Guest Blog: Murder Your Darlings (Write for Your Reader)

Murder Your Darlings (Write for Your Reader)
By Rob Parnell

"Murder your darlings" was a phrase coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He was referring to what you might call your "best bits." He believed that these are the very "bits" you should always edit out of your work.

As Elmore Leonard once said, "If I come across anything in my work that smacks of ‘good writing,’ I immediately strike it out."

The theory is that writing you’re particularly proud of is probably self-indulgent and will stand out.

You might think this is good. Wrong.

You will most likely break the "fictive dream." (This is the state of consciousness reached by readers who are absorbed by a writer). And breaking your reader out of this fictive dream is a heinous sin!

Editing out "the best bits" is the hardest thing a novice writer has to do – after all, isn’t it counterproductive to write good things down only to cut them out?

Look at it this way…

When you start out, every word you write is precious. The words are torn from you. You wrestle with them, forcing them to express what you’re trying to say.

When you’re done, you may have only a paragraph or a few pages – but to you the writing shines with inner radiance and significance.

That’s why criticism cuts to the core. You can’t stand the idea of changing a single word in case the sense you’re trying to convey gets lost or distorted.

Worse still, you have moments of doubt when you think you’re a bad writer - criticism will do this every time. Sometimes you might go for months, blocked and worrying over your words and your ability.

There is only one cure for this – to write more; to get words out of your head and on to the page. When you do that, you’re ahead, no matter how bad you think you are.

After all, words are just the tools – a collection of words is not the end result, it is only the medium through which you work. In the same way that a builder uses bricks and wood to build a house – the end result is not about the materials, it’s about creating a place to live.

As you progress in your writing career, you become less touchy about your words. You have to. Editors hack them around without mercy. Agents get you to rewrite great swathes of text they don’t like. Publishers cut out whole sections as irrelevant.

All this hurts – a lot.

But after a while, you realize you’re being helped. That it’s not the words that matter so much as what you’re trying to communicate.

Once you accept that none of the words actually matter, and have the courage to "murder your darlings," you have the makings of the correct professional attitude to ensure your writing career.

This is a tough lesson to learn.

But, as always, the trick is…to keep on writing!

Rob Parnell is a prolific writer who’s published novels, short stories, and articles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, and a teacher who’s conducted writing workshops, critique groups, and seminars.

Please visit Mr. Parnell’s Web site at:

http://easywaytowrite.com

Writing—QED

Writing—QED
By Rob Parnell

Good fiction is about forward thrust.

It's your job to propel the reader through your story without having them feel they are wading through your writing. In fact, your ultimate aim is somehow make the reader feel they're not actually reading at all.

It's what my friend Kenyon calls transparency—the idea that there is nothing between your reader's mind and your story - nothing as ugly as the text getting in the way!

Q.E.D. is a little acronym you might want to use to help you remember what you need to create compelling fiction on every page of your stories. Q.E.D. stands for:

Question

Empathy

Drama

Questions encourage people to look for answers. When readers read fiction they are asking themselves a series of questions about your characters and about your story.

Only when you satisfy your reader by feeding questions and later on providing answers will the reader feel entertained.

At the beginning of a new sheet of paper, ask yourself, What question am I going to place in the reader’s mind on this page?

You must have one - it's what makes the reader keep reading.
Without constantly stoking curiosity, a reader will simply get bored and not read on.

Empathy is crucial too. We looked at this. Not only is it important that you create empathy for your characters early on, you will also need to keep reinforcing it as you go.

Hopefully the actions that your characters make will take care of some of this. But you should be aware that if you feel your characters slipping away from you, it's probably because you're not keeping them human enough to be compelling.

A reader's total empathy with a character can be powerful. It is the hallmark of all good fiction writers. To create a hero that is credible and popular is the goal of most leading authors. Because once you've done that, you can take your readers almost anywhere with them.

When it's done well, the reader is totally in the your thrall and will trust you to take him further, on the adventure that is your novel, or series of novels.

