and had a pool. It’s called the wet bathing suit solution. I put on my bathing suit and jump in the shower. Then I wear the wet bathing suit around the house all day. When the suit starts to dry out, I jump in the shower again. One writer I know uses the same concept with her regular clothing. Rather than be miserable all day, she holds her tank top or tee shirt under running water until it’s soaked, wrings it out and then wears it around the house. It’s really amazing how much cooler you are when you are wearing wet clothing.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m hot, I have trouble concentrating. In fact, I don’t have much enthusiasm for writing when I’m feeling too hot. So it pays to find a way to make yourself more comfortable. Of course, drink plenty of water. I’m also reverting back to my childhood and eating popsicles. Here are some ideas for keeping to your writing schedule even in this unbearable heat:

• Put your bad mood to good use in your writing: Heat is stressful and it can affect ones mood. There’s more domestic violence, when it is hot. As a writer, you can capitalize on that bad mood by using the hot days to work on your dark fiction. Flesh out the most despicable character in the story you’re writing, for example.

• Write a poem, story or article related to the heat. This is also a good way to journal and to, perhaps, find solutions to your uncomfortable dilemma. Maybe, though journaling, you’ll decide that it is time to purchase that air conditioner for your office. Think about it—can you afford to be nonproductive? If the heat build up in your office is keeping you from writing, put out $300 for a small air conditioner. I’ve even seen new ones as cheap as $150. You’ll surely retrieve your investment promptly just in your productivity level.

• Send out query letters. You should have query letters already written for articles you want to pitch as well as for the book you’re working on. This is a good time to be sending them out to appropriate magazines and publishing houses. You don’t have to write anything new. Sending query letters can be a no brainer. Just beware that you are targeting the appropriate editor/publisher.

• Think winter. That is, write about things related to the cooler months. This is the time you should be pitching articles for publication in December through March, anyway. Here are some article ideas:

*Cool places to visit with your family (or your honey or your girlfriends) in January.
*Great holiday gifts that don’t cost a lot.
*Relationship tips for those sometimes volatile holiday gatherings.
*Great holiday party ideas.
*Creative ideas for helping a needy family at Christmastime.
*How to manage a successful family gift exchange.
*Things you can make for holiday gifts.
*How to protect your health when flying during the cold and flu season.
*Volunteer opportunities for the whole family. Ho to go out and gather holiday smiles.

• Switch activities. Are you working on a book? And you don’t feel like writing in the heat? Go do your Christmas shopping. You’ll be inside in the air conditioning and thinking about the holidays might just cool you off. In December, you can work right through those days and weeks that you would normally devote to Christmas shopping.

• Pick and choose your projects. There are ways to produce and achieve even when your brain is compromised by the heat. Organize your desk, file the items that have been collecting for two or three weeks in your in-basket, delete your accumulation of old emails or write a writing or book promotion plan covering the next few months.

• Write a chapter or an article that doesn’t take a lot of brain power. Organize it, outline it, work on developing a character. If it is a reference book, compile your resource list or start working on the index.

• Do some book promotion. Do you have a press release written? Just find a directory of newspapers, libraries or review sites and send the press release to appropriate email addresses. This takes little thought, yet it is one of your more important tasks. You’ll feel as though you are accomplishing something and you are. This will lift your spirits even if your body feels worn out from the heaviness of the heat.

• Book some speeches for appropriate clubs and organizations. If you have written a local history book, arrange to speak before local civic organizations and historical societies. Perhaps your book is an exciting novel or a how-to or a self-help book on an interesting subject. Is it directed at women? Contact local business women’s clubs, the Red Hat Society, women’s community clubs and women’s organizations related to different industries. Are you planning a trip, contact bookstores and radio stations along your route to set up some signings and speaking gigs.

Who says that you can’t be productive when you’re feeling compromised by this oppressive heat? Triple digit temps, even those in the high 90s, day after day after day can be extremely annoying and exhausting. But this shouldn’t be an excuse for a writer to slough off. Avoid writing now and you’ll get into the habit of taking time off whenever the notion suits you. I can hear the excuses now: “I have spring fever,” “It’s too windy to write.” “It’s too cold.” “I have a hangnail.”

