Embracing Your Inner Writer

To write or not to write is the question. Ask yourself why should you be a writer? Do you possess the skills to do so? If not, are you willing to get the training necessary? Are you looking to get rich as a writer? Think again! Writing is one of the few things that you do that is frequently subjective to the opinions of others. Writing well does not guarantee you best seller status. Matter of fact, there are some best sellers out there that were not written well, but marketed well, and their authors still got the privilege of that title.

Sometimes, it’s very hard to monetize your book project. My co-authors and I spent $10,000 on our first self-published book, Songs of Three Sisters and we have given away more books than we sold. As a self-published author, you may make a sizeable investment and not reap a ROI (return on investment). As a traditionally published author, you are one of several authors that are represented by that agent or publisher and you may have to assist with marketing your book to get the results you desire. . That’s why writing as a hobby just won’t do. You have to be willing to get into the PIT (putting-in-time) to see your dream realized and it may cost you some money in the process.

So, you may ask, if you feel like you’re not a good writer, or writing is too hard; and you may not make any money, then why bother? That is a good, valid questions and one you should answer fairly early in the game. The celebrity status associated with being a writer is seductive. People instantly offer you respect when they find out you crafted a book. You are immediately labeled an “expert” and invited to the front of the room. Even when you tell people you are writing a book, they become star struck. As a result, you wear the crown until someone creditable actually does a critique of your not-so-well-written book. Readers are fickle and writers are even more so, thus, your popularity can change overnight, bringing with it the discouragement that has signaled an early end to the career of so many emerging writers. Right now is the time for you to do an honest assessment of your intent to become an author. That is the purpose of this chapter, to seal the deal by helping you to answer the question: to write or not to write.

Now, let’s talk about why you should be a writer. You should be a writer if you must write. If it’s like breathing, you have to do it or die. Maya Angelou says, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” I equate my need to write with my child birthing experience. It was painful, but it was worth it. To be one with my Creator in the birthing process was one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received. Writing has the capacity to bring you great joy, sometimes you have to wait for that joy, but if you write a good book, it will come. When someone calls you to tell you they got stuck in the middle of a book project and their only salvation was your book, that’s something to shout about. Or when someone that was contemplating ending it all picks up your book and decides that life is worth living, surely that’s worth the blood, sweat, and tears you invested. These things have happened to me as an author and I am humbled to say that the God inspired words that I have written have changed the lives of others.

Writing allows you to leave a literary legacy that cannot be erased. The bible is a prime example of a living work that continues to speak to the hearts of its readers and changes their lives for an eternity. That power is invested in you as a writer. Use it wisely and you can change worlds and shape nations.

As a writer, you get to become a tour guide. The dictates of your mind can create new adventures for your readers. They can travel to foreign lands, another state or city or even to outer space without leaving the comfort of their homes as a result of your efforts. You can put them in a time machine and take them to another time, another place, and another experience. As a writer, you’ve got power!

One of my favorite classes in high school was Literature. The Odyssey and Iliad by Homer sparked my love for reading books other than Harlequin romance novels because of their thought provoking poetry. I was stretched beyond my cultural experience and gained an appreciation for the beauty of prose.

Now, let’s look at some ways you can strengthen your writing skill level.

? Look for examples of good writing from best-selling authors and analyze them. Interview editors of the magazines, newspapers, or journals you read and ask them what they consider to be good writing.
? Look for The Six Traits of Good Writing: the ideas and content (is it interesting), the organization, the voice, the word choice, the sentence fluency and the grammar. Let’s take a look at the definitions of The Six Traits of Good Writing:
What Are the Six Traits?*

Ideas - Good writing has clear ideas, a purpose, or focus. It should have specific ideas and details.
Organization - Writing should have a beginning, middle, and an ending and be well organized and easy to follow.

• Voice - Your writing should connect with your audience, fit your purpose for writing, and reveal your voice.
• Word Choice - Good writing has specific nouns and verbs and strong words that deliver the writer's message.
• Sentence Fluency - Sentences should vary in length, with a variety of sentence beginnings. The writing should flow smoothly from sentence to sentence.
• Conventions - Strong writing is edited for grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling so the writer's ideas easily understood.

