Write What When

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Write What When?

Or

A Plan for Getting Published

Or

The Tumultuous Writer

I think about writing all the time, so it is my thought that I can’t be the only one. Surely many of you think about your writing as often as I do.

Every experience I have ever had, every plot, fiction or non-fiction, usually triggers a writing deluge. It is a little like being afflicted with a manic-depressive and obsessive-compulsive disorder at the same time. The high starts with an inkling of an idea that I have stumbled across in my mind that I think can be an interesting story line and I can present it in a unique way.

And then it happens, somewhere in the course of putting my musings in some semblance of order, either in my mind or on paper – self-doubt and loathing slithers in. There is no specific time frame when this phenomenon will occur.

I read a lot, and I often wonder if other writers question themselves about their writing.

As I continue to write, I begin to wonder why anyone would be interested in reading what I am writing? Am I beating the proverbial dead horse? Has it all been said and done before by much more talented and creative authors than myself? I begin to question myself about the purpose and point of my topic. Is my writing entertaining? Is my writing educational? Can I bring a new, fresh approach to a topic?

I want to believe I can, and my original enthusiasm will return for a while, and then my enthusiasm will be followed eventually by another crippling, traumatic low.

I have tried to rapidly move forward through a writing, hoping that I could elude my self-doubt and loathing before it even starts – thinking if I could get my story on paper or save it in a file on my computer fast enough so I could avoid my usual impending internal turmoil and conflict. Unfortunately, nothing I tried worked until I decided to devise a plan to write to get published. I needed to detach myself from any potential audience, and strictly look to serve a deliberate topic. Voila!

The solution to my problem was as simple as reading my calendar.

Once I realized that it often takes as long as three months from acceptance to publication, and then added writing, editing, and query time I discovered that literally meant I needed to write about a topic six months before the subject was even on any potential readers radar.

Another way to demonstrate exactly what I am saying is that I actually need to address Christmas topics in June or July, if I expect to get published in December.

This advice mostly targets the magazine market, which can also include newspapers, and weeklies. All of which simple means it is necessary to plan ahead, way ahead, if you intend to crack the holiday feature market. For me, to use a calendar as writing tool is a mind-numbing, awe-inspiring revelation. And there is still more buried literary treasure to be found within the pages of a calendar, if you think of the calendar in a global sense. There are countless holidays and other celebrations around the world that could keep a writer writing almost forever.

So it all boils down to thinking ahead, by simply flipping through the pages of a calendar, and targeting your topic.

If you can research, write and edit faster than I do, and that probably includes everybody then your lead time can be a few months shorter than the five to six months I have suggested.

The best link that I have found to offer this Writing Circle Newsletter Group readers with an on line Calendar for assistance with writing is:
http://www.earthcalendar.net

Site Link contributed by gailey :
http://www.web-holidays.com/

There is a lot of talent among the Writing.Com members and the Writing Circle members who receive this newsletter, and it is my hope that by planning ahead that more of us will find ourselves with publishing credits (or clips) to our name for all our efforts.

This is the November 1st, 2004 Newsletter, and that means according to the calendar plan that I am using that I am now working on, and will be submitting work to publications for March and April 2005. Will you join me?

Sincerely,
The Critic

A site that pays $20.00 for poetry submissions upon acceptance is: http://www.strangehorizons.com


Next Week's Newsletter: How to Chose a Title?

Featured Works From Our Members:

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I have included this author's item as the tool it is intended to be. If you want to market poetry, this item contains some very unique forms.

Featured Works From Non-Members

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This author's item is included more as a personal reminder for me . Publication, to me, implies a quest for perfection in the written word - &^%%$&&*

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #691591 by Not Available.

Well, want to write something new, different, and exciting? Write a song, maybe? Not all singers, are song writers, therefore not all song writers need to be singers. Makes sense to me

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A forum where even if your to shy to ask a question just reading may provide answers.

November is NaNoWriMo:
National Novel Writing Month

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Signing up for NaNo go to the site: http://www.nanowrimo.org/index.php

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Write What When  (ASR) WC Newsletter working on since September 20, 2004 - Delivered Nov. 1st #872732 by The Critic