by Charlotte Firbank-King

To be a writer is common place; to be so obsessed with writing that you have to write every day is a burden, surely? But those of us plagued by this malady don’t feel burdened. We feel deprived when we can’t write. Now is that warped or what? Yet there are those out there who will be nodding in agreement and most seriously, too.
Once we have written the great tome, we look at it and edit it again and again and again.

Eventually, we are absolutely certain every comma and period is in place. There is not one tiny little typo left. What can be rephrased brilliantly has been done. We sigh and caress it once more with a confident eye.

Just a quick glance, though.

There is a comma missing!

Panic sets in, and such is the paranoia of this breed of writer that we will edit all one hundred and twenty thousand words. Again.

Although we’re pretty sure it needs nothing more than a proofread, we send it out for an edit. We wait with bated breath for its return, consoling ourselves with the knowledge that there may be one or two little typos we may have missed.

It comes back and we open the file.

The margin is riddled with comments and the text is marked with additions and deletions. First there is disbelief. An idiot surely edited this. Then anger. Our brilliant moments are labelled wordy or just too much. Then astonishment.

But as we get into the edit, we begin to feel energized. The editor was right—our character does need a hobby. Coin-collecting adds a new dimension to his persona and makes him so much more real. And the plot was slow in the middle. Adding a subplot with the brother-in-law adds appeal and gives credence to the ending. And yes, the setting does need a bit more description to take us right there, and yes, the reading is so much more interesting when we tighten the dialogue.

And so it is. If we open our minds to instruction and if we study our craft, we will become much better writers and yes, eventually, we will succeed.

Winston Churchill said:
Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him out to the public.

(c) copyright 2010 Charlotte Firbank-King. All Rights Reserved.

by Sandy Tritt

So you have to write a book proposal. Okay, the first thing you should do is panic. That’s right. Panic. After all, writing a book proposal is akin to stepping out of a plane at 10,000 feet and praying you’ll have enough wits to pull your parachute release at the right moment. Or standing in front of 15,000 professionals to give a sixty-minute presentation—without knowing the subject you’re to have prepared. Or taking your fifteen-year-old out to drive for the first time—in rush hour traffic. In downtown Rome. Fear Factor has nothing on book professionals. Eating bugs is easy. Writing a proposal? Yikes! If that doesn’t get your heart pumping hard enough and long enough to count as your daily aerobic exercise, you just might be dead.

Assuming you’ve survived the panic step, it’s time to move to the next stage: Avoidance. This usually starts by playing computer solitaire or scrubbing the garbage disposal. It can last for weeks or even months. Once your garage is alphabetized, your basement sanitized, and every item in your closet starched, pressed, and color-coordinated, it’s time to move on to the third step: Actually Doing Something.

Now what? Sit down at your computer, sign onto your word processing program, open a new document, and save it as “manuscript name Book Proposal,” replacing manuscript name with the name of your manuscript. If you’ve already chosen the agent or publisher to whom you’ll be submitting your proposal, review the suggested proposal contents. Most will provide a list of what to include, which may or may not include a cover page, table of contents, sell sheet, biographical sketch, book description, chapter outline, sample chapters, market analysis, competitive analysis, marketing plan, and manuscript history. If you haven’t selected the recipients or if you want to create an all-purpose proposal, that’s fine; just include all the items in the above list. You’ve already panicked and you’ve already avoided, so breathe slowly into a paper bag and stay with me. In your open document, put the first requirement at the top of the page. Insert a page break and type the second requirement. Insert a page break and type the third. And so on, until you have one page for each part of the book proposal. Now, you are ready to move on to the next stage: Writing Your Proposal.

Start with the Cover Page. Type the name of your book, your name, your mailing address, your email address, and the genre and word count of your manuscript. Center it on the page and make it look nice. Insert a page break and go to the next page, Table of Contents. This means the table of contents of your book proposal, not your manuscript. List each of the remaining items in your book proposal and leave a space to fill in the page number later. Wow. You’ve already knocked off two of those empty pages. Now, take a look at the pages that are left. Which one is the easiest for you? Perhaps you know exactly which chapter or chapters you want to include for the Sample Chapters. Copy and paste them into your book proposal. Another page done. Perhaps you’ve already written a synopsis of your work. Copy and paste it into your Sell Sheet. Now, again, look at what pages you have left and pick the easiest one. If you need to write a bio, remember the agent or editor is looking for why you are the best person to write this specific book, so unless having spent six months in the hospital when you were eight directly affects your ability to write this book, don’t mention it. Likewise, don’t mention your parents or your siblings or your first grade teacher unless they directly affect your book. Instead, choose your education, professional experience, and writing history—awards, publications, and completions. Type this on the Biographical Sketch page.

