Writing Every Day

I have been writing every day for a couple of weeks now. With a one year old vying for my time and attention, writing has been less of a priority. Though let me be honest, prioritizing writing has always been challenging for me. When I wrote my first published novel Ula: Born of Shadows, I wrote every single day. I also didn't have a day job, a child, or many of domestic rituals I've now taken on, but ultimately it wasn't about my time. I simply chose to do it. Just like now, some days I choose to vacuum or file paperwork - other days I skip it. If I skip it long enough, the dust/cat fur/clutter call me to action. Writing is both easier and harder to ignore. You see, no one is going to choke on a carpet hairball if I don't write for a few days. On the other hand, my brain, heart and bones will start to vibrate with the irritating request that I sit down and write. If I ignore that request long enough, I start to feel lost, frustrated and disappointed in myself. Those feelings don't help me to write. On the contrary, the self deprecating thoughts are another barrier to my creativity so I push it further from my mind. It's a disturbing cycle and so easily broken by a few minutes at my computer every day. That's it - so simple - ten minutes of writing and I can find ease. Lately it has come naturally. I have several projects going simultaneously. I've also just downloaded Scrivener and I've been slogging through YouTube videos on how to use it. So if you find your own frustrations with making writing a priority, I'm going to outline a few tips that I use to get my butt in the chair.

• Brainstorm: Sometimes the only writing that I do in a day is a long rant about what's happening in my story and what could be happening in my story, etc. I have a separate file for every book dedicated to brainstorming, character development, outlines, synopsis, ideas. It's crucial to the writing of my novel and it helps me get the ideas out of my head without the pressure of committing words to the novel when I feel less inspired. 
• Podcasts: I love podcasts and subscribe to a huge variety them from spiritual growth to writing and editing. One of my favorite writing podcasts is Write 2B Read by Ani Alexander. She interviews authors and people in the book business who provide great tips, resources and stories of their development as authors. I'm almost always inspired to write after I listen and you can tune into podcasts while driving, cleaning, cooking, which means you're not detracting from other to-dos.
• Long Hand: Keep a notebook handy at all times to jot down ideas or write a scene or character description. So often writing inspiration will strike when I'm riding in the car with my husband or running into town on an errand. If I have my notebook handy, I can get my writing done at that moment. I also believe that our ideas are unique when we're in the world instead of tucked at home in front of our computer. Take advantage of your own unique perception in those moments by writing them down.  

Northern Michigan 

Snowflake Method of Novel Writing

Need some structure for that novel idea that has been floating around in your mind for a while? I stumbled across this website this morning by author Randy Ingermanson who details a novel writing structure known as the Snowflake Method. It seemed like a pretty effective tool for outlining so I wanted to pass it along. I hope that you find it helpful!

The Snowflake Method for Novel Writing

Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money.

Moliere

Quit Whining Start Writing - October 2016 Writer's Conference

Hey Writers! Sorry for the last minute notice, but I just came across a writer's conference happening in Michigan this week. Take a day and head over to Grand Rapids for the Quit Whining Start Writing Writer's Conference which features keynote speakers, writing workshops and more.

For more information: http://www.splatteredinkpress.com/writers-conference-2016/

Marketing and Sales Opportunity for Michigan Authors

Hello Michigan writers! Read below for an opportunity to sell and showcase your work at Arts and Greens, the Huron Valley Council for the Arts: Annual Holiday Fair: 
     The Huron Valley Council for the Arts is currently looking for talented authors of books for children and teens for our annual holiday fair, Arts & Greens. We would like to invite you to apply to be a part of this unique show; applications are now up on the HVCA website, huronvalleyarts.org, under Artist Opportunities. Arts & Greens Holiday Market is held inside the gorgeous Bogie Lake Greenhouses. Guests can shop the artist and author booths nestled between festive displays of poinsettias and other holiday greens. The unique setting makes this holiday show a must for many Oakland County residents. In addition , visitors can also enjoy live music ranging from the Huron Valley Community Chorus to the ever popular Tuba Christmas performance. The talented staff of Bogie Lake Greenhouses will be conducting free holiday greens-arranging classes throughout the weekend, where they will be teaching visitors the fine art of creating that perfect table centerpiece or festive holiday decoration. Arts & Greens will be celebrating its 12th anniversary this year; come and be part of the unique holiday show! If you have any questions please contact the Arts & Greens team at ArtShop@huronvalleyarts.org Kind regards, Sybil Phelps, Authors Coordinator Arts @ Greens

Create Content that Reader's Want

Beta Readers for Your Unpublished Manuscript

Somewhere along your book writing journey, you're going to have to stop slamming your laptop when people peer over your shoulder, and actually share your work. To non-writers this is a piece of cake; however, after you've spent years meticulously crafting your narrative, releasing it to potentially critical eyes can be pretty unnerving. Which is why it's especially important for those writer's who are the most terrified at the prospect of revealing their work. One of our greatest obstacles as writers, is coming out of the comfort of our writing room and interacting with other human beings. It's also a huge part of successful book marketing these days - even more so if you're choosing to self publish.

