Workshops: Writing and Wrongings:
I’m a writing workshop junkie. I love them, but probably not for the reasons people think. Yes, I find the comments from other writers on my writing helpful, but writing is a lonely business. Workshops can be the way writers socialize. I’ve met some of my best friends and writers at the workshops I’ve attended. These are the places you can find people who will edit your work and give you constructive criticism. These workshops are the places you find your future partners, whether for business or pleasure. Writers workshops are the places where you will find denziens who carry, in all their pockets, valuable writing knowledge. On the other hand, some writers see them (workshops) as a waste of their valuable writing time and not all that helpful. I believe writers reach a plateau, a point at which they need very little feedback other then line editing and help with a title. At that stage of the game, it’s difficult to find a workshop that can give you what you want. Then it’s time for a writer’s retreat, where you can get away from everyday distractions.
Wonder Words: Writings and Wrongings
These are a few fast and loose rules for writing. They are in no particular order. In fact they are in Rose’s random order of writing:
1. Don’t test your psychic abilities on what you will sell and won’t sell as a writer. I consider myself pretty psychic. I mean I can tell when the milk is going to sour a few days before the BB date. But whenever I think a story is a sure thing, it usually is — a sure miss that is. And other times I think it will never sell and bingo, sold first time out…
2. If you’ve got writers’ block let your cat walk on the keyboard…
3. Short story writers, write short, (no more than 2500 words) not long, if you’re a newish writer that is and trying to break in.
A page for discussing writing issues: Okay, a writing issue. Not really an issue, but recently I attended Westercon in Tacoma, Washington. It’s interesting to me that with the onset of indie publishing writers are forming small groups to not only critique their writing but have their work professionally edited and marketed before they post independently. This is a good idea, I think. These writing groups may include professional editors, artists and anything else a writer may need to give her writing a professional appeal. At Westercon I disovered the Northwest Independent Writers Association. https://sites.google.com/site/niwahomesite/ read all about it. I think this is the future for many writers. Is there still a place for traditional publishing?
Here’s another story of mine for free over in Smashwords. I change up my free stories. At the moment, “Chronos Christmas” and “Squirrels in Frankfurter Highlight” are free http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/209287
It’s a short one, don’t blink. 