Now, a word to those of you who are experiencing gorgeous, sunshiny, mild weather—those of you who are getting a comfortable night’s sleep: what’s your excuse for not writing? Is the lure of the out of doors distracting you? Is it just too lovely to work inside? Well, go outside and write. Sure, take your laptop or your pen and pad and let the beauty inspire you.

Get your writing done, people, and then go play. Okay, I’ve completed my blog for the week. It is almost 4:00 p.m. and I’m going to go watch my favorite afternoon TV show, Judge Marilyn Milian. (Hey, it’s research. The court cases give me ideas for articles.)

Here’s another excellent hot weather activity. Order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book and sit in front of a fan or under a shade tree and read it. Talk about being productive… This book has the potential to help you set and achieve your writing and publishing goals.
For more information about this excellent book and to order, http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

It’s the first day of summer. So what is your summer writing schedule? Are you going to continue on as usual—ignore the call of the outdoors and stay holed up working from sunup to sundown? Or will you close the book on your current writing project and play all summer—feeling twinges of guilt every step of the way? Or have you created a balance between work and play and a mindset that will allow you the luxury?

I hope to find myself in the latter scenario. In fact, I’ve already started the momentum. I just got back from a two-day family trip. Four generations of us gals—ages 19 to 85—took a little trip to celebrate my birthday. There were seven of us—two sets of sisters, cousins, grandma (me) and great grandma. We had a blast. I’ll be home for a few days and then I’m heading to Arizona to hang out with my friend from junior high school. We’ve been best friends for over 50 years. Don’t you know that I have to chuckle when I hear someone say, “We’ve been friends for a long, long time.” How long? “Four years.” Or even “Two and a half years.” Pshawwww!! Those folks are just barely acquainted.

Being a full-time freelance writer and book promoter with deadlines and clients, how do I manage to play and still get my work done? Practice, I guess, and necessity. Here’s my outlook and my schedule.

Outlook: Take good care of your physical, emotional and mental self. To me this means be productive, adopt a healthy lifestyle, nurture your relationships and take time out to play.

Implementation: Now for the hard part. How does one actually accomplish this sort of balance in a busy life? It’s not easy. I work at it constantly. Should life and living be difficult? Some would say, no. But who are these people? Do they feel productive or are they apt to spend a lot of time just talking about doing something… someday? Do they have meaningful relationships with key people in their lives or do they go months or years without reaching out to family and friends? Do they nurture their bodies and minds or do they consistently eat fast food and packaged meals and only talk about exercising? Some of these people may either work all of the time or play most of the time.

How do you create that balance you need as a writer? How do you build your freelance writing business, write your novel or promote your books while also tending to your other needs? For some, a schedule works—they need to rely on the parameters of a fixed routine. Others maintain balance by listening to their bodies and tuning into themselves.

If you must have the parameters of a fixed routine, I recommend careful scheduling. If you work half of your waking hours, that’s about 8 hours/day. That gives you 8 hours to run errands, take care of household chores, socialize/spend time with family, take a walk or visit the gym, prepare and eat three healthy meals, play (garden, crochet, do woodworking, volunteer or draw, for example) and relax. If you work on weekdays only, that’s 40 hours/week. And that leaves you an additional 32 hours for your other tasks, responsibilities and activities on the weekend. Now don’t tell me that you can’t find time to stay in touch with friends and family members, manage your home, lead a healthy lifestyle, relax and play during the 72 hours that aren’t spent writing.

Okay, I get it. Some of you are working part or full-time jobs and trying to establish a writing career. I admit, that a job can interfere. Add to that, a responsibility for small children and, indeed, you are a busy person. But you still have that desire to write and to take care of yourself—so:
• Get up an hour or two early and spend that time writing.
• Write when the kids are at school.
• Get the kids to help with chores.
• Organize errands to minimize your time away.
• You have to eat anyway, choose to serve more veggies and fruit.
• Walk to the neighborhood grocery instead of driving.
• Park farther away from your destination so you have to walk a distance.
• Get active as a family—go bicycling rather than watching TV, etc.