Beta readers come in all shapes and sizes. You might begin with friends and family, but keep in mind that they love you and don't want to hurt your feelings so getting truly honest feedback from them may be hard, if not impossible. Moving beyond that sphere, are you part of a book club or writer's organization? Ideally, your beta readers will not only be readers, but readers within your genre. Another option is to reach out via social media, especially if you have created a platform that communicates to an audience of people who like the kinds of books that you write. You might also consider seeking beta readers on websites such as WorldLiteraryCafe.com or another of thousands of websites that help connect writers with beta readers. One of the benefits of this final option is that you can get reviews that are not biased by a personal relationship with you.

When you find your readers, do your best to make the reading process easy for them. Make sure that your final draft has already been revised, spell-checked and organized into chapters. For friends and family, I send my manuscript in GoogleDocs with editing enabled so that they can put feedback in the body of the text. Make sure that the copy is clean and easy to read.

And then wait. A lot of our writing life is a waiting game, but begin another project in the meantime. When the feedback comes back, consider it carefully, but don't immediately start red penning your manuscript. Look for trends in criticism to see where multiple readers are noticing the same issue (i.e. a character who lacks depth). Everyone reads from their unique perception and not every piece of feedback will be good or even useful to you. When it's all said and done - thank your beta readers profusely - and if you have other books maybe even offer them a freebie to increase the chances that they will read and critique your next manuscript as well.

Trekking the Self Publishing Mountain

In April I am having a baby. This is a pretty big deal as life stuff goes and an especially big deal in my world because this will be my first child, which means I'm embarking on an entirely new adventure that I hadn't necessarily anticipated for this lifetime. I'm excited and nervous and 10,000 other emotions that I probably don't need to list since many of you may have already had the experience. One of the major changes underway is that I will be leaving my current jobs to care for the new little guy sharing our apartment. This pending change has inspired me to return to writing as a more full time gig. For the last couple of years - since Ula got published - I've been working primarily in the psychology/social work fields - in addition to teaching yoga. I've continued to write - my Born of Shadows sequel Sorciere is currently in edits with the publisher and I'm in the process of writing Book III; however, I have not been living as a working writer. I intend to change that.

 How? Well that's where it gets sticky. My love is fiction and that is always my primary focus; however, after publishing traditionally, I feel that self-publishing is most definitely worth a try. I have a novel that I wrote three years ago that I've just begun to edit. It's in the chick lit genre and as far as self publishing goes, I am a novice. I've been on an information binge, consuming podcasts, articles and interviews about the self publishing process and to be honest, it's a tad overwhelming. Despite the brain overload, I feel pretty excited and inspired by all of the success that self published authors are experiencing. I hope to share the journey with all of you and I would love your tips, feedback and insights as well. Thanks for reading and writing and Happy 2016!

Self Edit

One of the most important, and often difficult, aspects of the writing process is editing. The following infographic is a quick guide to simplify your editing experience. 

Writing Contests: Summer 2015

There's really no end to the many avenues that writers have to improve their skills in the realm of writing. Blogs, articles, short stories, writer's prompts, novels and even greeting cards offer us a seemingly endless supply of ways to pluck from our imaginative pool and twist our words into a stream of prose meant to delight, inform or even terrify our readers. Contests provide us with an opportunity to meander off our finely beaten writerly paths and foray into a new genre - perhaps with a bonus at the end of publication or prize. Try your hand at one of these upcoming writer's contests below....

TLR Prose Poetry Contest: Accepts prose poems. Deadline 8/1/15

The Barthelme Prize for Short Prose: Accepts poetry, flash fiction and micro-essay. Deadline 8/31/15

The Sixth First Line Contest: Accepts starter sentences. Deadline 9/1/15

NANO Fiction Prize: Fiction works of 300 words or fewer. Deadline 9/1/15  

Cahoots Collaboration Contest: Must include a literary element. Deadline 10/1/15

War and Peace Fall Essay Contest: Accepts essays up to 3,000 words. Deadline 10/12/15

The Writer's Rule Book Infographic

The Writer is a Dreamer

Are you looking for some deeper truth in your writing? Try recording your dreams and crafting them into stories. Dreams remove us from the mundane. Time and place become fluid and the self dissolves into a myriad of symbols that our conscious mind often cannot see. Through the recording of our dreams, we shine light into our writing and we also illuminate the darkness within ourselves. 

