Failure is hard but it's part of the writing process. Once we accept failure as truly par for the course, we will fear it less and not allow it to define us. This applies to all life, not just writing. In light of the recent election here in the US, I read this article in Forbes Magazine, Exclusive Interview: How Jared Kushner Won Trump the White House . This article ties in perfectly with today's thoughts on overcoming failure. In the quest for the White House, the article tells us that, behind the scenes, Jared Kushner tried many avenues and social media tactics to promote his father-in-law's presidential campaign, quickly halting what didn't work and putting more energy into what did work. Did you read that? He quickly halted what didn't work. This means not everything he did worked. This means he failed along the way, but still saw success in the end. The one thing he did was constantly take risks. Some risks panned out and some didn't, but he took the...

If you're a writer or even an aspiring writer, you might already know that failure is an inevitable part of being a writer. Knowing this ahead of time can help when the failure comes. And it will come. One sure fire way to overcome failure is one simple practice: Keep writing. That's it. Just keep writing.  Famed author Amanda Hocking did just that. When she took my writing class, she had a thick file of rejection letters and they kept coming during the time she took the class. What did Amanda do as a result? She wrote more books. By the time she e-published, she had 17 finished novels. Now, because of her e-publishing success, she is an international sensation with book and movie deals that scream her success. She started out failing. She kept writing. She saw success. That's a simple formula. It will work for you, too. Keep writing. Write often. Write well. Just write. ~Tricia

There's no reason you can't be the next wildly successful writer and my new e-book will show you how. I'm pretty excited about this new e-book and I hope you'll share my excitement by getting your copy now for the introductory price. Writing for Publication has been a long time coming in e-book form. I had published a shorter writing book, Write, then Publish. Today , but this new, revised version is the complete course, revised and updated just in time for the new year. This comprehensive course is an easy-to-read, to-the-point handbook for writers of all genres and all levels. As a private writing coach, I use these step-by-step methods in my coaching....and my students get published. From an 87-year-old great grandmother who wrote her first article in longhand on the back of a store ad, to a 14-year-old girl who wanted to enter a school writing contest, my students get published and win awards. I've coached pastors who wanted to be published in religious...

I love spring right now more than I ever have. Last year, we moved to a warmer climate and not only did I not experience the "winter dread" of Minnesota, I actually enjoyed winter much like I used to when I was younger. Yesterday, after three days of heavy rains (you can see how heavy here ), the sun was shining and the air smelled so fresh and clean that my teenage boys commented on how good it smelled when we opened a window. You know if teenage boys notice a fresh smell, it must really be fresh! In honor of spring and all things fresh, The Total Writer website has a whole new look! I can't say it was because of some spring-like desire to make things fresh. No, I changed it up because my web-hosting situation changed and I had to come up with a new design really fast. In celebration of this new, updated look, I'm running a special on my book on writing, Write, then Publish. Today ! The book is on sale for just 99¢ for a limited time! Take advantage of this of...

When I started my Writing for Publication classes a few years ago, I had no idea how far some of my students would be able to take what they'd learned and achieve such success. Amanda Hocking sat in my class and told me how she'd quit college to write full time because college took too much time away from her writing. Sitting with a large stack of rejection letters, Amanda learned about e-publishing in my class and that was all she needed to know. She's now a million-dollar-author with a movie deal in the works! The simple, straightforward information in this short e-book have been life-changing and confidence-building for many other authors as well. I got word just this week that another one of my students has sent his book off to Paramount Pictures. I also got word that another former student just signed a book deal with a publisher. You can be a successful writer, too. Start by learning what my other students learned; start by downloading your free copy of Write...

The three little words in this blog title perfectly sum up the start to my writing career. I was in college and had just turned in yet another research paper. I did my best work on the paper, turned it in on time and sighed with relief as I went on to my next class. I had no idea that the paper I'd just finished would change my life. Upon getting the graded paper back from my professor, I noted that he'd written a note at the top. It said, "Reading your writing is just like talking to you. You should write." The words were simple, their impact far-reaching. Three little words. I took them to heart for a number of reasons. First of all, I was not used to hearing positive feedback or any sort of compliment. Being raised in an abusive situation didn't lend itself to my siblings and I being built up in any way. I simply had never heard much positive reinforcement in my life, thus it was incredibly pleasant. Secondly, the professor was a professional, giving his ...

I put this quote up on my  Total Writer Facebook Page  last night:  From my Writing for Publication class: Get Ready to Fail Every writer fails. While that might not be the first thing you expected to hear, I want to be very direct and honest with you on this: As a writer, you will fail. You will likely fail many times. Get used to it and plow through it. The best thing to do about your failure as a writer is to keep writing. Soon, with continued writing, you will spin failure into success. Even Dr. Seuss failed in the beginning! He kept writing. So should you. I thought here, on my blog, I'd expand just a bit. The information given above is taking directly out of my Writing for Publication class.  If you investigate just a little, you will discover that the vast majority of authors saw failure before they saw success. Check out this list below............all these authors failed with their writing at one time or another: J K Rowling Steven King Ama...

Sometimes the best laid plans get side-tracked. What's a writer to do when that happens? Keep writing, of course! My plans have been side-tracked this fall.  My original plan was to offer my regular Writing for Publication and E-Publishing classes through Community Education through the school districts in which I was already offering the classes, expand to an additional school district and also begin offering an online writing course. Also, my local Community Education Office had offered to give me a "Featured Instructor" page in their fall booklet, complete with a bio and an expansion on the success of my classes. This success, of course, started with Amanda Hocking and her launch into e-publishing. But, this year, my plans were side-tracked. Instead of teaching my regular classes, we are moving, relocating to another part of the country.  Because our move is pending, I could not commit to any of my classes and had to turn down my local district's offer to be ...

" Ascend  has ascended!"  Her newest book is here in the US, in bookstores today. I recommend Ascend   even if it's not in your genre of interest because it is selling and if you want to write for publication, you need to pay attention to what's selling.  This does not mean you have to abandon your own genre and write out of your comfort zone, it simply means further education for you, keeping on top of the market and learning from another writer. Amanda was just like the rest of us, taking a writing class to see what she could learn about writing, overcoming obstacles to getting published and e-publishing.  You, too, can see success with your writing.  Even if buying her book is not in your budget, head to the bookstore and browse through a copy. Way to go, Amanda! ~Tricia