I tend to go by what my mind and body tell me when it comes to creating balance in my life. After 33 years in the freelance writing business, I know when to hold em and when to fold em. When I err, however, it is on the side of obsessing —of workaholicism. I have to watch out for burnout—that uncomfortable feeling of dread that I feel every once in great a while when I face a writing project. That’s when I know it’s time to leave my office and get change of scenery—establish a change of pace.

I’ve also learned to accept more invitations and to plan more time away when the opportunities present themselves. While some writers must trick themselves and bribe themselves to sit down and work, I find it harder to go out and play. So I pay attention to the elements in my world.

I have incorporated a daily walk into my life. That happens almost no matter what. I keep plenty of healthy snacks on hand and I take time each week to plan and to prepare healthy meals. I keep in touch with close friends, neighbors and family regularly. I maintain a calendar of birthdays and other special occasions and I follow through with appropriate greetings. I garden and I go out on photo shoots for fun.

I have to say that, as much as I love writing and operating the business I’ve established, my time out walking or talking to neighbors over the fence or spending a day shopping with my daughters or having lunch with a grandson or traveling to spend time with a friend or gardening or volunteering with rescued kittens, becomes more and more meaningful with time.

If you haven’t yet established your writing lifestyle, let this rambling of mine help you to find your comfort zone. How will you know when you’ve discovered it? For me, it’s when I feel whole and complete—body, mind and soul.

Have you visited my Web site, lately? You really must see my array of books for sale and articles and resources for writers and authors. http://www.matilijapress.com

If you need help establishing yourself as a writer, you would definitely benefit from my book The Successful Writer’s Handbook. If you have a young writer in the house, be sure to check out my Young Writer’s Handbook. Are you interested in establishing a business writing articles for magazines and newsletters? Be sure to read A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles. My little book, Over 75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book, is a wonderful guide for any author who has a book to promote–and that is every author. My book, How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less, is a great little handbook for authors contemplating the task of writing a book proposal. And my best biggest and bestest book of all for any author at any stage of their project, you MUST READ, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.

Visit my bookstore at http://www.matilijapress.com

I must apologize for removing the response option for my blog. There were just too many unwanted and unrelated spammy messages coming in and it was taking up too much of my time trying to remove them. So I made the decision to eliminate the response option. Please, if you would like to comment or ask me a question, email me through my Web site.

Today seems surreal. I’ve been telling people for months that I’m going to Dubai. I’ve been preparing and planning for the trip. I’ve been excited about the adventure. Yet, it’s hard to believe that I actually fly out of LAX to London and then on to Dubai TODAY. You can probably tell that I’m not a world traveler. I’ve never been much of a traveler until the last few years, when I started giving writing/publishing workshops throughout the U.S.

A few days ago, a friend called to say that Dubai is featured in the June issue of Vanity Fair. I ran right out and bought it, and just in time. At that point, my excitement was starting to wane and I was becoming nervous—not about the speech, but about the trip. After all, Dubai is a far off, foreign land. But, after reading the article and marveling over the photos of this amazing city, my excitement was renewed, and I went out and bought extra batteries for my digital camera. These batteries are to back up the back-up batteries. I don’t want to miss a photo opportunity.

I have packed a journal so I don’t chance forgetting anything about this amazing adventure. And what will I do with my journal notes? I have many things in mind. I will, of course, write about the experience—maybe an article for The Toastmaster Magazine. It was because of my articles in this magazine that I received this invitation, after all. And this is a good lesson for all of us. You see, you just never know what rewards your writing efforts might bring and when. The Toastmaster Magazine might be interested in a piece featuring tips for speaking out of the country, for example.

I may contact local newspapers to see if they’d like a story about my trip. This would also provide an opportunity to remind locals about my books for sale and my editorial services. I might come up with some angles that would appeal to travel magazines. Since I am the first woman to ever deliver the keynote address at a Toastmasters’ conference in this district, a woman’s magazine might be interested in a story.

I might even come up with some book ideas based on my experiences in Dubai.

But for now, it is bon voyage or whatever you say when someone is flying thousands and thousands of miles toward a wonderful adventure.

Keep writing and keep seeking out the adventures in life.