Voices of the Middle West Festival: Ann Arbor

If you're looking for some writing inspiration, mark your calendar for the Voices of the Middle West Festival held on the campus of the University of Michigan on Saturday March 21st, 2015. The festival brings together a variety of Midwest authors and writers including U of M faculty, students and additional writers and press. The festival will be headlined by award winning author and poet Stuart Dybek.

Voices of the Middle West Festival

Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Date: March 21st, 2015

Time: Begins at 10 am

Cost: FREE

For more information visit Midwestgothic.com/voices/

Never write anything that does not give you great pleasure. Emotion is easily transferred from the writer to the reader. -Joseph Joubert

Yoga and Creative Writing Workshop in Traverse City

For you Michigan Writers who reside in the beautiful Traverse City area of North Michigan, I am offering a workshop that integrates yoga and creative writing. We will meet for five weeks with the intention of tapping into your authentic voice. This is not a critique workshop, but rather an opportunity to dig deeper and release your words and stories in a spontaneous way.

Peaceful Prose:

A Yoga and Creative Writing Workshop

Join author and yoga teacher Jacki Erickson in a five-week workshop integrating yoga and creative writing.

We will explore postures, chakras, breath-work and meditation with an emphasis on discovering our authentic voice. Writing exercises, prompts and journaling will offer a structure to share our insights and hone our craft.

Who Should Attend? This workshop is designed for anyone who wants to spark their creativity and dive deeper into the practice of yoga and writing. Beginning writers and those new to practicing yoga are encouraged to attend.

Location: Shanti School of Yoga, 2074 West South Airport Road, Traverse City, MI

Dates and Time: Five Fridays February 20, 2015- March 20, 2015 from 4pm-5:30pm.

Cost: $125

Please Bring: A yoga mat, journal, writing utensil and an open mind.

Sign up online at http://shantischoolofyoga.net/ 

Contact me at JackiRErickson.com

Jacki Erickson (J.R. Erickson) is the author of Ula: Born of Shadows; a fantasy novel series published by Bluewood Publishing in 2012. The release of her second novel Sorciere is expected in 2015. Jacki has been writing most of her life and has published articles and short stories in a variety of publications.

Jacki is a 300-HR certified yoga teacher through Hilltop Yoga in Lansing, Michigan. She currently teaches at Shanti School of Yoga in Traverse City.

2015 Michigan Writing Events

Connect with other writers, workshop your material, improve your technique and simply delve a little deeper into the writing life with these 2015 Writing Events in Michigan.


A Rally of Writers (Lansing Writer's Conference): April 2015


Rochester Writer's Spring Conference: April 2015


Interlochen Writer's Retreat: June 2015


Bear River Writer's Retreat: June 2015


Glen Lake Writer's Retreat: June 2015


8th Annual Rochester Writer's Conference: October 2015

You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.

Stephen King

Make a Living as a Freelance Writer

Making a career out of freelance writing is a labor of love. Many writers aspire to one day support themselves entirely with writing, but instead discover that they must work at the local coffee shop or spend their most productive hours answering phones to make ends meet. I get it. I've been there and still regularly occupy that space. Life is a dynamic process and freelance writing is especially thus. It's ever changing.One month, you might have five clients that you're working with and the next, you're checking your email every hour, hoping for a small editing gig. What I've learned more than anything else in the freelance business is that I am responsible for my business. If I'm not generating it, there won't be any.

My partner in crime is a musician and he is a great example of how to be successful in the freelance business. Every day, he works to create his business. He goes to jam sessions to network with other musicians, he regularly stops by music studios to offer his services as a music teacher and he composes almost every single night. I'm often envious of his amazing focus and determination in his chosen field of creativity.

If you're struggling to make writing your full time career, consider some of the tips and resources below to help jump start your June business.

