Writing Inrochester

The following answer sounds simplistic…but think about it. The single worst writing mistake is “not starting.”

In my 20-plus years as a magazine editor, I read dozens – perhaps hundreds – of articles on writing. But few gave me advice on beginning a report.

See, if I can’t decide how to start something, I hesitate. If I hesitate, I next procrastinate. Procrastination turns to delay, then into hiatus. Whenever I get to that “hiatus” state, I sometimes just abandon the story idea completely.

Please, don’t let that happen to you! Here are some “story-starter” ideas to help you commit those first thoughts to paper:

1. If the story is a feature, think first about your CONCLUSION. What main theme do you want to convey to the reader?

2. If the story is a research report, think first about your SOURCES. What experts or researchers do you need to contact? What specific information do you need from them?

3. If you’re writing a persuasive paper, think first about EVIDENCE. What facts do you need to present to prove your point?

4. Now, here comes the hardest part: What should your first sentence be?

Here’s my secret: I start with my conclusion first, then build the rest of the story to support it. (That technique is discussed in detail in Chapter Three of my book, “Words That Stick.”)

One other tip: If you’ve got a great idea for a report or story, don’t let it get away. At the very least, make a short note about it on your desk calendar or in a notebook.

Your very next idea could be a truly great one.

Rix Quinn offers writing tips for both students and professionals in his new book “Words That Stick.” It’s available from your local bookstore, or amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580085768/qid/ amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580085768/qid/

For details on Rix’s next telephone seminar, call 817-920-7999.

Don’t give up…

So you’ve got this far, you’ve viewed some Articles by other authors or you’ve found a topic now that one else is writing about and you’re ready to start you’re all psyched up and ready to go and then…

“This is it, this is it I’m going to write an article” and then your mind goes blank and the thought of writing an article brings you back to those days when you sat at school and churned out page after page of essays for homework and then you think “I cant do this” and you want to give up. But don’t!

You may think that everyone that writes any article must have been an “A” class student at English and loved writing and that they just sit at a computer and the words just flow out, but for some of us that’s far from the truth. Don’t worry if you first attempt bombs and only a few people read that’s fine some of mine have don’t give up now before you’ve even started. Think about what you’ll achieve by writing your first article, the people you’ll help and the sense of achievement of having an article published, floating around somewhere out there in cyberspace with your name on it.

But, if you still having a hard time here’s a couple of tips you can try out to help get you started

•Make a list of questions about your topic, the frequently asked questions and then make a top 5 or 10 list (you could have too much information for one article so why not spread it over a couple of articles!).

•Have you got a funny story related to your subject, everyone like’s a good laugh and be entertained. You could try to work this into an article.

•Make a list of the best free resources or best websites people could use on your subject and give a review of each. People love free things so this could get passed around a lot. And don’t be afraid that by sending people to other websites that you’re shooting yourself in the foot and going to lose money or visitors. You’ll also come across as being helpful and also an expert on your topic.

•What new in the news on your subject, is there a new gadget out or a new way of doing things for better results?

•Do you disagree with what’s being said on your topic, give your opinion. Not everyone will agree with you but it’s a way of making a name for yourself as long as it’s done correctly and not just trying to find fault with everything that’s being said.

And after all that you should have a couple of article ideas so off
you go and get typing and when you’re finished send a copy over to us
at barryjmcdonald.com barryjmcdonald.com and we′ll put it with all the other great barryjmcdonald.com articles we have.

Good writing includes editing. Just look back at an email you dashed off in haste, and you will likely wince at something. Editing encompasses many levels of intensity from basic proofreading to substantial reworking and rewriting. To produce professional and effective fiction, the manuscript editing will go far beyond merely proofreading.

Whether a short story or novel is being submitted to a publisher or headed for self publishing, it needs to be thoroughly edited and assessed from many angles. Editing strives to create flow with smooth transitions, maintain clarity, cut out unnecessary repetition, and includes a variety of tiny to huge adjustments that make the difference between a block of stone and (hopefully) Michelangelo’s David.

Editing is commonly believed to best be done by a competent person other than the writer. Although the critical eye of another is great, any writer should also assess his or her work by switching gears and looking at the work from the editing perspective instead of the writing perspective. However, a writer is often emotionally attached to a work and reluctant to approach the creation with the attitude of an over demanding, never-satisfied father. Overcoming the protective impulse to cling to an original draft as divinely-driven art will serve any writer well.

