Category: Competitions

Y … is for You

On By TomIn Achievement, Competitions, General, Insight, Novel, Poetry, Review, Short Stories5 Comments

Y[1]  is for you. Yes, you if you are a writer!

What can we do?

All the rest of us can offer advice, give constructive criticism, and as much support as we possibly can.

What else can we do?

We can buy into your brand. We can buy the end product; your book, and then we can read. How hard can that be? Well, the response to that particular question rests again with you. Have you done your job properly?

What can you do to affect our response to your writing?

1.  You can come up with a good, preferably original idea for a story, and write it.

 2.  You can take your time and tell it well, remembering to edit, print it, read it aloud and edit again.

3.  You can put it away to let it simmer in your files for a few weeks … yes, I’m serious.

4.  You can get on with other projects for a while, and perhaps start another idea, or simply read up more on the main theme of your masterpiece.

5.  You can go back to your story, and go through it to see where you can improve it. More editing? Yes, and never believe it stops. As an artist, even when I finish a piece of artwork, it may be completed, but I’m never totally satisfied with the result.

Is there any more that you can do?

Yes, if you want us to read it and give it a glowing review, you can keep the effort going right on through the final stages, when you get to the presentation stage.

 1.  Don’t settle for the first title you think of.

2.  Don’t settle for the first cover idea you think of.

3.  Don’t waste all your literary efforts by throwing the manuscript and supporting information together.

4.  Don’t allow somebody else to do the formatting, unless you know they are capable.

 5. Don’t forget to keep a ‘safe’ copy of your completed work before formatting and final stages.

What do you get out of that brief list of do’s and dont’s?

In simple terms, you will end up with a better product to sell to us. You will also be rewarded.

 1.  You will gain financially by seeing the book sell.

2.  You will be looking forward to the reviews and confident they will be mainly positive.

3.  You will have the satisfaction of knowing you did what was expected of you, by the people who paid good money.

4. You will have the confidence to move on with your next project, and you will have learned many lessons.

5.  You will feel so good about the whole experience, you will want to help others as much as you can.

I would like to thank you for dropping by and taking these tips on board, like the good writer that you are.

If you should decide to come back to read my final post on the A to Z Challenge 2014, you might be in for a surprise.

I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, for ‘Z’ … .

W … is for Write

On By TomIn Achievement, Competitions, General, Insight, Novel, Poetry, Review, Short Stories22 Comments

W[1] is for write. When we feel confident about being a ‘writer’, it’s nice to admit. It’s like going to one of those meetings in a quiet room in a community centre.

“Hello everybody,”

“Hello Tom,” all the others cry in chorus.

“My name is Tom … and I’m a writer.”

Everybody nods and smiles as they burst into spontaneous and sincere applause. Why? They too are writers of course. Okay, that’s a bit extreme, but I’m sure you get my drift.

We all have our own time for ‘coming out’ as writers. There are those that say they won’t admit it until they are ‘published’, or win a competition, or some other obscure excuse. No not reason, I mean excuse.

How did I come out?

I joined a poetry site and a writing site, published a few stories and poems online, and as soon as I had a handful of comments; I was a writer. I treated it with the same nonchalance as when I stopped smoking in 1977 (after smoking only six years).

The day after I gave up smoking I wasn’t apologetic and passive. I didn’t say, ‘I’m trying to give up …’ or any of those other lame lines that draw pity and let people see you could really do with a cigarette. I simply said, ‘I don’t smoke.’

Sometimes I got the response, ‘You did smoke though, didn’t you?’ and I would reply confidently, ‘Yes, but I’ve given it up.’

Let’s get back to writing.

Nobody, including you, is going to believe in you as a writer, if you don’t believe in yourself. If you have any doubts, shake them off. Don’t be afraid to let people see you jotting ideas down with your pen, or tapping away at your keyboard – these are things writers do – so do them, right out there in the open.

Do I believe I’ve improved as a writer?

Yes, in many ways and some may be surprising. I think that a positive attitude is the first step, but I only embraced other disciplines through a desire to widen my horizons and succeed. A personal foundation is a good way to go.

What do I mean by a foundation?

If you enrol on a ‘foundation’ course in art, you’d be introduced to drawing, textiles, painting, design, desktop publishing, history of art, etc. When you’ve tried out a variety of disciplines you have a better idea what appeals to you, but you still have a grasp of the others in the same environment, or topic.

How did I create my foundation?

1.  I subscribed to an established writing magazine.

2. I joined two writing sites and a poetry site.

3.  I attempted writing competitions.

4.  I tried writing to the  ‘Reader Letters’ pages in newspapers and magazines.

5. I listened when I was given constructive criticism.

Like my other lists, that one is a sample.

What did I achieve?

 1.  Got a ‘Reader Letter’ published in a newspaper. My fourth letter achieved ‘Star Letter’ in a newspaper.

 2.  Letters published in writing magazines were then followed by ‘Star Letter’ status on more than one occasion. This year I’ve already won a year’s free subscription to a top writing magazine.

3. I won a national short story competition and had my tale, ‘Decision at the Abbey’, added to an anthology, ‘Whitby Abbey: Pure Inspiration’.

4. I came joint-first in an International short story competition. Yay!

 5. I now have a solid platform to work from, and apart from continuing to do all those things mentioned above; I still read widely.

Have I got advice for novice writers?

First of all, let me clarify that I’m not an expert. I’m still working hard to improve my craft, but in light of experience I have a desire to help my peers. With that in mind, I will now give one of my short lists.

 1.  Don’t just write what you feel comfortable with. Attempt: reader letters, poetry, short stories, a user’s guide, a formal letter, a screenplay, or the opening chapter of a novel.

2.  Subscribe to a good writing magazine, or online writing magazine.

3.  Enter some writing competitions.

4.  Build a platform online, a little bit at a time.

5. As writers we are in a ‘solitary’ world when working. If you ever feel ‘lonely’, which is very different to ‘solitary’, please get in touch with one of us out here.

Bonus point today. Read as widely as possible. Don’t just go for your regular thriller or romance, read as many genre as possible, old and new, and try writing reviews too.

Okay, I think that’s enough for today’s session. Just as I once tried as a chat-up line, I’m not going to apologise for this being a long one. lol

Thank you once again for putting up with me, and I hope to see you again for the final posts next week.

Did I mention that my first anthology of short stories went live on Amazon this morning?

No, I know I didn’t, but if you’re interested;

‘Smoke & Mirrors and other stories’

Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

I’ll see you on Monday with the ‘X’ factor.