Use it consciously. Readers rarely spot that you're doing it deliberately. They only know what they like and that is, for the time they are reading, they like being your lead character.

Lastly, D is for Drama again. It's important that you create drama, conflict and tension at least once on every page. It's the way of modern fiction.

People want to be entertained. But they've seen it all before. On
TV and at the movies. Try to think of new ways of being dramatic.

Don't get bogged down with description. You don't need long explanations or descriptions of things they are familiar with. It’s just not necessary.

Readers want to be thrown into the thick of things immediately.
There are a hundred ways to do that but most of them involve action, conflict and drama. If you find yourself wandering from the point and nothing in particular is happening, cut back to where the last piece of conflict was, delete all the verbiage and static writing and move off again—this time at high speed!

Imagine you're a soap opera writer where every scene counts, and every exchange is emotionally charged. Try not to sink into melodrama - but be aware that you're writing primarily to entertain.

At the beginning and ending of every new page ask yourself:

Q.E.D? Have I fulfilled the three requirements of compelling fiction?

If the answer is yes then you're probably on the way to becoming the next bestseller writer!

Guest blogger Rob Parnell is a prolific writer who’s published novels, short stories, and articles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, and a teacher who’s conducted writing workshops, critique groups, and seminars.

Please visit Mr. Parnell’s Web site at:

http://easywaytowrite.com

Becoming a Fiction Writer: A 10 Step Guide

Becoming a Fiction Writer: A 10 Step Guide
By Rob Parnell

The urge to write fiction seems God given for some, a learned skill for others.

One thing is certain—it requires practice and a particular mindset. But, if you’re a beginner, where do you start?

The following 10 tips will help kick-start your writing habit, whether you’re a complete novice, or perhaps a pro who has lost his or her way!

1. Step Away From the Car, Sir.

Slightly detach yourself from your surroundings. Stop participating and begin observing. In social situations, watch people, see how they act and—more importantly—interact.

Don’t pass judgment. Take it all in—and draw on it later when you write.

2. Look Harder, Homer

Stop and look around you. Consciously notice the buildings, what’s underfoot, overhead, and what’s right in front of you.

At home, look at something you take for granted. An iron, for instance. Find yours and study it.

3. Write Thinking Will Be Rewarded.

A simple technique. Your mother is making tea and you are chatting to her. Take a mental step back and describe the scene.

Similarly, when you’re outside, describe your environment as though you were writing it down.

4. What Reasons Do You Need?

Don’t wait for inspiration—just write!

Force yourself to write anything at all. A shopping list. An overheard conversation. Describe your bedroom.

It doesn’t matter how personal it is, or how trivial, just get it down!

5. Wakey Wakey!

Set your alarm clock for an hour earlier than normal.

When the alarm goes off, get up. Don’t dress, bathe or eat. Don’t even make coffee. Just stagger to your writing space and write the first thing that comes into your head for five minutes.

6. Oh, God—Not That!

Think of the most awful and embarrassing thing you’ve ever done - the more cringe-worthy the better. Now write about it. All of it, in all its gory, horrible detail.

Then hide it away for a year or so before you read it again!

7. Like Your Style, Baby.

Don’t limit yourself. Write poems, songs, dialogue, fact, fiction, even practice writing advertising copy or horoscopes.

Your expertise improves in all areas – an improvement in one area can reap benefits in another.

8. The Sincerest Form of Flattery

Take out a classic book from your bookcase. Copy out a paragraph. Think about the words as you write them. Don’t get intimidated!

9. Wanna See My Invention?

When you’re not writing, string together stories in your mind. Think of plots, characters, settings, dénouements.

Ask yourself what you should do next to improve your writing.

Develop this technique into a habit.

10. It’s a Goal!

When you start writing regularly, set yourself small goals. Anything from 200 words a day, or just a commitment to writing in your diary.

Later extend to finishing a short story, or an article or a poem. Perhaps one in a week.

