Tips To Strengthen Your Writing

Everyday, well~I hope everyday, that you get out of bed and decide to put your best foot forward in your writing. Or if you have somewhere to go (like me~the day job), you get up, get showered, dressed, do your hair, eat, go to the day job, and perform what you were hired to do.

Right?

Why do I get up every morning and do this?
1) I feel better about myself when I'm cleaned up.
2) I have more confidence when I look better.
3) Perception is everything and if I went to my day job in my pajamas, I'm sure they wouldn't take me seriously.

But underneath the exterior of any job, especially writing, we have a bit of weakness. We do put cover-up on that zit, avoid talking about mistakes we made, wear clothes that are more flattering, or even use products to cover up a thinning hair line.

(LOVE Will Write For Chocolate Inky girl strips!!)

Writing is an all different story. It's very hard to cover up a weakness in your writing. It's hard to read those bad reviews, or get a rejection letter from an editor/agent. If you are self-published, we have a hard time when your editor tells you about a plot point that needs to be fixed.

There are ways to be able to look at your baby (book) objectively, and it takes months, even years to get there. And once you realize you are at this stage of the writing game, you are ready to learn and take your writing to a new level.

Your ATTITUDE is the first emotion you need to conquer before you can accept your weakness. Every writer has a dark moment when we just sit and stare, wondering if we are ever going to have that great novel that everyone wants to read. Our writing mojo is often broken at this point. Some will stop forever, while others will plug away.

Until your ATTITUDE is acceptance that you need to ask for HELP, your weakness will not get stronger.

There is nothing wrong with asking for HELP! There are so many other authors/writers out there that are willing to HELP you, but you have to take it upon yourself to find that help. Be open to that help.

A great way to do that is a critique group. There are several on-line, or check out a local writer's group. You are going to have to do some digging, but the outcome is wonderful. Not only will you get other people's opinion, other than your mom's, you are going to get honest feedback. Feedback that will help you learn some of the mistakes that are contributing to your weakness, which will help your writing get stronger once your recognize it.

Or just a critique partner. It can be someone you met on-line at a blog or on-line group. Below I have listed some on-line critique groups that will HELP you get started! So no excuses!

Use the internet as a RESOURCE! Resources are going to help you focus on a particular weakness. I admit, I still take writing classes. I work on my craft every single day. Even though I teach workshop, I know there are many more things that I DON'T KNOW, and I take those classes to work on my weakness.

Leave the house!! I know you have all taken my PR PERSONALITY TEST, if you haven't~ GO TAKE IT!! Go visit writer's groups, conferences for writers, visit places that feed your muse, go see a movie ( I love going to see movies because it helps my creative juices flow), give yourself a treat to get your spirits up.

Write what you have learned! Be aware of your weakness and cognitively work on it as you are writing. Take pride in your writing when you realize that you are catching your weakness in your writing. 

At the end of the day, NO ONE writes a perfect book. I don't care if you are Stephen King (who writes 10 pages a day, even on holidays), or Truman Capote (who wrote lying down in bed or sitting on a couch with a cigarette and cup of coffee in hand. As the day went on, the coffee gave way to tea, then sherry, then martinis.). All writers have a weakness and it's up to you to help yourself.

Check out these on-line CRITIQUE GROUPS:
The Critique Circle (free)
The Absolute Writer
Agent Query's Critique Partner Wanted Forum
Ladies Who Critique

Check out Savvy Author, where I teach, for GREAT options for on-line workshops!