The Best Writing Advice by Steph Beth Nickel

So many writing adages . . .

• Write what you know.
• Show don’t tell.
• Write every day.
• Write to market.
• To be a writer, you have to write.
• Write what you want to read.
• Write what you need to read. And so on and so on and so on.

All these pieces of advice have their place. But do they apply to every writer at all times? Do any of them apply to any writer at all times?

My response: a categorical no.

The most insightful piece of information I’ve ever come across is this: Each writer is unique and must find their own best practices.

Following an A-Z list of How to Become a Successful Writer might be appealing, but there are too many variables that are beyond our control.

Plus . . .

Would any of us like to think there was a guaranteed formula that applies to every writer?

While there are times such a formula might be useful, for many of us, it would eliminate—or at least minimize—our favourite part of the process, creativity.

Likely the most challenging element of accepting ourselves as unique individuals is to commit to trial and error to see what works best for us.

Most of us would agree that writing only what we know has its limits. Using our knowledge and interests as a jumping off spot, however . . . That can be super helpful and may very well get the creative juices flowing.

While showing rather than telling adds depth to both fiction and nonfiction, there are times simply telling our readers a fact is the best option.

Some writers must write every day, if even for a few minutes. Others cannot commit to doing so for a wide variety of reasons.

The idea of writing to market has its upside and its downside. Each of us must weigh the pros and cons of allowing oft-changing market trends to determine what we write.

We are writers when we’re writing—and when we’re not. Writing involves so much more than putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.

It’s helpful to enjoy what we’re writing. However, most of us can find a plethora of books that we enjoy, that motivate, encourage, and entertain us. So, enjoyment alone is rarely enough reason to write—unless we’re writing for our eyes only.

Writing what we need to read may be a more powerful motivation. Plus, we may very well find holes in the market, whether the information is outdated or missing a unique perspective that we could bring to the subject. 

As I said, all of the above adages have their place, but I would encourage you to embrace your uniqueness and explore what works best for you at this point, knowing that what worked yesterday may need tweaking. And what will work tomorrow? That remains to be seen.

Graphic Credit: Tips Tricks And - Free photo on Pixabay

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the current InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in this year or next. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)

Why I Write by Steph Beth Nickel

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Colossians 3:17 ESV).

As Christians, this is supposed to be our motivation for everything we do. We are to seek to honour God and bless others at all times.

When Jesus was asked which was the most important commandment, He said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37 ESV).

All our heart, soul, and mind ... If we love God with our entire being, that love will flow through us. It will flow through the words we write. Even if we're writing for the secular marketplace, our words should reflect our worldview.

I write about a wide variety of topics: Christian living, fitness, even writing. I write blog posts, devotionals, and nonfiction books. I have begun work on a new brand, Nurture and Inspire. I hope to release 1-3 ebooks this fall. And at some point in the future, I would like to work on a series of novels or novellas that would also fall under the N & I line.

What are some of the reasons I write?

I'm a communicator.
If you know me personally, you know I like to talk. Years ago, when I apologetically said to a friend that I talked a lot, she said I did, but it was because I had a lot to say. I hope what I have to say is an encouragement to those who hear me speak and those who read my words.

Others have asked me to write.
When others have approached me to be regular contributors to their blog, I've been humbled and honoured. It's like someone inviting me to their home on a regular basis. Being the extrovert I am, I do an internal happy dance just thinking about it.

I've been told others have been blessed by my words.
I once wrote a poem called "Writing for One." If one person is blessed by something I've written, I'm over the moon. Joanna Penn, among other writing instructors, says we must each determine what success means to us. Blessing that one other person is definitely my idea of success. Not very commercially sound but true nonetheless.

I can't imagine not writing in one form or another.
I remember being asked if I could not write. I thought about making a living from my writing. While I'd like to do so, I could set that dream aside. But set aside writing altogether? I don't think so. It's part of my DNA. I refer to my for-my-eyes-only journalling as "rambling until I stumble upon truth." Talking things out or writing them down is how I make sense of the world.

At some point, I would like to create scalable income from my writing and writing-related endeavours so my hubby doesn't have to work so hard.
Physical books. eBooks. Courses. Affiliate links. Speaking gigs. I'm pursuing a number of possibilities, but in the end, the most important thing is that I accomplish what God has planned and purposed for me.

Is the motivation for everything I write to honour God and bless others?
I know God created me to be a communicator and has opened many doors for my writing. However, if I'm being completely honest about what motivates me to put pen to paper and fingers to keyboard, I'd have to say I'm not always motivated primarily by Colossians 3:17. But I pray this verse will increasingly become my guiding principle.