Editing also takes much effort. A writer might thankfully turn over a manuscript to an editor like after laboring to plant a garden and then assigning someone else to weed and harvest it. However, many writers do not have the luxury of an available competent person who can polish work for an audience.

All writers want to be considered a good writer, and this requires editing. You may be trying to break into fiction markets with short stories and you need to submit your very best to get noticed. To do this you should approach editing as another and enjoyable part of writing. You will enjoy making your work better, sometimes much better. While editing, you will learn about how you write and you will see what you are good at and what you need to fix.

For example, I often find when editing my initial drafts that I flopped through three sentences to say one thing. Usually I can harvest the good bits from each sentence and then combine them into one strong sentence. To do this, I weigh the nuances of each sentence and judge whether I am actually giving out good details or repeating myself needlessly.

Having spent many years writing fiction, which includes editing and rewriting, I have developed a checklist that keeps me on track when editing fiction. I apply most or all of the questions on this checklist to every chapter during the editing process. Remember, the goal is for you to be your toughest critic and for all other critics to love you.

Fiction Editing Checklist

Is it bad? Be honest. Do you like what you wrote? Can you imagine others liking it? You really must be able to say yes to this fundamental question before being satisfied.

What is the lead like? Good, bad, indifferent? By lead, I mean how does the chapter or short story start? Is it compelling? Does it arouse interest or excitement? Don′t let an otherwise great story start like assembly instructions for an entertainment center.

What is the action like? With this question, I analyze what is happening in the story. First of all, is anything happening? Do not let the narrative feel like being stuck in a traffic jam (unless the action is being stuck in a traffic jam). This is a very subjective question for the writer/editor. Basically, you need to decide if events are moving the story and thereby maintaining the interest of the reader.

Are you having a good mix of dialogue, narrative, and action? I use this question to avoid stringing together 80 lines of dialogue. Too much he said and she said in a row does not suit narrative fiction. Non-dialogue elements about the characters, setting, and action need to be mixed with dialogue in order to build the word pictures necessary for fiction.

Are you moving the plot along or are you fooling around? It’s easy as a writer to start enjoying your characters and exploring tangents or minute details of their lives. Some of this might be essential to story and character development, but let it go too far, and the reader could become bored. Do not let narrative wanderings dilute a story until it is about as interesting as waiting for your number at the DMV.

Do the actions of the characters make sense? Readers need to understand or at least have some clues as to why a character does or says something. If a character does something completely out of character, does the story explain why? Characters are often like chess pieces. They can only move in certain ways. Essentially, I am cautioning against making a character do something just because the writer needs that thing done. It must come down to would the character do that and, if so, under what circumstances?

Do you think the plot twists and turns are acceptable? Do they appear contrived? You want a natural flow.

Are you appealing to the senses? Does imagery occur often enough to build a setting? Are you doing it too much?

Are you watching for places in the story that drag? Can you think of a way to pick it up? Does the dragging portion need to be cut? Or is a pause from the action necessary?

Is the dialogue necessary or should it be replaced with narrative? Sometimes you don’t need to write out mundane conversation with quoted character dialogue. Sometimes it’s much better and efficient to simply writing narrative such as: Becky asked her dad when her mom would be home. He said he didn’t know.

Does the dialogue match the character for language skills, vocabulary, intelligence, emotion and knowledge?

Can the reader identify with the characters in any way? Does anything ring true?

After analyzing and editing your work with the above questions, you have surely improved your writing. The last thing on my checklist is to tell yourself that you did a good job.

Tracy Falbe is the author of the fantasy fiction series “The Rys Chronicles” that has received good reviews since its publication in January 2006. To learn more about her fiction writing style, visit braveluck.com braveluck.com where a free ebook download of her first novel is available.

One of the best things you can do for your business is to give information away. Information empowers your customer and brings them back for more. There are many great ways to give information to current and potential customers, which will instill confidence in your business. Many send out newsletters or email online newsletters to keep customers in their minds. It is important to keep customers aware of what is going on and tell them you appreciate their patronage. Some businesses send out gift certificates and Christmas Cards. But there is an easier and better way. One I think you might be aware of.

I recommend writing articles about things in which you have lots of knowledge in, areas of expertise where you are either an expert or borderline expert. Many companies and professionals write articles or have columns in industry rags or trade journals. Some write articles in their newspapers. But the very best way I have found to get the word out is this fast growing really cool company called EzineArticles.com where you can post your articles for free and people from all over the world come to see them and often reprint them on their websites, their company newsletters, the ezines and even read them on the Radio. This is especially good for someone like me, who has the perfect face for radio as I was once told by a former girlfriend.

