Writing - Can I Write?

I think everyone has a book in them and you've probably heard that cliché before. But in fact it is true. I'm now the Author of six books and counting and I flunked high school English. A couple of years ago at my first high school reunion, our thirty fifth, we were standing around talking and the conversation was about my book when a lady classmate walked up excitedly and said, "oh my, did someone in our class write a book?' And one of the others said, "Yea, Ed did!" She immediately responded, looking at me and said, "Oh no, you couldn't have written a book!"

Now I'd have to admit it was a long shot. My junior year I skipped fifty-five days of school and my senior year I got it down to thirty-five so her response was funny and warranted. But what no one counted on was that I became an avid reader. I have been reading a book a week for over thirty years. And of all places it started while I was serving two straight years as a Marine sniper in the Vietnam War. To the question, "can I write?' The answer is a resounding yes!

It was about twenty, maybe twenty five years after Nam when I began stirring to write about my experiences. I was working in the executive ranks of a major corporation and doing a lot of traveling so that meant nights alone in hotels. I began trying to write my story. After four or five chapters I'd proudly share me work with my wife and she would say, "That's awful". And I would dutifully go back to work and lick my wounds after healing I'd begin all over again. This went on for ten, countem', ten years of rejection.

Everyone talks about rejection in the business and that's a fact, but my rejection was coming from the person closest to me, but oh how important it was. One day in the mid-nineties I proudly produced my latest five chapters for her consideration and got that standard, "Honey, it's awful". But this time, amid her household chores she said, "You're a great storyteller, quit trying to be a writer and just tell people your story". A light bulb went off and I was on my way.

I finally got it. Great writers are storytellers. As I took a better look at the books I read every week I realized she was dead on. I didn't have the skills to write the way the learned taught, I was never in school thank goodness. But I lived my life story in the midst of war and I could tell it. My writing life officially began.

My book proposal was purchased by Ballentine Books and I wrote Dead Center – A Marine Snipers Two-Year Odyssey in the Vietnam War. That was about seven years ago and it is still selling in the top ten percent on Amazon, its in Barnes and Noble and all the big stores and has sold over one hundred ten thousand copies to date. I don't have a college degree, I did graduate from high school, they must have just moved me along. Can you write? You bet you can and here are a few things I learned about the process.

1. Be an avid reader. That will make you comfortable with words and styles and the whole process. You'll be more comfortable.

2. Be a storyteller not a writer. When you write sit down and pretend someone is there and just tell your story.

3. Be committed. Write everyday, even if it is a paragraph, be committed to the process.

4. Be real. By that I mean, tell it like it is, bare your soul and go for it. The best feedback I get is that my books are so honest. That is what people want whether it is fiction or non-fiction.

When I wrote Dead Center I completed it in four months end-to-end and I was working full time. Now it is a work of non-fiction so here is the process I used. I went in my office with a pad of those sticky notes, the ones about three inches by three inches and started writing down every event of significance I could remember from my two years in Nam. I started at the beginning and it took a couple of long evenings.

Then I took the events on the sticky notes and filled in some details. Next, I arranged the notes in chronological order as best I could remember. Then I called my former teammates and verified the times and events. I arranged the events on my office wall in chronological order and organized them into what became chapters. Then I wrote. It all started with writing from end-to-end just like I was telling my computer a story. It worked for me like magic.

One last point … each of us has a 'voice', a particular way of storytelling that makes us who we are. You must have an Editor that does not ruin your voice in the process. You are 'you' so don't let anyone edit that out. You can do it; for goodness sake I did and am having the time of my life along the way. You can too … if you will!

Breaking Writer's Block

There comes a time when a writer sits down at the computer and the creativity grinds to a halt. You may find yourself dissatisfied with your text. You may be unable to find the right words. Worse, you could end up staring at a blank page. Writer's block happens and it brings freelance writing to a stop. What do you do? How do you break through writer's block?

Here are some ideas for overcoming the struggle to write when nothing comes to mind:
Take a break. When you can't find a great idea or words just aren't coming easily to mind, take a break from the computer. Step away from the word processor for at least 10 minutes. A 20-minute break is even better. You'll come back to the keyboard refreshed and with new thoughts.
Take a vacation. Everyone needs some time to himself or herself to enjoy activities, so take a day off from your job. Get out of the house, and go have fun doing something else unrelated to writing. Your brain will appreciate the holiday.