Patricia Fry is the author of 24 books, including her latest, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Order it at http://matilijapress.com/rightway.html

There’s nothing quite like positive feedback for your writing efforts. Whether it’s a complimentary letter-to-the-editor published in a magazine that ran your article, a supportive comment from a friend who read something you wrote or a good review of your book, praise is always welcome. Writers and authors thrive on accolades. Second to a desire to write, of course, is the need to be read. A close third is our longing to be understood and validated.

And it doesn’t take much to give us a thrill. Two SPAWN members who shared our SPAWN booth at the recent Los Angeles Festival of Books told me that they had followed some of my advice from one of my articles and it helped them to sell more books. I had mentioned the concept of giving something more than the consumer expects. One member brought his lovely books of poetry and small boxes of chocolates tied together with pretty pieces of pink ribbon. What lovely Mother’s Day gifts these will make. Another member used raffia to combine his book on grammar with a binder and a pencil. Both members thanked me for making this suggestion.

How refreshing it is to know that you are being read. And why should we doubt it? I have thousands of copies of my books circulating among the public. My articles have appeared in hundreds of magazines and newsletters. My work is posted all over the Internet. Why should I doubt that it is being read? Of course, it’s being read. But, hearing directly from someone who tells me how they are using my suggestions or how a certain passage, a certain article or one of my books helped them gives me a glorious boost in confidence and validates my intended purpose.

A good friend of mine told me just yesterday that she is having a very prolific period. She is just bursting with article ideas and she said, “Part of the credit goes to you.” She explained. “I read what you wrote about doing a different activity to stir up the creativity in your brain. So I’ve been working on my beaded earrings and that really got me out of a stagnant spot.”

It’s true, if you feel blocked—you can’t get an idea and when you do, you can’t drum up the enthusiasm to work on it, try doing something else for a while. I recommend pursuing a creative activity. For me, gardening works or working on a needlework project. Redecorating a room or just a portion of a room is the key for some people. There’s just something about shifting gears and actually experiencing success in another realm that helps to jumpstart the part of your brain that you need functioning in order to perform well when writing.

Of course, this is just one of thousands of useful tips I’ve offered through my articles and books. Read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book for many, many additional tips and techniques. If you want to write a book or if you have a manuscript in the works, I have just one piece of advice—educate yourself. Become informed about the publishing industry, your options and the possible consequences of your decisions. Ideally, you will spend several months studying the industry. Hopefully, you will read books and articles written by many experts in the field. In so doing, you will learn who to trust and who to believe. Among your reading materials, please read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. And if you want my list of recommended experts and professionals, please contact me through my Web site or through this blog.

Now, how can you get feedback for your writing? Here are a few ideas:

• Build a Web site related to your book or your writing.
• Run a survey among your readers.
• Circulate your own newsletter, you’ll receive feedback from subscribers.
• Send emails to customers who have bought your book and ask for comments.
• Start a blog.
• Ask friends and random readers to add reviews to your Amazon page.
• Teach a course related to your book topic.
• Send copies of your latest article to your email list and ask for comments.
• Send your almost finished manuscript to experts for back of book testimonials.
• Get your book reviewed many times over.

I’m heading off to Dubai next week to speak before a group of Toastmasters. I’m packing my camera, of course, and a journal. I’ll also have my laptop in case anyone would like to communicate with me while I’m there. Just comment to this blog or contact me through my Web site.

In the meantime, if you haven’t purchased The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, this would be a good time. It really is important that you understand the publishing industry, your choices and the ramification of your decisions BEFORE you even start writing that book. If the manuscript is completed, then you still have time to do the right thing—to make the right decisions—if you read this book BEFORE you start scurrying around trying to find someone to publish your book. You do NOT have to pay someone to publish your book. There are thousands of publishers out there looking for a good book. If this is news to you, you MUST read my book.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

I have many different thoughts going in many different directions these days, what with my business becoming increasingly busy and fulfilling and my business-related activities so varied and interesting. My mind is on my upcoming trip to the Middle East—to the magnificent city of Dubai. I’ll be giving the keynote address before a group of 1,000 Toastmasters. My subject: How to Present a More Creative Speech.

