Writing Inrochester

I remember the first time a client offered me a case study writing assignment.

I was petrified.

It was early in my freelance writing career and I didn’t even know what one looked like. I had a lot of questions. “What the heck is a case study?” “How long is it?” “What is the format?” “How much do I charge?”

I didn’t have a clue.

Of course, these days, I know more. A lot more. In fact, I write dozens of case studies for clients each year.

Case studies now rank high on my list of the most fascinating — and lucrative — projects I handle. (I’m sure glad that client offered me the job all those years ago!)

If you’re unfamiliar with case studies, don’t worry. They’re really quite simple. A case study is just a fancy name for a success story – the tale of a happy customer and his or her experience using a product or service.

Lately, I’ve noticed that more and more companies need case studies written, yet have difficulties finding writers who can do the job.

That spells OPPORTUNITY for you and me.

And it gets better. Consider the following:

1. Case studies are not difficult to write.

They are similar in style and format to a newsletter article. So if you can write one of those, you can write a case study.

2. Case studies are relatively short

Usually about 400-800 words in length. Once you’ve gained a little experience, you’ll be able to knock one off in less than a day.

3. The formats are standardized

Unlike ads and direct mail, you won’t get stressed out by having to come up with a dazzling new concept or killer headline. The basic structure of a case study is remarkably simple. All that’s required of you is to get the facts and write a good piece.

4. Case study writers are in demand

More companies are scrambling to get case studies written today than ever before. I can’t give you an exact figure but, in my opinion, the demand for case study writers has increased significantly over the past couple of years.

5. There is little competition

I’m not sure why, but few copywriters go after this market. Some may not know it exists. Others may mistakenly think that case studies are dull or technical. Not true! Case study writing is storytelling. It’s fun.

6. Case studies pay well

Surprisingly well. Now you won’t get the superstar rates paid to big-league direct mail copywriters. But most clients do pay handsomely for case study writing. Earning $100 per hour is not an unreasonable expectation for an experienced writer. I know many who earn a lot more.

Right now the case study market is booming. Why not jump in and get your share of these fascinating and lucrative writing gigs?

Steve Slaunwhite helps copywriters and business writers attract more clients. Get your free marketing workbook today at: forcopywritersonly.com forcopywritersonly.com

I was feeling pretty low, actually miserable, come to think of it.

It was the night before I was scheduled to deliver a major speech in Las Vegas, and if you’ve ever presented there, you know there are a million distractions. Audiences aren’t always in the best frame of mind when they’re about to hear your ideas at eleven in the morning.

Anyway, I was particularly out of sorts about this presentation, because I was doing it as a favor, more or less, and I just wasn’t looking forward to it. The night before, I decided to leave the hotel and walk the half-mile or so across the street to the next hotel to eat their special steak dinner.

The line was long, so a fellow in front of me asked if I wanted to share a table to get seated earlier, and I agreed, providing he didn’t want to talk. I said it in jest, but given my mood, I was more or less on the level, and he laughed and agreed.

We introduced ourselves, and as it turned out, he was in town to film a major movie, and he had a big role in it, so the conversation wasn’t dull. I mentioned that I had some acting background and told him about my speech the following day, and my foul mood.

He asked if I wanted his advice about it, and I said, sure.

Looking right into my eyes, he said very simply, “Act!”

I didn’t get it.

“Act,” he repeated. “You’re just going to have to go in there and act like you really want to do it. You know how to act, so act enthusiastic!”

Have you ever heard something that is so basic, so simple, that you doubt its validity, even though it makes perfect sense?

This was one of those moments.

He was right, of course. I had forgotten how to act.

I was so busy giving in to my own, genuine feelings, however counterproductive, that I had overlooked the simple fact that there is an alternative.

Instead of forsaking the speech, I should have been faking it!

I don’t mean faking the content. I was more than up to speed with that. I just needed to fake the attitude.

It’s the same, sage advice given by Dale Carnegie: “Act enthusiastic, and you’ll become enthusiastic!”

My college speech teacher, who was one of Carnegie’s first contract instructors, said it this way: “If you’re enthusiastic, an audience will forgive nearly anything. If not, they’ll forgive nothing!’’

So, I woke up the next day, adjusted my attitude, and delivered one heck of a speech, if I dare say so. And just tonight, before hearing a chamber orchestra, I listened to a professor discussing Mozart.