Since it costs no money to post you can post as many articles as you would like. So I tried it at first by posting 2 articles and I was surprised when I searched “ME” on the Internet and found someone else liked my articles and posted them on their websites. So then, I thought; HA so I posted 10 more. Wow, again I saw three of my new articles on the Internet and people actually contacted my business within only 4 days. So, I posted some more. Then I got addicted, because it is so fun. So over the next 8 weeks, I posted 1000 articles. Today. I have searched and found at least one of my articles on about 45 websites, but I am sure it is much more, those are just the ones I could find. And in that time all my articles total have received 85,000 hits or views. I have had so many people contact my business, I had to take my website off the bottom my articles. But they still find me. I travel so much; I cannot call everyone back. HELP. It works too good.

As a writer I am not very good really, but each time I write an article I get better and actually some people like my articles even though my writing skills are not so great. I think everyone for their business should write one article per day at least so that they will have 30 articles per month and in no time they will be getting contacted by people all over the world who might like to do businesses with them. That is how it works you see, I know because they keep contacting ME.

I cannot believe the power of writing articles on the Internet. I wish I knew about this sooner. If I can do this and I am not even a writer really then you can too. I still don’t believe it, you have to admit it is pretty cool. But each article brings me business and in 8-weeks I already have 85,000 hits and hundreds and hundreds of stars next to my articles on EzineArticles.com people actually like what I wrote? Cool. All these people are coming to my websites and my Internet traffic has went up a lot.

Each article brings me new contacts and since I have posted 1000 articles; that is 1000 ways I improved my business. I am averaging over 2700 article views per day now and that is almost 1 million article views per year it works, 1 million people will read my articles in the coming year. Write more articles everyone, increase your business today, what would you do with one million potential new customers? I think I will write some more articles tomorrow. Think about it

“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/

I’ve been back in Maryland for almost three years and some days that seems like a lifetime. I miss Hawaii with all it’s beauty but most of all I miss the ocean. Each beach offered a different wave pattern. Some were calm and mellow, perfect for families vacationing in the area. Others had ten foot waves, each adorned with one or more surfers. Still others had thunderous shore breaks, the waves crashing upon the beach and sucking anything it could reach out to sea.

Different moods found me sitting on different shores, watching the waves whether gentle or harsh. The ocean often inspired me. From these visits came stories of comedy, horror and mystery. The ocean contains an endless amount of material. Characters were waiting to be discovered in family interactions, cautious flirtations and the playful nature of the honeymooners. Every minute brought a new scenario and potential for another story.

I not only derived characters from these visits but settings as well. I took my notepad, or sometimes my laptop, to the beach with me and described a sunset as it occurred. I noted the texture of the sand and the smell of the kelp. I listened to the sounds of the pigeons as the searched the beach for a bit of spam leftover from some Local’s lunch.

For hours on end I watched children play in the surf, noting their various reactions. Some children were terrified of the water, clinging to the parents and screaming in horror as the water reached out to graze their toes. Others were fearless, charging in without a second thought, daring the water to do it’s worse. The reactions of the adults were much less notable. They rarely ran into the surf with complete abandon and those too scared to enter laid on their towels far above the reach of the surf.

It’s amazing how many ideas can be born of one single thing. Tales of the ocean range from adventure to romance. Each individual interprets the scene in a different way. Seeing the ocean from all sides of the island, I understand how diverse each viewpoint could be. Dozens of beaches attracted millions of visitors, each with their own agenda. The idea of the perfect beach varied depending on what the individual was searching for, calm or chaos.

One single entity, the beach, can spark an abundance of creativity. It can inspire a story in every genre; each author picking up different nuances and producing a different tale as a result. One day of sitting on a beach can provide a lifetime of inspiration if you keep your eyes and ears open.

While the beach is often my source of inspiration, any setting can be rich enough to feed a writer’s muse. Take a pad of paper and a pen to a favorite location and jot down notes about what you see and hear. Write about an interesting person you see and what they were doing. You might not use these notes right away, but someday they may become the backbone of a story.

Sonia Fischer is an author on Writing.Com/ Writing.Com/
which is a site for Writing.Com/ Fiction Writing.

From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters at www.clickok.co.uk

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon – understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero’s Journey:

· Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

· Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

· Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Hero’s Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

Hero’s Journey: Empire Strikes Back deconstructed

• FADE IN: Context; the famous text based roll on screen.

• Introduce Antagonist [probes launched from the Imperial destroyer].

• Introduce Hero [Luke riding across the snow; wants to check out the probe].