I’ve been asked to speak for a solid hour. It’s difficult to imagine myself being able to hold an audience’s attention for that long. But part of my work these next few weeks, before I make the 17-hour flight, is to continually reaffirm my abilities, skills and talents in this area. I’m also doing visualization exercises imagining myself performing successfully.

I have little time to keep up with my blog entries, but a need to do so—in order to stay clear and focused. Otherwise, my mind is a tangled mass of writing projects, client work, several upcoming speech topics and all of the other things that make up our lives. On blue-sky days I spend a few hours gardening. Between projects I make packing lists or shop for travel items. And I’m always in book promotion mode so that I can take advantage of precious snippets of time that become available to promote The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.

As you know, my Dubai speech theme is creativity. I realize that not all people (and this goes for writers, too) are or feel they are creative and I’ve provided some special help for them. The right-brain/left-brain theory teaches that, those of us who rely on intuition and who seem naturally creative, are right-brain thinkers. Those who are more analytical and logical, have a more well-developed left brain. For my audience in Dubai, I’ve designed the following guide offering some activities that will help them to become more creative. I thought that you might like to try some of the activities on this list. In fact, if you feel that you are not naturally creative and you would like to loosen up a bit and feel a little freer, I suggest that you pursue all 6 of these activities often.

1: Go out and play. Join in with a group of kids who are playing a game, jump rope, play with a puppy or a baby or go out dancing.
2: Get involved in an art project. Work on a paint-by-number kit, do mosaic or weaving, pursue creative gardening, a needlework project or a craft, for example.
3: Read a children’s story out loud to a child. Exaggerate the voices of the characters. You’ll have fun and the child will love it.
4: Enjoy something without analyzing it. Oooh, this is a hard one for left-brain thinkers.
5: Solve a problem using intuition rather than logic. Here’s another difficult challenge. But you can do it—I know you can.
6: Find a role model/mentor. This might be someone who you feel is creative—observe this person, copy him/her and ask them to help you to become more creative.

Here’s a quote by artist Mary Lou Cook. I think it really sums up the definition of creativity. “Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun.”

Patricia Fry is a full-time freelance writer, workshop leader, lecturer and the author of 24 books. To learn more about creating and producing a book, order her latest book,
The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book
http://www.matilijapress.com

While attending a Pen Women’s Writers’ Conference in Honolulu a few weeks ago as a workshop leader, I had the pleasure of meeting women and a few men from all walks of writing life. I listened to women describe their passion for writing. I read some of the words that came from their hearts. And I discovered something about myself: I’ve forgotten the joy of writing just for me. I’ve been a hardcore career writer for so many years that I can scarcely recall the process of writing from the heart and the feelings that this activity evokes.

I must admit that, when I first heard these women talking about the little ditties they had written or expressing delight because the local newspaper had published their poems, I was less than impressed. But the more I listened, the more I came to understand. They are not writing to make a name for themselves or to pen a bestselling novel. They are writing to fill their souls, to renew their spirits. These women are inspired, but not by fame and fortune; not by a desire to sell their work. No, it would be like selling their soul. These women are me thirty years ago.

After finishing my humble pie, I began tuning into each of the women I had the pleasure of meeting at the conference. I listened, I learned and I felt. I met women who write as part of their healing process. One dear lady—a grieving widow—began to emerge into the daylight only after picking up her pen and pad again. Other women were writing as therapy for their physical illnesses. Some of the women I met wrote in hopes of helping others in some basic or deep manner. And one woman wrote solely to spread peace. I even met women who don’t do much writing. They just love being around writers.

On my way home on the plane the night after the conference (I accidentally booked myself a night flight), I thought about the women I’d met at the conference. I recalled being aware of their demeanor when they spoke of their latest writing project or the inspirational poem they wrote five years ago. What was it that I detected? Oh yes, now I know—it was joy. I tried to relate to them. I had to dig deep in order to locate that young, eager writer who experienced such joy even when writing something as mundane as a grocery list. Yes, she is still there waiting to feel from the writing again. I’ve located her and I’ve begun to nurture her. I want to be that writer again.

Is there any reason why we cannot write professionally and joyfully at the same time? I hope to find out. I’ve devised a list of activities and ideas that I believe will help me to recapture my ability to write at a soul level—to write for spirit.

