Every writer has failures. Without exception. Dr. Seuss was rejected 27 times before he was finally able to get And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street published by Vanguard Press in 1937.  Search other famous authors and you will find they were all rejected at some point. Famed author Amanda Hocking came to my writing class with a thick folder full of rejection letters. When she, in class, learned about self-publishing and Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing , she published her own work. Soon, after selling over 1 million copies, she got the attention of some of the largest publishing houses. Then they fought for her. They could fight for you one day. In my book, Writing for Publication , I give 6 ways to overcome rejection and failure in your writing. My next 6 blog posts will each highlight one of these techniques. Appreciate your Own Talent If you know you are a good writer  and  if you have something valid to say,  appreciate that in yourself...

Happy New Year! It's always exciting to begin a new year. With the anticipation of all that 2016 can hold for you, make this the year you finally write that novel, memoir, short story, poem or e-book. This is your year to get published and I wrote a book designed to help you do just that. Writing for Publication is now available in paperback, in addition to the e-book. Writing for Publication is a simple, easy-to-read, comprehensive handbook on how to write for publication. In it, you'll learn why you shouldn't write the same way you talk, how to keep your audience in mind while writing, why grammar is so important and much, much more. My writing style is to the point with no frills. Just the facts. Just the plan. Just the way you like it. My students get published. As a personal writing coach, I've helped an 87-year-old great grandmother get published for the first time. I coached a 14-year-old girl who won the school writing contest she entered. I coach...

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...

Writing is a process as much as it is a creative action. Those of us who write for publication know that this process, while we are drawn to it without reason, is not always easy. Writing involves a process. Part two of my series of classes on Writing for Publication focuses on this process and breaks it down into manageable steps. Today, I'd like to share some content from that class, which will be available in an e-book later on this spring or early summer. My first e-book from this set of classes is already available and you can find it here . John Steinbeck 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." John Steinbeck knew that the writing process is not magical. You basically just have to do it; just write. This is not a "how-to," it's more of an attempt to help you know the process so that none of this process will catch you off guard and you will know what to e...

I ran across this article on the web and thought it was excellent, thus worth sharing with you. The article, written by Rowena Crosbie was published through Tero International, Inc, An Elite Training Group, is titled 20 Tips for Engaging Your Audience . I do public speaking fairly regularly as a writing instructor as well as a Bible study teacher. I speak at women's events as well as in college classrooms. Even though I have done a lot of public speaking and a lot of writing, I still learned from this great list and I hope you can learn, too. Even though this article was written for public speaking, the principles within apply easily to writing for publication. Writing for publication requires a writer to keep their audience in mind while writing. Happy Writing! ~Tricia

I love to bake. I love the fact that I can take a bunch of seemingly random ingredients and turn them into something tangible and delicious like a loaf of home made bread, brownies, a savory dinner or a pizza pie! A key to baking well is having and using the right tools. We just moved across the country and I'm happy to say that my new home has a fantastic place in it to have a baking station. I was unable to do that in my last kitchen and it was always a challenge. Now, with my baking station, I can whip things up quickly and easily on a whim if I want. Today, I found a recipe for "Gobs" aka "Whoopie Pies" and decided to make them while my boys studied in my home school. They turned out great!  My baking station, always at the ready, made quick and easy work out of baking up the wonderful treats. My favorite baking tools include my wonderful Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer, my Pampered Chef microplane, parchment paper, my vintage mixing bowls and my home made v...

My new book, Writing for Publication (Book 1) will be available via Kindle and Kindle apps by the end of this week! I'm excited to have made this much progress since we're in the process of moving. Here's an excerpt from the book, a teaser: There are specific keys to overcoming the inevitable failure of being a writer. These few ideas can have a huge impact on your writing, and on your success as a writer.           Appreciate your own talent. If you know you are a good writer and you have something valid to say, appreciate that in yourself. Self appreciation comes across to others as confidence. Appreciating and having confidence in your talent is not boastful or prideful, it’s honest and real.          Don’t let rejection slow you down. Realize and accept that rejection is part of the job of writing for publication. If you accept this, it will not surprise you when it happens. It’s a given, par for the course. It truly...