• Forced to the First Threshold [Luke attacked by the Ice Monster].

• Hero’s Ordinary World: the Rebel outpost.

• Developing characters and relationships of Allies [Han Solo with Chewy].

• Foreshadow of the Journey [Han tells the General he ahs to leave].

• Developing the Romantic Challenge [Han Solo with Leia].

• Developing characters and relationships of Allies [R2 and C3PO].

• Foreshadow of the push to the First Threshold [n one knows where Luke is].

• Warnings of the First Threshold [“between you and me, I think commander Luke is in considerable danger”].

• Forced to the First Threshold [Luke hasn't come back, Han will have to go after him].

• Warnings of the First Threshold [“Sir, the temperature is dropping too rapidly; your Ton Ton will freeze before you before you reached the first markers…].

• Capabilities of the Hero / First Threshold Outer Cave Trial [Luke escapes the Ice Monster through use of the force and the Light Sabre].

• Foreboding of the Trial [“don't say things like that, of course we'll see aster Luke again'].

• Middle Cave Trial [the situation worsens for Luke].

• Foreboding of the Trial [the shield doors must be closed; Leia et al extremely pessimistic].

• Meeting the Supernatural Aid [Obi Wan tells Luke to seek Yoda].

• Inner Cave [Han finds Luke; opens up the belly of the Ton Ton]. Time Pressure [“haven't got much time…”].

• Celebration of passing the First Threshold Trials [Han and Luke rescued].

• Developing characters and relationships [“that's another one you owe me, kid...;” ̶, C3, Han, Chewy, Leia etc glad to see Luke].

• Resistance to the Physical Separation [Han can't leave until they have activated the energy field].

• Developing the Romantic Challenge [Leia kisses Luke].

• Foreshadow of the Physical Separation [they think they think they've found an Imperial droid].

• Pushed to the Physical Separation [“we better start the evacuation].

• Developing the Antagonist [Vader knows that the Rebellion is in the Hoth System].

• Preparing the Physical Separation.; developing Hero, characters and relationships [Luke bids farewell].

• Pushed to the Physical Separation [a fleet of Star Destroyers is approaching; preparing for the ground assault].

• Developing the Antagonist [Vader kills the Admiral].

• Preparing the Physical Separation; developing characters and relationships [Leia gives instructions].

• Resistance to the Physical Separation [the Imperial attack].

• Pushing past the resistance to the Physical Separation [the transporters push past the star destroyers].

• Time Pressure [“yes Lord Vader, the shields will be down momentarily].

• Capabilities of the Hero [Luke battles the increasingly ferocious Imperial invasion].

• Forced to the Physically Separate [“come on, that's it…;” Vader arrives]

• Journey to the World of the Transformation [“yes R2, we're going to the Degoba System”].

• Obstacle on entering the World of the Transformation [Han can't get to light speed].

• Camouflage and Trickery [the Millenium Falcon hides in an asteroid field].

• Arrival into the World of the Transformation: a new, unfamiliar World; polar opposite to that from which the Hero has come.

• Threshold Guardian [the serpent].

• Developing the Antagonist, character and relationships [asteroids do not concern me, Admiral].

• Developing character and relationships and the Romantic Challenge [“sorry sweetheart, I haven't got time for anything else…”' Han and R2 etc].

• Meeting the Supernatural Aid / Mentor [Luke meets Yoda].

• Hero does not recognize the Mentor: Luke doesn’t know the creature is Yoda.

• Developing the Romantic Challenge: Leia and Han.

• Developing the Antagonism: the Emperor and Vader speak.

• Resisting and then agreeing to the Transformation: Yoda thinks Luke is too old, too impatient and then agrees.

• Trial 1: Han et al escape the Whale in the asteroid.

• Trial 2: Spiritual Guidance; Luke meets Vader inside the tree.

• Foreshadow of the Final Conflict: Vader hires the bounty hunters.

• Wolves Clothing: the Millenium Falcon hides amongst the garbage.

• Trial 3: Spiritual Guidance; Yoda lifts Luke’s fighter out of the water.

• Developing the Antagonist: Vader kills another Admiral.

• Becoming aware of the World of the Sword: Han sees that Lando′s city in the sky is nearby.

• Foreshadow of the Journey to the World of the Sword: Luke sees that Han and Leia will be in danger. Resistance to the journey to the World of the Sword: Yoda dissuades Luke.

• Threshold Guardian to the World of the Sword: the fighters guide the Millenium Falcon into the city in the sky.

