If you could have one wish as a writer–what would it be? Would you like to have perfectly matched clients? Make more money? Become a famous poet?
I asked myself this question, but it actually isn’t as easy as it may seem when you really think about it. For example, if you suddenly can make as much money as you’d like, but all your clients are nasty–is that really a big gain? Or what if you suddenly become a famous poet, but you don’t make enough money to support yourself?
It’s good to make wishes and set goals, but the one thing I try to keep in mind is that I need to be thankful for what I already do have, instead of always wishing for things to be different. But that’s not really the reason I posed this question….
I guess I’m curious as to what other writers would really like to have in terms of the perfect work situation. If I had to answer the question myself, the one thing I’d ask for is time. I’d like to be extremely efficient so that I could have more time to do the things I love–besides writing. For me, time is the most precious thing. I could have more money, less hassle or more fame, but it all comes down to the amount of hours in a day that are mine. This is becoming more important to me as I get older. Before, I’m pretty sure I’d have asked for money.
So…I’m tossing it out there to you…what is your writing wish?
I can’t write things that are long right out of the box. Whenever I write, it comes out brief and to the point. I tend to be concise and omit what I see as needless words and phrases.
Other writers (like Joe), have no difficulty whatsoever turning out lengthy prose. For them it is as difficult to edit down as it is for me to add detail.
Neither style is better than the other, but they both have distinct advantages and disadvantages when it comes to a writing career. So now let me ask…
Which type of writer are you?
Most of us fall heavily on one side or the other, and this can actually help you when it comes to getting work and being happy in your career as a writer. For example–my style of writing is well-suited to the web, since long paragraphs and in-depth pieces are less reader-friendly online. Writers that produce a lot of material would probably do very well trying to pitch magazines that do features as many of them are several pages long. Continue reading The Long & Short Of It – What Type Of Writer Are You?→
If you are a Facebook user, you undoubtedly have an opinion on this already–after all it did make the papers…
There is another round of “improvements” going around on Facebook. And once again, I’m tired of it.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when you open this social media app and see that you have to spend yet more time figuring out how to use (or not use) the new features and, for the 100th time, check your privacy settings. And I’m sick of it.
As a writer I use social media for my business, which means deleting my Facebook account isn’t really an option (although I will admit having considered it). So, yet again, I get to try and figure out how the changes will impact the way I use this app. I have yet to see any that have actually been helpful.
Twitter, on the other hand, seems to have it right. They roll out minor changes a little at a time and give people the chance to get used to major ones before switching over. There is a long learning curve where they will let you decide on your comfort level and take the leap when you are comfortable. I went back and forth between the old and the new Twitter for quite a while, getting used to features and changes. It worked great for me–and they warned me ahead of time–imagine that!
I think that is one of the things that bothers me the most as a businessperson–the lack of any consideration for the user. Overwhelmingly, the changes on Facebook don’t seem to go over well with those that use it, yet they continue to roll them out at a blistering pace. Don’t like it? Too bad. And from what I understand, we’re not finished with all of this yet. There’s more to come…
What do you think? Am I the only writer hating this? I’d love to hear what your thoughts are…
This week, I want to share a commencement address. This is one of those things that should be passed around on the Internet until EVERYBODY has read it. Or at least until every writer has read it. It’s intended as advice for young people who are just graduating from school, but it’s full of wisdom for people of all ages. And it contains especially good advice for writers. Here’s a sample:
“It’s not the privilege of anyone, writer or not, to peak out or burn out or drop out before he or she has given back to this world. So I’ll say right now that you will not fulfill your life until you find out what it is you have to give to the people around you, and have given it, and they’ve accepted it in some way. It may take years to find out what you have to give, and more years to turn it into something acceptable, but if you’re making the lives of the people around you better and happier, you’re going in the right direction. If you’re making their lives worse and more miserable, stop and turn around.”
That’s a quote from a graduation speech that my friend, John Rember, delivered last year — and it’s just a sampling of the wisdom you’ll find in his commencement address. It’s one of the best pieces of writing I’ve read in recent years.
To read the whole speech, click HERE. After you read it, pass it on to a young person. Or to an old person. Or to anybody who is striving to live a meaningful life. They’ll thank you for it.