If you’re a writer who is searching for his or her writer’s spirit—who can no longer find that original in your writing—here are some steps that might help:

1: Keep a journal even if it is a public journal (blog). Focus on your feelings and your more gentle thoughts. Experiment with poetry and other literary styles in order to draw out some of your long-hidden feelings. And then read your journal often for insight and to monitor your progress.

2: Write letters to your former self. By addressing that vulnerable, joyful writer, you will soon begin to understand her and emulate her.

3: Get creative with letters to friends and family. Rather than shooting off those quick cookie-cutter emails and handwritten notes to loved ones, take just a little extra time to compose them using some literary flair. Strive to paint pictures with your words rather than just stating facts. Have fun. Your friends and family will love it and so will you.

4: Write something just for fun. Forget about deadlines and other writing obligations. Pen a poem. Compose a story for your children or grandchildren. Try your hand at a piece of flash fiction or a sci fi story. Or just write something from the heart.

5: Write something from the heart for publication in a smaller magazine or Web site. You may be accustomed to writing major pieces on complicated issues. How about stirring up your creative juices by writing something highly inspirational?

6: Make cards and give them for special occasions. You can either purchase blank cards or make them yourself using any number of methods. Write personal poems for each recipient.

7: Go out and play. Don’t neglect your playful self. That child still exists within you or he/she should.

8: Meditate/pray. There is no better way to tune into yourself than through prayer or meditation.

9: Do something creative. Get involved in gardening, needlework, painting, sketching, photography or something that will fulfill your innate desire to be creative and pursue this activity at least a couple of times each week.

10: Either locate or establish a writers group. This group should have no purpose other than to provide encouragement and praise. This group should not be about publishing or critiquing, but only about fun, joy and the process of healing through writing.

I would love to hear from writers who have recaptured their joy as a writer or who have some additional ideas designed to get to that place.

Learn more about Patricia Fry’s writing, consulting work and books. Patricia is the author of 24 published books including, Quest For Truth, A Journey of the Soul and The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.
http://www.matilijapress.com

What distracts you from writing? Do you have cats wandering in and out of your office while you write? Are there children in the house? Maybe your spouse is retired and at home a lot. Perhaps you’re distracted by something as simple as a sunny day or friends going out to lunch or for a round of golf.

Do you allow temptations to lure you away from your writing? Or do you stand strong against the call to go read a novel, watch a cooking show or mow the lawn? How do you handle the lure that threatens to take you away from your writing? If your writing is suffering, your earnings are down and you’re missing deadlines, you probably tend to cave in the face of distraction. On the other hand, if you collect enough money each month to pay the bills and add to your nest egg, you’ve probably established some excellent work habits.

What are some of the habits of highly successful writers? Read on.

1: Establish a schedule and stick to it.
Hobby writers write when they feel like it—when inspiration strikes. Most successful career writers write according to a schedule. At least they begin their career by adhering to a strict schedule. After time and practice, for most professional freelance writers and authors, writing is so much a part of their life that it has become second nature. They write according to the needs and expectations of their publishers, agents, readers and themselves.

2: Say “No” to distractions.
Most people find it difficult to write amidst activity. Barking dogs, a blaring TV, frolicking children, constant interruptions are not conducive to the process of writing. Choose your writing time and place carefully. Be prepared for invitations that you can’t always accept—learn to say no to lunch dates, shopping trips and those other luxury outings you enjoyed before you decided to become a career writer

3: Set rules.
Retrain your friends, family and neighbors to respect your writing time without totally alienating these people. I recommend that writers give when they take away. When you decline an invitation to lunch on Thursday, offer, instead, a jog together with your sister Saturday morning or offer a Sunday afternoon trip to the swap meet with your neighbor.

4: Look at rejection as an opportunity.
Rejection is often difficult for a writer at any stage of his/her profession to accept. But it is part of the career package. I met a writer once who said that he had never received a rejection letter. I say that he either lied or he wasn’t a career freelance writer–he only submitted a story now and again to a targeted magazine. Rejection is part of this profession and a writer or author must learn to accept this fact. Now, how can you turn a rejection into an opportunity? By not giving up. If your article or short story is rejected, send it to another similar magazine or change it to fit a different niche magazine. If your book proposal is rejected, look it over carefully–have a professional take a look at it and, when you are sure it is perfect, send it to some of the thousands of other publishers out there.

