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 On one such board, there is an ongoing discussion about whether a writer's group is profitable if all the members are unpublished.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...

No doubt, indie writers like myself - and perhaps you - learn as we go. This morning I read this article which walks through the writing/publishing process of one indie writer and describes her struggles along the way. The article,  The Woes, Fears and Promises of an Expectant Writer is full of insights and the decisions the author has faces, and still does face, as she seeks to get her writing published. We can all learn from reading this article; she has a lot of good information in there. One thing I admire about this author, Nancy LaRonda Johnson, is that, after due consideration, she opted out of vanity publishing. As tempting as it is, she saw through it and went with self-publishing. Another thing I admire is the fact that she is writing and publishing continually, including articles. It's important to keep ourselves out there, visible, with more to share than a book or two. Even prominent authors whose works sell well have taken to blogging. They know to keep writing an...

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...

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

As the mom of eight kids, I do know a thing or two about potty training . My new short e-book , How to Not Potty Train Your Kids (The Lazy Mom's Guide to all Things Potty)   tells how I remained a relatively lazy mom, yet managed to have all my kids doing the potty thing independently at a reasonable age. My youngest son is my model for the cover .  I generally use my own photography in my books and this one is no exception. If you have kids or even grandkids facing this life-challenge, this book might be of help, or at least encouragement.  It might make you laugh in a couple of places! Writers, take note of the small size of this e-book. It's something you can put together in a weekend. Write short e-books about what you know, publish them to Kindle Direct Publishing and see what happens. This one was uploaded and live on Amazon within hours! ~Tricia

As an independent "indee" writer, I'm fully aware of the fact that I have to create and keep my own momentum going. How do you build your momentum?  How do you keep it going?  Mostly, I write because I have something to say. I currently have four different blogs, this one being my most professional.  My other blogs represent other areas of my life, be it theology ,  cooking or crafting . I am also considering starting a photography blog as my interest in photography (and my related awards) is growing. A few things I do to keep my momentum going might help you, too. Write.  Even if I'm writing for writing's sake, I write. I don't publish everything I write. I don't publish a blog post every day, but I write every day. Writing, even for yourself, is a great way to keep your momentum going. Publish. Whether you publish what you write as a facebook note or a blog, publish often. Search the internet for publishing outlets you have not previously us...