Look again at your remaining pages. The Competitive Analysis. This is the part that scared me the most, but turned out to be the easiest. I’d suggest making a trip to a large bookstore or your local library. Find the place on the bookshelf where your book should appear, and look at the books that surround this space. Select the best known ones and write their title, author, publisher, and a sentence or two to describe the book. Then write another sentence or two on what your book offers that this one doesn’t. You only need four or five books. And you’re done with another blank page.

Okay, what’s left? The Book Description. Describe your book, including its purpose, its intended audience, and what the reader will take away when he or she reads the book. Include what makes your book unique or compelling. The Market Analysis. Identify your book or novel’s audience—the specific type of person who will read your book, such as parents of newborns or young people who are preparing to join the military, and then describe your ability, if any, to sell books at speaking engagements, conferences, book signings, and other events. The Marketing Plan is simply reassuring the agent or editor there is a market for your book and you are able and willing to help market it. List ways in which you will assist in the marketing of your book: perhaps you will set up a website, create promotional giveaways such as bookmarks or postcards, arrange your own book signing, or attend conferences where people will be interested in this subject. If a Manuscript History is requested, list any editors or publishers who’ve reviewed your manuscript and the ensuing result.

Now, we have only one area left: Chapter Summary. Although this may take a bit more time, it shouldn’t be a difficult task. First, list your chapters by number and/or by name. Then, look over the chapter and write a paragraph that summarizes that chapter. Many times, the chapter’s opening and closing paragraphs will give you this information. If not, list the most important topics or ideas covered in this chapter. Now, go back and enter the page numbers on your table of contents. And guess what? You’re finished. Yep. Done. DO NOT bind it unless the editor or agent has requested you do so. All you have to do is proof it, send it out, and pray.

That wasn’t so hard, was it?

Oh, and if you can’t get past steps one and two (Panic and Avoidance), shoot off an email to us at IFWeditors@gmail.com. We offer a variety services to edit or write your submission package (which may include a query letter, synopsis, cover letter and/or book proposal). Do note that as a general rule, most agents or publishers will first request a query letter. For fiction, they will then often request a synopsis and the first three chapters. For nonfiction, they will often request a book proposal. Some will also request a book proposal for fiction. We do not usually recommend writing a book proposal for fiction queries unless requested by a specific agent or publisher. Regardless of what you need, we can take out the fear and add in some professionalism. Just give us a call!

For more great tips and expert advice, visit our website at www.InspirationForWriters.com.

(c)Copyright 2010 by Inspiration for Writers, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

By Rhonda Browning White

The most ardent, self-disciplined taskmasters occasionally have weak moments when we find it hard to write, but it’s important to work through those feeble hours. How do we do it? How do we make writing a priority and encourage ourselves to put words on the page? These easy steps will keep you going through the driest days of writing drought (and doubt).

1. Give yourself permission to write. To whom does this dream, this life-goal, this road to success belong? It belongs to you! So why do you need anyone else’s permission to pursue it? Simply put, you don’t. You only need your permission. So what are you waiting for? Go write!

2. Beat your doubt into submission. Face it; you’re not going to wake up each morning eager to jump headlong into writing. In fact, most days you won’t even want to get out of bed without hitting the snooze button at least once. Don’t wait for the Muse to sit on your shoulder. She’s a fickle little witch, anyway. You don’t need her. Write without her, just to spite her!

3. Write down your dreams. Start big! New York Times Bestseller list? Fine. Now break it down. Might need to write a book first, right? That’ll mean finding an agent, as well. How will she know you’re any good? Ahhh, yes, she’ll see your list of bylines. Don’t have any? Time to write some short stories, articles or poems. Have you already written some good ones? Then send them out! Breaking your dreams into manageable pieces is the first thing to do. Then take one step toward completing those steps each week (or each day)! And keep writing.

