All In Other Words

Why Do Writers Write?

Carl J Tengstrom — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:05:53 +0000

Why do writers write? Is it because of passion, need, desire, or want? Do they have some noble plan? Do writers write for fame and fortune? Do they write to impress the boss or further their career in other ways? The answer to all of these questions is yes.

How can that be? Not everyone is true all of the time, obviously, but some can be true simultaneously. Some writing is purely words on a page, ramblings with no direction at all, just written out of need to get it onto the paper. Some writing can be technical jargon or detailed outlines, which furthers careers and impresses our boss. Other works are romantic, full of passion and they want and need to write. It flows onto the paper almost without effort. Some writing is political or ethical and frees our body, mind and soul. It furthers our noblest of causes. Each and every writer has a love for printed words, whether they admit it or not. They may not write for fame and fortune, but if it comes, we either run or embrace it. The truth is, it doesn’t matter why you write, and the only thing that matters is that you write. You do so well and you do it often.

A writer’s motive, creation of the printed word, molds and shapes them, forever changing them for better or worse.

The Greek Philosopher, Epictetus wrote, “If you wish to be a writer; write!”

Writers must write! Express your emotion, feelings, likes or dislikes, devour the printed word and develop new work for others. There is no nobler of a cause. You expand your own mind and the minds of those who read your writing. Do you feel empowered? Go dare something worthy and write like you mean it.

R.D. Jentsch, author of Hot on the Range

http://www.hotontherange.com

Make writing fun, the secrets to words flowing onto the page, and get ready to be published. Learn how at [http://www.writelikeyoumeanit.com]

The Selfish Freelance Writer: Write Whatever You Please, And Get Paid

Carl J Tengstrom — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:02:53 +0000

Freelance writing is paid writing. You write what the customer – publisher, magazine, business – requires, and get paid. However, the boom in Web writing has changed all that.

There’s now a vast, unlimited market for freelance writers: the Web. And the beauty of writing for the Web is that you can be a selfish writer. You can write about whatever interests you, and if the topic interests others too, you can get paid to write. Web writing is perfect both for beginning writers, and for experienced writers too.

Web Writing For Beginning Writers: Make Money From Your Interests

Because the Web is built on words, the Web is profitable for beginning writers. If you can write a sentence, you can get paid to write for the Web. This means that on the the Web, you get paid to earn while you learn to write.

The easiest form of content for new writers on the Web is articles. There’s a huge demand for articles online, and that demand will continue to grow as Web sites struggle to become visible online – the more content a site has, the more presence it has.

Web sites buy article content in packages, of anything from five to 100 articles. Prices vary. It’s up to you to discover what the going rates are. Here’s a tip: don’t be eager to sell your writing cheaply on the out-sourcing sites. Article content is valuable and you can make more money selling your articles from your own site.

Web Writing For Experienced Writers: Make Money Creating Your Own Web Sites And Blogs

If you’re an experienced writer, the Web is your new high-income playground, especially if you’re willing to invest the energy to learn a little technology. If you’re willing to create your own sites, you’ll make much more than if you’re a “words only” writer.

Your own Web sites are profitable because you can create sites on any topics which interest you, and you can monetize those sites in any way you wish. You can be as selfish as you like: write about whatever interests you – fashion, weddings, food, travel – and rake in the cash.

Sounds simple, right? That’s because it is.

If you’ve always wished that you could write about what interests you, and get paid, and be totally selfish in your writing, you can. Welcome to the wonderful world of Web writing, the mecca for selfish writers.

Discover how you can develop a six-figure writing career writing for the Web with with Angela Booth’s Fab Freelance Writing Ezine at [http://fabfreelancewriting.com/ezine/fab-freelance-writing-ezine.html] and the Fab Web Writer Blog at http://www.fabwebwriter.com/ In 2007, there’s an unlimited supply of job opportunities for writers, especially if you want to write for the Web, so Angela Booth’s ebook Writing For The Web at http://abmagic.com/Web_Write/Web_write.html helps you to do that. You can become a highly paid freelance Web writer, and all it takes is know-how. There’s all the knowledge you need to Angela Booth’s sites, ebooks and blogs: get started developing a lucrative career today.

