Let’s get motivated, part 2

Commit to your writing. Decided how much time you can devote to writing and stick with the plan. Keep track of the time spent writing per day until it becomes routine. Make writing a habit. You may want to begin by writing an article for a local newspaper or a magazine. Seeing your work published is a strong motivating factor.

Everyone has distractions, whether it’s checking email, Facebook, Twitter, phone, TV, washing clothes, or a million other things. Remove as many of those as possible. Any of them can whittle away the time you intended for writing. Find a place where you can write with as few interruptions as possible.

Join a critique/writing group. Share ideas with other writers. Talking with others who have similar goals whets the appetite and spurs on the writer inside each of us. Everyone wins when ideas are shared.

Be realistic. If you can’t find the time to write every day, and most of us cannot, write when you have a few minutes available. Some people have written novels with twenty minutes of writing per day.

Try different techniques to figure out what works best for you in creating a story and to stay motivated to finish the manuscript.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:Magic Dragon. Writing – Work should be neatly printed or typed. If you type it, please double-space. Stories and essays can be up to three pages, poetry up to 30 lines. It is ok to send writing that you have also illustrated. You can write about anything that is important to you; it can be serious or funny, true or fiction. If you send originals and want them returned, enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Art – You may send original art or a copy. If you want original art returned, enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope big enough for it. If you send a copy, be sure it represents fairly the original work (colors are the same, lines are clear, copy looks just like the original). Your name should appear somewhere on the artwork. You may also tell us how you created it; for example, is it made with crayon, watercolor, paper sculpture, or some other way.

Submissions guidelines at http://www.magicdragonmagazine.com/?page_id=6

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Chicken Soup for the Soul. Listen to Your Dreams 
When we are asleep, we dream. Are dreams a connection to the unconscious mind? Are they omens of things to come—both good and bad? Dreams are often the way we tap into our own inner wisdom. Sixth sense, gut feeling, premonitions, instinct. Whatever you call it, sometimes we have no logical reason for knowing something—but still we know it. Submissions guidelines at https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/submit-your-story

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 50+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK. 

Comment or check out the blog at https://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/

A Critique Group Makes Writing Sweeter

I recently had the opportunity to teach a writing workshop to a fantastic class of women who are writing for children. The final segment involved matching the writers with critique partners, who write for the same age group. Although writing is a solitary endeavor, feedback from fellow writers is essential to a writer’s growth. 
The purpose of a critique is to offer a writer an opinion of what works and what can be improved upon—to raise the writing to a higher level. Suggestions are beneficial because the writer can see the story from different perspectives and incorporate new ideas into the plot. 

An effective by-product of critiquing is the act of reading and analyzing the work of fellow writers. Providing feedback to others helps a writer grow. The mental exercise kindles the brain. Everyone benefits—a win-win. 

For a critique to succeed, every member must benefit by improving individual manuscripts as well as their overall writing techniques. Some will see improvement faster than others, but all will grow as writers. 

Synergy is the cooperation of two or more writers to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. That’s the beauty of a critique group. When this newly formed group practiced critiquing, they offered ideas on improvement. Many of the writers receiving the suggestions had Ah-ha! moments brought about by the ideas of others. Input from other writers created a new alternative for the journey of the character. These ideas help writers see their work with a new perspective. Think of peanut butter and chocolate. Both ingredients are delish, but put them together, mmmmmmmmm—a remarkable combination results that’s an improvement over the individual flavors.

If you don’t have a critique group, form one. My critique groups are on-line. I’ve had one critique partner for years. We’ve helped each other grow as writers, cheered for the good times, commiserated during the down times, but through it all, we’ve garnered contracts by helping each other. My other critique group is new, but already, they’ve taken my words and added a sparkle and a sheen, and I hope I’ve touched their words with a glimmer and a glow. So, become the chocolate to someone’s peanut butter. Your literary life will be sweeter.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Balloons Literary Journal. ​Your submission should include a cover letter with your brief bio note (be concise, precise and unique!). If the author is a school child, we'd love to know his/her age too. Please also note the following submission instructions for the different categories:

Poetry: 3-5 pieces. Any style that you find appropriate (feel free to surprise us!). Submit them in a single WORD doc as attachment.
Fiction: 1 piece. No more than 2000 words. Proofread, Font 12, common Font Types. Submit it in a WORD doc as attachment.
Artwork: 3-5 pieces. We take the common file types like JPG and GIF (Good resolution please!).

