Words with Friends: The Value of Creating a Writing Community

by Lilka Raphael @Lilka_Raphael

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

Writing is a solitary endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. Though most of us sit alone at our keyboards, writing is gratifying when we associate with other writers. Even if social gatherings make you cringe, consider the following opportunities to mingle while honing skills.

Ten Tips for Going the Extra Mile with a Writing Project

by Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites

What does it mean to go the extra mile? How far is a mile in relation to a published manuscript?

The Bible says in Matthew 5:41, “And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” The phrase “going the second mile” has found its way into our modern vernacular and isn’t always used in the context of this verse. However, I think “going the extra mile” lends itself to the perfect visual for a successful writing journey. 

The publishing journey from idea to publication is not an easy one. It’s a long and convoluted path most of the time, and upon occasions, it can be a quick journey. Going the extra mile when you’ve received an acceptance for an article or book and giving more than one hundred percent to that opportunity can help you land other opportunities with that publishing house or magazine.

How to Analyze a Magazine Before Writing for It

by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden

Driving down the road, a great idea for a magazine article pops into your head. You have a head full of points and an outline is forming. By the time you get home you should have a full article ready to flesh out for a magazine you are only sort of familiar with. You have read the magazine a time or two and know you could write for them. You enjoy the writing and the style of the magazine you want to pitch it to and have often thought while reading it, “I could probably have written that.”

Once you get home, you look on your reference shelf and realize you threw last year’s market guide away planning to purchase a new one, which you have neglected to do. Now what can you do?

Tips to Help Develop a Healthy Perspective on Winning Writing Awards

by Cindy K. Sproles @CindyDevoted

Let me begin this post by saying winning a writing award is always honey on the toast—but sweets can make us crave more. All right, I'm no famous philosopher, but hang with me. If you enter a contest (and you should) and you win—congratulations. That's wonderful. Share your joy. Accept your pat on the back. We don't always get those in the writing world. 

Dealing With Writing Rejection is Painful but Not Impossible to Overcome

by Larry J. Leech II @LarryJLeechII

The word ‘no’ may be the second most-dreaded word in the English language, behind only ‘cancer.’

I don’t know about you, but a number of emotions rise to the surface when I’m told ‘no,’ ‘not now,’ ‘maybe later,’ or ‘hold on.’ All those sound and feel like rejection. I get that rejection is part of life, but sometimes, well, most of the time, being rejected just flat out stinks. 

How to Beat Writing Exhaustion

by Martin Wiles @LinesFromGod

Exhausting. From a teacher’s perspective, I can think of no better word to describe the first week of school. 

This year, we began with two days of in-service. But not two days to serve in our rooms. The headmaster only promised less than two hours of that each day—thankfully, we got a little more. Meetings filled both days. New Information. New rules. Other changes. As usual, my brain lit up, “Info Overload,” by the day’s end. 

Then, the kids showed up. The first day was tolerable, other than having to reign them back into a schedule they hadn’t experienced for almost three months. Besides that, we teachers spent every class reminding them of the old rules and informing them about the new changes. By the end of the day, my voice croaked. 

2 Options That are BETTER than the Advice to Write What You Know

by Tim Sudeth @TimSuddeth

How many of you have heard the rule ‘write what you know?’ It’s one of the first rules most writers are taught and many hold up as not to be argued with. It’s often used to help new writers find ‘their lane,’ what they must stick to with their writing. It’s simple, it’s widely shared, and it’s wrong.

But it sounds right, doesn’t it? Of course, we have to know about the subject that we write about. We don’t want to mislead people or sound ignorant. Isn’t that why many writers, especially of nonfiction, have initials behind their names? (I’m talking about initials like PHD, not Jr.)