Mike O’Mary is founder of Dream of Things, a book publisher and online book store, and of the Note Project, a campaign to make the world a million times better by inspiring 1 million people to write notes of appreciation. (Photo courtesy of Knox College)
Today we have another interview to share with you….please welcome author Delphine Pontvieux…
1. How did you wind up a writer?
I always enjoyed writing, and I am also an avid reader. When I was a teenager, I used to write short stories on an electronic IBM typewriter my dad gave me (to replace my mechanic typewriter in the mid 80s.) Then, after university, I started working. Other than writing marketing plans, I did not get much creative writing done. Then, a few years ago, I was asked to write a series of articles for a scuba diving publication. i realized how much i enjoyed writing them, thus i started writing more articles for other magazines. Then one day I woke up from a dream I definitely needed to put down on paper, which i did. That’s how I realized, four chapters in, that I was writing a novel…and that was how it happened.
2. Was the road to being a writer what you expected? Why or why not?
Yes, for the most part. It’s a solitary road. It eats up all of your free time. Forget trying to quit smoking while writing a novel. But you also meet awesome people you would have never met otherwise. It is a very tough, yet, rewarding, adventure in the end.
3. What has been your best moment or biggest accomplishment as a writer?
Without hesitation, the day I received a shipment of 3,000 hardcover books written by…me! I broke open a box from the top of the pile and took out a book… The adrenaline was flowing through my veins as I looked at the cover and opened the book to a random page (mostly in fear of finding out that the text would be upside down or who knows what other tragic printing mistake I would find in there). When I saw that all looked good, my hands continued shaking, this time because I was so happy and proud to be holding my own book in my hands.
4. What has been your most difficult moment?
I honestly can’t think of a difficult moment. There are many instances when I feel a little demoralized because I wish I was further ahead, I wish all my promotion and marketing efforts would bring me more exposure than they do, but at the end of the day, it’s all been a very positive experience. So many good things have happened to me since I published my novel, the feedback and reviews I keep on receiving are very good, and I have met amazing people along the way. I still enjoy writing more than ever… I really can’t complain.
5. Can you share your top piece of writing advice with Freelance-Zone readers?
Write for the love of writing first, and the pleasure and sense of achievement it brings you before you write for any other purpose.
BIO: Delphine Pontvieux was born in Versailles and grew up in France. She studied at Stetson University in Deland, Florida and graduated from the University of Burgundy in Dijon. She also lived, studied and worked in Australia, the USA, Spain and the Netherlands until she moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1998, where she still lives today. She has 10 years of international sales and promotion experience in the music and entertainment industry.
Delphine Pontvieux was the recipient of the “2010 French in Chicago Community award” Oscar in the category “Arts and Culture” and recently won the Indie Excellence Book Award 2011 in the Thriller category for her novel, a political thriller titled ETA-Estimated Time of Arrest. Follow Delphine Pontvieux’s acting career on imdb.com
Here’s info about her latest work…
OUT NOW: “ETA – Estimated Time of Arrest”, a novel by Delphine Pontvieux
Hey writers! There’s still time to be featured in our “5 Questions” series! Simply answer the questions below and send us a bio and headshot–free publicity! Send to: editor (at) freelance-zone (dot) com
Today, read Jimmy Gordon’s unusual story…
1. How did you wind up a writer?
I fell into writing, literally. I was a professional firefighter paramedic at the time. I fell off of a train, unrelated to my job. I was heading out to Michigan to spend some time with my future in laws. We had a ton of snow on the ground and it was still coming down. It was Christmas so I was loaded up with stuff. I slipped and fell, broke my knee and needed surgery. I was visiting the folks at the firehouse afterwards. I was to be off for about 6 months healing. They asked me what I was going to do with my time. I had always been a big reader. I’m not sure why but “I might write a book.” Popped out. They said I couldn’t do it. At the time I wrote my reports in all capital letters and never bothered with any punctuation, a period at times. Well, here I am now. I’m currently wrapping up number 7.
2. Was the road to being a writer what you expected? Why or why not?
I never meant to be a writer so I had no idea what to expect. Once I finished the first book I type getting your first book published into the search box on the net. I hit up 1stBooks Library which is now Authorhouse. Yep, I had a lot to learn. Continue reading 5 Questions With Jimmy Gordon→
Chicago-based content writing, editing, and social media. 1579 N. Milwaukee #220, Chicago Illinois 60622
by Mike O’Mary