5: Say “Yes” to unexpected opportunities.
Sometimes we shine-on opportunities. We are quick to decline an invitation that might ultimately move our career forward. Sometimes we don’t recognize an opportunity when it kisses us on the cheek. I’ve learned to say ‘YES’ to most opportunities even when I’m unsure about the situation at first. For example, let’s say you get an invitation to speak on the topic of your book in another state. Here’s what you might temporarily perceive as obstacles:

* I don’t know how to get there.
* Travel is expensive.
* I don’t know the people there.
* I’m not a good speaker.
* What if someone in the audience knows more about the subject than I do?

Instead of running these negative tapes, say, “yes” and then figure out the rest. List the positives:

* I might sell books.
* I might have fun.
* I might meet new people and make important contacts.

An editor sometimes contacts me and asks me to write an article on a topic that I don’t know much about. I am often invited to give workshops or give speeches in places that are unfamiliar to me. I might get more editing work than I can comfortably handle. Most of the time I say “yes” and most of the time things work out. Sure there are some challenges along the way, but, for me, once I’ve committed to something, I can usually find a way to make it happen.

6: Take risks.
Writing for publication involves constant risk-taking. You’re always trying to write what the editors and the public wants—what publishers want. You do your research to find out what they want, but its still a constant process of second guessing them. What if you fail? There are risks in public speaking, in traveling and in investing in your book or a travel opportunity to promote that book. You could fail–or you could perceive that you failed. (And that’s another blog topic). But one thing is for sure, if you don’t take those risks, you won’t succeed.

7: Promote, promote, promote. Whether you are a freelance writer or an author, you must constantly promote yourself, your work and/or your products. Highly successful writers/authors, do not sit around waiting for success to happen to them, they are out there making it happen.

If you want success as an author, you really need to read and study my latest book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Order it at:
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

We’re entering the fourth week of January 2006. The holidays are over. Are you back to work on your writing project? Is your freelance writing business picking up? Or are you having trouble getting started?

Here are some suggestions designed to help you get back in the groove or get your groove back.

1: Schedule time each day to write. Make writing a priority just like you do feeding the dog, working out and going grocery shopping.

Like most people who go hog wild at Christmastime, I took time off to play and to honor the holidays. But I’m back to work now full-time—10+ hours a day almost everyday. It’s Sunday morning at 7:30 as I contribute this post to my blog. It’s not easy to reestablish a writing schedule. But, if writing is your profession, it’s necessary.

Currently, I spend early mornings catching up on email. I typically have writers’ questions coming in through the SPAWN Web site and my own Web site or from someone who has a copy of one of my writing books. I generally have book orders which need to be made ready for shipping. This is also when I conduct Internet research for pending articles.

Mid mornings find me sending out query letters. And my afternoons are spent writing articles, working with a client and/or doing some book promotion.

I slip out twice during the day. Once to take my 2 or 3-mile walk and once to take outgoing books to the post office, do banking, pick up supplies, etc.

Most evenings find me reading some of the dozen or so newsletters I receive each week and reviewing client’s and potential client’s manuscripts. This is also when I schedule the following day’s work activities.

2: Do five things every day toward your writing goal. Here are five example:
• Write five paragraphs or five pages of your novel.
• Come up with five article ideas (or send out five reprints).
• Contact five new magazine editors.
• Make five new book promotion contacts (book reviewers, booksellers, book festivals, etc).
• Make five follow-up calls or emails related to your article work or book promotion.

3: Spend time at least once a month promoting your writing business. Develop a marketing letter and send it to potential clients or introduce yourself and your expertise to new editors, for example.

On January 2, I sent letters to several local businesses reminding them of our services. We’ve received two potentially lucrative responses so far.

4: Get creative when it comes to your writing business, article work or book promotion.

• Find new ways to work with clients: writing resumes, creating brochures, rewriting employee manuals for corporations, for example.