4. Accept that you’ll never see the bottom of the laundry basket. There will always be clothes to wash, pots to scour, floors to mop and bathtubs to scrub. And they’ll be there after you’ve finished writing today. (Trust me; the housecleaning fairy doesn’t exist—I’ve set many traps for her, to no avail). If dinner isn’t started on time, order pizza, and keep writing. Ask your family to pitch in and help with chores. If they ignore your pleas, they’ll figure out that someone needs to go to the grocery store when the cupboards are bare. In the meantime, keep writing.

5. Learn to accept rejection. Realize that a rejection of your manuscript isn’t a rejection of you, as a person. It doesn’t mean you’re a terrible writer. It may simply mean that your work was too long, too short, too funny, too sad, or didn’t fit the space or theme of a particular magazine’s forthcoming subscription. Or it could be that the agent or editor simply doesn’t like the genre or style in which you write. The next agent might think it’s the best thing she’s ever read! Rejection happens. Get over it, and keep writing.

6. Submit your work. The best thing I know of to inspire more writing is publication. Of course, you have to take a moment to dance your way back from the mailbox, and you may have to crack open a bottle of champagne, or go out to dinner tonight to celebrate. But as soon as you return home, start writing. It’s important to feed the excitement of inspiration with words and more words. And more words. Your words. Build off your own momentum. Keep writing!

(c) 2010 Inspiration for Writers, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

“Ten Things You Can Do To Support Your Favorite Book or Blog”

1. TALK ABOUT THE BOOK/BLOG with friends, colleagues, and contacts. Are you part of a reading group? Suggest the book be read and discussed.

2. CREATE AN EMAIL SIGNATURE with comments and a link to the book/blog. People who get your emails are apt to check out the link especially if you have known the person for a while. They will trust your suggestions.

3. WRITE A FAVORABLE REVIEW for the book at Amazon.com and any of the other online book seller’s sites you frequent. Link this in an email signature and your own blog or enewsletter.

4. WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR of the local paper or for any newsletters you receive from the groups and organizations you belong to.

5. CARRY YOUR COPY OF THE BOOK WITH YOU to the places you go. Take the opportunity to strike up a conversation about the book with people.

6. GIVE THE BOOK AS A GIFT to people you think might enjoy it.

7. REQUEST THE BOOK BE CARRIED IN BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES.

8. ADD A LINK TO THE BOOK/BLOG WEBSITE as part of your blog or newsletters.

9. ASK THE AUTHOR FOR EXTRA POST CARDS OR BUSINESS CARDS OR BOOKMARKS and give them to friends. You can also drop them in the bills you pay.

10. WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT THE BOOK ON YOUR BLOG and provide a link to the author’s website and online sources for buying the book.

These are also great ways to promote your own books!

***********************************

CONTEST TIME! CALLING ALL ROMANCE READERS AND WRITERS…

I have way too many romance novels and other goodies collected recently at the Romantic Times Booklover’s Convention in Columbus, OH in April and I’m sending them to one lucky IFW blog reader! That lucky reader could be you. All you have to do is respond to this blog or send me an email and tell me briefly why you love to read romance novels and you will be entered into the drawing for a super tote bag, novels, and goodies. DEADLINE IS JULY 31, 2010 AT MIDNIGHT. Good luck! Winner will be announced in my next blog 8/9/10.

Be well, write well,
Joy Held
“Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity”, New Leaf Books, 2003.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1930076002/qid%3D1061687714/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr_11_1/103-9897257-3543837#product-details

My email: Joy@InspirationForWriters.com

What I’m reading right now (just finished!)
RIVALS, A BASEBALL GREAT NOVEL, by Tim Green
Read my review at kidsreads.com
http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/9780061626920.asp

What are you reading???

Copyright Joy Held 2010

A “gawking character” is a narrator who tells the reader what happens in a scene instead of letting the reader experience the action directly. This is called narrator intrusion, and it robs the reader of the full experience, thus distancing him from the story. A gawking character looks like this:

Gawking: “Adam saw the orange glow and the black smoke rolling into the sky from where he stood on the corner of the block. As he jogged down the sidewalk toward it, he felt a cool breeze and smelled burning wood. As he ducked under the branch of a tree, he saw the burning house. From where he stood, he felt the intense heat and heard the flames roar and pop. Adam stepped forward toward the open front door but felt the searing heat from the sidewalk drive him back.”

