by Suzan L. Wiener

www.inkthinkerblog.com — Have you hurt a writer’s feelings inadvertently by saying something when you only meant to be helpful? Here are five tips to avoid that problem.

• Always start off your critique by saying something positive about the work. No matter how poorly you might think of the writing, there is a way of writing an encouraging remark, such as “I can see that you have given thought to your story, but…” This way, the writer won’t feel defensive.
• When you write a critique, read it as if you were receiving it instead of you writing it. This way, you will see where you can improve the tone of something you have written. Even if you feel it is an honest assessment of the writing, you can word it in such a way as to not attack the writer personally.
• Don’t be afraid to give your honest opinion of the piece. Keeping it to yourself won’t be of any help if he/she wants to improve their writing, which most serious writers want to do. No one should be afraid of frankness. In fact, they should welcome it. You can always be tactful, even if you’re saying something less than positive.
• Be specific in your feedback. Saying “This stinks” is meaningless. Of course, the writer will know you don’t like the piece, but it won’t make him stop and think about why you don’t like it and he won’t be able to make the right changes without knowing what the problem is.
• If you think the work has no redeeming value whatsoever, it might be a better idea not to give it a critique. Trashing it completely isn’t the right thing to do. You won’t feel good about it and neither will the writer. Remember, the fact that the author bothered to take the time to write, makes him/her worthy of respect.
• Don’t feel that the first critique you do has to be an epic. One paragraph is plenty to start with, and then you can build it up as you gain more experience in critiquing.

For more tips on critiquing, check out these resources:

• How to Deal With Critiquing, by Rich Hamper
• Critiquing: A Gift You Can Give, by Angie Dixon
• Share Your Work at Absolute Write Water Cooler

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Suzan L. Wiener has had numerous articles on writing, stories and shorter pieces published by many major publications such as Canadian Writer’s Journal, MetroSeven, The Writer’s Ezine, Verses, Complete Woman, Mature Living, Mature Years, Reader’s Digest, and the Saturday Evening Post.

Although this article was published by Kristen King, the original author retains all copyright and should be contacted for reprint requests.

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

by Sarah E. White

www.inkthinkerblog.com — Freelance writers can operate from anywhere in the world, and because of the Internet, we can work with editors and write for publications that might not be in the same country, or even on the same continent, as we are. But when you send that perfect story idea overseas, how do you find sources in another part of the world on deadline? Head for the ’Net, of course.

If you have time to spare, you can go to any of a number of Web sites for writers from all over the world that offer “reader request” sections, where a writer can explain his story and request people who would like to be interviewed to contact him. These “interviews” can be conducted entirely online; you hardly have to make contact with the respondents (you should thank everyone who responds, however, even if you don’t use their response).

But if you’re looking for sources on the fly with a deadline looming, you need to look a little more broadly. The Internet can help with that, too. There are numerous Web sites full of sources for writers, such as http://www.sources.com, which lists Canadian experts, and http://www.experts.com, which offers keyword-searchable databases of sources from around the world. Other sites for sources include http://www.researchconnect.com, http://www.expertsearch.co.uk (especially for expert witnesses in the UK, analogous to http://www.expertwitnesses.com.au/ in Australia), and http://www.journalismnet.com/experts. You can find an expert on one of these sites and contact him or her directly to see if they would like to be a source for your story.

The most popular and one of the biggest of these sites is ProfNet, which claims to allow writers access to 11,000 sources from government, small business, public relations firms, and other institutions around the world.

Registration for ProfNet is quick, simple, and free. Almost immediately after signing up, you can post a request, which requires contact information, publication name, a description of the type of information you need, and what your deadline is.

I tried the system recently when I was working on a story about reducing meat in people’s diets. I had written the shell of the story, but it needed some expert sources to jazz it up. So on a Friday morning I signed up on ProfNet and posted my query. In a matter of hours, I had three sources contact me. I “talked to” a dietician, an expert in internal medicine and a health researcher who had just published a book on the topic.

The best part was, I never had to pick up the phone. This type of interviewing is great for those of us who are shy because only those people who are interested in talking are on these types of lists, and you can conduct all your interviews by e-mail if you like.

Although not every interview can or should be conducted by e-mail, if you’re working with sources on the other side of the planet it is much easier to use e-mail because you don’t have to worry about time zones or international phone rates. You can get great quotes quickly, easily, and inexpensively any time of the day or night to make your story perfect.

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Sarah E. White is a freelance writer and editor living in Arkansas. Her home on the Web is http://www.sarahewhite.com.

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

by Susan Johnston

www.inkthinkerblog.com — Let’s face it — even the best writers face their fair share of rejection. It could be because that newspaper just assigned a similar story, or maybe the magazine already filled up that issue, or perhaps the editor is just having an unusually bad day… who knows? Rejection can be disappointing and downright heartbreaking if you agonize over it, but it needn’t keep you from achieving your publishing goals.

First, take heart in the fact that rejection is universal. Every writer has a tale of disappointment and despair, but the successful ones keep at it. Many of Louisa May Alcott’s stories were dismissed by her publisher for being too “sensational,” but Little Women has become a classic. Charles Scriber’s Sons rejected F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first two attempts before finally publishing This Side of Paradise. J.K. Rowling had to submit Harry Potter to more than a dozen publishing houses before her books found a home, and now the books have sold more than 300 million copies. You get the idea. Rejection is not a reflection of you or your writing ability, it’s just a fact of life.

After you’ve processed the initial disappointment, it’s time to evaluate whether your idea and query letter were targeted for the right editor at the right market. If you’re querying a beauty article, did you address your letter to the travel editor by mistake? Did you do your homework or did Magazine X just publish that very same article two months ago? If your response included any kind of feedback (like “not enough research” or “where’s the fresh slant?”), then you should rework your query for next time.

