The toughest part about writing isn’t the actual writing. It’s figuring out what to write about. It can be frustrating as hell to come up with a topic that’s actually worth putting in the time to develop into a full poem, blog post, story, novel, letter, or whatever the hell else you might right. Hell, … Continue reading More Shit to Write About
So you’ve decided to enter a writing contest. Good luck! You’re going to need it. The competition will be stiff. The odds are against you regardless of your previous writing credentials. I've read over 5,000 writing contest entries. One thing that's always surprised me is how little effort some people put in considering they were … Continue reading How to win a writing contest
We’ve all been there. You think of a great idea. You spend hours researching and writing. You meticulously work to get the formatting just right. You hit publish and wait for the shares and comments to flow. And you wait. And you wait. And nothing happens. That’s what I call the failed blog post. It’s … Continue reading 5 Reasons Blog Posts Fail
You’ve probably noticed that most publications these days have a pretty tight word count. It can be quite challenging to find a place to send your 7,800-word story. Hell, it’s hard to even find a place that wants to publish something over 3,000 words. Stories with no homes This leaves me with a lot of … Continue reading How to write a shorter, better, more publishable story
Finding the right place to send your work can be a challenge, especially if you want to avoid getting a big stack of rejections. But finding a place that will accept your work is only half the battle. Acceptance might seem like the ultimate goal, but you also want to make sure the acceptance is … Continue reading 5 Signs You Shouldn’t Submit Your Work to a Publication
Rejection sucks. But no one ever said writing would be all fun and games. If you’re a writer, you’ve probably had your fair share of rejections. While we’re usually able to bounce back quickly and submit again, sometimes it’s important to reflect on why we’re getting rejected. If you’re used to getting a big fat … Continue reading Top Ten Reasons You Keep Getting Rejected
Writers can be an antsy and impatient bunch, especially when they are waiting to hear back regarding a submission. Since most of us are submitting our work through Submittable now, things are both better and worse than they used to be. They’re better because we can see the status of our submission. They’re worse because … Continue reading The Truth About In Progress On Submittable: Everything the Impatient Writer Needs to Know
All stories can be broken down into two core components: 1. The idea 2. The execution The idea, also sometimes referred to as the premise, is often where a story begins. Rarely does a writer sit down with absolutely no idea and end up with a brilliant story after pounding aimlessly at the keyboard. Looking … Continue reading When a Good Idea Isn’t a Good Story
If you're planning to submit anything to a literary magazine or publisher, it’s essential to play by their rules. Some publishers claim to receive ten thousand submissions per month. While you may think that adding a unique touch is necessary to make your manuscript stand out, your deviation from the guidelines will more likely result … Continue reading Playing the Submissions Game: A Guide to Guidelines
Whether you just started a blog or have been at it for years, a question that probably haunts you on a regular basis is, “What should I blog about?” It’s not always an easy question. While you sometimes have tons of ideas on your mind, other times you struggle to find something to say—especially something … Continue reading What Should I Blog About? 5 Tips for Picking a Topic People Will Actually Read