The words in red show you where the narrator steps between the reader and the action and tells the reader what happens. This detracts from the reader’s experience. A scene must allow readers to experience the action directly in order to grab them. Would you prefer to watch a friend eat a hot fudge sundae and tell you how sweet it tastes, or would you want to eat it yourself?

A gawking character is also redundant. The scene is told from the viewpoint character’s perspective, so we already know that we are reading his or her experience. Telling the reader that the character is experiencing the scene is redundant.

Here is the same sentence without the gawking character:

Direct: “Adam glanced up from the corner of Kingwood and Beechurst. The starlit sky glowed orange, and thick smoke rolled across it. He spun on one heel, crunching grit on the sidewalk beneath his shoes, and ran down the street. The cool autumn breeze carried sparks and the smell of burning wood past him. As he brushed the branches of a tree out of his face, the burning house appeared.

A rushing roar filled Adam’s ears, and a wave of heat lifted the hairs on his tan arms. Shading his blue eyes with his hand, he squinted against the blinding light. Flames engulfed every inch of the house and licked at the cloudless sky. They popped and crackled from inside the house, the sounds echoing down the empty street. Adam rushed toward the front porch, but the heat seared his face. He fell back.”

This time, the narrator does not water down the scene. We see no “Adam felt,” “Adam saw,” “Adam heard.” Instead, the reader is the one standing on the sidewalk, seeing the flames, feeling their heat, hearing their roar. This direct experience captivates readers and keeps them interested.

Nonphysical Gawking

A gawking character can also filter internal experiences, such as thoughts or emotions. Again, if the scene is being told from the viewpoint character’s perspective, we can assume that any thoughts belong to that character (unless he or she can read others’ thoughts or sense emotions).

Gawking: “Blood soaked through the fabric, and Preston realized he had plunged the blade into Jack’s side.”

Since this scene is told from Preston’s point of view, he can be the only one who realizes something. We don’t need to state the obvious.

Direct: “A red stain spread across Jack’s gut, matting the shirt to his skin. The silver blade glinted from where Preston had plunged it in Jack’s side.”

The same holds true for emotions:

Gawking: “I felt worried, but a breeze made me feel a little better.”

This is told in first person point of view, so the narrator must be the one who felt worried. After all, he cannot feel another character’s emotions. So, stating what the narrator felt is redundant.

Direct: “My stomach churned, but the crisp air cooled my feverish skin and the nausea settled for the moment.”

If you take out the gawking character, your readers can experience every scene directly. Any less cheats them out of the story and, in the end, loses them.

Tips for surviving a writer’s conference.

Darwin was right when he coined, “Survival of the fittest.” You have to be in good shape to survive a writer’s conference. The travel, the workshops, the food, the smiling, the walking, and the parties are enough to bring the healthiest of writers to their tender knees. The hours, the reading, the listening, and the networking can make a writer’s conference fun or a big fat flop.

Most cons for writer folk are pretty well organized. Honestly, how easy can it be herding a bunch of people who spend most of their “productive” time sitting still and perched on the edge of a rolling office chair from Office Depot? They are not in the habit of moving at light speed for much of anything unless it’s the mail to collect acceptance letters, checks, and of course, letters of rejection. Even though they should, most writers “forget” to exercise on a daily basis and that makes the exercise of attending conference workshops a challenge for some.

However, you may be one of the few writers I met in the fitness center of the Hyatt hotel two weeks ago as I was exercising while attending the Romantic Times Booklover’s Convention 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. Wait. The only other people on the equipment with me were male romance cover models keeping their pecs in working order for the pageant and the picture sessions. I took my yoga mat with me, but when I saw the parade of cover models taking the elevators to the basement, I followed and was not disappointed. The scenery was great but the exercise allowed me to function and come home from the con only a little worn out and able to rejoin the normal household pace without much more than a two-hour nap. Most of the other writers I know who attend this conference need three days to recover. I don’t have that luxury.

Besides taking your yoga mat, what else should you do to “survive” a writer’s conference? Here are my ideas:

1. Prepare. Start early on preparations including getting eight hours of sleep several nights before going to the conference.