*Taken From Great Source Iwrite

? Keep a notebook about your observations and those of your resources and reference them when writing your next novel or book. Make notes of what works and what doesn’t work so that you can avoid the pitfall of a bad writing habit.
? Read good writing based on your research, so that you can identify it when you write it. Reading can also help you improve your spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and vocabulary.
? Take writing courses and seminars to improve your weaknesses and to maintain your strengths as a writer. Keep a journal of the nuggets you learn in these classes and incorporate them into your writing plan for improving your skill.
? Build a writing library containing tools such as the Chicago Manual of Style or the MLA Book of Style, and Webster's New World Dictionary so that you have them at your fingertips when you need them.
? Set aside some time on a regular basis to practice your craft the way athletes and musicians do. They become the “best” by going above and beyond the expectations of others to learn and practice their craft until those skills become second nature to them. So learn, learn, learn and write, write, write.
? Become a part of a local writer’s critique group and get the feedback and nurturing you need to become a better writer. Go to meetup.com or Google, “local writers group,” to locate them in your area.
? Find opportunities to write and seek reviews from experts. LinkedIn has several writers groups and I see postings by reviewers quite regularly soliciting the opportunity to review your work. Remember, the critic can be your best friend. There’s nothing like constructive criticism when you are in the perfecting mode and perfection is a life-long process.
? Seek the advice of experts and make the necessary modifications in your writing. A good copy editor looks for patterns of strengths and weaknesses in your writing. I had an editor text me about a book I wrote; she loved the book and shared with me some minor changes that I could do to make it better. I was thrilled to get her insight, and it was free.
You may find that although you have the passion for writing, you lack the skill. Don’t let this discourage you. Having weak areas in your writing ability does not disqualify you as a writer. In fact, being honest about your deficiencies and making the necessary adjustments actually makes you a better writer.
Both entrepreneurship and authorpreneurship require you to take a risk, a calculated one if you follow the advice given in this book. Entrepreneurs frequently don’t see a profit in their business in the first three years of operation. Are they bad at business as a result? No. Likewise, your first book may not see immediate success, either. There are challenges you will face on your way to becoming a good writer with a marketable product, if perfecting your craft is one of them, you are in great company. All authors should be striving to be better at what they do, if you accept this challenge, then you are already one step ahead in the writing game.
Practical Application
? In this exercise you will be going on an Internet scavenger hunt. I have identified some on-line tools that may help you. Your task is to visit every site and determine if this is a tool that will assist you in developing your writing skills. Answer the following questions about each website:
1. What is the website URL?
2. What is the purpose of this website?
3. How can you see yourself using the app, tool, or writing community for your benefit when writing?
Apps:
www.Bambuser.com
www.dropbox.com
www.iawriter.com
www.soundnote.com
www.viddy.com
www.wikipanion.com
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/writing-prompts/id417683378 (Writing Prompts)

Tools:
www.audioboo.com
www.beyondosaurus.com
www.rankity.com
www.vod.io
www.acrobat.com
www.mediatoolkit.com
www.evernote.com
https://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tools/freedive/ (free Dive)
www.HootSuite.com
www.Livescribe.com
www.Storify.com
www.wordpress.com
www.contently.com

Communities:
www.EJC.com
https://www.kcnn.org/
www.Quora.com
https://www.redditedit.com
www.TwitterBlog.com
www.wiredjournalists.com
www.mybooktherapy.com

? Identify steps you have taken, need to take, or want to take as a result of your research to improve your writing skills.

Summary
Now that you’ve answered the “to write or not write” question, it’s time to move on to establishing some practical foundational elements that give you a better snapshot of where you are headed in regards to product creation. Below is another perspective on mastering your craft by Felicia Moon for your reading pleasure. Happy Writing!
Source: https://thenextweb.com/apps/2012/09/29/the-best-apps-communities-tools-writers-journalists/