His enthusiasm was so overwhelming that I enjoyed his talk immensely, despite the fact that he was disorganized and ran out of time.

Maybe, he was faking it. I’ll never know.

But does it matter?

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com www.Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: mailto:gary@customersatisfaction.com gary@customersatisfaction.com

Two years ago, when my colleague, fellow writer, Patricia Phillips, author of recent novel, Last Bride Standing, (and others) came up with the idea of writing an anthology together, I never realized the unlimited possibilities that could come from a book written by three authors.

Later, when I approached the publisher with the idea of doing an anthology, he said, “Anthologies don’t do well,” but, to his credit, (for which I am eternally grateful,) he bought the manuscript, in spite of his reluctance.

Although the publisher had reservations about buying the book, since that time, I think he has been pleasantly surprised. For one, the anthology, now titled Secret Lovers, (by Patricia Phillips, Maxine Thompson, Michelle McGriff) not only was picked up as a Black Expression’s Alternate Choice, within its first month of release, it made their best seller’s list. As many know, Black Expressions’ Book Club is huge. (One writer I know has received more royalties from this book club with their hard cover productions than for her mass-market titles.)

At any rate, from what I’ve seen since the June 6, 2006 release of our anthology, Secret Lovers, this type of genre can be a boon for a self-published writer or any writer, for that matter, as witnessed by the number of New York writers now writing anthologies.

So what is an anthology, you might ask? An anthology can be a compilation of a number of authors, Or it can be three authors, such as upcoming release All in the family, by Janice Sims, Melanie Schuster (BET Arabesque writers) and Maxine Thompson. .

But, in the main, as a businessperson, (which many literary entrepreneurs are,) doing an anthology will give you leverage. That is where you do the work once and get paid over and over. Sometimes the pay will be in terms of on-going advertisement for your other books.

Not to mention, you will gain three or more different perspectives of marketing that will take place, plus the publisher’s wide distribution, which will help get your name out in the public. Additionally, this will help you build your platform as well as brand recognition, which are both intangibles that you can’t measure enough. This can also help with readers recognizing your intellectual property and hopefully, you dealing with less copyright infringement.

Next, you will pick up the fans of the other participating authors. For instance, you can piggyback on previous successes of the other authors. For example, Black Expressions had already picked up Patricia Anne Phillips’ previous titles, June in Winter, Nice Wives Finish First and Last Bride Standing. This made it easier for Black Expressions to pick up her work again.

Please note. In choosing authors for the anthology, don’t underestimate a self-published writer’s talent, reach and influence when you’re putting together a group of three or four writers.

That being said, all of these formats serve to keep you on the cutting edge of technology.

Also, having a platform such as your website, as well as other Internet articles, draws traffic to your websites, which translates into book sales.

In Secret Lovers, we all have different writing styles. But what do we three writers have in common? We all started out self-published.

So this is encouragement for other self-published writers. Team with writers with New York legs of distribution, if possible. If everyone in the anthology is from a self-published background, team with writers with good marketing savvy and talent.

These are just some other advantages of an anthology:

-It brings diverse writers together like a gumbo.
-As an author, an anthology can pick up the audience from the different writers to come over and try your literary offerings.
-It cross promotes for each writer, sometimes even writers from different genres, introducing new voices to the public.
-Anthologies can be good marketing tools, particularly in popular genres such as romance, science fiction, mysteries.
-Anthologies can pick up other books sales for the participating authors.

In conclusion, writers, please see your writing career as a bridge. Each writer can piggyback on the others writer’s success and readership in an anthology.

Try to write with writers with different followings than yours and then watch your readership grow!

Only one note of caution. Be willing to pull your weight when it comes to promotion and marketing of the book. When you have a book signing, hand out the other writers’ bookmarkers or post cards.

Schedule individual, as well as group radio/podcasting/webcasting interviews. (Everyone benefits.) Do a print mail/email campaign, as well as press release blasts.

Don’t feel you can ride on the other writers’ coat tails. Do your part.

Copyright 2006 Black Butterfly Press

Dr. Maxine Thompson of maxinethompson.com maxinethompson.com and maxineshow.com maxineshow.com is the owner of Black Butterfly Press, Thompson Literary Services and Thompson Literary Agency. She hosts three Internet Radio Shows. She is the author of 8 titles. Most recent Anthology, Secret Lovers, made Black Expression’s Best seller’s list.

