One Word After Another

Dear Me,

         This is not a friendly, chatty letter, so I’ll skip the greetings.

         I'm here to talk about your writing goals.

Up to now writing has always been a warm, fuzzy hobby that got you through some difficult days.

         In the back of your mind and the bottom of your heart you've always thought you could earn a living through writing.

         It's time to start listening to those private thoughts.

         You're going to start by setting some serious, yet realistic  goals.          

So, you've earned a few bucks by writing.

Stop thinking of the money and career perks.

         Think, instead of the words.

Concentrate on putting one word after another.

         You're writing all over the place: children's, young adult, romance, spooky tales.

         Goals for 2013:

1. Pick a genre and study/write to that.

2. Start with your favorite draft in that genre, finish, polish and submit.

3. Write  two hours, yes I said, two hours every day.

4. Research counts as writing; posting on Facebook does not. Neither does sending e-mails, unless you're writing to an editor or researcher.

5. Create a blog and write, write, write. Here, again, forget about earning money. Just write.

6. Regain the pride you once felt with a finished article, story, etc.

7. Not every Susan, Linda, or Mary can write, so strut your stuff.

8. Your original writers' group died out. Find another., even if it means, gasp!, driving out of town.

9. Recapture the sheer joy of writing. God gave you this gift; rejoice in it.

10. Read everyday. It doesn't matter what  you read. Just read. Reading First Readers and picture books to the grand kids or to kids at the nearby school counts here.

10.WRITE Again, it doesn't matgter what you write. Write a lettter to that hairy old husband of yours, for all I care. Just apply but to chair and write.



11.Don't forget to rewrite!

12. Submit something every week either  to an online-site or by snail mail to a print publisher.

13. Computer acting up? Get a typewriter, if you can find one. Better yet, write in long hand. I know that's a lost art, but long hand slows the brain and allows you to think about what you're trying to say.

14. Stop feeling worry for yourself. You're not the only person to write with disabilities. The only writers without problems are dead writers. Come to think of it: Dead is a disability.



Sincerely,

          your Writing muse.