Article Antics

Going, going, gone .....

2011-08-29T15:21:00.000+01:00

I'd like to thank all my followers on Article Antics for their support and interest over the year and a bit this blog has been going. But, unfortunately from the 1st September 2011 I will be closing this particular blog down. I will still be blogging at http://jlpwritersquest.blogspot.com so you are very welcome to join me there where I will be blogging about all things writing: articles, short stories, novels and poems, etc.

The reasons for closing this blog down is because I'm finding it increasingly difficult to devote as much time as I'd like to both blogs so one had to give! I also want to concentrate more on my actual writing.

So thank you, once again,

Happy writing

Julie xx

Blowing Bubbles

2011-08-29T15:12:00.000+01:00

Well, for some of us the summer holidays are almost over. It's one week until the kids return to school here and the seven weeks they've had off has just flown by.I haven't done as much writing as I'd planned or would have liked to have, but that was my choice. And now that the Autumn term is about to start, I'm quite excited by the increase in my writing time this means. It's bad enough to stay motivated and hide in my office when my husband's on his days off from work, but it's nigh on impossible when our daughter is off school and she and her friends are charging around, shrieking 'Justin Beiber' at the top of their voices! So getting back to some 'normality' will be refreshing (and I get to listen to Justin Beiber's CD all by myself - only joking <cough>)

As you might well know, I've been trying, recently, to broaden my horizons on the article writing front and pitch to magazines I haven't targeted before. It's a bit hit and miss - some editors have ignored me, some have said an outright no, and some have said pitch again in a few months. But I'm working on an article for the one editor that has said yes. It's been fun researching for it and has given me the impetus to keep pushing forward with article writing. A lot of the pitches and articles I'm doing now can also be used for the journalism course I'm still doing, so I'm hoping to kill two birds with one stone.

I'm a positive person, but , just like everyone else, I do have setbacks and it can be hard sometimes to see the point in carrying on with writing, especially when the media reports suggest that publishing is in decline and being affected by the recession. I had a recent experience that didn't help this mood either. I won't go into too much detail as I don't wish to dwell on it. But it involved an article I had accepted for publication a couple of years ago by a magazine. I hadn't heard anything despite my trying to contact the editor on several occasions. Anyway, I heard recently that the editor who had accepted my article had left and although the new editor was interested in it and some other ideas I'd pitched to them, they weren't prepared to pay for it - when the ex-editor was!

Yes, it's annoying and frustrating, but these things happen and it hasn't put me off pitching elsewhere. Better communication on the part of the outgoing editor might have helped here - I did try! I have written pieces for free before and I dare say I will again but I don't see why writers should forfeit payment to glossy magazines who have a cover price and get a large proportion of their income from plush advertising. Writing is a business, just as much as the magazines are.

We had a lively debate recently on Facebook about when, if ever, it was acceptable to write for free - and it obviously stirred up strong opinions and emotions on the subject ranging from those who were dead set against it and didn't take too kindly to those who did write for free, or who weren't prepared to haggle for a higher fee, to those who could see the value of writing for free - for them it wasn't always about the money.

I think that as writers we should be blowing as many pitching bubbles as we can and see how far they float. A lot of the time, yes, you might not get a reply from the editors you target, but sometimes you will. Editors will always need good copy for their magazines and why shouldn't it be you who provides that? The only question is whether the editors are prepared to pay for your copy or not,and if they are, how much? And what will your reaction be to the editors who like your ideas but aren't prepared to pay for them?

On this occasion I walked away as I know there are editors who are prepared to pay for my work. As a writer I supply a product, rather in the same way as a teacher provides their teaching skills to the school that employs them, or a nurse provides their skills to the hospital that employs them, or a plumber repairs a leak or fits a new bathroom for a customer. They expect to be paid for the work they do and so should writers - you.

I do a lot of volunteer work for which I receive no monetary payment but the rewards I do get: sense of purpose, sense of giving something back to society and helping young people to achieve what they want from life are priceless. But writing is my main business and I have to make money from it to keep my business going. Everyone has to make money to survive in this society, so I see my volunteering and writing as two separate things.

There are only two occasions when I would consider writing for free: if it was for a non-profit making charity and all its fundraising goes towards the people it helps, or if I was running low on examples for my portfolio - and then it would only be for 'free' magazines or ones I know don't make high profits and honestly can't afford writer's fees. But we're all different, and I certainly wouldn't pass judgement on any writer who does or doesn't write for free.

So, don't be afraid to blow your pitching bubbles and see where they land - you have nothing to lose and you might just get your work in a new publication. Think about what you expect to gain from your writing too: pleasure, money, publication, or a combination of all three?

Happy writing

Julie xx

Nothing ventured ..........

2011-08-24T09:00:00.001+01:00

I followed a bit of my own advice recently abd it's actually starting to pay off. I rell must start listening to myself more often! I know I've mentioned before in this blog the importance of trying new markets and this was brought home to me recentlky when a potenial market I'd had an article publishd in and a further one accepted had a change of editor meaning that my accepoted article became unavvepted and there ws no sale. And to further rub salt in the wound when I tried to pitch to the new editor, the reply was that they liked my ides but weren't preparedto pay freelance writers at the moment! Had I have been a more sensitive soul I might have given up there and then. But I didn't. I politely declined and moved on. Then a market I've had a few articles in isn't taking subs for a couple of months, so that was another potential setback.

It's a tough old job this freeelance writing lark and you have to develop a tough skin to survive it. If one magazine editor's door is closed to you, try knocking on someone else's. I've done just this recently and it's starting to pay off. I've had a pitch accepted in principle by a magazine I've never pitched or subbed to before which is great progress. But I've also had pitches ignored by other magazines I've just started pitching to - you win some, you lose some! But thus stunned silence from these editors will not stop me from trying them again or approaching others. And if it happens to you, it shouldn't stop you either. It's how the game goes: you find a potential market, you study that market, you pitch to the editor, editor says yay or nay and you either write the article or you pitch it elsewhere! And if you're approaching the right markets that pay - which you should be if you're a professional writer - you get money for it too!

So go on, give it a go. You've got nothing to lose.

Happy writing

Julie xx

This and That

2011-08-19T06:00:00.001+01:00

One of the things that I love about writing articles is that you never quite know what you're going to write about or the people you will meet and interview in the course of your writing life. I've been very lucky so far as I've written about some pretty interesting and quirky topics as well as meeting some lovely, and if one can say so without coming across as rude, slightly unhinged, or eccentric people (it does take one to know one).

Writing articles is the ideal job for me as I don't see it as work. Yes it's hard going sometimes and you do have to sit down and write if you want to see results, but it's something I love doing: I have an inquisitive (nosy) mind - I love finding out stuff - it doesn't matter what that stuff is. I have a very open mind and welcome new opportunities - you have to as a writer.

So open your mind and get out there and talk to people -you never know what you might find yourself writing about next!

Happy writing!

Julie xx

You put your left leg in

2011-08-15T06:00:00.001+01:00

What are you writing about at the moment? Is it something you know a lot about? Or a subject you know little of? I'm all for writing about what you know, but I do like to go off roading every now and then - it's good for the soul and sanity. It does a writer a good to try something new, gain new skills and experiences. So what are you going to learn next? And, more importantly, what are you going to write about it?

There is an article in anything and articles are everywhere, if you look hard enough. Sometimes the perfect subject is sitting right under our noses - we just don't realise it. Your subject doesn't have to be huge or exciting - the best articles often come out of the mundane and the common. But it's how you handle the topic that counts: get the unusual angle from the usual - make the ordinary the extraordinary.

Whatever you're doing, wherever you're going, make like Worzel Gummidge and put your writing head on; can what you are going to do or where you are going be turned into an article or three? The answer here should always be a resounding YES! If it's a no, you're in the wrong job and you should take another look until you can say yes.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Batten Down the Hatches

2011-08-11T19:11:00.001+01:00

I love summer storms. I love the tension as it builds, the heaviness of the air, the electricity buzzing above my head, the deepening and darkening of the skies, the sense of anticipation and the prickle of what is to come. There's a moment, just before the storm breaks, when the heat and humidity is almost too much to bear that makes me feel as though my head is about to explode! It's a bit like that with my writing. I um and ah for what seems like days (sometimes it is, lol!), grumbling away like the beginnings of a storm - I become irritable and can't think straight: I want to write but I just don't know what!

But then comes that first splat of rain, that first clap of thunder and flash of lightening that fractures the sky. Oh the relief! The first word is typed out, followed by another and another and before you know it that first sentence is complete followed by the first paragraph. You have the beginnings of your article! Now it really wasn't that bad was it? All that frustration and irritation over nothing ;0)

So, instead of waiting for your literary thunderstorm to break - pre-empt it and set the thunder rolling before the first flash of lightening. You won't get the words out if you don't sit down with your pen and paper/computer. And you won't get the commissions from editors if you don't pitch them - don't be shy and don't think that you can't do it or there's someone else who can do it better than you. The only person who can stop you from getting that commission is you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take my own advice and pull myself together and bally well go and write something!

Happy writing

Julie xx

Stumbling Blocks

2011-08-08T06:00:00.000+01:00

If you're anything like me at the moment, and like a lot of people out there, you might be a bit short of cash. This can spell trouble for a writer, particularly when they need to buy magazines and analyse them to be able to pitch ideas to the editor. Magazines can be expensive, but they are worth the investment. But having no spare cash to buy them can be a huge stumbling block - an article writer needs access to magazines if they are to keep their writing business afloat. I would say they they are as essential to a writer as a notebook and pen or a computer. It is only by reading several back copies and a recent copy of a magazine that you can truly get the flavour of it and be able to pitch your ideas appropriately. So what do you do if you can't afford to buy magazines?

* Share: get a couple of your writing friends together and each of you buys a different magazine, analyses it and then you swap over.

* Shelf surf: go into a large newsagents with a note book, or use your voice recorder or recording device in your mobile phone and flick through a couple of magazines noting down pertinent points that will enable you to hone your ideas and construct the perfect pitch.

* Dead time: sitting in your doctor's or dentist's waiting room is dead time - nothing happens. It's such a waste - but it needn't be. Take advantage of the time and read the magazines on the table. Now, I know they may not be in date, but sometimes they are only a couple of months old and they can be a goldmine of information for you. Even the older ones will give you a sense of what has been published before and you may be able to update the articles - rewrite them and make them your own to pitch. It's recycling at its best!

* Be cheeky: ring up the mag and ask for a back copy or two. You may even get them for free!

* Look out at car boot sales, jumble/attic sales or charity shops. They sometimes have piles of magazines and some of them aren't that old!

*See Simon Whaley's blog posting on a couple of Internet sites where you can buy single copies of magazines rather than go for the full subscription.

* Ask friends, colleagues or family to pass on their old magazines to you when they've finished with them.

Buying magazines is not a luxury for a writer, it is a necessity. But there is more than one way to get hold of them without forking out a small fortune.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Who you gonna call?