What about you? Why do you write? If Colossians 3:17 became your theme verse, would it change what you write?

Finishing School. Book Review by Brenda Leyland

Finishing School
The Happy Ending to That Writing Project
You Can't Seem to Get Done

by Cary Tennis and Danelle Morton

TarcherPerigee 2017

An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

“Not finishing a piece of writing can feel like the death of a dream. . . . Many writers start strong, with big ambitions, but eventually reach a crisis of completion.” CARY TENNIS 

Sound familiar? Has your beloved writing project reached a crisis of completion? Maybe you don’t know how to finish it or something keeps getting in the way of finishing it. Maybe you don't even want to finish at this point, though you know deep down you do. And, when you think about working on it, often feelings of shame, failure, and guilt show up, which certainly don't help. If that's the case, dear reader, take courage -- I might have just the book you need. Hot off the press, Finishing School promises to help writers out of their slumps and get back on track.

“Finishing School restores order to your work. It helps you set aside a realistic number of hours each week and define a task that can be completed in whatever time you have. Every week you finish something and, week by week, you get the project done.”

Finishing School is a breath of fresh air. Bestselling author Anne Lamott is quoted as saying, "I love Cary Tennis's mind, and heart, and work." I agree. It's about Tennis and Morton offering a simple method, without fuss or too many rules, to help you complete the project. All without judgment.

The book is filled with great self-discovery anecdotal material by both established authors. Divided into two parts, they first identify their own struggles with six emotional pitfalls that cause many writers to falter, even give up. Perhaps you recognize them: Doubt, Shame, Yearning, Fear, Judgment, and Arrogance. In the book's second half, the authors talk about the Finishing School method and how it works.

Cary Tennis convened the first class of Finishing School and Danelle Morton was his first pupil. Both had long-dormant projects they were desperate to complete. Their journey of discovery in this school  eventually became the basis for this book. Tennis encouraged his students to give their project the status of 'most important work in your life'—setting it in a ‘sacred’ place in your mind and reminding you to honour your commitment to it.

Although the book was written for writers, the method used is easily transferable for anyone who has a large task they want to finish. As Tennis says, “If finishing this project is something you really want to do, you have to go after it with everything you have within you.” Finishing School is the book that could help you do it.

---------- 

Sensitive Reader Discretion: A small amount of cuss words are scattered throughout the book.

Brenda Leyland is working on her Project 60: gathering the memories of a lifetime lived thus far. She invites you to visit her blog at It's A Beautiful Life and connect with her on Facebook.

Teenage Writer? Whaaa?

If you're a teenager who likes to write, keep at it.  If you have the desire to write, it's because you're a writer.  Only writers want to write. Others may wish they could or would, but they don't want to dig in and do it.  So, stir up the gift that is in you.  Here are five things you can do to fan your talent into flame:

1.  Always jot down your grand ideas.  Don't tell yourself you'll remember such dynamic words or powerful sentences, because you won't.  You'll later spend two hours digging inside your head, only to pull out a few clumps of tangled letters and syllables, while your partner complains that you're too preoccupied to follow the movie you chose to watch together.

2.  Save every single poem, article, story or video game idea.  Create a simple filing system to organize your starts, middles and endings.  File your profound discoveries and your excellent word arrangements.  If you wrote an angry poem because your significant other is overlooking you for someone else, don't throw it out, throw him/her out!   File your poem for later motivation, contemplation, and to remind you he/she was not for you anyway.


3.  Write something every day.  Make a deliberate attempt to write at least a phrase or sentence that is out of the ordinary.  Text it to yourself while you wait for your friend to try on seven pairs of shoes, or for your turn on Xbox.  You may want to journal or blog too.  Your Facebook status or Snapchat don't count unless you intentionally write something other than "tbh, lol or whaaa?"

4.  Pretend you're someone else for a few minutes, someone older or someone from another country, or planet.  It doesn't matter, just someone who isn't you.  Act out that character and make a note of what that person would do or say in a specific situation.  Don't do this during a school exam or parental lecture, unless suspension or being grounded is your idea of fun.

5.  Write with your heart first and then your head, but be sure to use both.  Your heart holds the passion for engaging writing, and your head is needed later for editing.  One without the other creates either a mess of bewildering emotion or a textbook.  Writing with only your heart could provide a possible exception to tip #2's "don't throw it out."