The trick is to set goals you can achieve easily.

That way you’ll get the writing habit - and you won’t forget to enjoy it.

Rob Parnell is a prolific writer who’s published novels, short stories, and articles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, and a teacher who’s conducted writing workshops, critique groups, and seminars.

Please visit Mr. Parnell’s Web site at:

http://easywaytowrite.com/

I Can’t Put It Down: How to Write Compelling Fiction

I Can’t Put It Down: How to Write Compelling Fiction
By Rob Parnell

How many times have you heard people say this about a book? Have you ever analyzed the books that people say this about?

I have.

They all share one “secret” in common.

Questions.

Reading is not a passive exercise. Not to the brain, anyway.

As you read and take in the information on the page, the brain is trying to work out where the story is going, what significance certain actions might have. It’s also trying to work out puzzles and generally trying to second-guess the plot.

This is human nature. It’s what makes reading an interactive experience—where you have a kind of relationship with the author for as long as you’re reading

Stories that don’t make the reader ask questions are unsatisfying to read, as are stories where the reader guesses the outcome.

Many writers forget this and write aimlessly in the hope that the reader will like their style and want to read on, no matter what.

This is not a strategy for success! In order to be in control of your story—and your reader—you, the writer should feed them questions.

This is not as difficult as it sounds.

First you need the major question—your book’s reason for being, if you like.

This is in essence the “theme” of your novel summed up in one sentence.

Questions like “Does money create happiness?” or “Will good triumph over evil?” You should subtly place this question in the mind of your reader quite early on in your book, so that the reader is already on a kind of quest for the truth.

Next you have chapter questions that are more specific to your characters. Like “Will Alex overcome his problems?” or “Will Sally win the love of her father?” This gives your reader a reason to read on—just to find out!

Then, you should have smaller questions at every point you can—at least one every 500 words.

Here’s an example:

“Lucy went to see her father. He was angry that she was seeing Brad but she told him there was nothing he could do about it.”

Obviously this is flat and lifeless prose that invites no great speculation.

How about this?

“Lucy stared at her father’s implacable face. When he was like this, she couldn’t gauge his feelings. She swallowed hard. If he were angry, she’d end up with nowhere to live.

“I won’t stop seeing Brad,’ she said, not quite believing her own words.”

You see the difference?

In the second passage the reader is forced to ask three questions.

1. What’s her father thinking?

2. Will Lucy get kicked out?

3. Will she carry on seeing Brad?

Rather than simply stating what your characters think and do, always try to leave an element of uncertainty in the reader’s mind as to what will happen next.

The trick is to get your reader asking questions constantly. Yes - on every page, so that there’s a compulsive need to turn the page, if only to find out the answers.

Good novelists do this unconsciously—they know it’s the best way to tell a story.

Good crime novelists deliberately get you to ask all the WRONG questions so that their plot twists are far more effective.

People keep turning the page in bestselling novels because they are in a constant state of limbo—ignorant of what’s coming next but eager to find out. In effect, it’s almost a state of agitation, even frustration that will keep a reader turning the page.

Has this happened to you?

It’s weird because you almost HATE what you’re reading—there are so many unanswered questions—but you just can’t put it down!

Rob Parnell is a prolific writer who’s published novels, short stories, and articles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, and a teacher who’s conducted writing workshops, critique groups, and seminars.

Please visit Mr. Parnell’s Web site at:

http://easywaytowrite.com
Click here

Revealed—The ROAD MAP to Writing Success

Revealed—The ROAD MAP to Writing Success
By Rob Parnell

There's no secret to success. As the saying goes, success leaves clues.

There is a map.

Ask people who believe they're successful and they will happily tell you about it—the right moves they made, the deals they struck, whatever. They may have worked hard, they may have been lucky, they may have found a secret of their own.

It's individual.

What's clear is that there are as many ways to become successful as there are people. This is good news. It means that YOUR way may not yet have come to pass. It just needs YOU to do it.

