I read a few tips on writing from J.R.R. Tolkien today and this one, "Keep writing, even through adversity," really spoke to me because our family is facing a time of great adversity. 19 days ago, a large tumor was discovered at the base of my husband's spine. It turned out to be cancer and quickly turned our lives upside down. You can read more of that story here , on another one of my blogs. Yesterday, I posted on The Total Writer's Facebook page that I'm taking a hiatus from writing in order to deal with my husband's cancer. Well, today, I'm discovering that I can't keep to that. I can't not write. I need to write and was feeling very much like I needed to write, but felt guilty as though, somehow, my writing was an invalid distraction to the cancer and all it entails. But, today, I no longer feel that way. I realized, through reading J.R.R. Tolkien's tip to write through adversity, that writing through his cancer is actually a good,...

As a published writer, one of my interests is coaching other writers. I thoroughly enjoy coaching writers who are serious about getting published. While I love coaching, I suspect the person being coached isn't having as much fun as I. When I coach writers, one of my jobs is to tell them what's wrong with their writing. While hearing tough, honest criticism can be hard, it's also vitally important. Coaching is somewhat like editing, but more style than content is edited. For example, I recently coached a man whose initial writing was filled with sarcasm and guilt-provoking thoughts that would not get his point across, but would likely offend his intended target audience. I told him sarcasm does not sell; that he needed to say things in a different way or risk having his publisher throw it away without a second glance. He revised his work, twice, and I'm happy to report that he got the piece published! I was privileged to coach an elderly woman who had never be...

We all talk funny. The English language is full of idioms and words with double meanings. Different parts of the country use words differently as well. When we write for publication, however, we are writing for a much broader audience than most of us talk to. If we publish a blog post, it has potential to be read across the world, not just by the people in our state or county here in the USA. In light of this, I teach my writing students to never write how they talk. We have to write in a more uniform way in order to be understood by the most readers. We don't want our readers to have to work at reading our writing; it needs to flow effortlessly. If you write how you talk, it will not flow effortlessly for the reader, even if it seems to for you as the writer. The bottom line is that writing for publication means you write for others, not yourself. Your motivation does not have to change, you can still get your point across, but you need to do it in the best way possible. H...

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'm not only a writer, I am also a professional editor. As an editor, I often warn my clients about my frequent brutality when it comes to editing their work. I tell them they can't take it personally when I turn their lovingly slaved-over documents into marked-up-with-red, messy works that need fixing. But, I do it all in their best interest. I do it for them so they don't publish something that makes them look like an idiot. The public isn't very forgiving when it comes to bad writing. People just move on and don't read bad writing. I read this article today on The Writer's Circle and I find this to be solid, good advice. I use all these filters, and more, when I write and when I edit. I like all the points in this article and they would be helpful for any writer. Enjoy! For the love of writing on this Valentine's Day, ~Tricia

Writing is like performing magic. I often start out with one thought in mind and, while I write, other thoughts come and begin to flow like a river and this will sometimes change my writing completely. I experienced this the other day while writing a post for one of my other blogs, The Priscilla Principle Blog . One of my goals for The Priscilla Principle Blog is to help people read and interpret the Bible for themselves. I do this partially by blogging about how the Bible impacts my life. I help many people who are victims of spiritual abuse and I like putting a stop to spiritual abuse. As I wrote that post the other day, my thoughts grew and the post took a shape of its own, which changed even the title. When I reread what I'd written, I surprised even myself because my thoughts were not as articulate in my head as they turned out in the blog post. Is it my keyboard? Is it magical? Or is there something simply magical about writing? For some of us, writing is more than j...

Everyone writes, every day. Whether it's a Facebook status update, a tweet on twitter, a blog, a thank-you note, a recipe or a list, everyone I know writes and they do it daily. Did you know that writing for publication is different than any of this other writing? Writing for publication is different because you are suddenly writing for someone else, not just yourself. You switch from simply getting your point across or your information shared to making it sell, and that's an entirely different ball game. Learn how to write for publication with my e-book , Write, Then Publish. Today . You will learn why writing for publication is different and the steps you can take to make your writing appealing to publishers or e-readers. Click here to download the book today! Write often. Write well. Just write. ~Tricia