2. Food. Pack any particular foods you must eat. Don’t rely on local food availabilities to provide what you’re used to eating. I limit the amount of white flour and high fructose corn syrup I eat, so I packed a loaf of white spelt bread and took a six-pack of bottled water to save money. I even called the hotel restaurant ahead of time so I could plan my meals around what they serve that I can eat.

3. Exercise. Committ to exercise at least once (should exercise a few minutes a day) while at the conference. That’s why I packed my yoga mat. Ten minutes of yoga in the morning before the workshops made a huge difference to my energy levels and my attitude all day.

4. Water. Drink water and lots of it. No matter what everyone else is drinking, you should drink more water than usual while at conferences. Water is cleansing and calming. For every glass of wine or beer you deposit, drink two of water.

5. Advance planning. Plan your workshops in advance. Even if you do not get the workshop schedule until you arrive, take fifteen minutes to make a list of the sessions you want to attend. Check the maps (if one is provided) and be reasonable about how much distance you can cover between sessions. The walking at con does not count as exercise it only contributes to exhaustion. And wear reasonable shoes.

6. Pamper yourself. Take pampering tools with you. A few drops of lavender oil in the bath water will revitalize and even your temperament so you can cope with the hectic pace and crowds of conferences. Driving? Pack the motorized foot bath and soak your feet every night!

So many great things normally happen at a writer’s conference no matter what level or type of writer you are. Pack your patience, your best attitude, and your yoga mat and you will come home with good information and perhaps a new book contract like I did!

You get out of a writer’s con what you put in to it. Stuff it with positivity and that’s what you’ll get in return.

Get thee to the nearest writer’s con soon, but be smart and healthy about it!

Be well, write well,
Joy Held
copyright 2010

Right now I’m reading Vengeance Road, by Rick Mofina, www.rickmofina.com.
Love it! Action, mystery, suspense and really well written. Met him at RT con! Check it out!
What are YOU reading?

Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity
Joy Held
New Leaf Books, 2003
www.newleafbooks.com

Show and tell. This is one of the most important rules in writing fiction. Always “show” the story, never “tell” it. Of course, there are times when passages of “telling” are necessary (i.e. in narrative summary). There are some incidences where it’s acceptable, such as in transitions. Or perhaps there’s a jump in time that needs to be conveyed. But for the most part, the more a writer “shows,” the better.

What is showing? Showing takes place in real time; we see things unfold as they happen. Showing shows us where we are, gives us a location we can picture. Then there’s action, something that happens, and with that comes dialogue.

Ever hear the saying: Actions speak louder than words? The same rule applies to writing. Actions bring characters to life, it makes your characters believable, and it makes us a part of the story and a part of them. We’ll learn more about a character and become more connected to them by what they do, rather than by what the narrator “tells” us they do. It also brings in the five senses: touch, taste, see, smell, and feel.

Here’s a brief example below. Both lines are saying the same thing, only one is “telling” and the other is “showing:”

TELLING: Michael was scared. But he tried to hide it.

SHOWING: Michael took a deep breath and puffed up his chest. But his hand trembled when he reached for the doorknob. He stuffed it in his pocket, then turned to his companion and chuckled.

Which lines engage you more as a reader? Notice the second lines show “action,” whereas the first lines “tell” what he’s feeling.

One tip I always give to clients on how to show and not tell is to start with the object and have it “do something.” Another key is to cut the “was” phrases.

BEFORE: It was early in the morning. The sun was coming up over the horizon and shining on the crops of flax.

Here, the object is the sun. In the second sentence we begin with the “object,” but we have that troublesome “was” phrase, which makes this passage “telling.”

AFTER: The morning sun cast lances of light over the blue and purple valleys. A breeze carried the scent of flaxen crops and manure to the early risers.

Notice the deleted “was” phrases and how we start with the object and we have that object “do something.” Also, notice how we had room to add more from the five senses, such as smell.

That example was a bit complicated, so let’s break it down into something more simple.

BEFORE: The breeze was cold.

AFTER: The Canadian breeze sliced through his coat and nipped his skin.

Now, I’m not saying these can’t be worded better, but the idea is to have the breeze “do something.” In this case, the breeze is slicing and nipping.

Hope this has been helpful, and if anyone has something to add, please do!

