Writing Articles

In much the same way as a dog is not just for Christmas, resolutions are not just for New Year.

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I’d broken most of my New Year’s resolutions by January 2nd, notably those about alcohol and chocolate. Well, it would have been rude to refuse.…

If your good intentions fall at the first hurdle, in the words of the old song: “Pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and start all over again.” One of the most exciting things a writer can experience is to open a notebook at a fresh, clean page. Call me sad if you like, but it never fails to give me a thrill.

Every day is a clean sheet for a writer. Why not make some belated New Year’s resolutions or repair any broken ones to help you achieve your writing goals? The fewer resolutions you make, the easier it will be to keep them. Here are some suggestions:

1. I RESOLVE TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE
How will you achieve this? It’s not just a matter of pumping up the volume but of producing more saleable copy. Think quality rather than quantity.

It’s vital to be focused. If, like me, you suffer from the too many ideas and not enough hands syndrome, it can be helpful to submit to specialist publications or those which seek submissions for themed issues. Enter contests which have a set theme. Write-what-you-like competitions are often the hardest. It’s so much easier to follow a prompt of some sort.

Writelink is an obvious market, with its set themes. I try to complete at least one of the assignments each month. Even if I don’t win a competition or if my piece doesn’t appear in Resources, I know I’ll end up with something I can sell eventually.

2. I RESOLVE TO BREAK INTO A NEW MARKET.
Read some new publications or ones you haven’t looked at before. Monitor the trends and study markets databases online.

Wooden Horse News is a free weekly newsletter providing a valuable insight into current publishing trends, mainly in the United States. Sign up for it at: http://www.woodenhorsepub.com

Jacquie Bennett’s Writers’ Bureau website carries the most comprehensive A-Z list of UK publications I know: http://www.jbwb.co.uk/arts_a.htm

Worldwide Freelance carries a wide range of guidelines from around the world. Many are free to access, but you must sign on for the newsletter first – also free.
http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/markets2.htm

The Writer Gazette is an A-Z of predominantly US publications. It tells you at the beginning of each page when it was updated, but you still need to watch out for dead links: http://www.writergazette.com/callforsubmissionsA-F.shtml

The Writers Write website has a database of guidelines searchable by paying or non-paying publications (though why anyone would actually seek out non-paying “markets” is anyone’s guess). You can also search for publications that accept fiction, non-fiction or poetry. The one disadvantage of this site is that it doesn’t seem to be updated very often:
http://www.writerswrite.com/writersguidelines/

Writing for Dollars can be searched by a whole or part of a publication’s name, by what type of manuscripts it accepts and by pay scale: http://www.writingfordollars.com/GuidelinesDB.cfm

3. I RESOLVE TO DO SOMETHING NEW
New experiences can often lead to fresh writing topics. Do something you’ve never done before.

One of the most productive things I did during the past year was to join a party of mushroom hunters led by an expert. We wandered through historic woodland to collect edible fungi as well as learning about the poisonous varieties. I also met some fascinating people. One woman waxed lyrical on her idea for a crime novel using poisonous fungi as the murder weapon.

I came up with several ideas for self-sufficiency articles. I also began growing mushrooms myself, which means I can write more articles, slanting them in turn towards publications on gardening, natural history and self-sufficient living.

Look at your local press for events you wouldn’t normally attend. You might find them productive, and you could even enjoy them.

• Read a book in a genre you’re unfamiliar with.
• Drink in a different pub/cafe.
• Take a different route to work/the shops.
• Take up a new hobby/activity.

4. I RESOLVE TO AVOID MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES I MADE LAST YEAR
Oh yes you did; we all do.

My biggest mistake, and one I keep repeating, year in year out, is to submit a piece before I’ve given it a final polish. Overcome with heady enthusiasm, I drop it into the post box or click the “send” button. No sooner have I done so than I think of the one small alteration which would have improved it immeasurably. Even if it’s accepted, I’m left with a feeling of disappointment at having given less than my best.

Perhaps you submitted something to an inappropriate market. Possibly your presentation was less than pristine. Admit it – you forgot to run the spellchecker!

5. I RESOLVE TO TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT I’VE ACHIEVED OVER THE PAST YEAR AND BUILD ON MY SUCCESSES
Now is the time to take stock. Look back at some of the work you’ve had published and cultivate good relations with the editors who have used your work. Alternatively, build good relations with those who have turned down your work but softened the rejection with favourable comments.

There’s one editor who has used every piece I ever submitted to her. She doesn’t pay a fortune, but editors like that are pearls beyond price. If you have someone like that on your side, never submit anything that’s less than your absolute best. This is the one person you can’t risk alienating.

If you manage to keep these five resolutions, perhaps this time next year you’ll be looking back over 2008 suffused with the warm glow of success.