Do something else. If you're writing a business article and having a hard time writing short sentences, switch tasks. Answer some emails, browse websites, or read someone else's material for a while. Indulge yourself in some creative, descriptive writing. Changing tasks for a while can be effective to breaking writer's block.

Go look for new ideas. If you're fresh out of ideas, go look for new ones. Take a walk down the street, sit on a park bench for a while, or have a drive in your car. Look around you and observe what's happening in the world. Try and find new ideas for your material based on what you see.
Read a book. Instead of writing, try reading for a while. Set down your work and pick up a fiction novel for a change of pace or a book on your subject matter for new ideas. While you're still dealing with written words, you're absorbing them instead of putting them to paper.

Stop worrying about writing. The more you worry about writer's block and not being able to pen your ideas, the worse the situation gets. You'll become frustrated and nothing will seem right. Relax. Let it go and stop worrying. Your writer's block may last a few minutes, an hour, or even a week, but it will pass. Give yourself a break. Tell yourself the situation is temporary.

No one can write extensively for hours without taking a break, even professionals. Your brain needs a rest and without taking breaks, you'll feel tired and drained. You may even start to dislike your job or writing in general. Find ways to give your creativity a rest. Do something you enjoy so that you can relax and come back to your computer with fresh eyes and renewed imagination.

Writing Articles That Sell

Article writing for web content is one of the hottest things in the virtual world these days. That's great news for freelance writers. Writing articles is a great place for new writers to start turning their talent into dollars. Writing articles that sell, though, isn't always easy. Here are some tips that may help.

Write what you know. That project about indoor plumbing may sound lucrative, but if you're someone who prefers crafts or pets, stay away from topics you know nothing about. Your lack of expertise will show up in your writing. Take writing jobs you feel confident writing about for better material. Your clients will be impressed as well.

Research and increase your knowledge. There are thousands of freelance writing opportunities out there on a vast range of topics. I've already said to write about what you know, but learn how to research what you don't and accumulate more expertise. To be a great freelance writer, you need to be an expert researcher. Get educated and learn new things about hot topics in demand. Don't just skim the surface to get an idea. Delve deep and become an expert.

Never paraphrase or rewrite material. This is the worst type of behavior a freelance writer can have. Paraphrasing or rewriting is barely a cut above copying someone else's work and pasting into your article. Have some pride and integrity. If you're going to be a professional writer, you shouldn't be earning money off of someone else's hard work and efforts. Learn about a subject until you know everything about it. Then write.

Don't be picky. Don't turn up your nose at writing about patio heaters or horse manure. These topics may be boring to you, but they could be very important to a client. Get excited with the client. Never give the client the impression you're doing him or her a favor by writing on a topic you don't enjoy. The client is doing you a favor by choosing your services over the thousands of other freelance writers out there.

Avoid fluff and filler. Clients hate this. Filling up a page with useless wording to have a longer page of text hurts your business. Eliminate anything that doesn't give value to the article. Phrasing such as, 'You will know that,' or, 'You should,' or, 'You might like to,' are useless and just boost word count for nothing.

Use action phrasing and assertive language. Be positive and proactive and let that show in what you write. Don't write, 'You will know that effective writing may be a good way to try to make some money.' That's weak. Instead, write, 'Effective writing is a good way to make money.'

Stay informative and be concise. Self-indulgent language and flowery prose is best saved for fiction works. Remember who the target audience is for articles. Most of the time, these are individuals seeking advice, help, or information. Articles should provide that to readers. How imaginative and creative you can be when you write has no place in the web content article market.

Edit, edit, edit. Check your work over until you're sure there aren't any typos, punctuation errors, or grammar problems. Word-processing software such as Microsoft word has great features to cut out weak writing and mistakes. Don't rely on a software program to correct a skill you should know by heart. Editing software isn't perfect, but your article needs to be.

Set it aside and read it another day. Many beginning writers slam down 500 words and send out the article without setting it aside. Always wait at least 12 hours before submitting anything. Read your work over again. Does the text still make sense? Did you write in the emotional mood that you were feeling when you first wrote the article?

Read your article out loud. Something may look fantastic in black and white, but verbalize it and you may find that nothing makes sense. Reading aloud catches plenty of strange or awkward phrasing, short sentences, or their counterparts, run-on sentences.

Be proud. You're a professional writer. That's a cool job and not one everyone can do! Have confidence in your skills and talent. Self-confidence and pride shows through in your writing and in communication with clients. You're doing something you love and earning money. Show that you enjoy your job and want to do the best you can.
Copyright James Chartrand 2007