Editing hurts. Yes. It hurts when someone cuts your words, rearranges your sentences, deletes your creative use of language, etc. It hurts. The first thing a writer has to do is leave their ego at the door. Most writers write with passion and passion doesn't always reflect good grammar or proper use of punctuation. I recently edited for the CEO of a large corporation. She was taken aback by my edits and questioned if she wanted someone cutting her writing up like I did. But, while she might be a great CEO, her grammar, word choices and sentence structure were lacking. Most people, when writing with passion, give little thought to how their words are put together. The words spill out with feeling while grammar is laid aside. And that's ok. That's actually how it should be. We should write with passion.....then hire a good editor to make our points flow well and be cohesive. We editors make your passion shine by clothing your writing in easy-to-read prose with good ...

I didn't mean to take a break from this blog, it just happened because we were moving, I developed frozen shoulder, life got too hectic and I couldn't focus. I'm not sure I'm focusing any better than I was, but when I realized I had not posted anything on my writer's blog since Jan 2, I felt a bit of panic. I write nearly every day, regardless of what I post. My personal blog about how my theology shapes my everyday decisions, The Priscilla Principle Blog , has been more active than this writing blog. If you click on that blog link, you'll find there no pictures to represent the content of the blog. I was recently warned about using Google images for blogging and advised not to. I had just started doing that, and had used a Google image for that post, but I took the picture down. Apparently, a blogger was sued and had to pay over $5,000 for using a Google image. Ok. Lesson learned - from them. I will use my own photography or stock photos I've eith...

STOP right there in your tracks! You've written a great piece, whether it's a blog post or the next great American novel, and you're ready to publish. STOP! Don't do it! Have your work edited first. While many writers feel this step is bothersome, it's the most worthwhile step, next to your actual writing, that you can take. An independent editor is best because they bring an objective eye to your writing. Where can you find an independent editor? One of the best ways to find your editor is through Fiverr . Fiverr is a great no-commitment way to find your best editor. Test a few editors out on small jobs before you hire any for a bigger one. This will give you a chance to gauge their work to see if you're compatible. Not every editor is compatible with every writer. Test the waters before you plunge too deeply to make a change. So, this is your tip for today....STOP in your tracks and hire an independent editor. Your readers will thank you. Write oft...

I've recently stepped up a major writing project that I've been working on in a slower mode for the past couple of years. In my efforts to be accurate and remain true to my topic, I have found myself reviewing ancient writings of different theologians of days past for historical input. One such writer, Theodoret of Cyrus, lived from 393 - 460 A.D. My project is summed up here and here . Imagine his writings still being read today, over 1,500 years later! The power of the written word should not be underestimated. The Bible, much of it written long before this man's writings, is still the most-read book in all of history. What you write today matters. It matters to today's audience and will matter in the audience of generations to come. So, write. Write often. Write well. Just write. ~Tricia

I'm on a vacation of sorts. I'm in GA with one of my daughters. She's about to have a baby, it's #2 for her, and I came down to help. But, I've been here a week and no baby yet. I have another week till I need to go home, so I'm hoping baby makes an appearance today or tomorrow so that I get some quality time with the new wee one. In the meantime, I'm not posting much since I'm spending my days with my daughter and her little girl, an active and delightful 2-year-old. But, I'm still writing! I've made written notes and made plans for future projects as I take a break from my normal routine. Also, I wrote a successful pitch this past week for an idea I've had floating around in my head for a few months. It was a successful pitch because it got enough attention where I sent it to garner a direct, personal response, which prompted a meeting. My first response was an automated response. My second, because I sent a second pitch to get their ...