• Meeting the Shape Shifter: Lando Calrissian.

• Romantic Competition: Lando likes Leia.

• Shape Shifter’s back story: Lando recalls his and Han′s history.

• Foreshadow of the Seizing of the Sword: R2 is shot.

• Separation: Luke will go to the city in the sky; Obi Wan nor Yoda will be able to help Luke if he decides to go.

• Suspicions of the Shape Shifter.

• Development of the Romantic Challenge: Leia admits her feelings for Han.

• Foreshadow of the Seizing of the Sword: Chewy finds R2.

• Seizing the Sword: Lado gives up Han et al to Vader.

• Foreshadow of the Atonement: Luke is on his way.

• Near Death Experience: Han et al are tortured.

• Shape Shifter turning: Vader goes back on his deal with Lando.

• Developing the Shape Shifter / Foreshadow of the Atonement: Lando tells Han et al that Vader is after Luke.

• Foreshadow of the Final Conflict: the carbon freezing unit.

• Reward: Han lives through carbon freeze; Leia admits she loves Han.

• Warning of the Atonement [“Luke, it's a trap…”].

• Atonement with the Father: Luke battles Vader.

• Refusal: Lando frees Leia et al; they refuse to trust him.

• Magic Flight: Han flies off Leia et al pursued by Storm Troopers.

• Foreshadow of the Apotheosis: Luke and Vader battle Luke avoids the freezing unit; almost on a par with Vader.

• Crossing the Return Threshold: Lando advises all to leave; the Empire has taken over fighting their way back to the Millenium Falcon.

• Apotheosis: Luke learns who Vader is.

• Ultimate Boon: Luke can destroy the Emperor; he has forseen this.

• Rescue from Without: Luke calls Leia…she hears his call they rescue Luke.

• Master of the Two Worlds: Luke talks to his father from the Millenium Falcon; the Millenium Falcon still can’t get into hyperdrive; Time Pressure etc.

• Freedom to Live: Luke et al escape; Vader doesn′t kill another Admiral; Luke gets another hand.

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/

If you′re a freelance writer, then you are probably abhorred at the rates offered nowadays - especially for web content.

BUT, as I advise freelancers all the time, what clients are willing to pay you is based on your value to them - not your talent.

Following are three reasons freelance writers are underpaid, and what they can do to turn the tide.

1. Everyone Can Do It: “If you know your ABC’s you can write, right?” This is the attitude of many when it comes to freelance writing.

“What’s so hard about it?”

“Why does it cost that much for a simple brochure?”

“My secretary can do that for me.”

You may have run across these - and many other sentiments - about freelance writing.

So, how do you combat this “anyone can do what you do” attitude?

Solution: Do a freebie. I know many freelancers are against this, but when I say freebie, I don′t mean an entire project - but a sample version.

Clients with this type of attitude are ones you’ve probably solicited; they probably haven’t sought you out simply because they don’t realize how much they need your services.

As for doing a freebie, you might take one page from their website and rewrite it. There’s nothing like comparing a professionally prepared piece of copy to a amateur’s version. The difference will be clearly visible.

I′ve gotten many clients this way. I′d approach them about redoing their web copy, for example and have gone on to rewrite a lot of their sales aids - primarily brochures and direct mail pieces like postcards.

Even if they don’t realize the value of your work right then, trust me, they will store that nugget away for future use. I’ve been contacted by clients two or three years later who′ve kept my samples on file.

2. Misjudging Projects: As in, most freelancers don’t know how to judge a project, so they make the mistake of undercharging - usually for fear of losing the assignment altogether. This happens to experienced and inexperienced freelancers alike. Why?

It can happen for a myriad of reasons, eg, because clients sometimes change the parameters of a project in mid-stream; it’s a type of writing you’ve never done before in-depth clients request add-ons (eg, a newsletter in addition to the brochure), etc.

Rather than offend a client, risk losing a project or stopping to renegotiate mid-stream, many will just finish the project and vow never to work for that client again.

Solution: Get as many details about the project up front. For years I used a spec sheet for my projects. What is a spec sheet? Simply a questionnaire for each type of project that comes in.

If it was an editing project, I might ask the following:

What style of editing?

How many pages?

Are changes to be made on hard copy or right into the electronic document? If on hard copy, should they be transferred to the electronic copy?

Due date?

This is a basic, general overview. Some projects can be really detailed, especially writing projects. So you want to find out as much as you can.

Sometimes you′ll get a client who has no idea what he wants, so ask for samples of sites/writing/graphics, etc. that they’ve seen that they like.