Success in writing is often nebulous. Our friends and families might only regard us as successful if we get on the news or get a mention in Who's Who, but this is wrong.

Successful people are happy, not hampered by what they can and can't do, and to some extent in control of their destiny.

How does this apply to writers? Well, successful writers make a living from it, enjoy what they're producing, have some idea where they're going - and feel capable of getting there.

You don't need to be rich and famous to be successful as a writer.

You can be a good writer—and successful because you don't have to do anything else to keep yourself afloat.

There are thousands, hundreds of thousands of writers that do this.

To constantly compare yourself to JK Rowling and Dan Brown and feel like you're a failure is ridiculous—and yet writers do it all the time!

Does a bricklayer worry because he hasn't been asked to create another Hadrian's wall?

Does your average engineer worry because they haven't built a bridge as good as one of Brunel's?

Does a doctor feel a failure because he's not Sir Hans Christiaan Barnard?

Perhaps.

To become a successful writer you need to travel the ROAD. And, in this case, ROAD means:

Read, Observe, Acquire (skills) and Do.

R.O.A.D. Geddit?

Writing is about talent sometimes but most times it's about learning the craft. Reading books and observing people and events will get you a long way into the mindset of a writer. Then, acquiring the skills necessary to put your thoughts on paper is the lifelong task. Knowing grammar, correct punctuation, stylistic elements and developing simple communication skills may be something you learned at school. But if you want to write for a living, you need to continue that education.

Especially if you want to dedicate your writing to particular areas—be it fiction, non-fiction, article writing or whatever. You need to study those areas to familiarize yourself with the territory and know how to compete.

And what about the map I mentioned?

MAP is an acronym which stands for:

Motivation, Application and Persistence.

This map will get you wherever you want to go, whatever your goal.

During the motivation phase you need to come up with lots of reasons why you want to succeed at a particular task. Motivation is not a mood. You can't wait around for it to strike. You can't buy it at the 7-11. It's a force within that is waiting to be unleashed. You have to know what you truly want. You need to think about it and latch on to that special something that makes you excited, gives you pep to continue, get you up in the morning with a fire in your heart.

Too many of us ignore the spark - the thing that will make us special—in favor of the mundane, the workaday, the 9 to 5. Find your spark, your spirit enclosed, and free it.

Application is what you do - your efforts, your sweat, your dedication.

Here's a clue. Every day, make a list of five things you need to do to achieve your goals. Then pick the one that will give you the most pleasure, the one that will fill your wings and help you soar.

That's application.

Persistence? It speaks for itself. Once you know you're good at what you do—and that means learning the skills and requirements of your chosen field - you have to keep going.
Many writers stop or get disheartened too early, before they really know whether they can be successful.

Mistake.

You have to believe in what you do. If you don't, you need to return to the motivation stage and work out what it is that you want. You can't follow the MAP otherwise. Persistence only works if you believe what you're doing is right.

Rejection and lack of interest will kill you if you don't believe in yourself and your work.

The good news is that if you do believe in what you do and persist, that puts you in the top 1% of creative talent. Your work and enthusiasm will carry you forward and onward.

So remember. You may not have the secret. But you do have the ROAD
MAP!

Keep writing!

Newsletter contributing columnist Rob Parnell is a prolific writer who’s published novels, short stories, and articles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, and a teacher who’s conducted writing workshops, critique groups, and seminars.

Please visit Mr. Parnell’s Web site at:

http://easywaytowrite.com
Click here

The Eyes Have It

The Eyes Have It
By Rob Parnell

One of the assets a writer should develop fully is the power to observe.

Most writers grow up instinctively studying the world they inhabit. They have an interest, nay, some might say a fascination for everything around them. Whilst other, less creative people, seem to have no problem accepting life as it appears and transpires, the writer is often in a state of wonder - and takes little for granted.