And don’t worry, there can and should be a next time. Have a plan B so you’ll know where to submit your idea next. As you’re brainstorming, make a list of all the publications that might be interested in your story. Obviously you’ll want to offer the idea to your top choice market first, but if Cosmopolitan passes, then you should be ready to send a slightly tweaked query out to Marie Claire or Glamour before you get bogged down by disappointment. If you’re querying by mail, have the envelope addressed and ready to go, because even if your query succeeds on your first attempt, you’ll want to try those other markets with new ideas.

If an editor takes the time to email you personally but says your idea isn’t a fit, don’t take it personally. Many people never get an answer or receive an automated “no thanks” to their query, so getting a personal email is a small (albeit bad-news-bringing) victory. Use this opportunity to thank them for their feedback and offer a few back-up ideas. For example, “I appreciate your getting back to me so quickly, and I wanted to offer you another idea for the magazine.” Or “I know you are very busy, so thank you for your response. Could you tell me what upcoming themes need more content that I could contribute?” At the very least, you now have the name and email address of an actual person, which could be a resource for future queries.

It’s also a good idea to stagger your submissions. If you have pieces in every stage of the submission and writing process, then you won’t come home one day to find a mailbox stuffed full of rejection letters. Plus, you’ll have other projects to focus on and keep you from getting too down on yourself. Keep track of where and when you’re querying in case you need to follow-up or submit to another magazine, but don’t get too hung up on the dates or numbers. Just as a watched pot never boils, it will seem as though you never get good news if you’re constantly refreshing your inbox. Give yourself permission to do other things, like going for a walk, treating yourself to some fro-yo, or curling up with a good book. You may even find an idea for your next query.

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Boston-based writer Susan Johnston is a two time National Scholastic Writing Award-winner. Her writing has appeared in Young Money magazine and Brookline magazine, and at DigsMagazine.com, RentalDecorating.com, and SavvyInsider.com. Read more at www.susan-johnston.com.

Although this article was published by Kristen King, the original author retains all copyright and should be contacted for reprint requests.

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

by Lori Widmer

www.inkthinkerblog.com — I remember the first time I asked a fellow writer, “How can I figure out what to write about?” I got back the standard answer: “Write about what you know.” Uh, okay. Suppose I know very little? I mean, how many of us are experts in anything? I can crochet a nice chain, but does that qualify me to write a detailed article on how to crochet a three-piece suit? (And does anyone really want to crochet a three-piece suit, much less read an article about it?)

Of course not, which means that sage advice that shows up in nearly every book on writing misses the mark completely. Worse, it steers you in the wrong direction, which in the best case would be down the wrong path and in the worst case would be away from writing altogether. In fact, it’s the worst advice imaginable.

Here’s why.

The Pigeonhole
Writing about what you know means you’re not going to learn much more. Suppose you’ve done some rollerblading in your day, and your friends think you’re pretty good. Using our “write what you know” advice, you’re now pigeonholed into writing only about rollerblading. You cannot, and dare not, expand into other areas because you know nothing about it. Right? Of course not, but isn’t that exactly the advice you were given?

As a new writer, you should be doing the opposite. You need to be exploring new areas and finding new things that catch your attention. What have you always wanted to learn about but never had time for? Dog sledding? Retail buying? Backpacking? Pamela Anderson? Software and technology? It can be anything you read about that catches your attention or anything you’ve always wanted to know more about. Don’t worry about being an expert. All you need is a healthy curiosity and a list of experts to give credibility to your article.

Lack of Love
Writing about your passions is also pretty sad advice, but this one holds a bit more merit than writing about what you know. Still, it falls short by quite a bit in terms of really helping a new writer. That’s because it’s tough to nail down your passions and your specialties, especially if you think of it as something you should already love. That’s another reason why this advice doesn’t cut the mustard.

As a writer with over 15 years of experience, I’m hard pressed to give you a list (or even a line item) of things I’m passionate about that I could turn into a specialty or even an article. Sure, I could give you a detailed account of my trip to southern Utah, but that’s hardly a passion.

Instead, change your perspective a bit. Instead of labeling it a specialty or a passion, think of it as an interest in one area or another. For example, I may not be passionate about spending a week being baked alive in August under the intense Utah sun , but I do enjoy traveling to places away from the tourist traps. I have an interest in traveling to relatively untouched places.

The same applies to you. Suppose you enjoy learning about the latest software for your computer. You’re not necessarily living and breathing the technology craze, but you have some interest in what goes on in that market. That interest could translate easily into articles, reviews, weblogs and more.

No Curiosity
The problem with both of these statements is they don’t inspire a writer’s curiosity. One of the toughest things we writers have to deal with is not writer’s block – it’s lack of solid ideas. If we stick to only what we know or are deeply passionate about, we’re going to run out of ideas fast.

Instead, get curious. Sometimes that curiosity can get you through the rough assignments. I remember my first days as a senior editor. I had to learn an entire industry that I found boring and confusing on the surface. I got curious in order to survive. That curiosity saved my career, and it did something better – it created a deep interest and appreciation for a specialty that I still write about today.

Write It All
So forget that advice that’s been hammered into your brain. It’s useless to you if you want to survive as a writer. Instead, follow this advice – write about anything that piques your curiosity. Write to find out about something or to answer a question you’ve always had. Write to understand a problem or to help find a solution. Write to learn and grow. Where you want to go will take you much farther than where you’ve been.

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Lori Widmer is a freelance writer and editor who has many interests and few marketable passions. She may be reached at lwbean@gmail.com.

Although this article was published by Kristen King, the original author retains all copyright and should be contacted for reprint requests.

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King