Happy writing!

Sandi

To Writer’s Conference Or Not?

Unless it’s in your backyard, the cost of attending writer’s conferences these days is prohibitive for many writers of all levels. A conference is a unique experience and there are many pros and cons to attending. You’ve surely read or heard about the networking principle and how meeting other writers and attending workshops and panels with industry professionals usually contributes a great deal of positive energy and information to your work as a writer. But is it worth it in the long run to pay for transportation, hotel, food, the conference, and shipping your booty back home from the hotel? Short answer: yes, but you should choose carefully in order to get the most bang for your buck and time.

I’ve attended many conferences over the last twenty years. From small local gatherings to large meetings with 2000 romance writers standing in line at the ladies room, and I have never regretted going to any of them. Each one provided me with another notch of understanding what it takes to be a writer who can claim the ultimate label of published author. Sure, I had to wear the scarlett letter on my name badge for several years: Aspiring Writer, but the more I absorbed and the more I applied and the more I practiced the habits of published writers the sooner I ditched the ‘aspiring’ title and now proudly wear the published author name tag. I even hang a color photo of my published book covers from the bottom of my conference name tag to validate my status. But it took many years of internship at conferences before everything changed.

It wasn’t just attending conferences that changed my status from aspiring to published. The more I circulated with other writers in the same boat or whose ship had come in, the more I learned how to behave like a published author. Like any good writer, I applied the practices we use to gather good material for our stories to attending conferences. I dressed like the published authors. I sat near them in the bars and restaurants and listened to them talk to their editors and agents. I volunteered to work for the conference and more than once helped famous authors set up their workshops or arrange for transportation. I struck up random conversations with editors and other aspiring writers about contemporary topics like the future of ebook readers and print on demand publishing. I attended sessions that included panels of editors, agents, and published authors. Although I heard the same information repeatedly, I filed it all away and eventually it all paid off.

Look for conferences that are within your budget and neighborhood first. Save your money and attend a big national conference every two or three years. Save the workshop materials in a file. Take a small notebook with you everywhere and make notes about what you see and hear at the conference. And save all your “aspiring writer” name tags for the scrapbook until one day you get the “published author” badge and everything changes. Just remember to be nice to all the “aspiring writers” you meet. You never know when one will be the next published author. It could be you!

Be well, write well,
Joy Held
www.writerwellness.com

I will be leading a workshop at the 2010 Romantic Times Booklovers Convention, April 28-May 2 in Columbus, OH. My workshop is titled “Your Brain On Yoga: How Exercise and Nutrition Make You A Better Writer.” www.rtconvention.com.

Are you going to a writer con soon? Tell me about it!

“Twenty Reasons Why Journaling Is A Writer’s Best Friend”

Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depth of your heart; confess to yourself you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Keeping a journal is good exercise for writers. Here are twenty good reasons why writers should keep a journal.

1. Good opportunity to clear your head of distractions before working on writing projects

2. Good source of story and poem ideas

3. Serves as a personal history that helps you learn from your past

4. Excellent place for exploring a wide range of emotions without judgement

5. Allows for deep self-observation of habits and patterns that can either be supportive or destructive

6. Creates awareness of growth and change

7. Opportunity to function in the present moment even if you are writing about the past

8. Serves as self-counseling to work through problems

9. Good place to explore boundaries, how to set them, when to break them

10. Allows a writer to connect with herself and the world in a deeply satisfying way

11. Great place to discover what you believe in and what your personal truth is

12. Discover what truthful writing is

13. Great practice for shutting down the inner critic before working on a writing project

14. Teaches you how to focus intently on something until it is finished

15. Helps you understand patterns of behavior in your life and allows you to explore changes and consequences in the journal before trying them out in real life

16. Repetitive themes and motifs enable you to identify your passions

17. Helps you to recognize your purpose in life and in writing

18. Teaches you patience and acceptance of the time it takes for things to evolve and change

19. Journal writing teaches you to appreciate form, space, and design necessary to visualize successful writing projects

20. Teaches compassion toward yourself and others as you recognize your own flaws and how those traits make you special.

There are no “journal police” and no specific rules about how to journal. Just grab something to write with and explore the many benefits a writer can experience by keeping a regular journal practice.

Be well, write well.
Joy Held
Copyright 2010