When you're dreaming of an eloquent poem or story, one that squeezes your chest in the delicious presence or agonizing absence of love, please reach for your pen, or keyboard.  The wistful far-away look in your eye is actually a poem or story pleading to be written.  Or if you're inspired by an action-packed narrative filled with the angst and anticipation that video games are made of, don't keep it to yourself.  Share it with the world!  You can do it.  You must do it.  You're a writer!

4 Motivating Mind-Sets for Writers – Ramona Heikel

Most of the time, I think we writers have plenty of dreams and ambition, but often our own mind-set can frustrate our writing plans. I’ve been analyzing my own struggles for a while, and what I’ve come up with to resolve them is not new and earth shattering, but works for me.

1. The Fifteen-Minute Motivation

I notice that I am easily overwhelmed by huge tasks. This is true with any job I have to do, whether it is at work, home, hobbies or writing. But I have found that if I can just get started, I’ll be rolling in no time. I discovered this idea because in the winter, I just wanted to come home and veg-out after work, but our dog Tango had visions of romping in the snow. Then I told myself, “Come on, Ramona, you can go for fifteen minutes.” So without even entering the house except to drop my bags and grab the leash, Tango and I would head off, and within five minutes, I’d be as happy as he was to be outdoors in the fresh air. We’d usually walk about a half hour, sometimes more. Now I apply that to my writing. I can grab fifteen minutes just about anytime in my schedule, and once I get going, I may go for hours.

2. Avoiding Distractions (Literally)

I get excited about working on a story I’ve started, but as soon as I look around my home, all the chores and tasks demand my attention. But I have found great success writing in my car or at the proverbial coffee shop. I may only write for an hour or less, but it is amazing how much this accomplishes, probably because I am completely focused, even amid activities and conversations around me.

3. Immediate Rewards for Success

A trick similar to the one above is that I am on my way to do something I enjoy, but I don’t let myself actually go and do it until I’ve written so many words, or gotten to a certain milestone. This happened recently when I needed to get some kindergarten books from the library to help with a contest I was entering, but I didn’t allow myself to go in until I’d written a detailed outline of my story. I was surprised that I could force my mind to focus by dangling the library carrot! That immediate reward encouraged some solid planning that produced a good story.

4. Recognizing the “Tired-Voices”

After work, I want to write, but the later it is in the day, the less I can concentrate and create. I notice that if I’m tired, I am very hard on myself and easily discouraged. I often criticize my ideas, ridicule what I’m writing or convince myself that I have absolutely no talent as a writer. Now that I understand this, I find more success writing in the mornings whenever possible, and am learning to recognize that the “tired-voices” are not necessarily telling the truth.


Helpful? I hope so!

Posted by Ramona
www.happilywriting.com

April Showers Bring May Flowers – Ramona Heikel

The winter of writing will surely melt into spring

Here are 10 reasons that I continue to be motivated to write amid all the other demands of life, and the challenges of our art. 

1. Members of my critique group point out something excellent in a piece of my writing…

…and this is an honest and experienced group, so if they say that I’ve nailed the voice of this character, they must be right, and this piece is definitely worth working on.

2. Successful authors share their own struggles…

…so I see that my frustrations are the same as other writers, which makes me see that I’m a part of the writer community and helps me to stop questioning whether or not I should even write.

3.  I run across a book or magazine that publishes exactly what I’m writing…

…which helps me sharpen my aim, validates my idea and excites me no end.

4.  When I force myself to take a break from writing, I can’t wait to get back to it…

…which confirms to me that my motivations for writing are inherent and genuine.

5.  I read a piece of extraordinary writing…

…and that reminds me of the immense power of the written word to bring beauty and joy to a reader’s heart (yes, even my written words).

6.  One of the students I tutor needs help in writing…

…and I spend our session praising the tiniest of their successes in their creativity or craft.

7.  The mail brings a new issue of a writing newsletter…

…full of tips, inspiration, biographies of other writers, market information, and reasons to sit down right now with a pen and paper.

8.  Non-writer friends and family are impressed that I write…

…and that gives me some perspective.  Even when I feel unproductive as a writer, that reminds me that not every one has the drive to write and publish, and it encourages me to follow this unique calling and not give up.

9. When I do write, all’s well in the world…

…in my writing world, anyway.  And when my writing is going well, it puts a certain peace into my life in general.

10. My prayers for motivation and writing time are answered…

…meaning that God considers these things important enough to act on them, which validates my writing once and for all.

Posted by Ramona

www.happilywriting.com