You may of course send in more than one category of work. But please do not send in materials of the same category again before you receive our final decision of your initial submission.

Submission guidelines at http://www.authorspublish.com/balloons-lit-journal-blj-accepting-submissions/

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 48 children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK. 

Leave a message or check out my blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

Inspiration, part IV

If we are inspired to write, we are much more likely to spend the time doing just that, but when rejection letters outnumber bills, it’s easy to become discouraged. Here are a few more tips on finding the “gold” called inspiration. 

Join a writer’s group or critique group. These members understand how difficult it is to write a story and get a contract. You’ll share tips, offer feedback, give encouragement, offset rejection with humor, and find comfort in the camaraderie of like-minded people. You’ll read their work and grow as a writer.  

Stuck in a story and don’t know what to do? Leave it and go for a walk. Let your mind drift as you enjoy the park, lake, nature walk, city mall… Exercise stimulates the blood flow to the brain and fresh air makes us more relaxed. As the tension eases, enjoy the sunrise or songs of the birds. Watch children play. They have a brand new outlook on life that may offer a fresh way of looking at the problem and solution of your story. Many times, I figure out the plot of a story by relaxing rather than hammering on a keyboard. Try different experiences. One may lead you to the  rainbow's "gold."  

Call for submissions for Young Writers

The Youth Honor Awards recognize creative and artistic works by young people that promote multicultural, international and nature awareness. You might like to read the Youth Honor Award winning entries in our recent issues (Vol. 25, no. 4 or Vol. 26, no. 4) before submitting your entries for the 2016 Youth Awards.

Submission guidelines at http://www.skippingstones.org/youthhonor-02.htm 

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

#storieseverywhereTwitter Writing Contest Stories are, truly, everywhere—every place you look, everyone you meet, everything you experience.

Each month we invite you to post a story on Twitter using #storieseverywhere for a chance to win a free class. Your stories (which can be true or made up) will be inspired by what you see, know, or do, and they should relate in some way to our monthly “themes”:

May: Saying goodbye
June: Superhero
July: A revolutionary act

Idea Overload, part V/Call for Submissions

If you have more story ideas than you know what to do with, try these tips:

Talk with a critique group or writing club. Explain how the story has bogged down and you don’t know how to get the character out of the situation or don’t know how to inflict more problems upon the character. Writers often receive excellent feedback from such groups.

Abandoning manuscripts decreases a writer’s efficiency. Rather than permanently shelving a manuscript, shelve it temporarily while you consider different options for the characters and plot.

Review the story ideas folder. Maybe you can consolidate some ideas by tapping into an idea or two and using them in the manuscript you’re working on.

Next week, I’ll continue the series.

Call for submissions for adult writers:

REAL SIMPLE MAGAZINE LIFE LESSONS ESSAY CONTEST

Theme: What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done? Whatever your story, share it with us. Winner is published in Real Simple Magazine and receives $3,000. Limit 1,500 words. Deadline
Deadline: September 19, 2013. Must be nonfiction.

Details at <http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/inspiration-motivation/second-annual-life-lessons-essay-contest-00000000013682/index.html>

Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Critique Groups Provide First-Aid for Writers

Since many students will soon be on a holiday break, I’m going to write about tips for writers in a series of three blogs that focus on critique groups.

You’ve pounded the keyboard day after day, week after week, creating your story. You’ve spit-shined the revisions, rearranged the sentences, and typed the last word. Now you’re ready to kiss your manuscript good-bye and ship it off to strangers, AKA editors.Not so fast! Mailing you’re manuscript at this time may be a little premature. Consider joining a critique group. Not only will group members view your work with new perspectives, they will also provide feedback, positive and negative. The critique group will hone in on areas of quality writing, praising your efforts, and will offer examples for improvement in areas that need revision.

I’ve been writing for publication for twenty years and have had thirteen picture books and one chapter book published. During that time, I completed revision after revision, relying on my skills, alone.

A couple of years ago I joined, via the Internet, a critique group composed of four children’s writers. In that short period, my critique group has provided professional input into picture and chapter book manuscripts, making each work stronger. This group completes line-by-line, in-depth critiques, rather than general overview critiques. For me, the more specific the evaluation, the better.

Next week, I'll provide specific detail as to how our group functions.