Whether going for the gold or giving a presentation, the beast of performance anxiety rears its ugly head. Your hands are clammy, your knees wobbly and your heart is pounding. You’ve developed a shortness of breath and your breakfast is staging an uprising. The pressure is on, and you want to succeed and perform at the top of your game.

Olympic Athletes do three things to build their confidence and tame the beast. They are mentally tough; they concentrate so deeply that they go “into the zone”; and they visualize success.

BE MENTALLY TOUGH

It’s all in your attitude. Olympic Athletes don’t feel helpless. They are proactive and are determined to succeed. Your drive to be mentally tough should include the following:

· Accept the tension. It happens to everyone, and you need it so that you can be “up” for your presentation.

· Cultivate courage. Courage doesn’t mean the absence of fear. It means fighting past it and taking action. Trust yourself – you know more than you think.

· Prepare a good game plan.

o What’s your goal? What do you want from this presentation?

o Do your homework. What’s expected of you?

o Anticipate the moves of the “competition”. What “sweat questions” might you have to answer? Practice your answers.

TIP

Rehearse so that you are performance ready. When you are well rehearsed your mind will be in complete control, you will effortlessly know what you will say next and your movements will be relaxed and flowing.

CONCENTRATE

Olympic Athletes are inundated with external distractions — from the roar of the crowd and performances in other parts of the gym, to the pounding of feet and other runners breathing down their neck.

You also need to tune out distractions – from servers clearing dishes during an after dinner speech or a too loud presentation in the room next door, to your audience answering e-mails or talking to each other during a small group briefing.

How do you get into the “zone” where you are focused so deeply that distractions can’t disturb you?

· By controlled breathing. Oxygen provides the fuel for your voice, and is the source of your energy. At the same time it calms you down and helps you to concentrate. While waiting your turn to speak take several calming deep slow breaths.

· By memorizing the first minute of your presentation so that you are on automatic pilot during the most dangerous time of your presentation.

TIP

Just before you begin, take a deep breath the way Olympic Athletes do before the gun goes off.

VISUALIZE SUCCESS

Don’t set yourself up for failure by falling prey to negative “what if?” self-talk.

· “What if I forget what I want to say?”

· “What if I can’t answer all the questions?”

· “What if I let (myself / my boss / my department) down?”

· “What if I make a mistake?”

· “What if I don’t meet expectations?”

Instead visualize your success. Just as a diver can visualize climbing up the ladder, stepping to the edge of the platform, launching into the air, twisting perfectly and entering the water without a splash, you can visualize yourself doing well.

· Picture yourself presenting with a clear voice, appropriate gestures and pauses and great eye contact.

· Picture yourself speaking fluently and without hesitation, and answering questions precisely.

· Picture yourself changing your visuals without looking back at the screen.

· Picture yourself using smooth transitions from one page of your handout to the next.

· Picture the smiles in your audience after you complete a smooth ending.

TIP:

Develop an “I’ll do well” mantra. e.g., “My breathing is steady and deep. I am confident. I am successful.”

You have the knowledge and physical skills to give an excellent performance. Use these three points from those who have spent years working toward the gold.

As with top athletes, dedication is supplemented by excellent coaching. We at The Prescott Group are professional performance coaches. We can help you find your own rewards, and achieve the accolades you deserve. Contact us at www.theprescottgroup.com.

© Roberta Prescott

Roberta Prescott heads The Prescott Group, a communication firm specializing in Executive Development. Visit our web site ( theprescottgroup.com theprescottgroup.com) for more information about our seminars — “Speaking Made Easy″, “Speaking To Small Groups”,”Advanced Presentations”, “Communicating For Results” and “Executive Presence″

Over the years of writing reams of fiction and non-fiction I have collected more than a few valuable wrinkles: finding ideas, researching, sequential framing, compiling gilt-edge proposals, empowering text with bestselling potential, and most important of all: getting published.

This aggregated nous has resulted in 30 traditionally published works that sell offline and online in ever-increasing volume.

Just recently I took a quantum leap forward and produced seven unique software titles for personal use in conserving time and energy.

FICTION FINDER

Finding a suitable idea in the niche that best suits me is no easy matter and can entail hours of fruitless pursuit. Fiction Finder removes the hassle. I just point and click my way to the perfect idea; the perfect niche.

FICTION FRAMER

Pre-planning is the key to success in writing cutting edge fiction and this unique software enable me to frame the essentials before I uncap my pen.