Wanna Be a Better Fiction Writer? Write Poetry

Carl J Tengstrom — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:57:53 +0000

When I was in college, I majored in English with an Emphasis in Creative Writing. In this particular program, there was a further emphasis between fiction and poetry. Most of us majored in English with Emphasis in Creative Writing (Fiction), but we had to take some poetry classes and, speaking for myself, if I could have made a living writing poetry, I would have switched, because the poetry writing classes taught me how to play with words. And that is why I suggest fiction writers write poetry.

We’ve been given a gift in the English language. If you can, dear reader, I highly suggest looking into English language history, because it’s a beautiful story about its evolution and diversity. The English language, technically speaking, has no home. It’s made up of pretty much every other language in existence and was created alongside history. It’s a fascinating history and a fascinating language that’s, by its nature, constantly growing, changing, and evolving.

To be a writer, one needs to understand how words can paint a mental picture through sound, double meanings, and economy. Learning poetry writing challenges the writer to tell a story in a few lines, rather than a few pages. You have to think creatively and seek out words that can jolt the reader out of the average and expected. You have to get acquainted with a thesaurus to find words that aren’t typically used, words that draw attention to an idea through techniques like sound alike. If words sound alike, that automatically draws attention to the thought you’re making. There’s a different feel to fiction that’s strongly written with a sturdy foundation through thoughtful word choice than phrases and writing chunks that have no weight and are simply devices to describe a person or setting, for example, or just a bridge getting one part of the plot to the next. Through poetry writing, getting in the habit of really thinking about each word and its place in creating this world your story lives in can make you a stronger, and better, fiction writer.

If you want to read a fiction work that has real weight, where every word is there because it contributes to the story, read The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. In about 79 pages, he packs in a story that would take most other writers probably 400 pages to tell. Your brain can’t take a vacation with this one. Every word matters and if your brain checks out while your eyes move, you’ll find out you’ve missed significant story.

Now, I’m not saying you have to write as weighty as Joseph Conrad did, but poetry writing makes the writer pay more attention to the words chosen for their economy and what the chosen words can add to the story and its meaning. If you want your readers to feel like reading your work is an adventure and not something that helps them go to sleep at night, something they don’t want to put down and not something they have to get through, I recommend learning how to make each word count and how to play with the language by writing some poetry. It can be the sing-songy greeting card kind that rhymes or something that relies more on rhythm and structure, whatever makes you dig deeper as a writer. The point is the poets can, and do, teach all of us about how powerful words are and, by learning from them, we can write better fiction. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

I’m the author of the Covenant Series, the first book, “Covenant,” is currently available at Smashwords and Lulu. I was born in Oklahoma, grew up in Texas, and currently live in rural Kansas. Somehow, I’ve managed to not be blown away by a tornado.
My website, with links to my published books, is http://angelashafer.weebly.com

Writers Write

Carl J Tengstrom — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 07:54:53 +0000

So you say you are a writer. Writing is your lifelong dream.

Don’t let anyone fool you – following a dream is for those who are encouraged by little things in life. Staying on course is for those who are boosted up by teeny weeny signs of success.

Or, no signs at all.

Following a dream is not for the faint hearted. It is not for the easily discouraged.

Writing is a dream path like that. It is hard at times to go to that blank sheet of paper and crank out words from the ethers of your brain. Creating fictional characters and places and things from seemingly nowhere.

Where were they a moment ago and how do you keep finding them?

And, if you are a commercial writer, it is hard to stare at technical and trade-specific jargon in one more research study and decipher and translate it into recognizable words that can be read without a dictionary in a self-help magazine. It is after all, your job to make the writing useful, not send the reader back to school.

Will you be able to stand one more assignment on a subject like the mating ritual of the tse tse fly and how their larvae hatch?

Hopefully your answer to the first question was something like ‘I don’t care’ and your answer to the second was something calm and affirming like, ‘Yes’.

Because, you see, a writer writes.

It almost does not matter what the topic is, a real writer will write it.