2011-08-03T06:00:00.002+01:00

When your looking for something to write about for your articles and you maybe want to include some quotes in it, who do you call? Attracting the right person to want to be in your article can be quite difficult. There's how to get hold of them for starters. Then there's the dilemma of how to approach them. Do you go for their web site and click on contact? Or do you search for their agent or publisher (if they are a writer or celeb.) If it's a local person, or someone with the experience or knowledge in the subject you want to write about, say, for example, wood turning, do you ring them, or turn up on their doorstep, or chase them round the supermarket ;0).

The best thing to do, if you're unsure, is to find out if they have a PR or media department and contact them first. If they don't, I would advise contacting them via their agent or publisher or on-line, via their blog or web site. With a local person, if you can find out their company's web site or their own personal e-mail address/ phone number, I would try and make contact that way. Writers and other such people will almost certainly state how they want to be contacted (if at all) so it's best to follow their instructions.

Don't be shy, either! Don't not contact them because you think they'll say no - they may well say no, but they might just say yes instead. Be brave and bold but polite. If they say no, it means no and don't badger them - no-one likes a stalker! Treat them with respect and they'll return it.

Happy interviewing

Julie xx

You can do it

2011-07-30T06:00:00.001+01:00

When I look back to when I first started writing, I can't believe just how much I have achieved. Now, this isn't a boastful blog, far from it. I just want to show those of us who are just starting out, or are struggling, reeling from rejections what they can achieve if they stick with it.

I started out writing letters to magazines and newspapers. When I'd had a fair bit of success with those (they also served as a form of stress relief, getting stuff that annoyed me off my chest, LOL!) I gained in confidence and moved onto writing articles for NAWG (National Association of Writers' Groups). When they published my articles, I started this blog and a fellow writer suggested that I might edit some of my blog postings and expand on them, maybe adding some quotes in. I was a little reluctant at first, but I did it, and I got published in magazines that paid me for my writing!

But when you're struggling, and attracting rejections like a magnet, it can be difficult to brush them off and carry on writing and submitting. But carry on is what you much do! If you want to be published and get paid for your writing you have to be determined, But it's not just a case of keeping at it blindly, you have to research your market and target it in the right way - you have to learn to evolve and try new markets. I am the first person to admit that in the past I was reluctant to try new markets, but not any more. You have to be versatile and be able to adapt your writing style to be a successful writer. Don't just write about what you like to write about. Come out of your comfort zone and try something new. It isn't easy but the rewards are many: the satisfaction that you've broken into a new market, another string to your writing bow and something extra to put on your writing CV, learning a new skill, or knowledge.

Happy searching for your next writing project - make sure it's something you haven't considered before!

Julie xx

We're all going on a summer holiday ......

2011-07-26T06:00:00.001+01:00

Feel free to sing along if you feel the need! Many of you will be jetting off on your summer holidays soon and some of you will have already arrived at your destination, or maybe you're having a staycation. Whatever you're up to over the summer months, don't forget to pack your notebook, pen and camera. No matter where you are going there will almost certainly be a writing opportunity to be had. It doesn't matter where your destination is or the journey - what matters is what you note down and take photos of. Even the most mundane of details can be important when you get home and start writing.

Okay, so maybe the place you're staying in has been written about to death before, but while you're staying there you are the mini expert. You are the person experiencing where you are, and that gives you a unique point of view. No-one can write about where you are better than you can. Writing in a different place can do wonders for your creativity too.

Happy holidays and happy writing

Julie xx

Bits and Pieces

2011-07-22T06:00:00.001+01:00

I had some great news yesterday in that one of my articles that I based on a recent workshop I did for my writers' groups has been accepted for publication! I'd been thinking about offering to do a workshop for a while but I put it off until I was asked if I wanted to do something - I jumped at the chance! It was a wonderful experience and I got an article out of it.

Have you ever thought of doing a workshop? It doesn't have to be for your writing group - you might not belong to one - but you could do it for it for other groups, or get a group of fellow writers together and give it a go. It was such a positive experience for me and the group got a lot of it too. It was a feel-the-fear-and-do-it-anyway- moment for me and was such a confidence boost. We had a lot of fun and it's given me the motivation to do more.

Have a think about what you could do for your writing group or a group of writers, do it and then write about it. You might think that you can't do it or won't be able to do it well, but you can! And it will help with your writing as well. If you can stand up in front of a group of people and do a workshop, it will give you the confidence to broaden your horizons and improve your writing.

Before you give a talk/do a workshop go to a few yourself and learn what works and what doesn't. Make sure that you have researched what you are going to talk about/do and have prepared thoroughly - there's nothing worse than arriving at a workshop you are doing and you don't know what your going to do!

It's definitely worth considering.

Happy writing

Julie xx

It ain't over till the last editor sings!

2011-07-18T21:22:00.000+01:00

Excellent post over on Simon Says about how he had pitched an idea to an editor, the editor asked him to revise it, which Simon did and he got the commission! There's dedication for you. The thing is, though, earlier that day, before I read his post, I had a similar situation with an editor and I revised my pitch and got the commission too! There's spooky!

It also taught me a valuable lesson. The editor said that my pitch was too vague and the article would have had too much breadth with not enough depth. The editor was quite right. So what am I going to do about that in future? I'm going to sharpen my pitches and be more specific and clear in them. One article = one topic/theme.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Write what you know ...... and what you think you don't know.

2011-07-14T21:35:00.000+01:00

Every one of us has experience. All our experiences will be unique and different, although there will be a common thread in situations that most of us are familiar with: weddings, births, shopping, eating etc, how we view the world and what happens to us in our world will be similar, but no-one can truly know how someone else feels or what they perceive from the world as we have our own unique view.

So what has this got to do with writing? Well, we are always being advised to write what we know - this is great advice as an expert in your own field you are the best person to write about it. You live it so you know it. But someone else writing about the same topic who is also an expert in that field will write a totally different article to you. It's all down to individual view point and life experience. So don't think that because there are hundreds, possibly thousands of people who could write about what you want to write about that there is no point in you bothering - there is - editors want your unique view point.

You don't even have to restrict it to writing about what you know. Writing about something you don't know much about will broaden your writing repertoire as well as giving you new interests and refining your research skills. So next time you're deliberating about what to write about, think about your unique life experience, find a common thread to resonate with readers and use your individual insight to make it come alive.

Happy writing!

Julie xx

You Don't Know Til You Try

2011-07-10T06:00:00.002+01:00

When I first started writing in 2007 I had no idea what I was doing. I knew I wanted to write but I didn't know what or how. I did a writing course which set me on the right track but it wasn't enough for me. So I joined a writing group which did the trick. I gained support and valuable advice from the other members of the group which gave me the confidence as well as the know-how on how to write, pitch and get my work published. I will be eternally grateful to them as well as to my blogging friends.

But it doesn't matter how many times someone tells you that you should send your work off, if you don't have the confidence to do it, they will have been wasting their breath. At some point, though, you have to just grab the bull by the horns and send your work off. If you don't, you'll never know if your work is good enough to be published.

It's not easy getting published, especially with the market as it is now with magazines disappearing. I didn't think that I'd ever do it. But there must have been something inside me that made me persevere, regardless of how many rejections I got - and I've had more than a few! You can't think too much about the diminishing market as magazines will always need content and why shouldn't it be you who supplies it? You just have to:

1. Research the market.
2. Don't give up
3. Follow the house style of the magazine you want to pitch/submit to.
4. Find out the submission guidelines and stick to them.
5. Don't give up.
6. Find different angles for your pitch that will catch the editor's eye.
7. Don't make promises/claims that you might not be able to keep - it marks you out as unprofessional and if you can't deliver what you promised you might not get a second chance.
8. Don't give up.
9.Be professional.
10.Don't give up.

There's a lot of don't give up in there as I feel that that is the most important piece of advice! If you give up because you keep getting rejections, you will never know if the next piece you would have written would have been the one to get published. And if you're reluctant to try new markets because you think they won't be interested in what you have to write - do it anyway - you won't know until you try. Let the editor be the judge of whether they'll be interested or not. And if you've done your research properly you shouldn't be too far off the mark.

Happy writing
Julie xx

Patience is a virtue .... It's also frustrating!

2011-07-08T06:00:00.000+01:00

There's a saying that goes something like 'good things come to those who wait.' There's also the phrase 'she has the patience of a saint.' We spend a large proportion of our lives just waiting: post office queue, doctor's waiting room, phone queues, check outs, you name it we wait for it. But one of the most frustrating kinds of waiting is the waiting we writers do for news about our submissions.

We get anxious and confused about how long we should wait, too, and what to do when we feel we've waited long enough. But it's nothing to worry about, really. There's no point in, for instance, trying to contact an editor a week after you've submitted something to them if their guidelines state they take 8 - 12 weeks to reply. I know it's tempting to try and find out earlier but all you'll end up doing is irritate the editor! If the magazine you're pitching/subbing to gives a time scale for responses then that's brilliant as you know what to expect. It's also easier, after that time has elapsed to contact the editor then, making inquiries as to the fate of your work because you can say you've waited the 12 weeks and heard nothing.

I know it's annoying when you're desperate to find out if an editor is going to take and publish your work, but it's part of a writers' lot. And we haven't even got to the wait between an editor accepting your work and then actually publishing it. The longest I've waited so far (and I'm still waiting) is two years, But I know of other writers who've waited a lot longer!

I also used to worry about sending my work to a magazine and that editor rejecting it after a long wait and opening up another magazine (the one I was going to send it to next) and seeing a similar article to mine in it. But I don't worry so much now. It's an occupational hazard and you can't really do much about it, other than revamp your version of the article (there's always a different angle) and send it out to the third or fourth magazine on your list. Where there's a will there's a way.

While you're waiting, it's a great opportunity to crack on with your next piece of writing.

Happy waiting and writing

Julie xx

Don't just think it .....

2011-07-04T06:00:00.001+01:00

Everyone knows what thought did. So I think it's important to act on your thoughts as soon as you can. Write them down for a rainy day - you'll be amazed at how fast thoughts and ideas for your writing will just disappear if you don't hold on to them and physically write them down. I've lost count of the ideas that have come to me in my sleep and because I've been too drowsy and lazy to turn my torch on and scribble them down, I've forgotten them by morning. It's very frustrating to wake up knowing you had a fantastic idea for an article last night but you can't for the life of you recall any details.

Some times, if I'm lucky, bits of the idea come back to me in fits and starts throughout the day - but the essence is always missing. I can get the gist but that killer line, that hook that was so obvious to me in my sleep has gone.

We are all guilty of procrastination -I hold my hand up to it. Guilty as charged. But it always ends up costing me in the end: a pitch that didn't get there in time and I was pipped to the post by another writer, an article I've had simmering in the back of my mind for weeks turns up written by another author in a magazine. Frustrating, but probably avoidable if I'd have pulled my finger out and got that pitch or article subbed. I only have myself to blame.