HUSH-HUSH PLOTTING TECHNIQUE

The background to this little-known strategy is to engage in reverse plotting, which is in effect the process of thinking backwards to arrive at solutions. It works well in evolving murder mystery stories but it can also be applied in any fictional scenario. With its point and click facility the software produces reverse plotting automatically.

FICTION PROPOSAL PLANNER

I find a good idea, the niche that suits me best, I frame my cutting edge fiction and then I write my book. Now I need a winning proposal for publication acceptance. Fiction Proposal Planner provides me with the template; I just fill in the blanks…

NON-FICTION PROPOSAL PLANNER

Works in exactly the same way as the software above but focuses exclusively on composing winning proposals for my non-fiction output.

NON-FICTION IDEAS FINDER

Finding the right idea in a popular niche non-fiction category is vital to acceptance for publication. Ideas Finder removes the hassle. I just point and click my way to the perfect idea; the perfect niche.

EMPOWERING NON-FICTION WITH BESTSELLING POTENTIAL

Empowering niche non-fiction with bestselling potential is easy when you know how. This unique software enables me to frame the essentials before I write a single word.

If you would like to learn more about my innovative writing software tools and how I use them, visit the website featured in the resource box below.

JIM GREEN is a bestselling author and committed creative writing coach.
ultimate-creative-writing-course.com ultimate-creative-writing-course.com

There is just something simply elegant about packing a ton of meaning into a fourteen line poem, which we know as the sonnet. I came to write sonnets as a result of having been asked by a student, whom I was tutoring over the internet via email, to help her with an English assignment. This task involved writing a sonnet. Having been a big fan of the Sonnets of William Shakespeare (having memorized at one time at least twenty-five or so, and having written a short book on the subject), I delighted in the task. The result was that I became an avid writer of this famous English poem.

The sonnet has a colorful history, having been introduced in Italy by the poet Petrarch and later carried to England by the English poet Thomas Wyatt. William Shakespeare adopted the current form of the sonnet and made it widespread in his collection of one hundred and fifty-four poems. The English form consists of fourteen lines divided into three four-verse stanzas and a concluding two-line couplet. The rhyme scheme generally follows abab cdcd efef gg and each line consists of ten syllables (decasyllabic) with a stress pattern known as iambic. The iamb is characterized by a stress pattern of off-on, or unstressed followed by stressed. The following lines, taken from the eponymous sonnet from my collection Sonnets to the Lord, illustrates this pattern:

My God, my Lord though crucified that day,

Did not despise nor seek to save Your face,

On those that led you on this brutal way,

That we ourselves might find salvation’s grace.

Writing poetry has always been a way for one to sublimate negative experiences from the vicissitudes of life into an art form that allows release as well as expiation from wrongdoing. Poetry also gives the poet the ability to express the ineffable beauty of the positive aspects of life and its attendant experiences. There is no greater release than being able to take some negative experience, some hurtful emotion, and use it to churn out some beautifully moving sonnet; or to take some magical experience and both exalt and forever memorialize it in some precious sonnet. This is what I did when I put together my collection of Christian sonnets known as Sonnets to the Lord.

If you doubt what I say in the above paragraph, then try to remember either a very painful experience or a very beautiful event in your life. Study a little about the structure of the sonnet and read some examples to get a feel for the form. Then try and compose one based on your experience. If you succeed at doing this, I assure you the feeling will be one of inexpressible satisfaction. Happy sonnet writing!

See more at mathbyjoe.com/catalog/item/2924777/4197519.htm Sonnets to the Lord Ebook

Joe is a prolific writer of self-help and educational material and an award-winning former teacher of both college and high school mathematics. Under the penname, JC Page, Joe authored Arithmetic Magic, the little classic on the ABC’s of arithmetic. Joe is also author of the charming self-help ebook, Making a Good Impression Every Time: The Secret to Instant Popularity; the original collection of poetry, Poems for the Mathematically Insecure, and the short but highly effective fraction troubleshooter Fractions for the Faint of Heart. The diverse genre of his writings (novel, short story, essay, script, and poetry)—particularly in regard to its educational flavor— continues to captivate readers and to earn him recognition.

Joe propagates his teaching philosophy through his articles and books and is dedicated to helping educate children living in impoverished countries. Toward this end, he donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every ebook. For more information go to mathbyjoe.com mathbyjoe.com

Want to know the secret of creating MEMORABLE
promotional copy? Sales copy that actually stays with your
customers long after they’ve finished reading it?

