“I write to teach myself what I already know”. Duane Alan Hahn Faster than a speeding search engine, more powerful than a Ph.D. . . .look up on the screen, it’s an idea, it’s a feeling, it’s real life.” That’s right. When it comes to digging deep into the wellspring of life experiences from which good writing emerges, it is all about you. The things you hear, see, feel, touch, smell and taste offer magnificent material for writing anything from personal essays to poetry and short stories to novels. Research yourself. For a month, make a list of memories that come to mind or stories that you enjoy telling family and friends. Choose two or three that are particularly vivid. What is in those memories that represents “teachable moments” for you and a potential reader? Draw the reader into your world, demonstrate the lesson, then gently return the reader to the present.
“I love being a writer. What I can’t stand is the paperwork”. Peter De Vries
Successful writers are also good business managers. They learn early about the importance of researching markets, acquiring guidelines, checking for comparable works, keeping interview notes, organizing queries, tracking submissions and recording payments. This is the “paperwork” of the writing business. Writers who master these tasks with simple, orderly systems maximize their income. An expensive software program is not necessary. All that’s needed is a ledger page or tabbed index cards. Set aside one day a week to update the organizational paperwork that sustains a productive writer.
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