Sure, there will be ideas and suggestions that cook your goose, boil your egg, (insert your own metaphor here) much more than others, but for writers who love to write it is a physical as well as a mental labor of love.

In other words, a writer writes because it feels… good.

Write daily, write well.

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Sonya Jones is a freelance writer and researcher on various topics. She is a businesswoman and a staunch advocate of free enterprise and self-employment. She endorses and promotes useful and exceptional products and services and offers helpful tips for the entrepreneur and freelancer. Contact her at sjcopywrite@gmail.com.

Writers Write – And Publish

Carl J Tengstrom — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 06:51:53 +0000

Writers write. Right? We’ve heard it a bunch of times. What does it mean? Does it mean you just write and write and write and hope somebody reads it? Does it mean that, no matter what, you keep on writing? Really. What the heck does it mean? What if nobody seems to be reading what you write and you are like Emily Dickinson, writing poem after poem and at the end of life having fewer than a dozen published? This, the writer’s equivalent to the legacy of our dear painter Van Gogh. Could this possibly be what it means to write? If so, the birds can inherit my writing. Any writing I might do would be for the birds.

Writers don’t just write. Writers get published. Artists get exposed and musicians get heard. Sorry, but just because I write does not mean I’m a writer. Okay, technically, yes it does mean that. But if that’s all it means… Who is going to give me any attention? Who is going to give a rat’s – hmmm. The topic is infuriating and so I revert to the tendency of cussing.

But wait! Does a writer just get published? Does that mean I’m a writer? No, of course not. One could say, I WAS a writer, back then. Now I’m resting on my laurels, and they do feel good. What that boy needs is a kick in the – hmmm. Again I feel like cussing. The rump, the butt, that which we writers so often situate against the seat of a chair when hard at work. Internet Marketers also situate the butt in a chair. Tom Antion – and others, I suppose, but he might well have coined the term – calls them “butt warriors”. Are you a butt warrior?

This is what I think a butt warrior is: Someone who, for whatever reason, wants to sit his butt down and do one thing well, with butt affixed to chair, and get paid well and have a fun time doing it. (Alright, maybe you don’t get paid…well, anyway.) A software programmer is not a butt warrior. That work is too hard, and possibly BORING. No. A butt warrior has to be excited about what he’s doing while his butt is affixed to the seat of his (hopefully) comfy chair.

I am a writer. And so far I have produced how many words for this article or whatever it is? 395 words. Wow! Not that many. Yet. But enough. Come on. I was just sitting on my butt enjoying myself, yacking away as I like to do. It doesn’t get any better than this. (Who owns that phrase? I don’t want to name the beer manufacturer that made that phrase famous. Let them pay me. Yeah. Right.)

I am a writer because, above everything else, I think in words. Doesn’t everyone? Yeah, but I pay attention to those words. A LOT of attention. Every day I have the capability of sitting on my butt and enjoying myself doing virtually nothing but producing something in the way of writing. That’s a butt warrior.

But what did you get out of it? If I just produced crap, what I produced while sitting on my butt would amount to exactly what I would produce if I were sitting on the toilet. Excuse my honesty and graphic expression.

I’m articulate as hell. What can I say? I love writing. I love sitting on my butt or even lying down with a laptop – but another form of butt warriorism. Who doesn’t? A lot of folks. Who was it that said anyone who wrote but not for money was a blockhead? Google, help me. Samuel Johnson! Can you believe it? I mean, this never could have been 20…30 years ago, pre-Google, pre-Net, pre-civilization-as-we-know-it. I’m sitting here on my rear – AKA patooty – and I need to recall who that guy was who said that, and all I have to do is click on Mr. Google and, voila! Le answer! One day we are going to be brains in a jar. No. We are going to be brains with a gargantuan rump.

If that made you laugh, I did my job, and I did it the entire time sitting on my patooty. (Maybe I just got a smile. But’s enough.) Now you have to admit, that’s major fun time. And now, the magic occurs as I publish this thing I just wrote. Nay, give it credibility by putting it – where? Where did you say you were going to publish this thing you just wrote? That’s right: THE WEB.