Then master the art of using words to create pictures in your
customers’ heads.

If you can describe your products or services in such a way
that it forms images in your customers’ heads, well, then
you’ve just created something that will last long after the
marketing is over.

Why else do novels stay with us for so long? Those
“pictures” we see draw us into the world of the novel, and
those pictures stay with us long after we’ve closed the book.
If you can create that kind of staying power with your
marketing materials, think about how much ahead of your
competition you′ll be.

So, how do you get started? Below are three tips. (Note how
all three tips have the word “specific” in common. Be
specific whenever you can. We don’t think in generalities, we
think in details. The more specific you are, the stronger the
pictures.)

1. Use specific nouns. Quick — what springs to mind when I
say the word “bird”? Now erase that image. What pops into
your head when I say “cardinal”?

When I said bird, you could have pictured any number of bird
species or maybe even some sort of generic bird
(something brown with wings and feathers). When I said
cardinal, I bet you saw a bright red bird with that distinctive
triangle head.

See the difference? Cardinal is specific and it brings a
specific picture to mind. Bird is generic, and it brings a
generic picture to mind.

Whenever possible, use the most specific noun you can.
(However, if the most specific noun is something most
people wouldn’t know, say some rare exotic insect only
found in the Amazon jungle, then make sure you describe it
as well.)

2. Use specific verbs. Verbs breathe life into your copy.
They’re the difference between words lying flat and
comatose on the page or jumping up and dancing a jig.

Verbs bring movement to your copy. They tell your readers if
someone is walking, jogging, sauntering, skipping or
crawling. Or maybe that someone is exhausted and has
decided to lie down for a bit.

Now, when I say verbs, what I’m NOT talking about are “to
be” verbs — am, is, are, was, were, etc. Those verbs don’t
paint a picture. Not like hug, skate, sail, run, fall, spin, flip,
etc. See the difference?

While “to be” verbs are necessary, the idea is to use them
as little as possible. In fact, I have a fiction-writing friend who
has a “was/were” rule. Only three “wases/weres″ per page.

Yep, you heard me right. Per page.

Yes, it can be done. I didn’t think I could do it either in my
novels. And let me tell you, when you start pruning those
“wases/weres” out of your prose, it’s amazing how strong
your writing becomes.

3. Describe specific situations. Compare:

“Our bookkeeping service is the best in the area. We can
take care of all your bookkeeping needs, from invoices to
paying bills to reconciling your bank statements.”

To this:

“Do your invoices go out late because you can’t stand the
idea of sitting down to do them? Does your cash flow suffer
droughts each month because no checks arrive in the mail
(because your invoices went out late)? How much hair have
you pulled out over the years because of accounting
mistakes? Never fear, those days are over when you hire us
to do your bookkeeping.”

The first example is generic (take care of bookkeeping
needs). The second example shows you HOW the
business does it. (In fiction we call it “show, don’t tell.” Good
advice, even for copywriters.) You can actually “feel” those
business problems — late invoices, cash flow droughts,
loss of hair. It’s the difference between something cold and
impersonal that really has nothing to do with you and
something that wakes you up with a spark of recognition
(”Hey, that’s me. I need that.”)

Creativity Exercises — See what others are doing

Pick a piece of copy. Something with meat — at least 300
words or so. No, it doesn’t have to be something you wrote
either. In fact, this exercise might be easier if it isn’t yours.

Now analyze it. Look at the nouns. Are they specific? Or are
they a bit too generic? What about the verbs? Could they be
stronger? And does it describe a specific situation,
something that you can actually feel and touch?

Try this with a variety of writings — novels, nonfiction books,
newspaper articles, Web sites, sales letters, etc. Look at
both “good” and “bad” examples. (Although good and bad
are somewhat subjective, follow your gut.) See what trends
you discover.

By analyzing what others are doing, you’re better able to see
the strengths and weaknesses in your own writing.

