Literary guru Pat Holt offers 10 Mistakes Writers Don’t See, a list geared for fiction writers but full of advice for improving all kinds of writing. The list covers repetition, adverbs, passive voice and commas, among other common mistakes.

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Earlier this week I spoke in the Publishing & Being Published class at Bethel University, a class I actually took four years ago when I was in college (way back then it was just a college). As part of my presentation I included a list of top ten things I’ve learned about being a freelance writer. I’ve done this kind of thing before, but I added a bit to it for this week’s presentation.

Continue reading Top 10 Lessons for Aspiring Writers →

Images found on an abandoned digital camera in the woods.

Ruined buildings. Fire tower. Fog. Abandoned camera. All that’s missing is the axe murderer and you’ve got a great novel/movie plot. (link via plasticbag.org)

First time nonfiction writer Stacy Sullivan learns just how brutal the publishing world is with the publication of her book, Be Not Afraid, For You Have Sons in America: How a Brooklyn Roofer Helped Lure the U.S. Into the Kosovo War. I read too many stories like this. (link via Jordon Cooper)

The master of frightful fiction offers “Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully — in Ten Minutes.” It’s advice you’ve heard before, but as King says, we need to hear it from someone who makes a lot of money doing it. For more on King’s writing wisdom, check out On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

Online cartoonist Scott Kurtz, creator of PVP, has this crazy idea of sticking it to the syndicates and giving power back to the artist. The idea is that syndicates control virtually every aspect of the comics you know and love. This is pretty much the reason Calvin & Hobbes is gone.

But Kurtz realized that the economics of newspapers have changed and syndicates don’t have to have all the power anymore. So rather than sell his work out to a syndicate (selling out in this case means giving up all creative and licensing control and rights), Kurtz is offering one year’s worth of his PVP comics to newspapers for free. Newspapers get a free comic and Kurtz gets national publicity while maintaining creative rights and control. He’ll make money off books, T-shirts, toys, etc.

It’s really an ingenius idea. It reminds me a lot of Hugh MacLeod, the business card cartoonist I blogged about the other day, and his ideas about being creative. More fuel for the fire that I can never seem to spark.

Creative director/business card cartoonist Hugh MacLeod has an entry about how to be creative that offers hope to every wannabe writer, artist, success or what-have-you.

My favorite is his ‘sex and cash theory’, though since I lost my day job I think I’d have a hard time following his advice.

Delivery drivers, hotel bellmen and lighthouse keepers all make more money than writers — this coming from a pro with 25 years worth of experience and (hopefully, though maybe not) raises. Ouch.