Don't leave it for someone else to have those pages in that magazine that could have been yours! Get writing and get it subbed! I think we're all going to have a busy writing week.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Lead-in time

2011-07-01T06:00:00.000+01:00

We all know that magazines are published to a regular schedule. Some are weekly, some are monthly, some quarterly. It's important that as writers we know when the magazines we are targeting are published because we don't want to send our pitches or manuscripts too late, particularly if our pitches are seasonal, eg, Christmas or Easter related.

Magazines have their own, what they call, lead-in periods from when an article is accepted to when it will be published, or from when articles need to be submitted in order to be accepted for a certain issue. Recently, I submitted an article to a magazine knowing that it wouldn't be used until November as the editor had already told me this.They also will tell when you need to get your submissions in, ie 4-6 months before the event. But if you want to make sure you get your pitches and manuscripts in at the right time, so as to not miss the magazine's lead-in time you need to either look at the magazine's own submission guidelines which will tell you how many weeks/months their lead-in time is, or contact the editor themselves.

It would be a shame to miss your cue!

Happy writing

Julie xx

One step at a time

2011-06-28T06:00:00.001+01:00

I've finally done it. Well, my husband did, if I'm honest. I sent him out an a magazine hunt at Tescos last night: his mission (if he chose to accept it) was to find me two magazines to pitch articles to. Now, I sent him out, not because I was feeling particularly lazy and just couldn't be bothered, but because he doesn't know anything about the topics I like to write about or which magazines I'd like to write for. So by getting him to choose the magazines he might well have chosen magazines I wouldn't have dared to approach before! I also can't deploy any bias or prejudice to my options or just go for what I consider to be easy markets.

You see, there is method in my madness. I now have two magazines that I don't normally buy to peruse and pitch to. If I send him out each week doing this, I'll end up with a possible 8 new potential markets to target each month. The possibilities are endless.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Selfish time thieves.

2011-06-26T06:00:00.002+01:00

I have a busy life. I'm sure that's true of most of us! There are some weeks when I get very little writing done at all, but other weeks I seem to have more time than I've ever dreamed possible to write. I know I've blogged about taking time out of your busy life to dedicate to your writing before and I've also said it's easier said than done,but it's such an important point that I'm revisiting the issue here.

When I went to an Open University workshop in Birmingham a couple of years back, the tutor listened to all of our writing achievements and aspirations. When we'd been round the room, she made the comment that you needed drive and the ability to be selfish if you wanted to be a successful writer and she said that she wasn't sure that any of us had it! Gasps hissed around the room followed by an awkward silence. At the time I thought the tutor was just very rude and not in the least bit inspiring. Instead of encouraging and nurturing we fledgling writers, she seemed to want to suck the life force out of us. But looking back, I think she was right.

Her words were like a red rag to a bull for me. How dare she say I haven't got drive, that I just haven't got what it takes to succeed as a writer. It just made me me more determined to be published so I could prove her wrong! But it was her comment about being selfish that became my sticking point. I'm one of the most unselfish people I know: I do volunteer work. I put myself out for people. And therein lies the rub. Quite often I'm very aware of the fact that I will put other people and other things in front of my writing. And that's not good for a writer.

I can never see myself becoming totally selfish and putting my writing first. To be selfish is not in my nature. But I am taken advantage of by time thieves quite often. It's my own fault. I need to say no more. There has to be a balance. It's okay to be selfish about your writing sometimes. If you want to be a professional and success writer you have to steal some of your time back and say no to those who try and monopolise your time. Stop feeling guilty and you'll be a happier writer.

Happy writing

Julie xx

It's all about you.

2011-06-24T06:00:00.002+01:00

If you want to be taken seriously in this game you have to think and act seriously. If you can look and act like a professional writer then people are more likely to take your writing seriously. If you don't take yourself seriously, how can you expect anyone else to?

This may be pertinent advise, but what does a professional writer look like? There are a lot of them about as diverse as JK Rowling, Val McDermid (sp.), Terry Pratchett, Celia Ahern - like chalk and cheese, all of them. I think you have to find a level of professionalism that sits easily with you. We are all different in appearance, dress sense and personality. It's not good pretending to be someone that we are not as we will soon become uncomfortable and someone will catch us out! We don't want to be someone else but but want to try and take on board some of the writers' that we admire good qualities. What is about successful writers that makes them that way? What can we learn from them? What can we use from what we've learnt to enhance our own writing and professionalism?

It's a lot to think about but something that deserves our attention if we are keen to increase our chances of publication.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Don't Be Shy!

2011-06-22T06:00:00.001+01:00

Is anyone squeamish? Do you balk at making first contact with an editor? It has to be said that it can be daunting when you send your first pitch off to a new editor. You have no track record with them. They don't know you from Adam and have no idea how good (or bad) your work might be. You don't really know how they prefer to be approached, what their likes and dislikes are, or whether you're the fiftieth freelance writer they have to deal with today, it's the end of the day and they're frazzled and aren't in the mood for another newbie.

So what do you do? Do you leave it and leave it until you either gather up momentum and courage to actually send that pitch? Do you forget it completely as they won't want to read the drivel you've written anyway? Or do you take the bull by the horns, take time to create a professional pitch, find out the name of the appropriate editor and how they like to be pitched to and just do it? I'd go for the last option as it's the one mostly likely to make the editor sit up and notice. Think polite, professional and purposeful and you won't go far wrong.

I've been struggling with my own demons on this one. It's not easy to approach a new editor, one that has the power to commission you or reject your work, and first impressions do count. Get that first pitch wrong and you're facing an uphill struggle - the editor may never commission you. But get it right and you could be onto a winner. Your pitch and manner has to sparkle to stand out from the other pitches hundreds of writers like you are sending in. Give them something irresistible and don't give them any excuse to say no.

Try it and see. You won't know until you try and I'm sure you don't want to one day be reading a magazine you wanted to pitch an idea to but didn't and see a similar article to your own idea written by someone else! I don't want to hear that, 'I could have written that. It could have been!'

Happy writing

Julie xx

Out of the Doldrums

2011-06-16T14:05:00.000+01:00

Like a lot of writers, well anyone in any profession, really, we are all feeling the squeeze of the government cuts. With magazines going under, and many others restricting their pages to in-house contributions - effectively freezing out the free lance writer, you would be forgiven for thinking of jacking it all in yourself. With the threat of redundancies also looming amongst staff writers, it's easy to start rethinking your own writing career. Those staff writers who lose their jobs may well become free lance writers themselves, meaning more competition for less markets. It's enough to put anyone off!

To a certain extent I've thought of giving up too. I'd got myself into that negative and very dangerous mindset of not wanting to bother to pitch or write articles. 'Well what's the point?' my inner critic bellowed at me. 'When there are far better writers out there with far more experience than you.'

If you start thinking like that you're not going to get anywhere. Yes things are tight at the moment, but that doesn't mean you can't get published and get paid for it. There are still plenty of writing opportunities out there if you look hard enough and are prepared to adapt and diversify.

So, having given myself a stern talking to, the NAWG (National Association of Writing Groups) magazine plopped on my mat this morning and it was a timely extra kick that I needed. Having flicked though the magazine I have ended up with some article ideas that I intend to follow up on. I am also going to pitch some ideas to magazines I haven't tried before - which will also be handy for the journalism course I'm trying to finish!

I had let my negativity cloud my ability to pitch and write articles and that's not a good place for a free lance writer to be! I've realised that if you don't try, you won't know. If an editor says no then you move on to the next editor with your idea and keep going. Try pitching at least two new ideas to a new editor each week and see what happens. It's worth a go!

Happy pitching

Julie xx

Looking for new markets

2011-06-12T19:37:00.000+01:00

Having spent a great deal of my time concentrating on writing short stories, I've spent a little time this afternoon surfing the Internet for magazines that might be potential markets for my articles. Some of the magazine websites are excellent and give you the editor's name and contact details but they don't always indicate whether they take submissions from freelance writers. Other magazine websites don't give very much away at all! So I intend to go browsing at my local newsagents tomorrow to see if I can get a better idea from the actual magazine.

Generally, the rule of thumb seems to be that if you see articles by lots of different people in the magazine then they more often than not are the ones who will accept freelance submissions. I intend to e-mail some of the editors tomorrow to test the water and see how open they are to pitches/submissions at the moment.

I've grouped my research into several sections and categories of magazines so I can write a list of possible article ideas under each heading. I will be sending pitches to three or four magazines in different categories in the hope that I'll get at least one editor interested and it means I won't be sitting round with no pitches out there when one comes back declined!

With pitching to magazines I've found the best way to go about it for me is to keep sending pitches out each day. Don't just send one and hope for the best - you have to be aggressive in your approach (not aggressive as in terrorising the poor editors, but in how many pitches you send out each week!) If an editor says no then pass your pitch on to the next editor in your list - don't stop until you've exhausted all appropriate markets!

Happy pitching!

Julie xx

Find Your Focus

2011-06-05T16:38:00.000+01:00

When you get an idea for an article, what do you do? I suspect a lot of you will scribble the idea down along with your thoughts on how the article might be structured and what it's content might be. You may well also, like me, write your idea under headings and note down any side bar info, ie, top five tips, etc, that will pop out of the main article. I tend to have a market or two in mind at this stage too, purely so I can get my brain in gear to write in the style and tone/word length/ layout that particular publication favours.

The most important thing, I think, when you get your initial idea is to find your focus, or the angle the article is going to take. It hasn't got to be set in stone at this early stage as the more you think bout the article idea the more off shoots you might get that will change your focus. This is fine as this is how you get several articles from one idea. Like a wheel or a pizza you turn your focus a few degrees until you hit on a different angle.

It can be tempting, however, to try and cram in as many different angles that pop into your head into one article that you can, but this will result in a confused, wishy- washy, all over the place, over stuffed article. One angle/focus per article is generally enough to explore the topic sufficiently. But do write things down associated with that topic as they occur to you. Nothing is ever wasted and you will use your other angles at a later date.

So get your compass out and get finding your angles - but don't lose your focus - act like a photographer and choose the right lens to frame the picture.

Happy writing!

Julie xx

Have you any idea?

2011-06-01T06:00:00.001+01:00

I'm on the idea trail this week. I've got my next two assignment briefs for the journalism course I'm doing which involves researching markets I haven't considered before and coming up with ideas for articles that would suit these markets. As I love reading magazines this is no hardship for me! So I have been sitting down, pen and paper in hand, noting down the subjects I know stuff about and could write, relatively easily about. I highly recommend that you do this as it can save a lot of trouble, work and heartache later. Why make coming up with ideas, pitching, and article writing any harder than it already is when you can write about what you know and then move on to the other stuff you have to research later.