Advice for Freelancers 

• Talk About Your Business: I recently started a new editing project for an attorney. She called me because she knew that I was a freelancer and she couldn't find anyone in her area that she trusted with confidential documents. Her business came as a result of conversations that I'd had with her more than two years ago. The more you tell people about what you do, the more likely your name is going to come up when someone needs writing or editing services. So allow the modesty to fall away for a bit and tell everyone that you meet for a week that you offer writing and editing or other freelance services, pass out business cards and remind your friends and family that any clients they send your way are greatly appreciated. 
• Practice What You Preach: I must admit that I often fail in this capacity. When I work with clients, I spend a lot of time optimizing their content, building a social media platform and finding ways to make their business relevant on the internet. Why do I do this? Because that's how their future clients and customers will find them. This is equally, if not more so, important for a freelance writer. Utilize the internet to find new clients and to let people know that you exist. I recommend Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and any other sites that can advertise your area of expertise. 
• Do Stellar Work: Every client is a connection to future clients. When you create content that someone loves or optimize a website so that your client's business improves, other people will hear about it. It's an overused statement that actions speak louder than words, but it's extremely relevant in the freelance business. You can talk a great game, but if you provide mediocre service, you will lose a lot of word-of-mouth business. 

Writer's Resources

• MediaBistro: This is a great site for connecting with other writers, finding freelance jobs and finding informative articles about writing, publishing and more. 
• NAIWE National Association of Independent Writers and Editors: Though this organization is not free, it is still a great resource for writers. As a member of NAIWE, you receieve a hosted WordPress blog that appears in the associations blogroll in addition to professional level support. 
• All Indie Writers: Freelance writing jobs, writer's forum and writer's markets. 
• Writer's Market Directory: An online directory of paying writer's markets. 

Looking for Some Whimsical Fantasy?

I have posted several times about my good friend, Jon Kitson, who has found success publishing short stories over the last two years. You will soon be able to read one such story in both print and ebook format in a new anthology set for release on July 22nd. Please check out the details for FAE below....

Synopsis:

"Meet Robin Goodfellow as you’ve never seen him before, watch damsels in distress rescue themselves, get swept away with the selkies and enjoy tales of hobs, green men, pixies and phookas. One thing is for certain, these are not your grandmother’s fairy tales. Fairies have been both mischievous and malignant creatures throughout history. They’ve dwelt in forests, collected teeth or crafted shoes. Fae is full of stories that honor that rich history while exploring new and interesting takes on the fair folk from castles to computer technologies and modern midwifing, the Old World to Indianapolis. Fae covers a vast swath of the fairy story spectrum, making the old new and exploring lush settings with beautiful prose and complex characters. Enjoy the familiar feeling of a good old-fashioned fairy tale alongside urban fantasy and horror with a fae twist."

With an introduction by Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman, and new stories from Sidney Blaylock Jr., Amanda Block, Kari Castor, Beth Cato, Liz Colter, Rhonda Eikamp, Lor Graham, Alexis A. Hunter, L.S. Johnson,Jon Arthur Kitson, Adria Laycraft, Lauren Liebowitz, Christine Morgan, Shannon Phillips, Sara Puls, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, andKristina Wojtaszek.

Fae will be available in trade paperback and ebook via Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Kobo.com, and other online retailers, and for wholesale through Ingram. You can also find Fae on Goodreads.

You can visit the Goodreads giveaway here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/92441

Happy Reading!

Writing Jobs for Thursday June 21st

Writing Jobs in Michigan

Liberal Arts Grad Writers: Ann Arbor

Medical Copywriter: Ann Arbor

Writer: U of M Ann Arbor

Interview Writers: Detroit Area

Digital Host: Detroit Area

Editorial Assistant: Farmington Hills

Marketing Firm Hiring: Grand Rapids 

Editorial Content Leader: Grand Rapids 

Database Report Writer: Grand Rapids

Editor and Executive Assistant: Grand Rapids

Blogging Writers: Holland

Creative Writer: Houghton

Kent County Star Writers: Kent County

Junior Copywriter: Livonia

Full Time Copywriter: Livonia

Advertising Copywriter: Midland

Service Writer: Monroe

Interactive Marketing Specialist: New Buffalo

Editing and Proofreading Help: Troy

Newsroom Clerk: Saint Joseph

Telecommute - Writing Jobs from Home

Public Relations Freelancer

Golf Writers

Blogger with Home Security Background

Grant Writers

Freelance Writers

Online Content Writer

SEO Copywriter for Law Firm

Site Director for KinderStart

Freelance Journalists

Superstar Business Plan Writer

Freelance Writers for List Website

Professional Editor for Academic Thesis

Unpaid Writing Gigs, Internships and Submissions

Editorial Manager: Ann Arbor

Activist Writers

Travel Show Host Writers

Social Media Interns

The writer has a grudge against society, which he documents with accounts of unsatisfying sex, unrealized ambition, unmitigated loneliness, and a sense of local and global distress. The square, overpopulation, the bourgeois, the bomb and the cocktail party are variously identified as sources of the grudge. There follows a little obscenity here, a dash of philosophy there, considerable whining overall, and a modern satirical novel is born. -Renata Adler

Writing Jobs for Tuesday May15th

Writing jobs are often not easy to come by, but if you get creative, you can make it work. Check out some recent postings for writing jobs in Michigan, home writing gigs and internships. 

