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Get Started – Basics

 
 
Basics about Writing (top)
  • Know your intended audience. Who will read your work? Consider their needs, ideas and possible responses.
  • Never write as if you know it all and the reader knows nothing.
  • Use language appropriate to your reader. Do not talk down, nor use $500 words when simple words will do.
  • Be a reader.
  • Writing is best learned by writing. See Book in a Week!
  • Rewriting, editing & revising are essential components of good writing.
  • Start small. Don't give up your day job — at least not until you have so many writing commissions that you must.
  • Recycle. Reuse your research for more than the original intention. Write other articles with the same slant. Never waste anything.
  • When doing research, dig deeper than the average person might, and you will find information to create an above average article.
  • Describe your characters so well that readers laugh and cry with them, cheer and boo them. Describe what they are and what they are not.
  • Describe your setting so that readers feel they are there. Get the details correct.
  • Don't stop with one success or one book. Keep at it.
  • Researched information can overwhelm you. Keep it organized.
  • Be good to your editors, interviewers, reviewers — even if they are crabby, unkind, or unavailable when you want them.
  • Be like Jesus, talk to Him often.

What is it like to be a writer? InScribe members share their thoughts:

 

My Greatest Need

My Greatest Joy
Pat the push to sit down and do it! the amazement I feel when I reread something I have written in the past and knowing that God gave me those words.
Laurie defining my niche the sense of recording something for posterity or for blessing others when it is published
Helen improved writing skills and marketing, promotion and know-how ministry to others (as in writing for our church newsletter) and glorifying God in process and product
Dianne staying on target, self discipline (learning not to procrastinate) ministry to others, creative rush, the process itself, see work published, in print, sense of doing it well, finishing a piece, sending it out, rewriting (I love rewriting!)
Janet time to do it, am being more intentional about this, continually improved writing skills, am working on this, and annual conferences positive connection with a publishing house creative rush, the process itself . . . it's
worth all the quiet but satisfying rewrites to polish the work, the rare
comment that what I've written has touched someone . . . see work published, in print
Pam To focus on writing as my "job" which means pruning other activities and ministries from my life (which means saying "No" to valid ministries for a time), to stick to a weekly writing schedule finishing the rough draft and beginning the re-write, resurrecting dead words and breathing life back in. Oooooo my favorite!
Paul the ability to quickly determine whether a story idea would make a good short story, screenplay, stage play, or novel the way a fictional world can suddenly explode in your head. I love to ask "What if," because I never know where it will take me
Violet defining my niche, courage/ perseverance to write that first draft creative rush - the process, and editing / sharpening something already written
Shirley uninterrupted time to write the response of the readers
Glynis more hours in a day I am encouraged by other people saying they 'like my stuff' but mostly I love the coming together of words on a page
  • I don't think it is possible for anyone to become a writer unless he has started out as a reader.” ~ Pierre Berton, in The Joy of Writing.
  • Some consider writing a hobby, others think of it as their calling or profession. Rarely do hobby writers make a huge impact in the writing world, but it may happen to those who cannot help but write.
  • Good writers are not born that way. Learning to write well is as challenging and time-consuming as learning any skill. It requires some education, some experience, and a great deal of practice.
  • Even excellent writers are not always able to write in every genre. At first, focus on one type of writing that you feel passionate about or that you like to read. 
  • USA Dept. of Labor description about what writers do!
  • James Scott Bell - Tips for Writers

Getting Started Essentials  (top)