I did it by making a chart and writing down the subjects I know I can write about as I either have first hand experience in it and/or am qualified in it, or I know someone else with first hand experience and/or qualifications in it. Here's what I came up with:

Nursing (I was a nurse for 15 years and although not currently practicing I know lots of nurses that are).
Parenting ( I am a mother and I know lots of other mums and dads.)
Gardening (I run a school gardening club and grow fruit and veg at home myself (my potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, leeks, peas, sweetpeas, beans and peppers are coming along nicely, thank you.)
School governing (I am a school governor and know lots of other school governors.)
Baking (I make a mean sponge! They only explode in the oven occasionally.)
Writing (I write and know a lot of people who also write.)
Lobbying councils/councillors I recently led a campaign to get the council to implement road changes to make a safer route to school (nearly turned me grey that one! It's not for the feint hearted I can tell you - residents, drivers and some other parents will hate you and the council/councillors and police will avoid you!) I think they learned that the only way to shut me up was to change the flippin' road system! But that's another story.
Schools/education I volunteer in schools and have a teaching assistant qualification.

Once I'd got my list I then brainstormed each heading on a separate sheet of paper so I ended up with several different ideas for each heading - all of which I shall turn into pitches and aim at the most appropriate magazines. What I intend to do for the rest of the week is go on-line and search for magazines that might be interested in my articles and look at my local newsagent shelves for potential contenders too.

Have a go at making your own list and see where it takes you.

Happy list making!

Julie xx

So How is it Going?

2011-05-22T11:31:00.000+01:00

I'm always telling you all about my intrepid adventures in the world of article writing, so I thought it was about time we had a chat about you instead! We're about half way through the year now and it's at this point that I like to take stock of my writing journey and plan where the next six months might take me.
So how is your writing journey going? Have you had as much success as you expected or more? What can you change to take your writing up to the next level? These are all questions I ask myself regularly. Sometimes I don't like the answers but I know that if I am to progress with my writing I need to answer them honestly and so should you.
Two of the things I'm doing to improve is to finish the journalism course I'm on and look at starting a photography course. What are you going to do?
What I'd like is for everyone who wishes to take part to tell us the one thing that has kept them going with their writing. I'm still looking to set up a resource of a list of magazines that take freelance work so let us know if you've come across any of interest.
I'll start the ball rolling with one of my reasons I'm still writing:

1. Being able to meet interesting people and go to interesting places and showcase them through my writing.
Let us know your thoughts.

Happy writing
Julie xx

Building resources

2011-05-20T12:40:00.000+01:00

I'm hoping that through this blog we can build a resource together that can help us when we are researching markets to pitch to. If you know of any magazines out there who take work from freelancers and you are willing to share details then please let us know so I can add it to a side bar here.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Versatile!

2011-05-15T14:53:00.002+01:00

Thank you to Sally Jenkins for giving me a Versatile Blogger award! I am very appreciative. So I have to tell you seven things about myself and pass the award on. Here goes:

1. I hate wasps. I don't mind bees as they are sort of cute and fluffy, whereas wasps are, well, waspish. Bees don't single you out and chase you like an assassin as wasps do, either. They are out to get me!

2. I love fresh raspberries, rasberry jam and rasberry flavoured things but I hate tinned raspeberries. I love fresh bananas, but I'm not keen on banana flavoured things. I love fresh cherries, tinned cherries, cherry jam and cherry flavoured things but I hate glace cherries. I love fresh strawberries and strawberry flavoured things but detest strawberry jam and tinned strawberries - all strange but true!

3. I was once a life model for a college in Hereford (in my much, much, younger and fitter, slimmer days.)

4. I love to dance but not in public - which is why I love zumba so much as it's dance based exercise.

5. I used to sing a lot too, in public. I was in my secondary school choir and my local church choir, but I rarely sing now.

6. I'm not related to anyone remotely exciting or famous but I do have an American cousin who is a heart Dr/Surgeon.

7. I can't stand all these reality type shows on TV! But I'm a CSI (original, Miami and New York) addict. And I love all the Patricia Cornwell books that feature Kay Scarpetta. Some may say that I'm learning how to plan the perfect murder ..........

So there we are. Nothing particularly spectacular there but a girls got to have some secrets, eh?

I would like to pass on the award to:

1. Jan Mader

2. Mythological Mike

3. Olivia Ryan.

4. Sally Zigmond

5. The Scribbling Sea Serpent

6. The Write Idea

7.Working 2 Write

And We're Off

2011-05-06T20:53:00.000+01:00

It's been an interesting and industrious week, article writing, for me. You may recall that just before Easter I'd submitted two assignments for the Journalism course I'm doing with the Writers' Bureau. Well I got them back today with lots of encouraging comments from my tutor and some good advice on how I can improve.

I feel like I've turned a corner on the course, as I hadn't sent any assignments in for some time (to my shame!) But I'm determined to get the course finished this year, and having such great feedback has ignited my fire again. One thing I will say for the course is that it has certainly made me think more about the magazines I can target and how to give my pitches and articles the best chance I can. So if you're struggling a bit with your article writing and want to improve your skills, or are starting from scratch and want to learn how to do it, a course might be the way to go for you. It's certainly helped me.

Another thing of interest to article writers that I've come across today is an article in the current issue of Writing Magazine by Rebecca Lees, a freelance writer, who talks about getting paid for your work and how to ensure you get the cash owed to you for your writing. It's an informative article, so get a copy if you can. It will come in very useful.

In the article she also looks at the pros and cons of writing for free and the question of whether writers should write for free or not. She holds an interesting argument and says that we, as writers, need to value our work. She's not a fan of writing for free except in exceptional circumstances. I have to say that neither am I, although I have done a few pieces for the local paper for free. But to me that writing for free has allowed me to hone my skills and as they were short pieces, I can now expand them to form longer articles that I can send out to paying markets. All the research and photographs are there and ready for me to use. I can get at least three articles out of those initial ideas!

Sometimes writing for free has its advantages: highlighting local issues and community projects is a favourite for me. I understand the other side of the argument too from writers who say it's exploitation and if writers will write for free they undermine the position of professional writers trying to earn a living from their writing. Why should editors pay a writer for their work if they know someone else will do it for free? It's a complex issue. Which side of the fence do you fall?

I'm looking forward to tackling my next assignment for the Journalism course and pinging my next batch of pitches off. How is the challenge I set going on? Has anyone had any success yet?

Happy writing!

Julie xx

How Very Dare You!

2011-04-30T16:36:00.000+01:00

I've got a challenge for you. When I first started thinking about writing articles I had this nagging thought in the back of my mind that no-one would want to read the drivel I wrote. It put me off submitting anything for months. That was until I started this blog and a fellow blogger suggested that I edit a couple of my blog postings and sent them off to a writing magazine. I thought my fellow blogger was out of his mind, but I did as I was told and, what do you know, they got published and someone even parted with their well earned cash for them! I couldn't believe my luck.

Now I realise that it's not down to luck at all. It's down to a lot of hard work and research and having the balls to actually submit your pitches/articles in the first place. You can't be a shrinking violet in this game. So here is my challenge to you (and myself.) I declare May 'I Very Dare You,' month:

1. Go to a newsagent you don't normally frequent.
2. Browse the shelves of the newsagent and look at two magazines you don't normally buy.
3. Does it look like they use contributions from freelance writers? If they do, purchase the magazines. If they don't, look at more magazines until you find two that do and buy them.
4. When you get home, look through the magazines very carefully, taking note of who their readership is, the style/tone of the articles, the adverts, reader letter page - everything.
5. Pick out a word that you think describes each magazine (theme) and write it down in the middle of a big piece of paper.
6. Make a spidergram (ideas shooting off from the main word) of ideas for articles you could write for each of those magazines.
7. Choose the best ideas you come up with and pitch them to the appropriate editor of those magazines.
8.If you get a positive response - hurrah! - well done you and get researching/writing the article.
9.If you get a negative response - boo - never mind and try other ideas you came up with.
10, Repeat the journey to the newsagents at least twice in the month of May and repeat steps 2 - 10 until you are published!

Go on - I very dare you!
And don't forget to let us know how you get on!

Julie xx

Don't I Know You?

2011-04-26T21:30:00.000+01:00

What do you think about before you start writing an article? Do you read the magazine you're targeting first before you even consider a subject to write about? Or do you get out there and do some research first? I suppose I use a combination of these methods. Sometimes, if I'm out and about, I take my notebook, pen and camera and a chance meeting or sighting will result in the idea for an article. I might even approach people I think have an interesting story to tell and arrange an interview for a later date.

But more recently I've found my inspiration for articles by scouring the pages of magazines and writing similar articles but from a different angle. I find that by reading the magazines I can better target my articles. I can see from the adverts, tone and style of the articles in the magazines and the reader letters page what the readers are interested in. Because, whatever it is that the readers are interested in, as a writer, I'm interested in to. If I can get under the skin of what makes readers tick then I'm a lot closer to knowing what it is the editor is after and, therefore, a potential commission.

I find other people fascinating and there are stories to be found and told whichever direction you look in so we really have no excuse for not having material to write about! My writing goes in phases and I've just had a big short story push but I haven't forgotten about my article writing as I slotted some article writing into my schedule whilst concentrating on articles. I think this helps me to stop becoming bored and keeps my writing fresh: if I get fed up with a short story - it's just not flowing - I switch to writing an article and vice versa

I hope that whether you are knew to article writing or have been doing it for years that you enjoy the process and are constantly finding ways to reinvent your writing.

Happy writing

Julie

Going Digital

2011-04-17T15:11:00.000+01:00

It's been an interesting week for me, writing wise. I've been out and about again, after a bit of a hiatus, interviewing people. This time it was to a local community centre where Age UK hold dance sessions for the over 60's. They had the Rambert dance company in doing a dance workshop and it was great fun. I managed to interview the woman from the dance company and three of the ladies who took part. I think I had as much fun interviewing them and watching them dance as they did dancing.

I've had my digital Voice Recorder for some time now and it's an essential bit of kit for me. Whereas before I would be scribbling what my interviewee was saying into a notebook (I don't do short hand and would have to try and decipher my illegible scrawl after the interview) now I just press a button and the hard work is done for me. Not only does it save me a headache and time, it also serves as evidence should I be accused of writing something that an interviewee said but then claim they didn't say - it's all in my magic digital box. It's something all writers need to be aware of. I tend to keep my recordings on there for some time after the article has been published, just in case there's a complaint and I need to check.

But using a voice recorder also protects the interviewee, and using one comes with certain responsibilities. I always, for instance, tell the interviewee that I have a voice recorder and I ask their permission before using it. Once I explain why I prefer to use it, ie, the interview will take twice as long without it and using it will prevent me from getting facts wrong as I can refer to it later on. But, if they don't like it, I don't use it. It's a pain without it but you have to respect people's wishes.