Michele Pariza Wacek owns Creative Concepts and
Copywriting, a writing, marketing and creativity agency. She
offers two free e-newsletters that help subscribers combine
their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting
principles to become more successful at attracting new
clients, selling products and services and boosting
business. She can be reached at writingusa.com writingusa.com

There are five critical things that all successful writers know. They are as follows:
1. They know they must always write
2. They know that their works may be rejected
3. They know that they must go beyond rejections to become successful
4. They know that the must begin to target their writing
5. They know that they must patiently wait for their success

These may be simple concepts but they are extremely powerful. Many people fail to obtain their goals because they stop writing. The ability for them to be able to endure has been exhausted and they just quit. I will never forget one very good blog writer who left a farewell message on his site. I’ve been doing this for a year and have not gotten any results so I will be closing my doors and moving on. I remember all of the letters of encouragement he got, telling him how good of a writer he was and that he would be missed. I thought what if he had just continued - perhaps one of those hundreds of people that responded could have been the next link to his writing career. He quit because a year exhausted him. I wonder where would we all be if Thomas Edison had quit. He certainly had enough reason to. But he concluded that success was 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. If you are to succeed you must always write. It does not matter if it is one sentence a day, a journal, a diary, a blog, an article or whatever but you must write. When you get those days of being discourage you must still write.

Perhaps the man that quit should have reevaluated his situation, or repackaged his concept, this might have kept him going just a little more. Sometime it is not what you write but how it is written that makes all the difference in your level of success. Therefore you must continue to write, and at the same time always look for the most effective way to present your message. Being in pursuit of this will keep you writing.

A successful writer knows that rejection is part of the process. How you handle rejection will determine how successful you become. There are at least 5 main reasons why editors reject a writers work. Finding solutions to those areas will help you to get through the rejection phase. For example one reason why editors reject writing is because it does not meet their long term goals for a project. When you submit a query, a manuscript, a short story, poem, etc. have you researched the company or do you just assume that since you are a good writer they are going to want your work? You may be an excellent writer, but if you are a poor researcher when it comes to knowing the publishers long term goals you will more than likely be rejected.

A successful writer knows how to go beyond rejections in order to find success. Where do you go after rejection, to the tissue box to cry, to the I don’t know why this is happening to me saga, to the I can’t believe they didn’t like this or do you go beyond that? How far you go and the direction will determine your next degree of success. One place to start is dig until you find out why you were rejected, this may give you something to work on for the next time. Here is one tip that I found to be very helpful - whenever you send out a writing to a publisher include a self addressed envelop that says something like:

Thank you so much for your review of my work. If by chance it is not accepted could you please tell me what I can do to be more successful the next time. Then give them a few choices to respond to like - clarity of writing, does not fit your style, needs more development etc. I have gotten at least 80-90 percent return rate on these and they have been extremely helpful in my development. Then correct what they said and resubmit it. The chances of getting approved on a resubmit is normally worth the effort.

Have you identified your target market? I won’t even say any more beyond that. You have to point your writing some place, where are you directing it. Untargeted writing will not be effective. Find out what you are really good at and maximize that area. There is lots of information available to help you to develop your target market. Find those sources and get busy.

Finally you must patiently wait for success. But as you wait define basic areas of success for every season of your writing. This will keep you encouraged. For example you might set a goal to have submitted your writing to 100 sources, when this is accomplished feel good about it and rejoice in that season of success. Next you might say that out of those hundred you will feel accomplished if 10% respond. Then you begin to work with that 10% and find your next level of success. You will find that you are so much more satisfied than waiting for the day the book hits the best sellers list. Small degrees of success by standards that you personally set can be extremely rewarding and keep you going. You might also decide to take more writing courses, learn through teleconferneces, join writing organizations, or get together with people that have the same goals as you do in order to improve your skills. These type of investments will help you to wait patiently because you are actively contributing to the increase of your success as you wait.

Linda Leon is a person who loves God, enjoys
inspiring people and has done a gazillion things like write books,
produce TV programs, and get ordained. Feel free to contact her blog at

thewritespot.ning.com ©copyright 2007 by Linda Leon.
Leon.

Dishing up more constructive writing advice in an hour than Cosmo does hot sex tips in a month, comedian and writer David Watts recently spoke as the first guest on the Writers of the Round Table series of TeleClasses where writers currently working as creatives for an eclectic variety of large-scale projects and audiences speak on subjects including creative inspiration, writing advice, and industry-insider information.

Engaging listeners with a distinctly relaxed and engaging vibe, David Watts discussed the history of his writing career. With a foundation in acting (at Indiana University), rather than writing, David began his career with some serious sweat equity: Comedy Improv.

