Did you know grammar is vitally important to your writing?  Good grammar is essential to good writing. If you never want to have your work published, then good grammar won't matter. But, if you're looking to get published or sell books via self-publishing, good grammar is a must. Grammar Girl can help you out with this. Follow her famous blag to get the best tips and the latest grammar information so your writing can be the best it can be! If you plan to self-publish, or e-publish, hiring a viable editor is essential. Remember, when writing for publication, you are not writing for yourself; you are writing for the reader.  Keeping the reader in mind through using proper grammar goes far in helping sell your work. I've compiled a list of some things good grammar accomplishes for your writing: Good grammar: Keeps your writing fluid Prevents the reader from backtracking Keeps your thoughts organized for the reader Frees the reader to concentrate on your plot Give...

Lately I've seen a regular theme in the writing blogs I follow and that theme is simply that the best avenue to writing is to write. John Steinbeck once said,  “I have written a great many stories and I still don’t know how to go about it except to write it and take my chances.”   He knew that the "secret" to writing is to write. Writing is a process.  In the past two weeks, I've sold two articles (one just this morning!) and they were alike in that they both required a lot of thinking before I actually wrote them down.  I don't have the luxury of a certain time of day I can set aside for writing. I have eight children and am still home schooling my youngest two, so their needs come first.  Even though five of my eight have grown and left home, they call, text and email frequently to talk to their mom, so I'm still in demand in their lives.  (I'm so glad!)  Anyway, I say all that to emphasize that my writing does not have a schedule or predictable t...

While I am a creative writer and relish in the creative process, I have found the necessity of having a plan for my writing.  To earn any type of money through writing, a plan is essential.  Part of my new E-Publishing 101 class will features details of how to put a plan together. Here's a sneak peek: Success at e-publishing requires a plan.  These 4 steps are a great way to help organize a plan for your own road to success: 1. Have a goal.   Without a goal, you will not have a focus and without focus, your dream can die.  Whether you prefer making a long-term goal, or a series of short-term goals, a goal is vitally important to your success. 2. Have a set of principles by which you operate.  This is helpful in deciding which projects you will undertake, how you will invoice, and payment options you will agree to. A set of principles protects you from being taken advantage of, from taking on more than you can handle and even from taking on things th...

I must say, my writing students are so creative, so motivated, so energetic and so eager to learn and practice their writing skills that I am totally inspired by them!  As a matter of fact, I'm so inspired that I'm starting a blog completely dedicated to writing.  You might wonder why I've not done that before and I would wonder the same thing.  Why haven't I done this before?  All I can say is, I'm doing it now. Thank you to my students! What inspires you as a writer?  Does routine inspire you, knowing your time is predictable and dependable? Or are you inspired by a whimsical thought that you just have to write down?  Are you a creative writer or a writer of facts?  It doesn't matter what kind of writer you are, as long as you're writing.  Some people I know are actually inspired by editing and revising their work.  Others just like to get it written, then hire someone else to edit and revise.  What's your style? Speaking of edit...