I've just finished transcribing the interviews I did from Thursday at the community centre and I also went back to an interview I did last year with one of the Morris dancers as I hadn't had the time to do that one yet and it brought back some lovely memories of when I was with them - they are so funny! It spurred me on to get back on the article writing wheel and get going with those articles I promised myself I would pitch and write but hadn't got round to yet. If I've taken the time and effort to go and interview people the least I can do is get down to writing about them!

So that's my writing goal of the week - to get the articles pitched and written so I can out there and get interviewing again. There's always stuff out there to write about if you can be bothered to look closely enough.

Happy writing
Julie

Have You Got That Freelance Feeling?

2011-04-10T14:53:00.004+01:00

I recently received my ID badge from The Association of Freelance Writers and because I'd had my hair cut in a different style since the last card, I had to get new photos done. If you are serious about your freelance article writing, and you're not a member of any official group, then I'd highly recommend that you join one. Why? Well being a member of one of the groups out there helps you to mark yourself as a professional and not just an amateur playing at being a writer. I didn't take myself seriously as a writer until I joined such a group. I'd feel nervous about interviewing people and even approaching people to write about. But with my ID card that nervousness left me and I have no qualms about talking to people I might potentially write about.

I am pretty sure that the card has given me confidence and this has shown through to the people I've talked to and given me the credibility I needed. Because I'm freelance, and I'm sure a lot of freelance writers must experience this, when the people I approach ask me who I write for, it's incredibly difficult to give them a straight answer! Fortunately, the last couple of article ideas I've pitched have been accepted and I've been able to tell my potential interviewees where their comments and photos might end up. If people have an idea of where their words will end up, they are generally more willing to talk to you.

Sometimes, I do approach some people I'd like to write about without getting the article commissioned first. I then just let them know the general market I'm aiming for. I show them articles I've had published in the market before to prove to them that I have done it before and that they are safe in my hands. This may seem a topsy-turvy way to do it, but sometimes it's not until I 'm half way through the interviewing and research process that something I hadn't thought of comes up and I use that as the basis for the article instead, (I love it when that happens!) Plus sometimes it's a chance meeting and I might not be able to interview that person again so I do it while I can. But generally, now, I pitch first and interview once I've been commissioned. But, as a good freelance writer knows, you don't always know where you're going to find something to write about until it hits you in the face! The old saying 'Be Prepared' really comes into it's own here. No matter where you go or what you're doing always take your notebook, pen and camera and Dictaphone (if you have one) with you. You never know when inspiration will strike!

This week I'm going back to editing some short stories again as I want to get my subbed story count up. I subbed two articles this week and have another to write when I've finished all the research for it. I should have plenty of time over the Easter holidays to fit it all in (I hope!)

Please consider joining one of the associations geared up for freelance writers - not only will it help you get interviews, and it's useful to put .....member of the association of ...... at the bottom of your pitch, so it shows the editor you are a serious writer - they might, if it's including in your membership, help you out with legal matters should you find yourself in dispute.

A selection of other unions/associations to look at: National Association of Journalists. British Association of Journalists. I know that there are lots more out there so if you belong to any of them, or know people that do, then please let us know your verdict on them and why you joined.

Happy freelancing!

Julie

Ready For Anything!

2011-04-06T14:04:00.000+01:00

If you are a writer it's important to be prepared. This was highlighted for me yesterday when I went to an interview in my local area. I dropped my daughter off at school and walked down to the venue. I took a photo of the building and walked in where I was greeted by the young lady who I had been told would be answering my questions.

It all went rather well as she gave me a tour and I took few more photographs. Then she mentioned that a couple more people would be coming to talk to me too. I thought they might be service users so imagine my surprise when three directors from the project walked in! I was a bit taken aback but it was a fantastic experience and I enjoyed every minute of it. But up until now, I've been more used to interviewing local people from local groups - the grass roots people and not the people who help shape the local communities.

The lesson here is that if you want to be a freelance writer you have to look and think like one. Preparation and how you present yourself to the people you are interviewing or approaching for information is crucial. It's no use going into it half-heartedly or you will run the risk of not only editors or potential interviewees not taking you seriously, but also yourself not taking you seriously. If you don't believe in yourself and your freelance writing abilities no-one else will.

Okay, I wasn't expecting what I walked into yesterday, but at least I'd prepared for it: I'd dressed smartly, taken all my equipment - camera, dictaphone, notebook and pen - read up about the place I was going to and, most importantly, even though I was a little nervous, I kept calm and concentrated on the job in hand. As a result I got the information and photos I needed and it was an enjoyable experience for all those concerned.

So get out there and get interviewing! But don't forget to be ready for anything

Julie

The Tables Were Turned..........

2011-04-01T19:07:00.001+01:00

Today, myself and a few other Wrekin Writers got papped for the local paper. I'd written a couple of articles for the paper's supplements and, after they'd read my blog, they asked me to do a piece on Wrekin Writers. So I keenly obliged. It's also proof of what a good blog can do for your writing. Editors can check you out.

It was an interesting experience for me as it's usually me taking the photos and interviewing people. The tables were definitely turned. I'm not a huge fan of having my photograph taken. I'd rather be the interviewer that the interviewee, but the photographer was very good (and extremely brave, bless him!) Unless you are a Wrekin Writer or have seen Wrekin Writers out on their jollies, you don't know what we Wrekin Writers are like when we get together - we behaved ourselves impeccably, though. We had to: our good reputation was at stake!

I was fascinated by the photographer's camera, lenses and other gadgetry he had with him. I definitely had lens envy! His camera and lens was bigger than mine. I yearn for the day when I can afford to buy some decent photography equipment and learn how to use it, <sighs wistfully>.

It's always worth checking out writing opportunities with your local papers and magazines. They might not pay much, if anything at all, but it's good writing experience and great PR. It's where I started and it's great to have the opportunity to do it again. I'm not a great advocate for writers writing for free - you wouldn't expect a plumber to refit your bathroom for free, after all. And writing is a trade just as plumbing is. They deal with ball cocks and washers and we deal with words. But, I see the benefits of sometimes writing for free and it can lead to other things.

Happy writing!

Julie xx

Like Buses

2011-03-27T22:15:00.000+01:00

I'm having a flurry of article ideas come to me at the moment. I find that article ideas are a lot like buses; I don't see one for ages and then three arrive all at once - leaving me bewildered as to where the hell they came from and which one I should jump on to take me to my desired destination. I even bought a folder (buy one get one free!) from Staples on Friday to accommodate my research so I don't get the information for each article mixed up. It pays to be organised in this game.

I find sending out pitches for articles regularly has always worked for me. I'm also trying to widen my net and pitch to magazines I haven't considered before. Sometimes the pitches work and I can get cracking on writing the article, sometimes it's a no from the editor and sometimes, frustratingly, you hear nothing. But I soldier on! What I don't do now, something I did in the early years, is write the whole article before I've had the pitch accepted by an editor. I might gather some research but I don't waste my writing time writing the complete article until I know the editor is interested in it. There's a future 'Mistake Writer's Make for you Alex! Unless you've done that one before.

I suppose the theme of this post is don't waste your time writing articles you don't have an editor interested in. Put your efforts in writing well the ones you know you have a chance of getting published. By all means I would make enquiries with editors as to whether they want articles on whatever it is you want to write, but don't write them and then try and market them. Even with magazines that accept fully formed articles without the pitch, it's still worth testing the water by contacting the editor on the likelihood that they would be willing to read it.

Being a published writer is a business and you wouldn't find a plumber (also a business) fitting a new bathroom for someone without knowing if it's something the person would like and whether they were getting paid for it or not! Be kind to yourself and your writing.

Happy writing
Julie xx

Sweaty Palms and a Dry Mouth

2011-03-23T13:16:00.000Z

Normally, If anyone were to ask me to stand up in front of an audience and speak I would probably do it but it wouldn't be a comfortable experience for me. But as a writer, who hopes to have a book or two published one day, in this modern world authors are expected to give talks and meet and greet their readers as well as advertising and market their work. So I sought the opinions of other writers and a Business and Culture Change Motivational Speaker who have given talks in how they prepare for their talk and how they got over their nerves.

The resulting article has just been published in the May Issue of Writers' Forum. So if you don't like giving author talks because your nerves get the better of you, or you've done a few and want to improve your technique, have a read of the article. I wrote it a while back and the funny thing is that as I was researching and writing it I found a new confidence in speaking - so much so that last Saturday I plucked up the courage to do a workshop for the writers' group I belong to and I wasn't nervous at all! I should listen to my own advice and that of other writers more often! I'd definitely recommend feeling the fear and doing it any way. I and the group had a wonderful time - such fun!

Happy writing and speaking

Julie xx

Forward momemtum

2011-03-21T14:38:00.000Z

I've almost finished assignment four of the writing bureau journalism course and half way through assignment five too. I'm determined to get the course finished this year as I've been rather slack with it. There are no deadlines and that's part of the problem. I do one or two assignments in a flurry of enthusiasm and then life gets in the way and I get distracted. I put the course folder away and promptly forget about it, only to pull it out of my cupboard a few months down the line and sigh, 'oh yeah, I'd forgotten I was doing that!'. No more! Now I have my writing room I have the folder sitting on my table so I cannot fail to notice it. Hah! I will remember!

I've been in a bit of a thick, lingering fog over my article writing the past few months and haven't been able to see the wood for the trees. My last post about finding writing opportunities everywhere and casting your writing themes and topics net wider was all part of my attempt to kick myself and those other writers who are similarly stuck in this fog too into action. I'm pleased to say it's helped me. I still have the occasional wobble and will sit there wailing, 'I've nothing to write about and any ideas I get are rubbish and no editor will ever want an article off me again!' But I'm managing to blot those thoughts out as it's my own lack of self confidence that was talking rubbish and not my article ideas!

So don't listen to that naughty devil sitting on your shoulder belittling your efforts. Listen, instead, to your encouraging angel. Remember it's determination and perseverance that will help you through.

Happy writing!

Julie xx

Nothing to write about?

2011-03-16T08:24:00.000Z

I went through a phase about a year ago where I managed to convince myself that I had absolutely nothing to write about. And then, even if by some miracle I did have an idea, I told myself that no-one would want to read it if it was written by me as I didn't have any qualifications in that area and I didn't know a lot about the subject. Then I had a more positive thought: do you really have to be qualified in or know a lot about the subject you are writing about? Well, it can give your writing more credence if you tell the reader all your relevant credentials and experience in the field you're writing about but it won't stop you from getting published if you're not the expert. You can, of course, always get quotes from experts to put into your piece to give it some oomph and give your writing some authority.

Take the example of the the archery article I researched, wrote and got published (twice!) Did I know a lot about archery before I wrote it? No. Was archery a hobby of mine or did I compete? No. But I knew of people out there who did so I asked them. I also did a lot of reading up on the subject on the Internet and watched programmes on the TV about it. There really is more than one way to skin a cat (hate that expression but you know what I mean.)