Can you believe it and does it get any better than this? Oh, I did already say that. But look, Ma, I can say it again and the context allows it. I repeat a phrase and get more words and it’s permitted because, look Ma, I can write!

Okay. How many words now? 800. That’s more respectable. I think that will do. That’s way more than a lot of articles. Especially on the net.

So, here we go. I can write. This much I know. So I wrote. Now, since I have nothing better to do with this thing I wrote, I’ll let it be an article and publish it on the web. Look Ma, I’m a published writer. Amazing. And I’ve already said the look, Ma thing a couple of times already, I think. At least once, but I think twice. Let me read this over again, give it a quick glance. Yeah. I did. Just a few paragraphs ago.

This is amazing, what a glass of wine and a keyboard can do. Alright, minus the glass of wine, which is totally doable. I don’t want you becoming one of those kinds of writers. But once in awhile, you’ve got to admit, the glass of wine, or whatever, as long as it is not crack cocaine the like, is nice.

Deep breath. Exhale. Okay, this is done. What happened? I’ll recap: I wrote. Now I’m going to publish, and not just to my website, and not just to a social site. I’ll actually get this thing I wrote read by someone who is PAID to read this sort of thing. And I’m published. You’ve got to like that. This is what you call inspirational writing. Did I inspire you? I inspired me. That’s a good start and what counts anyway. Right? Moi? Number uno? The big cheese. The big enchilada. (Indecently, I had two of those this evening. Enchiladas, that is. I wrote for humor but also because it is true!)

Writers write. But they also get the things published. And what’s so hard about that, is what I want to know. Answer: Nada. Nothing. Zilch. Zip.

Excuses are over, my friend. Writers write, but they also get published. And you can do that. EASY…as…pie. (And let’s all remember, ladies and germs, pie are not squared. Pie are round. LOL. Okay, maybe not LOL. But a giggle at least. At least that’s worth a giggle.) Okay. Maybe you don’t get paid. Samuel Johnson and torpedoes be damned. (Like the way I mix metaphors? I didn’t really that much either. And I didn’t really do that, anyway. I did something like that. Oh well. Like the way I stick in all these parentheses? I’m sure you don’t. Okay, I’ll stop.)

Write. Alright? Publish. Alright? So what if you are a numbskull because you do it and don’t get paid. At least you can tell people you are not only a writer but also an author.

Seriously – I know you don’t think I’m being serious and I’m not being serious right now, but I am: Write and publish. Go ahead, slap it on the web in any way you can. Bust loose. Get out there. Do your thing and make it happen and get heard, get seen, get in print, whatever. That’s the ticket. Eventually, fortune will shine on you. I believe that for myself, and I believe that for you. And if you don’t believe me, well then, you can have a raspberry. Pbbbllll!

Seriously: Write and publish. That’s it. That makes you a writer. Oh, and, got to keep churning out words and hopefully substance. (My substance was humor. I’m sorry about the parentheses. I won’t do it again. In this article, anyway.) 1,371 words. Done sitting on my butt having a grand time. You’ve got to like that.

Beau Smith is a professional sculptor whose sculptures have been collected across the US and abroad for over twenty years. His sculpture is in parks, gardens, dowtown areas, and other public venues. His primary art site, at http://www.beautifulfrog.com, has his paintings, podcast, articles, music, and twenty years worth of large frog sculptures archived.

Helping Writers Write

Carl J Tengstrom — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 05:47:53 +0000

Whoever coined the phrase pay it forward was a genius. If you have achieved anything in your life, someone helped you, guided you, mentored you. You can’t pay that person back; you can only pass the gift along.

No one succeeds alone, no matter how talented, intelligent, or lucky that person may be. There is always another person–usually, many people–along the path who open a door, share words of encouragement, or in some way make it possible to take the next step.

I have been so fortunate in my career to have had the help of many such people. They were the mentors, advisors, guides, or counselors who were there for me at exactly the right moment. Sometimes their help was a one-time event–a few words of advice or an insight I could never have discovered on my own.

My writing career was launched by a woman I never saw again after she said the words that changed my life: “I know talent when I see it, and I see it in you. Keep writing.” I did… for forty years.