Essentials

  • A well-lit place to write, the kitchen table is better than nothing, but it's better to have a dedicated desk or table.
  • A computer (many publishers want only electronic submissions, also best to invest in your own PC, not shared with family)
  • Internet access and e-mail service (check out all options, best rates through local service providers)
  • Filing and storage for research, writing supplies, etc.
  • Reference books such as dictionary, grammar book, thesaurus, etc.
  • The best ergonomic chair you can afford
  • Software: Microsoft Word is most commonly used by publishers, WordPerfect is good too
  • Printer (needs to produce clear copy
  • A telephone (a second line is best)
  • Copy of current writer’s market publications
  • Basic writing supplies such as 20 lb. white paper, 9x12 mailing envelopes, #10 envelopes
  • Extra computer disks
  • General supplies like pens, pencils, markers, paper clips, file folders, labels and note-pads
  • Professional letterhead (can design yourself but be aware of looking amateurish, research what looks good!
  • You may also want a photocopier, scanner, fax machine, back-up system for your computer (try a "flash drive" that you can plug into a USB port, comes in various sizes and is inexpensive)
  • Other books that pertain to your genre and needs (browse this site — several pages have book lists )
  • Last but not least, a good command of the English language. If English is your second language, check out The English Maze, a web-based learning system for ESL students, teachers and schools. Improve your pronunciation, speaking, reading, listening and writing skills. Much of the material is free, including comprehensive lesson plans  for ESL teachers.

Tips for getting started

  • None of which follows unless you get at it.
  • Determine the types of articles you want to write.
  • Focus. Develop areas of expertise. In what do you want to be recognized? Getting published in one area can overcome the lack of a degree. Special columns are a good choice for getting published.
  • Find markets whose personality is compatible with yours.
  • Keep their writer’s guidelines accessible. Filed them on your computer or in binders on your desk.
  • Keep the sample copies in Magazine storage boxes. Divide by type: Christian education, children, etc. Or divide by markets that buy your work.
  • Try writing for markets that accept a low percentage of freelance work. They are looking for more writers who can write to their specialty area.
  • Read the advertisements to determine potential markets.
  • Read letters to the editors. This tells you about the audience and how they think.
  • Keep sending to the same market. Consistent submissions get the editor’s attention.
  • Find a publisher first. You would not sew a dance costume then go try to find someone to fit it!
Books about Writing  (top)
  • Edelstein, Scott. 30 Steps to Becoming a Writer and Getting Published
  • King, Stephen. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
  • McClanahan, Rebecca. Word Painting
  • Sherwood, Linda & Haggert, Shelly. Writing Lessons Learned.
  • Strunk & White. The Elements of Style.
  • Trottier, Dave. The Freelance Writer's Bible: Your Guide to a profitable Writing Career Within One Year. ISBN:1-879505-85-1. A great book to help you decide your writing vision, get over your fears, develop a plan for your career.
  • Wood, Monica. The Pocket Muse. Writers Digest Books

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  • For a full selection of books about writing, go to  In Association with Amazon.ca  — Amazon's Canadian online store through this link and InScribe gets a small reward.
  • Other bookstores
Links to Help You Get Started  (top)
  • See our events page for InScribe workshops & online writing courses. Canadian 

GENERAL WRITING RESOURCES

CONTESTS, PROMOTION & REVIEWS

GENRES: SPECIFIC INFORMATION

FUN WITH LANGUAGE

 
What Kind of Writer are You?  (top)
  • When you tell stories, do you want “nothing but the facts”? Then try nonfiction.
  • Are your stories are embellished with colorful, but not necessarily true, details? Then write fiction!
  • If you think in pictures, notice things like the silver glow on the edge of someone’s arm, feel emotions more deeply than anyone you know, and love the sounds of words strung together, maybe you are a poet.
  • Can you blend fact and fiction, nonfiction and a pure yarn? Yes, you can. Current affairs do not tell the whole story, but you can fill it in and write it as a novel, or a deeply emotional experience becomes the basis for a fictional piece, or an incomplete historical story is fleshed out and becomes a novel. Creative nonfiction might be your niche.
  • Try several types of writing. Which gives you the greatest challenge? Maybe that one is not for you. Which do you find the most absorbing?
  • What do you like to read? Maybe that is your genre.
  • The best way to find out is to simply get started!

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