Write daily. Publish if you want, but write regardless of whether you publish or not. I write daily. I publish periodically. Whether you write a chapter to a novel or a clever tweet on Twitter, it's important to write daily. Writing daily keeps your mind fresh. Writing daily helps ideas flow. Writing daily helps your writer's focus. Writing daily is fun. Writing daily is good discipline. So, write. Daily. See what happens. ~Tricia

I get inspired to write no matter where I am. I can have a conversation with someone at the grocery store and get inspired to write an article, title or even an entire book. A wait in the doctor's office often inspires an idea. I can get motivated to write while listening to a good sermon - and while listening to a bad sermon. Many of these writings never see publication, but that doesn't dissuade me from writing. I write volumes, making notes and writing down ideas every day. Get inspired. Look around you and make mental notes on what's happening. Stay inspired. Write. ~Tricia

I write. I am a writer. I write all the time, daily actually. Most of what I write does not get published, but I write anyway. Sometimes I write and find it therapeutic, as is the case with my book, Victory Over Violence . Sometimes I write because something so deeply touched me that I have to put it down on paper, as with my book, Tears in a Bottle . Other times, I write because I have information that I think others will find helpful, like in my book, How to Not Potty Train Your Kids . I write for many reasons. When stuff happens in my life, I write about it. When stuff happens around me, I write about it. When I feel passionate about something, I write about it. When I feel silly, I write. I've written songs, poems, books, short stories, Bible studies, a memoir, silliness, doctrine and kids' stories. I don't publish all my writings, but I write them just the same. I mostly write non-fiction, but am working on a few fiction projects and finding it interesting to...

If you take a look at this article by Nina Amir, you might think I'm guilty of plagiarism even by the title of this blog post. In the article, titled Blog an eBook So You'll Get Read As You Write , Nina quotes a speaker from the New Media Expo as saying just that...."Every blogger is a published author." This is not new information to me. I have been telling my writing students this for several years now. Publishing is easier today than ever before. I tell my students that if they've so much as written a Facebook status update, they have published. Their update might be read more than a long article in the New York Times. Smart writers have learned to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging and other social media outlets to advance their writing, their product or service and generate not only business, but a following. If you are not blogging, what are you waiting for? It's easy, quick and can have a huge positive impact on your writing. ~Tricia

Writers, are you reading this summer? Reading is a "must do" for any writer, experienced or aspiring.  Reading expands your thinking, expands your vocabulary, exposes you to new ideas and styles of writing and helps your own writing improve by all these means.  One of the points in the writing class I teach is "Read to Write." Summer is a great time to do some serious reading, at least in my life.  Actually, so if fall, winter and spring for that matter!  So far this summer, I have read: The Devil in Pew Number Seven  by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo with Bob DeMoss       I couldn't put this book down!  It was a fantastic story of how far some people have the potential to go when controlled by their ego. Memiors of a Holocaust Survivor, Icek Kuperberg   by Icek Kuperberg      I read Holocaust survivor books annually, several times throughout the year, actually.  While some parts are very hard to read because I can't ...

I love a blank piece of paper.  I love a blank computer screen.  The blankness is enticing to me because it's a clean slate, representing a new beginning each and every time I sit down to write.  For me, it goes something like this: 1. As I go about my day, I'm constantly thinking. 2. This thinking leads to ideas. 3. These ideas lead to my desire to voice them. 4. My desire to voice them leads me to my paper or computer. 5. The paper or computer screen are blank......which is, to me, an invitation to write. 6. An invitation to write brings on an avalanche of writing, much of which I never even print or publish! Thus, you can see why a blank paper or computer screen is so enticing to me.  My days are busy with my large family and that means there are days when finding time to write is challenging. What about you? Does a blank paper or screen excite or intimidate you?  Do you feel overwhelmed by it or eager to get started? Think about your writing sty...

Sometimes, I just need to think.  Life is busy, praise God, and time to think is a sweet luxury. This weekend, I am home almost alone....just myself and my 18-year-old daughter.  My hubby took my two teenage sons on a father/son retreat, leaving us girls here alone and I've actually had time to think. As a writer, especially, I need thinking time.  So far, the results of my thinking are: 1) I thought of a title for an article I've been wanting to write for a while, 2) I thought of an approach to a chapter in a book I'm writing, 3) I thought of a way to approach a rather sensitive subject without tossing blame directly onto certain people by name. 4) I thought of doing this blog post. So, my thinking has been very productive so far. Writers, do you take time to think?  I grab every opportunity I have to do some serious thinking about my writing goals.  For me, it's important to keep my goals in front of me as it makes me more likely to work to fulfil...