I remember once applying for a job for which I was extremely qualified. In fact, I was probably the perfect candidate. It was in the corporate department of the community college. I knew the vice president; I had worked with him in the past. He had always been complimentary about my writing. I was so surprised when he refused to hire me. “You don’t want this job,” he told me. “You are a writer, not an administrator. There is very little writing involved in the position. Frankly, you would be miserable. This is not the job for you.” He was right. I was off my path, his words steered me back on course.

Other mentors had a long and lasting impact on my life and my work. Some were around for years, leading, encouraging, sometimes chastising me for my poor judgment or inappropriate behavior. It would be impossible to calculate their influence. One was a woman who was committed to helping younger women succeed. She was outspoken, abrasive at times, and an undisputed powerhouse in our field. I doubt that one could count how many of us she helped over the years.

Another was my first boss at a small newspaper. He was always a gentlemen–soft spoken, fair, and paternal. He gave me my first chance to write on a regular basis. He was only fifty-two years old when he died of a heart attack. I was devastated. In fact, forty years later, I still feel gratitude for his guidance and sadness at his sudden departure from my life.

There were others, too many to remember all of the circumstances in which they said or did the very thing I needed to take my next step. I appreciate every one of them and have so often wished there was a way to say thank you and repay their kindness. But as I realized many years ago, the only way to repay someone who has helped me is to help someone else–to become a mentor and counselor to a person who is behind me on the path. Fortunately, I learned that lesson early in my career, so I have been trying to fulfill that obligation for a long time.

At this point in my life, it has become my singular focus. I am a writer, and my job now is to help writers write. I love my work.

This article is based on chapter 12 of Words to Live By [http://www.words-to-live-by.com], a book of words of encouragement, guidance, and wisdom born of veteran writer Bobbi Linkemer’s experience. Bobbi has been a magazine editor and journalist, corporate communicator, book-writing coach, and most important, a mentor to writers who want to take their writing careers to a new level.

How Real Writers Write

Carl J Tengstrom — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 04:43:53 +0000

I am writing today and believe me there is no magic to it. Mine may not be profound or a literary great work, but the point is that I am sitting down to put words to paper and I am writing. Does this make me a writer of the Edgar Allen Poe variety? Of course not, but it makes me more of a writer than a couch dreamer. I am making a serious attempt, I have goals and dreams, and I am working on all of them. Here are four tips for those of you who dream of becoming a real writer minus the magic.

1. Write. Dreams are inspiration, imaginative, and a starting point. The only way to reach a writer’s dream is to sit down and write. Write poems. Write lists. Write paragraphs. A writer writes, so to hone your skills and become a better writer… you guessed it. Write. Writing can be hard work, but the rewards are what brings that magical feeling of being a writer.

2. Take notes about everything you see, hear or feel. Listen to bits of conversation, look at what is around you, smell and record scents and the memories that those scents trigger. List favorite items that you enjoy or that you remember from your childhood and record those, and if the memories where not good ones, record those too. These tidbits of information can later be woven into a story of be used as a spring board to write when you are staring at a blank page. A real writer always has a notebook handy.

3. Read. Read about the things that interest you but more important, read about things that don’t. Read things similar to what you want to write. Analyze literature that you don’t like looking for the reasons you dislike the piece. Compare the writings that you enjoy by listing what it is you like. Practice your writing in the same way. Mimic the word flow while adding your own voice to the content with your own word choices. This will help to hone your writing skills.

4. Market yourself as a writer. Make a statement with your words. Start a blog or a website. There are many good sites that are free and give you a place to develop a following of those interested in reading what it is you write.

The most important step is to write. Dreams, thoughts, and wishes don’t make you a writer. Writing makes you a writer. Now go forth and deliver your message in words. You are a writer.

For more information on children coping with illness or death and dying issues, or health and safety tips for children visit http://heartfeltwords4kids.blogspot.com Tips for new writers can be found at my blog for writers at http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com

Terri Forehand is a pediatric critical care nurse and freelance writer. She has a passion for kids of all ages, especially kids who are fighting against tough illnesses and diseases. Visit her blog and website for more information. She is currently working on fiction for kids.