I am a wife. I am a mom. I am a writer. I am a crafter. My favorite craft is paper crafting. My second favorite is drawing. Even that involves paper. As does my writing. When I craft, I think.  When I think, I write.  When I write, I get published.  When I get published, I earn money.  It nearly always starts with crafting for me.  As I've taught my writing students, thinking is a huge part of writing. I've spent weeks thinking about things I've written before I finally sat down and wrote them. Funny thing is, when I spend so much time thinking about writing, before I even write, when it's time to write those thoughts down, they are usually written within 20 minutes and these are the ones most purchased by a publisher. So, whenever I'm in my studio making pretty paper crafts, I'm actually working on a writing project. Write often. Write well. Just write. ~Tricia

I haven't posted on my writer's blog for nearly a month. That is very irresponsible, but I do have a good reason. After the busy holiday time, one of our sons and his wife came to visit us for 2 solid weeks! So, I was busy hanging out with them and didn't do much blogging. I love family time and it's a high priority in my life. I did do some writing while they visited, though. I posted on one of my other blogs and also sold an article to Regular Baptist Press . I've been a regular, contributing writer for RBP for over 25 years now. My break from blogging is over, however, so I'm back at it today with a plan to continue. One of the things I love about blogging is that it can be made to fit any schedule. That works for me. During this brief break from blogging, I continued to read, write and think about my writing projects. Thinking is one of the most critical parts of my personal writing process. I can think about an article, project or e-book so much th...

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...

I never thought of myself as a writer. I wrote as a child, but that didn't translate into writing for anyone other than myself. I did the mandatory writing in school and always got good grades on what I wrote, but that didn't translate into becoming a writer. I wrote, however, a lot. I did far more than just the mandatory writing my teachers required.  I wrote lists.  I wrote observations.  I wrote expectations.  I wrote stories. I wrote. But, I didn't think of myself as a writer because all my writing was for myself. One comment from one college professor changed my writing. Upon returning a graded writing assignment to me, he commented, "Reading your writing is just like talking to you. You should write." He actually wrote those words at the top of that paper! I was astounded that my writing could impact someone else. That idea had not occurred to me. I got an "A" on that paper, and that'x exactly when I started writing for the e...

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're like me, you have a variety of resources you use for your writing. I thought today I would highlight a few of my favorites. Grammar Girl is first on my favorites list. She tackles every day grammar issues that all writers face and you can search her site for answers to all your grammar questions. Love Grammar Girl (Mignon Fogarty )! Find her on Facebook so you don't miss out on the best grammar tips around. LinkedIn is another favorite resource of mine. I have joined several writer's groups on LinkedIn and have found the conversations to be worthwhile, stimulating and very advantageous to my writing. There's nothing like having others read your writing or reading others' writing to add fuel to your own writing. SEO News is another of my favorites. I learn something every single time I go to their website. If you're going to write and publish on the internet, SEO News can help you learn the best way to use and optimize search engines for the b...

I joined a few discussion boards on LinkedIn this past year and have thoroughly enjoyed the feedback and input of all who have contributed. On one such board, there is an ongoing discussion about whether a writer's group is profitable if all the members are unpublished. This discussion led to the impact of poor writing. Below is my current entry in that particular discussion. If you have never joined or participated in a writer's discussion group, do it today.  It's true enough that a story can be a good one even if poorly told. The trouble is, however, that no one will ever know how good the story is if they don't read it, and as a rule, readers don't read bad writing. Readers typically take the path of least resistance and do not read poor writing because it takes too much effort. The exception to this might be required reading for school, a job, or something else along those lines. The vast majority of readers read for pleasure; they do not want to work at read...

Writers are simply people with something to say. Do you have something to say? Learn to say it well and you will see success. While some people have more talent than others, good writing does not just magically happen. If that were the case, we would never need editors. Good writing is a skill which can be learned by anyone with something to say. A few tips for "good writing" include: *Pay attention to grammar. It matters *Pay attention to punctuation. It matters. *Never write sarcasm. It comes across ugly and makes you look small. Sarcasm does not work for the written word unless it's used to develop a character. *Less is enough. There is no need to embellish your writing. What you have to say is enough, so keep it simple and direct. *Be real. Readers recognize a fraud instantly, so it's vitally important to keep your writing real and honest. If your writings are fraudulent, or any part of your self-presentation is fraudulent, readers simply won't com...