• Expand your article base. Tweak old articles to fit very different magazines, seek out new magazines and come up with new article topics for familiar editors.

• Seek book reviews. Visit bookstores personally with your book. Schedule speeches to promote your book. Send press releases to libraries.

My latest and greatest promotional idea is taking my book to Hawaii. Pretty brazen, don’t you think? I’m planning a trip to Hawaii next month and I’m trying to arrange a speaking gig for a writers group while I’m there. If I can make a connection, I’ll talk about SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) and I’ll teach something from my latest book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.

5: Find ways to stay positive. As a writer, you are constantly setting yourself up for rejection. Your articles are rejected. Your writers group is sometimes too critical of your work. You are sometimes your worst critic when it comes to your writing. It’s hard to come by positive feedback.

Here’s how I conquer this writer’s curse.

• I display things in my office that make me feel accomplished and loved. There are family photos, treasured gifts from friends, a poem I wrote, signatures and framed book covers from some of my books and some of my best photography, for example. I also keep something nearby that emits a wonderful scent. Right now I have a honeysuckle candle next to my keyboard. It smells so good that I don’t even have to light it to enjoy the aroma.

• I also connect often with my most positive and supportive friends and family via brief emails or a quick phone call.

• I take mini-vacations almost every day. This is when I spend an hour walking amidst stands of oaks, along a nearby river, around a lake or at the beach.

• I frequently engage in something creative outside of writing. I spend time in my garden or working on a needlework project.

January 2006 is almost over. If you haven’t reestablished your momentum as a writer, it’s time that you did. It’s also an opportune time to add to your knowledge base as an author or freelance writer. Educate yourself. Order some of my valuable books now:

The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book
The Successful Writer’s Handbook
A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles
Over 75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book
How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less

http://www.matilijapress.com

Where do you write? Do you have an office where you always go to do your writing? Or do you like to take pen and pad to a lovely spot somewhere for inspiration? Maybe you write using your laptop during your lunch hour, while watching your kids’ soccer practice or when you should be relaxing in the evening.

I’m on a weekend getaway vacation as I write this morning on my brand new laptop. Yes, I’ve entered the technology age to an even greater degree. After all of these years, I finally have a laptop. I look forward to using this mini-computer when I travel to Hawaii next month and I’ll take it with me as I travel to various book festivals and workshops throughout the year. I’m jazzed at the thought of using the laptop to flesh out articles and chapters during the down time that always occurs on work-related trips. And I’m especially excited about having the ability to stay caught up with email when away from home.

This morning, while contemplating how much freedom laptops and other technological gadgetry offers writers today, another question came up. Where is the most unusual place you’ve ever written?

Do you remember, as a child, hiding under your covers at night with a flashlight so you could write even after bedtime? I recall doing some of my best work sitting on my grandmother’s porch steps looking out over the neighborhood and toward the glistening ocean waters in the distance. As an adult—in the 1970s—I carried a tablet and several pens everywhere I went. And I wrote almost everywhere I went. I’d ride along with my husband as he made the rounds related to his job and I’d sit in the car and write. I’ve written in truck yards, out behind packing plants, in the parking lots at rubbish companies and other union businesses up and down California. Whenever possible, I’d walk to a park or other appealing area to jot down article ideas, write a poem or add to a book I was working on. And then I’d go home and type it all up using my electric typewriter. Boy was I high tech when I upgraded from the old, borrowed manual typewriter.

Probably the most unusual place I’ve ever written is atop a mountain in the Los Padres National Forest while on a horse pack trip with my family. Whenever we’d stop to rest the horses and have a bite to eat, I’d plop down on the ground, lean against a saddle and jot my thoughts on a small pad. Many an article was spawned from these notes. I even incorporated some of them in a book, Hints For the Backyard Rider (A.S. Barnes, 1978)—out of print.

Where do you write? Where do you get inspiration? Where is the most unusual place you’ve written?

If you haven’t ordered your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, you should do so now. If you are contemplating writing a book, it would behoove you to start carrying this book everywhere you go. Study it from cover to cover, highlight meaningful information and phrases and use it as a guide in writing your next book.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html