On ‘Adult Island’ at Disneyland, five improv shows per night were standard working hours. Fighting against permanent brain freeze, David Watts and his wife moved to LA in order to pursue comedy writing Hollywood-style. Once in LA, David Watts studied with one of the most famous improv companies around, the Groundlings. Launching the careers of comedians such as Will Farrell and Pee Wee Herman, the Groundlings worked David Watts hard, toughening him up against serious criticism. First working on group sketches and then monologues, the Groundlings suggested Watts pursue writing as a career, specifically, writing sitcoms.

Watts decided to try it out and took some writing classes at UCLA. From there, he started writing and submitting his stuff to film festivals.

Submitting material to film festivals is a tip David suggested for all. “Agents are lazy,” he said during the TeleClass. “They like it when someone else reads it first.”

In regards to his winning TV script, “Eric Cartman and the Cheesy Poof Factory,” Watts commented, “I ‘bout crapped my pants when I won.” He had never won anything before in his life (outside of a six pack of orange crush).

Not only did the festival get him a literary agent, but more importantly, it gave him the opportunity to meet a lot of other writers. His strongest piece of advice was to make friends with people and stay in touch. Forever. You never know who you might be writing for one day.

A film festival is one place to do that, but David recommends keeping this in mind all of the time. Keep in contact with people working towards the top, not just people writing at the top. Case in point: David’s current boss for MTV’s ‘Rob and Big′ was an old friend from the Groundlings.

Another great tip Watts proposed for script writers: actors are just as desperate (if not more so), than writers. It’s often possible to pay to get scripts stage read, which not only gives you a venue to meet more people, but also gives you a shot at possible production.

David Watts waxed eloquent about the solitary nature of writing. “Remember you’re not alone, a blank page is a scary thing.” Whenever he feels stuck on writing a piece he asks himself the most important question for comedy: “What could go wrong?”

We hope just enough to keep us laughing, David!

Listen to the recording of this ‘At the Table’ TeleClass on the Writers of the Round Table website at www.writersoftheroundtable.com. To register, or for more information on this free service, email mailto:teleclasses@writersoftheroundtable.com” target=”_blank teleclasses@writersoftheroundtable.com. In the meantime, keep your rear in the chair, your fingers on the keys, and your writing reaching for the stars.

Jessica Buck lives in Portland, Oregon with her two children and husband, novelist Daniel Scott Buck. Writing an eclectic (some say dizzying), variety of literary genres, Jessica produces plays, essays, poetry, travel writing, screenplays, short stories and articles which have been published in magazines and anthologies including Mamaphonic, Inverse, Euphorix, Papier-Doll, The Design in Bloom anthology and a most recent publication in 3AM magazine. Upcoming publications include Paris Bitter Hearts Pit and Syntax Magazine.

Currently finishing her first novel, Jessica also runs a boutique marketing company called MindBuck Media. MindBuck Media uses buzz and guerrilla strategies to brighten the universe of the creative venture.

Jessica Buck can be contacted at mailto:MindBuck@gmail.com MindBuck@gmail.com .

For more information about writing teleclasses please visit:

You’d like to earn income as a technical or professional writer, but you don’t possess a portfolio that will help you earn the respect of editors or publishers. There are some things you can do to build a respectable, professional collection of articles, letters and press releases that will become the foundation of a worthy portfolio.

Work with Nonprofit Groups
Nonprofit groups rely on the goodwill of volunteers for their success. Local chapters of groups like March of Dimes, American Lung Association and The American Cancer Society often seek volunteers to write feature stories for their newsletters, and they’re often ready to empower writers with story ideas and contact information for interviewees. If you offer to write for a nonprofit group, there is a good chance that your work will be published in a professional-looking document with the logo of a respected organization.

Work with New Businesses
Contact your state business development office to learn about businesses that are in the process of launching. Find one (or more) that appeals to you, contact the owner and express your desire to help. Be willing to sign a release that defines your role as a volunteer, and your stories as “free.” Do a good job, and your efforts may lead to regular paid work.

Blog
Most businesses know about blogs, but many don’t have the knowledge or resources to make blogging work in their favor. Publish your own blog on a topic that allows you to establish credibility. Solicit feedback, especially from professionals you might value your efforts. Keep records of the positive comments you receive and print the comments and your strongest posts for your portfolio. Offering editors proof that you are contemporary and savvy with regard to the Internet will help your cause. You can find free blogging space on the Web.

Bennie Baxter is an author and producer who contributes to icantgetpublished.com icantgetpublished.com and buttonland.com buttonland.com