Interview Excerpt - Writing Tips

Note: the below is not a transcript from the actual interview over at Ray Gun Radio, but rather notes I used during the interview. Enjoy!

During my interview with Ray Gun Radio, I supplied a number of writing tips I'd learned over the years. I hope these help all the aspiring writers who stumble across my blog as much as they've helped me.

1.) Research all you can about writing. I spent over a decade wallowing through writing and publishing before I finally found resources which have turned my writing career (such as it is) around. I only wish I would have found all this stuff out beforehand.

2.) Never be afraid to edit. Some of my best work has come out of the worst.

3.) Take advantage of all the networking opportunities possible (this is something I’m personally working on myself). Attend conferences, join writer’s groups.

4.) Write every day. Even if you only get 100 words out (which if you have a day job, may be possible), that’s 100 words you didn’t have when you woke up that morning. 100 words closer to the finish.

5.) Set goals for yourself and write them down. Put them up where you can see them. Everyone has a goal (get published), and every goal has steps to reach it (write a manuscript, write stories, submit stories, etc.) I have a set of monthly goals which I put on my computer desktop, and I post up weekly goals at my blog. Whenever I go online, my blog pops up (homepage) and I’m reminded of what I’m supposed to get done this week. Make them reachable, but not so easy that you can hit them without even trying.

6.) Last, but not least, never give up. I read Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum novels), and found out the other day that it took her 10 years to find an agent. And that’s a success story.