It starts early on. During childhood I remember taking notes on the changing seasons and on people's appearances and foibles. I also remember thinking that it was my ability to see meaning in what I observed that was somehow important - and that I should one day make sure my impressions were recorded - in fiction or in some other creative way.

Now I realize that most all writers feel this way. It's not so much that the events and the impressions are fabulous in themselves - but that the effect they have on us seems acutely significant.

When we first learn to observe, we let our minds and bodies direct us to inspiration. We write what we feel.

This process inevitably becomes more pragmatic as we get older. Instead of being moved by mundane, everyday things, we later focus on relationships and 'out of the ordinary' experiences - because, when you get past wonder, you need to deliberately look for 'angles' and new insights to entertain your readers.

But there's one particular marvel that I have never grown tired of.

And that is - eyes.

I never grow tired of studying people's eyes.

It's weird because, if you look hard, they seem to say so little. Just two mysterious little orbs that almost everyone has but that are in many ways unfathomable.

Of course, it's the face that frames the eyes that gives them their power. You can see joy, sadness, love, fear and the whole gamut of emotions if you look for them.
The eyes reveal sincerity and honesty. You can tell when people are telling the truth - or when they are feeling something different from what they're saying.
They reveal pain - emotional and physical - even when the person might not be vocalizing that pain.

Nuances like shame, embarrassment, uncertainty, pride, egotism and arrogance are all there too, if you take the time to be extra observant.

If you want to add richness to your writing, study people's eyes. Let them reveal to you the depth of personality that is beyond the immediately apparent. People are rarely one dimensional - everyone is a product of the influences they've encountered. We are all different in this respect - and to appreciate that is the mark of a true creative artist.

Study, but don't stare. People might think you odd - or an author!

Smiling eyes intrigue me - especially in photos. Sometimes the face is saying “happy,” but when you look hard, you can see the smile is often fake - especially in celebrity and model pictures. Take a look at the covers of magazines next time you're out and you'll see what I mean.

Of course, as writers, we sometimes see what we want to see - or interpret emotions and agendas that might not actually be there.

But this makes little difference. Perception is a two way street.

If your mind picks up false impressions, they are no less valid, because the good writer knows that it is the effect of a person's look that is just as important as its intention.

If the lover wants to see love in the eyes of a partner but instead senses ambivalence and contempt - which emotion is the real one?

If you interview someone and they say one thing but you know the opposite is true, which impression should you report? The sound byte - or the glazed expression?

Writers can only draw on their own observations - and process their own thoughts. To read too much into a look is not such a bad thing - especially if you use it in your writing. To see layers in people, to sense their conflicting agendas and to be aware of a person's subtleties are all good qualities in a writer.

Being a good observer makes you a better writer.

Your eyes are your secret weapon.

Use them well - and record what you truly see.

Till next time,

Keep writing!

Rob Parnell is a prolific writer who’s published novels, short stories, and articles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, and a teacher who’s conducted writing workshops, critique groups, and seminars.

Please visit Mr. Parnell’s Web site at:

http://easywaytowrite.com
Click here

Writing—An Act of Magic

Writing—An Act of Magic
By Rob Parnell

You have thoughts. You write them down as words. Later, others read them and your thoughts become theirs.

Spooky, eh?

I’m sure it was once, when the Druids roamed prehistoric Europe, exchanging information in the form of archaic symbols.

I imagine the illiterate masses looked on with awe and not a little fear, convinced these markings the magicians called "words" had power in themselves.

It’s interesting that the echo of the magical context of writing is still with us, contained in the word "spell," with its double meaning.

If you think about it, the question, "How do you SPELL that?" literally means, "How do you conjure that image with symbols?"

The science of semiotics is a broad subject – one that is way outside the scope of these lessons, but I want to share with you its basic premise:

Ahem. The human brain needs to NAME something before it becomes REAL.

The idea is that, before something is named, it doesn’t really exist because either our awareness of it is too dim to understand it, or, if we haven’t noticed it yet, it might as well not be there.