Writing Jobs in Michigan 

News Team Analysis: Ann Arbor

Web Editing and Production Assistant: Ann Arbor

Copywriter Needed: Birmingham

Paid Journalism Internship: Detroit

Environmental Reporter: Detroit

Quizzle Copywriter: Detroit

Business Reporter: Detroit

Marketing Writer Wanted: Detroit

Web Content Writer: Keego Harbor

Library Assistant: Manistee

Grant Writer: Muskegon

Marketing Content Specialist: Okemos

Freelance Writers: Saginaw

Telecommute Writing Jobs

Web Research and Summaries

Medical Writer Needed

Search Engine Evaluator

Current Events News Writers

Need Talented Blog Writer

Web Community Needs MacGyver

Web Content Editing

Grant Writer

Freelance Spanish Proofreading

Freelance French Proofreading

Transcribers

Article Writers

Talented Copywriter for Motivational Seminar Co.

Unpaid Writing Jobs and Internships 

Comedy Show Writers: Ann Arbor

Social Media and Marketing Intern: Detroit

Copywriting and Blogging Summer Internship: Keego Harbor

Medical Marijuana Writers

...it will not always happen that the success of a poet is proportionate to his labor.

- Samuel Johnson

Upcoming Writing Contests in 2012

Spring is here -  a time for rebirth and for many writers a spike in motivation. As winter releases her final grappling hold, we begin to see again the life that lays dormant during those barren, chilly months. Of course this year, our usually frozen scape was accentuated by hot sunny days in February and spring-like weekends in December. No less, we move with the rhythms of the earth and today she is telling us that Spring is returning. The rain of the last several days has made everything greener and more vibrant - the perfect sight to induce our creativity and lure us back to our pens, typewriters and keyboards.

Check out some upcoming writing contests below.

Free Writing Contests

AuthorStand Free Writing Contest: Short stories 1,500 to 10,000 words. Deadline May 10th.

The Vocabula Well Written Writing Contest: 200 to 500 words of beautiful writing. Deadline May 31st.

Writing Contests that Include a Reading Fee

Empirical Magazine Spring Writing Contest: Up to three short stories. Fees range. Deadline May 15th.

Abandoned Towers Magazine Writing Contest: Fiction, poetry or flash fiction on the theme Abandoned Towers. Fees vary by category. Deadline May 18th.

Work Magazine Employee of the Year Contest: Work related memoir. Fee $10. Deadline May 18th.

The New Letter Literary Awards: Prizes for poetry, essay and fiction. Deadline May 18th.

Redivider Beacon Street Prize: Best story and poetry. Fee $15. Deadline May 30th.

Pecan Grove Press- The H. Palmer Hall Prize for Short Fiction: Short story manuscripts between 125 and 150 pages. Fee $15. Deadline May 30th.

Writer's Journal Short Story Contest: Short story of 2,000 words or less. Fee $10. Deadline May 30th.

Glimmer Train Short Story Award: Short stories. Fee $15. Deadline is May 31st.

Spilling Ink Short Story Prize: Short story of 1,500 words or less. Fee $10. Deadline May 31st.

The Backwater Prize: Manuscript of original poems. Fee $25. Deadline May 31st.

Calyx- 2012 Lois Cranston Memorial Poetry Prize: Up to 3 unpublished poems. Fee $15. Deadline May 31st.

Crab Creek Review Poetry Contest: Up to 3 unpublished poems. Fee $10. Deadline May 31st.

Pearl- 2012 Pearl Poetry Prize: 48 to 64 pages of original poetry. Fee $25. Deadline May 31st.

WOW Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest: Open prompt fiction of no more than 750 words. Fee $10. Deadline May 31st.

Tiferet Journal Writing Contest: Spiritually focused fiction, poetry and nonfiction. $20 Fee. Deadline June 1st.

Nilsen Prize for a First Novel: Full length fiction manuscript. Fee $25. Postmark by November 1st.

Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.

- Jane Yolen