TIP: Let clients know that while your intake may seem a bit tedious, you’ve found that the m ore information they provide up front, the better you can deliver what they want without a lot of back and forth.

I’ve found that pre-qualifying clients in this manner does three things: i) it lets them know that you’re a professional; and ii) it helps them clarify what they want; and iii) it shows (without you saying a word) how much work actually goes into what you do.

3. Fear of Losing a Client: As I alluded to above, many freelancers fear that they will lose a job if they quote a price too high, so what they often do is undercharge.

Most small business owners suffer from the same problem - this is not a freelance writing problem, it’s a small business problem.

Solution: Show clients your worth. How? For example, if they contact you and want a brochure done, you might ask:

“Will this also be in downloadable form on your website? The reason I need to know is that writing for the web is different than a direct mail piece. Knowing how you plan to use the piece will help me optimize its uses to fit your purposes.”

It’s up to you to prove your worth to clients, not for them to be intrinsically aware of it. This means constantly selling you and your worth — which has less to do with your writing ability, than your sales ability.

Good luck!

May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com InkwellEditorial.com : THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. Start a freelance writing career in 30 Days or Less — Guaranteed! How? Via InkwellEditorial.com’s freelance writing e-course. This 5-part e-course will help you start a profitable freelance writing career in no time. Log onto InkwellEditorial.com for full details.

Working as a professional writer takes skill and determination. As a continuation of last week’s tips, here are additional ideas to help you build your freelance business:

Tip #6: Prepare a business commercial.
When I first built my business, I began passing out business cards to everyone I knew. People are truly thrilled to meet a writer - they think we lie around in pajamas all day smoking French cigarettes and drinking whiskey while we type out inscrutable words of brilliance. Then they would ask…”what do you do?”

At first, I stumbled over this question. I knew what I was good at writing and I vaguely knew my target audience, but it didn’t flow off my tongue. To be sure I gave the best possible answer, one that would make my questioner itch to work with me, I wrote down a commercial about my business. Conversations can be long or short, so I made sure I could enticingly explain my work in 30 seconds and two minutes. This is also called the “elevator presentation”. You should be able to interest a potential client in your work in the amount of time that it takes you to reach your floor in an elevator. Believe me, the questions will come - be ready for them!

Tip #7: Build a portfolio of work.
When starting a freelance business, many people do not already have a body of work to show potential clients. Whether a customer is looking for published clips or just samples of your work, a new writer is often stuck in a catch-22: you need samples in order to be taken seriously, and you can’t provide samples until someone hires you.

Thankfully, there are many organizations and alternative methods to building your clips list or portfolio. Non-profit organizations, small newspapers, and park districts often do not have the staff or the talent to communicate well. Within your target niche, there may be additional opportunities. Approach these organizations with an idea for work you can offer them, and do the work for free or a reduced cost. You’ll build up contacts as well as fattening your portfolio.

Tip #8: Determine how much work you′ll do primarily for recognition.
This tip is related to Tip #7. Once you have built up clips and start receiving job offers, you may be offered jobs that pay very little but give you the opportunity to brag far and wide. If you need the recognition, take it! But if you have built your business and your name is recognizable, you may turn down non-lucrative jobs even if you will gain publicity. To determine whether you should take the job, ask yourself these questions:

Can I afford the time it will take to do this job?
Will I be recognized in the right places (such as within my targeted audience)?
Will I gain new knowledge or a new skill that will make this job worth it?
Will the recognition lead to additional, more lucrative work?

Tip #9: Determine how much you will charge.
This is difficult to answer and varies with each writer. You must consider factors such as your experience and skill level, and the market in your area. Most people have an idea of how their local economy rates with the national average - for example, a writer working for a local Chicago publication will likely make more money than a comparable situation in a small town in Montana. The type of work you do will also be a factor: copyediting generally pays less than writing a new, original piece website designers writing content will often make more than a website content writer, since they also design and build the website in question.

A good place to start is with the Writer’s Digest Writer’s Market book. There is a table listing each type of writing and the high, low, and average charge for each. Find your work and your skill level, and you have a ballpark idea on what to charge. Next, adjust the figure for your particular circumstances. Is your job for a friend who needs communication help? You may want to adjust the price downward. Is the job likely to require more work, patience, or hand-holding than the usual job? Add to the figure. You will soon be able to do the estimating without a degree in Calculus.