BTW, I’m not making this up. Honest. This is MAJOR level philosophy!

Anyway, the important thing is that once named an object can then "exist" to someone who hasn’t actually seen it!

This is a pretty neat trick, unique to the human race, but also one we take completely for granted.

It’s only words that make this possible.

And it’s also why writing works.

Your job as a writer is to place objects, images and emotions into other people’s heads. Do this well and your career will prosper.

Good writing is a form of hypnosis. You use the rhythm of words to put your readers into a kind of trance, so that they are more receptive to your ideas.

When readers are happy to experience this, they are said to be in the "fictive dream.”

In order to keep your readers "entranced," there must be nothing in your writing that might startle them out of this dream.

Your readers must trust you and be able to give over their imagination to you. You, in turn, must honor that trust by playing by the "rules" of good storytelling.

Anything that jars readers out of their dream is bad.

There’s one technique in particular that can destroy a reader’s confidence in your storytelling skills.

In “authorial intrusion,” you express a personal opinion about a character, situation, or scene, or describe something your characters could not know.

Although you, the author, are considered to be an omniscient viewer and recorder of events, you must also be seen to be objective – and invisible. Though it would seem to contradict common sense, the reader should be unaware of you, the writer.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase, "Willing suspension of disbelief." This is the state of consciousness you’re after.

Readers “know" that they’re being told a story but, because, they like and trust you, they are willing to make a slight shift in their minds and accept what you’re saying as the truth—for the time being.

Therefore, during storytelling, you must never break the spell—that word again—by offering witty asides, stating your views or commenting on the action.

Of course, rules are made to be broken. There are times when authorial intrusion does work.

Some authors use it as a way of introducing a story but quickly retire to the sidelines. A technique as old as storytelling itself!

Others use it at the end of a story, to wrap up events like some movie voice over. It works sometimes - as long as you don’t sound over smart or condescending!

But if you want your reader’s trust, keep them in the fictive dream. Let them live the characters and situations without distraction. Let them enjoy the feeling of being swept along by a story and taken out of themselves for a while.

They’ll love you for it.

Rob Parnell is a prolific writer who’s published novels, short stories, and articles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, and a teacher who’s conducted writing workshops, critique groups, and seminars.

Please visit Mr. Parnell’s Web site at:

http://easywaytowrite.com
Click here

Five Easy Tips to Becoming a Successful Freelance Writer

Five Easy Tips to Becoming a Successful Freelance Writer
By Rob Parnell

Have you noticed recently that everyone's talking about the economic downturn? About how tough things are getting for the average worker? And that property and investments you had a year ago are now about as valuable as plastic ornaments?

To be honest my partner and I, both full time writers, hadn't really noticed the recession creeping up. We rarely follow the news, usually because we're too busy on writing projects.

In fact, money wise, we had our best month last December AND petrol was back to a dollar a liter—so we both felt the world was a cool and groovy place.
We're not the only ones.

If you're an astute surfer you'll also have noticed that writers, in particular, have been bragging about how they seem to have a recession proof profession.
It's true. Think about it.

It doesn't matter if all else is collapsing, in the modern world today, pretty much the only thing that never goes away is news, the need for information, books and publications, movies, TV shows, marketing material and just about anything creative that starts with writing.

It's not really an amazing phenomenon - just a reality.

Recently I've been getting a lot of emails from writers asking, "How can I make extra money? Indeed, any money? How can I use my writing talent to bring cash into the household and help my family? Myself?"

My answer varies depending on the writer.

Some, like JK Rowling, may benefit from hiding away for two years to write a bestseller - she's living proof these things happen.

But let's get more short term here.

Others I suggest they write ebooks and sell them—or other people's—on the Net. Still more I recommend self publishing because I've yet to meet a writer that couldn't make money from POD.

But mostly I urge writers to become freelance - mainly because that's what I did. Not only does it embrace all of the above ideas but there's more, actually many more, opportunities out there than meets the eye of the average would be freelance writer.