So, if you're stuck for writing material or want to expand your repertoire then don't be afraid to try something new. Choose a subject that interests you but you know little about and explore that. You don't have to restrict yourself to a couple of subjects you always write about. In fact, doing that can spell disaster for the writer as publications go bust or you run out of things to say on those subjects - unless you can go at the subjects from a different angle. Cast your nets wider and see what you catch.

Happy writing

Julie xx

It's work really ........ honest!

2011-03-05T15:36:00.000Z

It's the perfect excuse. I get to sit on the sofa drinking coffee while perusing a variety of lovely magazines and it's all in the name of research! It's amazing what you can learn about the types of features and articles the magazine editors want simply by reading from cover to cover the magazine they edit. I've already been inspired and have come up with several ideas I'm going to pitch to the editors next week.

It's raining outside, my new writing room is finished and I'm all set up in there. What could be better? Well, a publishing deal would be great thank you very much, but until that happens (if it happens,) I'm content on working hard towards my writing goals and having a lot of fun on the way. I'm not sure where my new found confidence and renewed energy has come from: turning 40? A couple of events that have happened to me over the last week that have opened my eyes and made me change direction? The Spring air? I don't know. But I'm determined to utilise my increased enthusiasm while it lasts. Make hay while the sun shines as they say.

I hope you're busy making hay too.

Julie xx

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

2011-02-24T20:48:00.000Z

I haven't had much luck on the article front recently, but that's because I've been focusing on my short stories. Today, however, I had a lovely surprise when the postman delivered a brown envelope with a copy of This England with one of my articles in it (archery) and a cheque! Now, I sent this article in a couple of years ago and had forgotten about it - so it was great to see it in this magazine. It was extra special as I have now sold, and had published two articles out of the one subject.

Lesson learned? Don't give up on your past submissions - sometimes it just takes a little (or a lot) of time for them to get to publication! It's also spurred me on to get cracking with more article pitches.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Back On Track

2011-02-20T21:54:00.000Z

After a hiatus on the journalism course front I have finally taken up the challenge and almost finished assignment four. To my shame, I haven't even looked at the course since August 2010 (cough, splutter, reddening of cheeks,) so I thought it was high time I began again. It got me thinking as to what obstacles stop me from writing and what I can do about them.

Some obstacles are there that are not of my making and there's very little I can do about those. But there are obstacles that are of my own making that I certainly can do something about. If you're in a rut with your article writing as I have been, looking at why you are in that rut, and what you can do to dig yourself out is the first step to getting yourself back on track. Here are my obstacles and what I intend to do about them. I hope it will help you to:

* Lack of time - This is both of my own making and due to other commitments that I have little control over, or do I? If I want to be taken seriously as an article writer I have to take myself seriously and be ruthless with my time. Not a minute of valuable writing time should ever be wasted, so I have looked through my diary and highlighted activities that take too much of my precious time that I can offload. I have written a time table of when I can write and I'm going to hold myself to that.

* Doing other, less important things - I am terrible for this. I will often do anything else but write and that is not the way for a professional writer to go. I should have a sign over my door with Procrastination 'R' us on it! Once I put my mind to it, though, I can write for England. So I intend to harness that 'putting my mind to it' and keep the momentum going.

*Worrying about the competition - Yes, there are other, more able and more prolific writers out there than me. But there are also less able and less prolific writers out there than me. So I'm concentrating on improving my writing skills and daring to put more pitches out there. I know I can write well and am perfectly capable of getting published - I've done it many times and will do it many times more, and so can you.

*Letting self doubt cloud my judgment - There's no time or place for a writer to let a lack of self confidence stop them from writing and sending their work out there. When I first started out I suffered from this terribly, but as I gained more experience and had more published my confidence grew. You just have to push your inner critic away and get on with it.

From just one afternoon's work I've almost finished asssignment four and will have finished assignment five by the end of the week. Just shows you what can be done if you put your mind to it. The whole point of me doing the journalism course was to help me improve my writing and my chances of publication. I think it is doing exactly what it says on the tin and I'm looking forward to submitting the articles that the course generates.

I turn f***y (thirty-ten) next week and for my present I'm having my spare bedroom turned into an office. This will help me, I hope, harness the time I have to write and allow me to get away from the distractions that stop me from writing. My own little writing space.

Happy writing

Julie xx

All is Not Lost.......

2011-02-12T21:19:00.000Z

With all the government cuts hanging over us, does it spell disaster for freelance writers? Will more and more magazines fold or will those that survive be more inclined to do everything in-house? Those are questions I can't answer, so I guess we will all find out sooner or later when more of us are chasing fewer and fewer markets. I refuse to believe that it will all be doom and gloom, though, and I think maintaining a positive attitude with a healthy dose of reality will stand me in good stead when I'm thinking up my next batch of pitches to send out.

So how can we, as freelance writers, survive?

What You Can't Do:

* Accurately predict exactly what an editor wants. Sometimes they just don't know what they want until they see it. But you can take steps to keep yourself close to the mark.

*Predict what every other writer is subbing. It's just bad luck if an editor rejects your pitch/article because they've just accepted a similar piece by another writer. But at least the knowledge that you were on the right track will take the sting out of that rejection.

*Do anything about the current or future economic climate. If the magazine does everything in-house you will only be wasting your time and theirs by subbing to them - redirect your energy to subbing to those magazines who still take from freelance writers.

What You Can Do:

* Keep researching the market: if you can get the tone, style and layout of your pitch/article right, you give yourself an advantage and increase your chances of acceptance over the competition.

*Present your work, and deal with editors in a professional manner. Follow the magazine's subbing guidelines to the letter and always be polite. Make yourself a pleasure to work with and you won't go far wrong. No editor wants to work with a writer who is too pushy or aggressive or precious about their work.

* Keep writing! If you don't write because you think it's not worth the bother in the present economic problem you'll never know if you would have been one of the few who got through and got published. So don't give up - if one editor says no, another might well say yes.

It's tough out there, but it's not impossible.

Happy writing!

Julie xx

Excellent Article Writing Advice

2011-02-04T21:36:00.000Z

There's some brilliant article writing advice, amongst other great snippets of information in the March (current) issue of Writing Magazine/Writers' News. So if you don't get this magazine it might be in your writerly interest to do so.

John Wade tells us how to 'Go Global,' and find markets overseas to pitch to. I'd never really considered this, which is daft really as I've had two short stories published in an Australian magazine! So, following John's advice, I'm going to have a stab at it.

The Writers' News part of the magazine has several snippets of information regarding potential magazine markets both in the UK and abroad, so it will be worth your time browsing through it to identify any possible markets that might be right for the articles you write.

Then Diana Cambridge looks at how to write for the 'health' market - something I should be giving a go as I come from a nursing background! Her advice is great and has certainly given me some pointers. There is also some fantastic tips from Samantha Brick on how to pitch to the national newspapers - something I haven't had the nerve to do but her advice has made me think again.

Liz Gregory talks about writing about your local community - I had an article about a similar thing: looking through local magazines/papers and writing for them/about your community in Writers' News last year. So I know from experience that what Liz Gregory says is sound!

But that's not the end of all the excellent article writing advice. Oh no! Then we have an article by Deborah Sharpe about how to write for the education market - also something that has potential for me.

It's a bumper article writing bonanza! I can't wait to read through it properly and reap the rewards from all that advice - I hope you all find it helpful too. I'm a bit disappointed with my article efforts at the moment (ie, I haven't written any!) When I think to how many articles I pitched, wrote, subbed and had published last year, I'm eager to get going on them again soon. Which I will do as soon as I've subbed my latest batch of short stories.

I hope your writing is going well. Remember: get something on paper - anything is better than nothing. At least you can work with rubbish. You can't do anything with nothing!

Happy writing

Julie xx

What helps me to write articles

2011-01-26T17:13:00.000Z

Have a look over on my other blog http://jlpwritersquest.blogspot.com/ for tips on what I find helpful when writing articles. I'll be posting some tips that I find useful when writing short stories over there soon.

I haven't sent may pitches put recently as I've been in short story mode but I'll be continuing with my Writers' Bureau Journalism course shortly and so I've been looking at new ideas for that and it made me think about the advice I've been given and what I've read that's helped me since I started writing articles. I hope it helps you too.

Let me know if you've had any success with your articles or if you have any tips of your own.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Writing from experience

2011-01-23T09:58:00.000Z

I've been reading some magazine's recently in the name of research to identify some potential markets for my articles and I noticed that a lot of the magazines like personal accounts of events to fill their pages. Some pay a lot of money for these stories too. Then there are the magazines and newspapers who will pay for your account of your holidays and day trips. It can be quite a lucrative market and a way of getting published. Magazine's like Prima, Essentials, take a break and chat are hungry for real-life accounts and, in some of the magazines, it seems the gorier the stories are the better. You only have to see the headlines and titles of the stories to see the type of story they are after.

But if something dreadful had happened to you, would you want it splashed across the pages of a national magazine? I can see why you might if the money the magazine paid you for your story was for charity, but some of the stories in these magazines leave me thinking why people do it? Well, for the money I guess, or, of course, writing about what happened can work as therapy. It can also serve as a warning to others: this happened to me. Don't let it happen to you. I'm not sure I'd do it, no matter how much they paid. Could I write about something horrific that happened to someone I know, with their consent, either? The answer would probably be no. It takes all kinds of writer to write all kinds of things, maybe you're different and could write a piece like that. It's something to think about.

Personally, I'm quite a private person and I am very selective about what I choose to write about. It could be why I found the Life Writing part of the Creative Writing course I took difficult. I'm not a life writer, but there are plenty out there who have lead fascinating and sometimes tragic lives that they have no qualms about revealing to a wider audience. I've read a few autobiographies in my time and some of them have been great. I am amazed by how candid people are and it makes for interesting reading that made me think. But we writers do have a nosy streak, it's part of the writers' toolkit, so it's no wonder we find other people's lives fascinating. So if you have a personal story to tell and want a wider , look at some of these magazines and have a go at writing down what happened to you and submit it.

Word of warning: make sure you are absolutely sure you want to share your experiences and are prepared for any potential fallout when it's published. People can be supportive but they can also be cruel. Make sure, if your story involves other people (and especially if it shows them in an unfavourable light) that you tell them what you are going to write about them and your intended market. You might like to take legal advice, as you don't want a libel or slander case to deal with, or having to deal with recriminations.

Good luck with your writing
Julie xx

Sucking Eggs

2011-01-19T21:38:00.000Z

I'm not trying to teach my grannie to suck eggs here, but it does no harm to get back to basics with your article writing and it might well help you get that sale. I know you know it and you've heard it a million times before, but I can't champion enough the importance for article writers to research the market, follow the individual editor's/publication's submission guidelines to the letter, address the pitch/article to the name of the current editor of the magazine and not just Sir or Madam. If you're not sure who the editor is, and you should do if you've researched the market thoroughly, then look at a current issue of the magazine to clarify. If it's not clear whether they take pitches from freelance writers then find a phone number/e-mail address for the editor in the magazine and make contact. This is no time to be shy! You won't then waste yours or the editor's time if they don't take freelance contributions, but you might gain a sale if they do.