Tip #10: Keep records of your estimates and final costs.
On your first few jobs, estimating the amount of work and pay may take some guesswork. But once you’ve completed a few jobs, you have real-life data that will help you determine what to charge and how profitable your business is. Keep track of all your original time estimates. As the work is completed, log the actual hours and final cost alongside your final pay for the job. Over time, as you become more experienced and work more quickly, you will see which jobs are most lucrative and which clients take more time than they are worth. Your business will prosper as you analyze and use this information!

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While it’s true that most romantic novels are written by women for women, men do write them too - Alan Titchmarsh and Mike Gale being two exponents in the field. However, if you are a man writing from a woman’s viewpoint and using a female pen-name, make sure you get it right - female readers will spot it right away if you don’t! Romantic novels can nowadays have a man as the main character, though the female lead still dominates the genre. If you are just starting out in this field it might be a good idea to fall in line with the mainstream - the time for originality is after you’ve had a few books in print!

The guidelines for romance writing are absolutely specific and each publishing house has its own that, generally, they will quite happily send to you. Read them! Yes, there is a formula behind writing romantic fiction, but it also leaves lots of room for creativity. However, your reader must be able to believe in your story - if the young model falls for the old tycoon, they’ll want to know why. Making him rich just isn’t enough! Also, romance readers are a savvy bunch - if you don’t believe in what you write, you’d better believe they won’t either. If you cannot be honest and show that you have a genuine ‘feel’ for romantic fiction - if you’re just writing it as an ‘easy option’ - forget it. Please! It simply will not ring true - and it will show. If, on the other hand, your heart beats faster at the very sight of a Mills and Boon cover you just might be on the right track for your fiction career!

Characters in romantic fiction novels need to develop throughout the course of your story, just as in any other type of novel. Having the heroine blossom into a confident, go-ahead personality whilst leaving her male interest as a dark, brooding figure, identical to the person she first met, is simply not a realistic storyline. Both have to ‘grow′ and show change within their blossoming relationship. Romance is a two-way street - both main characters have to develop the relationship. It simply can’t be one-sided.

Today’s heroine is much more likely to be personable and much more in charge of her life than the fainting wimp of yesteryear! She isn′t just someone to be rescued by the lantern-jawed hero who she swoons over at first sight - its much more likely that she will bump heads with him over a boardroom table. It makes the characters just that much more believable in the 21st century and brings romance up-to-date. Opposites attract - a theme that works as well now as it did two hundred years ago!

Setting is important and, if you’re considering a period romance you had better know that period very, very well. Readers will spot a mistake instantly and will lose no time telling you about it! Whilst this might not be too disastrous if it occurs once, frequent mistakes will dent your credibility as an author. A good tactic for new writers: stick to a setting you are familiar with - there’s nothing wrong with a romance revolving around a coffee shop! It also takes one aspect of stress out of the writing process - and that can’t be a bad thing!

The question of sex scenes in the romantic novel often arises - how explicit should they be? Again, you should read the publisher’s guidelines - they will usually have fairly strict parameters within you should work. That’s not to say they will be prudish or stuffy - it’s just that it’s a ‘different strokes’ situation. What suits one publisher may well not suit another. If you find it difficult or awkward to write explicit material - then don’t write it! Many romantic novels contain only implied sex - indeed, some of the best ever written have never got beyond a kiss. It’s a case of what goes unsaid and unseen can be just as exciting as a full-blooded mattress session!

A romantic novel does not have to end happily, but, unless you are in the same league as someone like Thomas Hardy, you should at least finish on an optimistic note with your characters full of hope for the future. Some of the really great romantic novels have, indeed, ended in tragedy but have a care - this is a very, very tricky ending to handle. If you’re not entirely confident of your ability to handle this, it’s best to stick to the time-honoured standby - the happy ending!

Steve Dempster regularly writes short stories for UK women’s magazines and is also the author of two novels. If you would like more info about writing romance fiction simply

Just after I published my first novel, I sat in the parking lot on three separate occasions trying to gather the courage to go into the local Borders to set up a signing. At the time, I was a first-time author, self-published, new to the community and with only my personality and a smile to guide me. Over time, I managed to hold many successful signings in the Borders and Barnes & Noble stores in a thirty mile radius of my home over a period of two years. The bottom line is all the bookstore is interested in, and making it happen each and every time opened the doors, not only for me, but for all the fearless Nightengale Press authors I serve all over the world as well.

How do you approach a bookstore in your area?