Here are five ways to attune yourself to the freelance writer's world.

1. Don't Say No to Anything

Too many new writers say no to certain types of work because they believe that it's not their kind of thing.

Is this crazy or what?

It's like a bricklayer saying, "No, love, no can do. That's not really my kind of wall." or a dentist complaining, "Oops, can't help you, mate, not my kind of teeth."

If you're a writer, you write.

Writing an article on fly-fishing or the affect of the weather on depression is not, I repeat NOT, going to ruin your art with fiction or poetry. I promise you, it will do the exact opposite.

All kinds of people want business reports, marketing copy, newsletter articles, ghost written autobiographies, speeches, jokes, fillers, technical manuals, contracts, resumes, you name it.

Don't limit yourself.

All writing experience is good experience.

2. Don't Rely on the Net

I've lost count of the number of writers who tell me they've tried to find freelance writing work on the Net and end up being badly paid (if it all), abused and / or under-appreciated.

Uh, hello?

You know the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing expecting a different result - so why keep writing for peanuts when you don't have to?
The work is out there, offline, all around you. Perhaps so close you don't even see it. (Or perhaps don't want to see it?)

For every hour you scan the Net looking for phantom writing opportunities you could be calling real businesses in your local neighborhood touting for paying work, or sending out non-fiction pitches to publishers (who always prefer you do this offline anyway), or dropping off leaflets about your services to your local newsagent or library.

Okay, so it doesn't seem as glamorous perhaps, but that's where the real work is. Do you wanna be freelance or not?

3. Believe in Yourself

It's too easy to think you're not good enough or you don't have enough samples.
It's easy but it's an excuse.

Everybody has to start somewhere. I've been getting freelance writing work most of my adult life. Not once have I had to send over a sample, even when I started out.

Tell someone with confidence you can do something and they will believe you. If they don't like what you do, they'll never call you again. But mostly, we writers have a lot more talent and ability than we think.

Only writers beat themselves up about writing.

You'll find that clients change what they don't like and generally pay you anyway.
(Ask any journalist!)

4. Believe in your Voice

If I had to pick one psychological disadvantage that new writers face it's lack of faith in their own voice, also known as writing style (if you're not sure what "voice" is.)

Okay, we all have to learn the basics: punctuation, spelling, grammar, formatting appropriately, etc. These are the minimum requirements if we go freelance. But that stuff's easy. You can learn all you need to know in an afternoon.

But once you know how to edit out your mistakes, don't get too hung up on the words. Your writing should reflect the way you speak and think.

For one thing, it's easier for you, as a writer, to aspire to that.

And getting all formal and literary sounding is usually the sign of a bad writer. Good writers strive all their lives to make the writing smooth and appear natural and effortless.

Trust your own voice. It's what makes you unique.

But, uh, don't forget to learn the basics, will you?

5. Be Persistent

Like anything in life, you need to work at something consistently to get better. Nobody jumps into a helicopter and knows exactly how to fly the thing without practice.

But don't get fooled into thinking you need a professional qualification to get started as a freelance writer. You'll drive yourself crazy with this misnomer - and most likely spend a fortune stifling your innate talent. (I've seen it happen all too often.)

The only thing a would-be freelance writer needs is to persist. Writing is one of those things that improves the more you do it.

And actually getting rejected helps you far more quickly!

So don't delay, get your pen out and start writing. Start actively seeking freelance work - online and more especially, offline. Submit more. Send out more queries, make yourself available.

Letting everyone know you're a freelance writer is a great way to start. (And it costs nothing.)

Sometimes it's your mum or your best friend that knows someone who needs a professional writer.

So take the gig - and do it.

And don't complain it's not your kind of writing!

Newsletter contributing columnist Rob Parnell is a prolific writer who’s published novels, short stories, and articles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, and a teacher who’s conducted writing workshops, critique groups, and seminars.

Please visit Mr. Parnell’s Web site at:

http://easywaytowrite.com
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