Most of all, from my own experience, it's important that article writers, (any writer for that matter), keep trying. Keep looking for new magazine's to pitch to as well as pitch to your old favourites and to never give up. If it's a no from the editor this time, it might be a yes next time. There's usually no rhyme or reason to why one pitch makes it through to acceptance whilst another doesn't - that doesn't really matter. What matters is you don't let all the 'no thank yous' stop you from trying again. There will be many no thank yous, but there will be some yes pleases too.

Yes it is hard to get an article published, particularly in the current market. Lots of magazines have gone under, but there are plenty of survivors and new magazines popping up. So go back to basics, widen your net and you might find yourself pitching to and being published in magazines you never thought you would be in!

Happy pitching.

Julie xx

Forget Me Not

2011-01-14T17:16:00.000Z

I had a lovely writing related surprise this morning when Simon Whaley e-mailed me to say he's just seen one of my articles in The New Writer. He'd also got two articles in the same issue. Both of us had forgotten that we'd subbed the articles! How did that happen?! I was perplexed to start with as I was sure all the articles I'd ever subbed to The New Writer had been rejected. Obviously not. So I am one happy writer as it's not only one I'd forgotten about but it's my first article published in 2011 and it's the first article I've had published in The New Writer. Good things come to those who keep trying and waiting.

The article is about getting the most out of your writing group which is quite apt as it's my writing group's meeting tomorrow!

Happy writing

Julie xx

Getting to the real story

2011-01-13T14:43:00.000Z

I love writing about other people. I find their lives fascinating. Just walk down the street and take a look at the diversity of people you see. There will be many different faces, some old, some young, some will look happy, sad, worried, harassed. I often wonder who the people I pass are and where they are going, what their lives are like. On the face of it, they might be very different people to what you can imagine. They might be projecting their 'public' face. The face they are comfortable in letting other people see. But bubbling under the surface they could be a different kettle of fish altogether.That's why I love going out and finding new people to interview and write about. I haven't done much of this recently and I've got itchy feet so, no doubt, I'll be out there again with my trusty digital voice recorder, notebook and pen again soon.

It struck me, though, recently, have I been looking in the right places for subject matter for my articles? I tend to go for people and groups that I have a personal interest in: the local amateur dramatic group because I've seen some of their plays, they rehearse just up the road from me and I know a couple of their members. The archery group because I like to watch archery and had the opportunity, locally, to go and watch them. Local authors Carole Anne Carr and Phyllis Blakemore because, again, I know them both well and I'm interested in their work as writers. The Morris dancers because I like Morris dancing and they are a great group of people.

Why not go further afield and look into groups/people who do things that don't interest me personally but would make great articles? I think that as writers we should be versatile, and I think I've been playing it a little bit safe. I thought that if I had a real interest in the groups and activities I was writing about this would show through in my writing, and make the piece come alive and be more interesting to the editor and reader. Maybe it does, but that shouldn't prevent me from looking for people/groups that do things I either haven't heard of or experienced before. I think it does writers good to spread their wings and talk to people from all walks of life. I love learning about things and as a writer I have the opportunity to meet such lovely and interesting people and learn about a wide range of subjects. It is the person's/group's passion for what they do that shines through in my articles. A good writer/Interviewer will be able to coax that passion out and use words that convey that passion in the right way in the article.

So go off road with your writing for a while. Look for a group/person/subject you haven't considered writing about before and just do it. Don't be afraid to experiment. You might not come out with what you expected, but that's the beauty of creativity and writing, you never know where it might lead you. Poke around a bit and get a feel for the stories that might be out there. Look deeper than the surface layer. See what you come up with.

Happy digging!
Julie xx

Read for information and inspiration

2011-01-06T18:21:00.000Z

It's been the first week back at school today and what with having two weeks off for the holidays, (three if you count the last week of term when I was off with the flu,) and the residual tiredness I have from that I haven't really felt like writing. I'm also at the tail end of a teaching assistant course so a lot of my writing energy has gone into that coursework. I was feeling despondent and wondering if I'd ever have another article idea or the energy to pitch and write it! It's funny what tiredness/illness/holidays can do to you.

But then, when I got home today, there on the mat was the new issue of Writing Magazine. A beacon shining through the fog. It's lifted my spirits and I shall look forward to reading it tonight. I had a quick flick through and it looks great, as does Writers' Forum that came just before Xmas I think. When I read them, I don't just read them for pleasure, or to improve my writing. I also read them for inspiration: I think about which themes and subjects they've had in and what ideas I could pitch to the editors too. I had a couple of articles in Writers' Form last year and one in Writing Magazine as well as one in Writers' News (which is now incorporated in the main Writing Magazine instead of being a separate publication.

I already feel bolstered from just flicking through the magazines and I'm going to make a concerted effort over the weekend to come up with some good ideas and pitch them. I'm also going to pick up a few other magazines that take contributions from freelance writers that I haven't pitched to before (nothing ventured, nothing gained!)

How is everyone else getting on so far this year?

Julie xx

A place for everything ........

2010-12-30T18:55:00.000Z

.........and everything in its place is to be my new article writing mantra in 2011. For too long I have allowed my hallowed writing place to be a slovenly disaster zone: piles of papers everywhere, magazines I no longer need, lists and agendas and note books and pens that don't work, you name it it's there. Well at least it was until this afternoon. Oh yes I've had my annual post Xmas/pre- New Year clear out. One could make the observation that if I kept my writing area clean and tidy all year round I wouldn't have to resort to this mammoth task. But hey ho! Maybe that's something I can work on this year.

Tomorrow I'm going to buy some box files so I can divide my notes and works in progress into articles, short stories and novels. That way I think I won't behave like a kid in a sweet shop, my eyes eagerly darting between which delight I'm going to work on and then, because my work is all over the place, end up doing precisely nothing. I already have a new whiteboard up so I can plan my writing better and I can put my ideas down on there as soon as they come to me so I can work on them later, rather than scribbling them down on tatty pieces of paper and leaving them all over the house.

I recognise that in order to take my writing seriously and get it to where I want it to be, I'm going to have to smarten my act up and get more organised and professional. Let's see if, even in these unfavourable financial times, I can get my sales count up.

Have a reshuffle, a tidy up, a clear out yourself and see what you can achieve! It's certainly cheered me up - an uncluttered workspace = an uncluttered mind = greater productivity.

Good luck with your writing in 2011.

Julie xx

New Year Resolutions?

2010-12-27T10:12:00.000Z

Do you make New Year Resolutions in regard to your article writing? Do you make plans for the year ahead highlighting what you hope to achieve with your writing over the next twelve months? Some writers leave it at that. They make vague notes on what they want to do but that's as far as it gets. A dream, scribbles on a piece of paper they shove in a drawer, never to see the light of day again. They might write the odd article through the year and make half hearted attempts at pitching to markets they haven't really researched because they couldn't really be bothered. Then twelve months later they wonder why their writing year hasn't been as successful as they had hoped.

If you make New Year writing resolutions then go to town on them. Look at the specifics. Instead of writing down, 'I want to have three articles published in a magazine and three short stories published in one of the women's mags, or I want to interview someone interesting or famous,' get down to the details and name the magazines you want to be published in and the person/people you want to interview. Make a calendar and impose your own deadlines: By 1st Feb 2011 I will have submitted three short stories - one to Take A Break, one to Woman's Weekly and another to The Weekly News. By 1st March I will have pitched six article ideas: two to Writing Magazine, two to Healthy Magazine and two to Pregnancy and Birth Magazine. It doesn't matter which magazine it is as long as you make firm plans across a timescale that is achievable for you, given your own commitments and time constraints.

I love this time of year as it's so full of promise and potential - what fun planning your writing future when it's cold and dark outside! But you will only realise your writing dreams if you actually plan out how you are going to achieve them, otherwise you run the risk of leaving them as just dreams. Got to be in it to win it as they say! But remember that plans need to be both realistic and flexible to be achievable. If they are too rigid and too full on you might set yourself up for a fall and trip yourself up before you've really got started. On the other hand, if they are too fluid you might not have the attention span or the discipline needed to see your writing dreams through to realisation. There's a fine line between under or over egging the pudding.

I can't wait to get started on my plans and I hope that 2011 is a great writing year for you. I'm looking forward to hearing about all of your successes! Remember it's great to dream but if you want to be published you have to take action. He who dares wins.

Happy writing
Julie xx

Jingle Bells

2010-12-20T19:35:00.000Z

So the big day is almost upon us. The goose is getting fat and all that. But how is your writing notebook shaping up - is it suffering, absolutely stuffed full of festive/winter ideas that you can't close it? Or is it looking a little slimline with not a crumb of a mince pie having passed its pages? On a previous posting I was mulling over what to write about and Sally commented that she would suggest we write about seasonal things while we are slap bang in the middle of it. I quite agree. We should, as writers, be ultra nosy, I mean observant, and take note of the details of Christmas and the winter period:

Listen to the snow as it crunches underfoot.
Enjoy the silence a blanket of snow brings - don't you find the world is muffled under snow?
Watch the snowflakes as they spiral to the ground.
Watch the cars slip sliding along the roads.
Walk through some woods in the snow and hear the branches creaking and groaning with the weight of the snow they carry, and watch little flurries of snow fall from the branches.
If you can't get out in the car, don't get frustrated. Instead, revel in the moment. Accept this temporary house arrest and use it to fill your ideas notebook/folder up.
Look out of the window and gaze upon the magical winter landscape and let your imagination run riot.
What aspects of the Christmas/winter season could you capture and write about for next year's magazine market?
Go for a walk in the snow and record every sensation, sound, sight, touch, emotion that you feel.
Listen to weather reports and note the language and terminology they use to forecast the weather. Describe the weather report. Do you know any weather reporters you could interview? Or do you know of any non-scientific ways to forecast the weather? Do they work and how?
See how many top ten or top five festive/winter tips you can compile.
Do you know any unusual Christmas/winter customs or traditions?
Can you identify different types of frost and snow?
Can you look back at weather reports for your area and write an article about what's been happening over the last fifty or 100 years or further back?

The list is endless!If you do all the hard work and research now, when you come to pitch the ideas later on in 2011, it's not going to take you long to get the articles written and sent off. Even if some of your ideas are rejected, no research is ever wasted and you can always adapt the idea to try with another magazine or look at it again for a future Xmas/winter.

Happy writing! And Merry Christmas. I hope you achieved at least some of your writing aims this year and I wish you all the very best of luck in realising your writing dreams in 2011 and beyond.

Julie xx

What to Write About?