First of all, go to the bookstores you’d like to approach to find out if they hold book signings. Some list these on their websites, others post advertising in their stores, some will just look at you like you’re nuts and say no. Big chains have people who work with the community to promote these kinds of events. (B&N, Borders, Waldenbooks etc.) Medium sized stores sometimes have a promotions person who handles these events and all the ads and in-store promotions (Davis-Kidd)Small bookstores usually don’t have the space or the budget for a book signing, and often will just say no. Not always, but often.

Find out the manager’s name, e-mail and direct phone number if you can. Ask to speak to him/her, but come prepared to be told they’re too busy. Ask when would be a good time to come in — they all have schedules, and usually prefer to meet with people early in their day before the hectic pace gets started. Be sure to follow up with an email or a voice mail message giving your name, your book’s title, that you’d like to meet to schedule a book signing, and why that would be good for the store. This is crucial. If it’s all work and no profit for the store, they won’t do it.

Managers are very busy people: OFFER to do the work providing the details — such as: Poster information laid out for reproduction: 8.5×11” layout on white paper which includes your title, your name, the ISBN, the price and the wholesale distributors (usually Ingram or Baker & Taylor), and the publisher. Be prepared with your own eye-catching signage, which you’ll use to attract attention on the day of your book signing. Ask the store to provide only a table and a chair in a prominent place where customers will find you. Try to get the store to put you in the front near the entrance. This is tricky, since often they’ll tell you they have the “perfect” place, in the back of the store, out of the way. That’s not good, no one goes back there.

Have a gimmick that will draw patrons towards you.

Be ready and able to produce “buyers” – these are friends, colleagues and all kinds of other people who know you and who will come into the store to support your signing. You need to have a viable list of people you can “turn out” for your events. If you don’t have this, develop this before you try to get a book signing.

See if you can connect to a special promotions day like “teacher’s weekend,” a holiday, a news trend, anything that perks up the potential buyer’s interest. Holidays other than Thanksgiving and Christmas are good days to hold a book signing — Valentine’s Day for romance novels, July 4th for military or political titles — January and February for Fitness titles — Halloween for horror titles and mystery titles — you get the idea. You can make up your own holiday too – or use the more obscure ones that fill the calendars.

What is the true purpose of book signings?

1. The easy answer is money and profit for the store and exposure for you.

2. The only answer is money and profit for the store and exposure for you.

3. You will not make a lot of money at a book signing. You will make a lot of contacts.

4. When you have a book signing, you can get your local paper to put an article into their paper a day or two before your event. This is FREE advertising. Make yourself newsworthy, and you’ll get coverage.

5. Send out press releases to announce your book signing.

What do you need to give to the potential book signing sponsor?
Most importantly, a copy of your book and a business card with your contact information. Often the manager hands the book to one of the staff members and asks them to read it — sort of like reviewing it. Get that staff member’s name. Be bold and ask the manager to “match” your book with someone who’d like to read it. It doesn’t help for a Sci-Fi fantasy aficionado to read your book about how to put on a wedding. Be willing to bring extra copies to sell so the bookstore can order fewer books (takes less of a risk on you) but can make money from your book if you sell out their order and more people want the book. Usually a bookstore will be willing to order 10-15 copies of a book without much trouble. If you bring in 10 -15 of your own copies to sell when the store’s books have run out, this is great.

Be aware, a very good book signing has sales of 20 to 30 books. This is rare. And the books the store purchased usually get returned to your publisher — and charged back to your royalties if you don’t sell them at the event. So, it is better to encourage the store to buy fewer by being willing to bring in extras to sell if you run out of theirs.

Are there other places besides bookstores to do book signings? BACK OF THE ROOM SALES — THIS IS WHERE YOU DO MAKE MONEY ON YOUR BOOK!

Actually, most book signings are NOT in bookstores! Libraries are always looking for authors to talk to interested patrons. Companies are especially if your book concerns their products or services. Business Fairs are locally run by chambers of commerce and schools such as high schools and community colleges. Even churches would be interested in inspirational/self-help titles. There are many different kinds of Women’s / Men’s / Community Groups you can connect to with the topic of your book. Book Clubs have readers who often formed these on their own, or through bookstores or libraries. Call your library and the bookstores to find out if they are sponsoring book clubs. Also, on the Web, you can google Book Clubs or Meet the Author to learn about these groups in your locality.

Set up talks and presentations you give in all kinds of unusual places: craft stores, restaurants, health clubs, medical clinics/hospitals that provide education to patients, etc. all depending on your topic area.

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Valerie Connelly is an author, publisher and radio talk show host. Visit valerieconnelly.com/ valerieconnelly.com/ to read her weekly blog and to dialog with her.