This morning, I ran across this blog post and was completely captivated by this book review and showcasing of this book. The blog is Turtleandrobot  and offers up a book review like no other I've seen before. More importantly, the book they reviewed is like no other I've seen before. What a great concept! What an innovative way to write a book! The Black Book of Color s is the book featured and just looking at the Amazon sample opens up an entirely new reading experience.  Kudos to Menena Cottin , the author, Rosana Faria, the illustrator and Elisa Amado, the translator for a thoroughly innovative book that will surely change the lives of many, the seeing and the blind. Check out the blog post . Be prepared to be blown away. Study this and allow what you see to influence your own writing. ~Tricia

How do you organize your writing projects? I like to think of myself as organized, but to someone looking in, I would not appear very organized  at all.  Life is busy. Organization takes work.  I get lazy.  Stuff piles up.  You get the picture.  But, right now, I have a big writing project in the works and I'm actively working to get this project organized to help it go more smoothly, and to help it be successful.  I'm in the process of creating different computer files, organized into one folder with the project title as the folder name. As I look to the future and writing full-time, I'm experimenting with different systems to find which works best for me.  For now, I'm excited about the new folder/file system and am determined to stay as organized as I start out being. I may combine several systems into one new system. This is not my normal method, so I'm really excited about the challenge this presents.  Normally, I think about a writi...

I t's a well-known fact that no one can fully edit their own work.  As I teach writing and advise my students, I always recommend hiring an independent editor, especially if not working with a publishing house.  Many of my students have chosen e-publishing and independent editors are a must for any e-publisher.   But, many people avoid hiring independent editors due to the cost involved. Their work, along with their credibility as a writer, suffers as a result. PAY ATTENTION But, there are some ways you can save money on editing.  The number one way is to pay attention to your word processor.  Modern word processing programs all have built-in grammar and spelling alerts. Paying attention to them and using them will save you money on editing costs.  Why pay an editor to do what a word processor will do automatically?  All you have to do is pay attention.  For example, when Word puts a green squiggly line under a word or sentence, pay attentio...

Writer, are you blogging?  Blogging is vital to your writing success.  Here's why: 1. Blogging gives you credibility.  Potential readers, publishers and agents can go to your blog and easily see your style, talent and passion. 2. Blogging gives your experience.  The more writing you do, the better you become at being a writer. 3. Blogging gives you an online presence.  Having an online presence is becoming more and more important as the internet evolves. A blog is an easy way to have and maintain an online presence. 4. Blogging gives you a voice.  Most writers I know have a lot to say and blogging is a great way to have your say, no matter what you do for a living. These four reasons are only a brief start, off the top of my head for today.  Blogging is essential to your writing success.  If you do not have a blog already, start one today!  They are free and easy and will give you instant access to a wide audience of new readers! ~Tr...

Talent. That's the one word that comes to mind when I think of the writers in our Writer's Group.  Talent.  Tonight's meeting was filled with so much talent I'll need another month just to process it all!  One sang a song.  Anther cried.  Another brought us all to tears.  Yet another made us laugh.  And the list goes on. If you are a writer and do not belong to a Writer's Group, I STRONGLY encourage you to join one, or start one! Our Writer's Group was borne out of my Community Education writing classes.  My students wanted more interaction with other writers, and so did I!  It took me a few months of juggling my own schedule, but now we meet once a month and share obstacles, successes, ideas - and songs! Thank you to each one who made it out tonight and thank you for sharing your writings.  I look forward to next month's meeting with great anticipation! Keep writing. Keep singing. Keep crying. Keep laughing. ~Tricia

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...

I"ve been away.  Another of my wonderful sons - I have five altogether - has graduated college and we made the trip to Iowa to attend his graduation.  Kudos to him!  He got engaged the same day! Forbes Magazine online had published this article last December (2011), but if you have not seen or read this, do so now.  Much of the information I've been teaching in my Community Education Writing Classes is the same as what this article states, and I did not read it ahead of time!  Those of us who study this market, whether we are "small beans" like myself or something as large and influential as Forbes , know this information to be vitally important to our own success as writers and e-publishers. I suggest you read and study this article - all 4 pages of it - as though you will be tested on it! My upcoming class, E-Publishing 101, will cover these concepts in more detail. ~Tricia