2010-12-10T06:00:00.001Z

It seems that it's not just the weather that's gone into a deep freeze over the past few weeks. It feels like the publishing world is in suspended animation or has been stuffed in the freezer for the remainder of the winter months. Now I like the snow, but I hate the ice and freezing temperatures. I hate the way the whole country seems to grind to a halt because my writing brain seems to freeze up due to lack of grit too. And several of the publications I've pitched to recently have come back with the reply that they've got enough material for now and are not taking ideas until the New Year.

So what is a writer to do when their ideas have iced over and editors have closed the doors against the cold, harsh winter winds? Well, a writer could go into hibernation themselves and just give up until the warmth of the spring sun awakes them from their slumber and miss out on any writing opportunities that might have come their way while they were sleeping. They could continue to batter their head against the door that isn't going to open and just give themselves a headache as well as irritating the poor editor - no means no. Or they could spend the rest of December writing down all the ideas that come to them and working on wording the perfect pitch, ready to send out there when the editors open their doors again. I would suggest the latter option is the best to go for. You have to be prepared for the New Year so you have something to pitch, so thinking about it now will save you a lot of hassle.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Learn All About It

2010-12-04T08:00:00.001Z

I had an article in a writing magazine earlier this year about writing courses and how to choose the right one for you. I enjoyed researching and writing that article as a lot of my own personal experience was tied up in it. I did an Open University Creative Writing Course back in 2007. I decided to do it as I had started writing again (something I hadn't done since I was a child and a teenager.) Why I suddenly decided to start writing again I'm not sure. I think I needed a creative outlet in my life and writing was it. I also felt that if I wanted to try and be a published writer then this was my chance to give it a go.

I didn't know if I could do the course as I'd never attempted one like it before. And there I was, taking a huge leap into the dark, going straight for a level three writing course! Madness or bravery? I still don't know! But I am so glad that I did. Okay, it wasn't an article writing course, it was more about poetry and short story writing, leaning far more to the literary side of writing than I'd envisaged, but I still passed the course. Something that tipped me into deciding to try and become a full time writer.

I'm now doing another course which, if I'm honest, I started in Sept 2009 and I'm still not even half way through it! It's not the course. It really is me. It's a Writers' Bureau journalism course and I think because there are no real deadlines as there are with the Open University course, I'm finding it hard to commit the time to complete it. Maybe it's because I've already had a fair few articles published already? I hadn't had anything published when I started the Open University course. But there's always room for improvement and I've learned a lot from the journalism course already that has definitely improved my writing style (thank you tutor!)

I saw the journalism course folder in my drawer this morning and I felt a pang of guilt that I had neglected it. I know that I have to get through it. Something to keep me busy over some of the Christmas holidays I think! I always seem to find other writing projects to do instead, though! I have the typical writer's trait of starting something else before I finish the last project. And although having several projects on the go means you'll never be short of a submission or two, it's a pain when you can't finish what you've started and have several half finished projects you can't submit! Got to stop that.

So it's time to get a grip and get focused. The year is nearly out and although I've achieved a lot of what I wanted to with my writing - more than I ever dreamed, in fact - I need to bring all of that success and hard work together and focus it into 2011, to be a sharper, better, more organised writer.

Do you need to do a course to be a successful writer? Well no, but a course or two will give you the tools you need to know that you are going about this writing business in the right way. So, if you're thinking about doing a course to improve your writing in 2011, why not have a look around and see what's available. It worked for me - but then I needed the motivation and the structure to make sure I got my essays and writing in on time - something that has really helped me with getting my submissions out there to this day. I just need to impose my own deadlines on the journalism course and get it finished.

Happy writing

Julie xx

All Change

2010-11-27T10:19:00.000Z

I had a change round this month. Instead of having an article published where I was the one asking the questions, this time the tables were turned and I was the one being interviewed. Sally Quilford has done a fantastic job, as she always does, and in her monthly Writers' Forum column she's included an interview she did with me talking about Wrekin Writers and our annual Doris Gooderson short story comp. It's in the January 2011 issue of the mag (out now in all good newsagents!)

I hadn't realised it would be out so soon (neither did Sally!) So it was a lovely surprise to see it when I flicked through the magazine. If you don't read this magazine, I would suggest that it wouldn't be a bad idea to start reading it. I've been reading it each month now for almost 4 years and the advice and interviews contained within it's pages haven't done me any harm. They have, in fact, enhanced my own writing. I'm so proud that I've had a couple of articles published in there myself as well - something I never thought would happen. But it did! It can be done if you persevere.

It's always a pleasure to flaunt the many virtues of the wonderful Wrekin Writers too and raise our profile a little! I still haven't got over our last retreat. I don't think I got over the first one I went to two years ago either. I don't think I'll ever be the same again! A great writing group is worth it's weight in gold and I'm lucky enough to be involved in one of the best. I don't think I'd have dared submit half of what I do get out there without their help and support. Thank you!

My writing plans for this coming week are to finish NaNo, which I'm on target to do by tomorrow. Then I'll be straight back on to my articles, pitching ideas ready for next year. I'm keen to explore different magazines next year and target them. I feel like stretching my wings a bit. It's good for writers to change direction every now and then and keep their ideas and writing fresh and exciting.

Talking of fresh, it's a bit nippy out there today and I see we have a sprinkling of the white stuff this morning.

Happy writing!

Julie xx

Out of the ordinary and original

2010-11-21T17:07:00.000Z

Some people might say that there's nothing left on the planet to write about that is original as it's all been done before. Well, yes, to a certain degree I would agree with that. But, on the other hand, it's not been written by you or me. We are individuals with a unique experience of life. No-one will ever have the same experiences, go to the same places, have the same ideas, motives, thoughts and inspirations as you or I. You can, therefore, bring freshness and originality to your articles. No-one can do that but you. If you asked ten writers to write on the same subject each of those writers will produce a different article. The content might be similar, but because each writer will bring their own blend of experience and opinion to it, they will have an originality about them that editors will love.

So instead of thinking, 'Oh I won't bother writing about that because someone else has already done it,' look at the subject matter from a different angle, from your perspective, and see if you can come up with an even better article that sparkles with originality and freshness that will have editors snapping it up. If you allow yourself to give in to your writing devil who is telling you not to bother writing about this and that because it's all been done before, you will end up not writing anything. Not a good place for a writer to be in!

Happy writing and give your writing devil the heave ho - I wonder what you will achieve once he/she's gone?

Julie xx

Article time again

2010-11-13T21:58:00.000Z

I realise that some of you write articles all the time and for you this post won't mean very much! But in my case I seem to work on a rota system, dividing my time between writing either articles, short stories or novels. It's a bit like the phases of the moon really! Or where my moon is rising in my chart. I've just gone through the short story phase and I'm well and truly engrossed in my NaNo novel writing phase now. This phase will last until the end of November when a new moon will take me into article writing again.

It's a bit of a strange period at the moment with article writing. Some editors aren't interested in any articles until the new year, Everyone seems to be gearing up for the Christmas period and winding down for the holidays. But it is the perfect time to reassess your article writing and think about your plan of attack for next year, so you can get your ideas in quick next year. Are you going to continue to pitch and putt to your old faithfuls or are you going to spring out of your comfort zone and take a shot at a magazine you've not approached before?

I'm going to be thinking up some new article ideas over the coming weeks and look at other possible outlets for them - magazines I haven't been published in before. I find this an exciting exercise as it's full of potential and new growth. A writer who is continually growing and evolving has a distinct advantage over a writer who refuses to move with the times and adapt.

I'm concentrating on the morris dancers at the moment and I'm also going to be looking through magazines I've not seen before to assess them as potential markets. I've still got to finish my journalism course (she says again!) Time just seems to run away with me and writing time is scarce. But I'll get there!

I went on a writing retreat last weekend and managed to get some writing done (I say some - look on the Wrekin Writers' website for evidence of what we got up to!) It was a wonderful experience and very, very funny. My motivation levels are sky high again and all I want to do is write! So I've made a promise to myself and challenged my self to increase my writing time and up my output. I've realised that if I want to continue to be a published writer I'm going to have to up the ante and buckle down and write a lot more than I have been. No excuses. No diversions. I hope my increased determination levels will pay off.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

Happy writing
Julie xx

Wake up!

2010-11-03T16:10:00.000Z

As I'm busy with NaNo again, I haven't had much chance to think about articles. I had hoped to have got some more of my journalism course done, but that's life, eh? I have to make priorities, as we all do, with writing and I find I have to be in the mood to do one or the other. At the moment the NaNo novel is taking the helm as are some short stories (I had one accepted by The Weekly News last week!Wooh hooh!) But article writing is never far from my mind.

At the moment the nights are drawing in. It's getting colder, wetter, windier and everything is slowing down for winter. So I'm thinking about article material that I could get ready over the next few weeks that looks at spring: the waking up of the countryside and the Earth after its winter hibernation. If you can think back to last spring and what was in the magazines then, you can think up new slants on that material and pitch it to the magazines now so the editor receives it in plenty of time to consider it for publication.

So while it's cold, dark and unwelcoming outside, make your writing space warm, cosy and inviting. Close the curtains and lock the darkness outside. Light some candles, turn the heating up, get yourself a large mug of hot chocolate and a supply of biscuits. Turn your computer on, get your notebook and pen out and get thinking about and writing your spring ideas ready to pitch.

If it helps, type spring season into your search engine and look at spring pictures. I've taken loads of photos over the past two years of scenes from different seasons and I've found these very good for inspiring me when I'm trying to write about spring at the end of autumn!

Happy Easter!

Julie xx

Playing Ball

2010-10-27T10:13:00.000+01:00

I know that writing can sometimes feel like a waste of time, particularly when you get rejection after rejection. You begin to wonder why the jiggery you started writing in the first place and what possessed you to try and get published. It's true that it's not the easiest of professions to break into but that's what it is: a profession, a job just like any other. And if you approach it in that manner it will go a long way to getting you to where you want.

When I started writing in 2007, I saw it as a hobby, a past time, something to keep me amused, a stress reliever from my then stressful job. A release. I never thought that I'd be able to write for money. But then, when I joined Wrekin Writers and met other writers who did write for money I had a huge attitude change. Instead of just writing willy nilly into the wind I became organised and structured and targeted magazines with my writing to varying success. The more I wrote and submitted, the more I sold. It was as simple as that.

I used to get annoyed at myself when I hadn't sold any articles for a while until I remembered I hadn't actually took the time to think of any article ideas or pitch them! You can only submit something when you've thought about it and at least formulated a plan of what your article is about and who it's intended for. When you're busy it can be difficult to get the energy and inclination to write an article.

I'm a busy person (aren't we all?) and I have to constantly remind myself that, amongst other things, I am a writer and writers write! All too often my writing slides because I forget to write and I let other areas of my life take over. But if you want to be a published writer you have to make it a priority. It's a business. You have to have determination, a cast iron constitution, persistence, a nose for good article material. And you have to be prepared to spend quality time on your writing. If you're too busy to write and would rather slump in front of the TV every evening rather than get your pen or computer out then maybe you don't have the right attitude to be a published writer. Everyone slumps in front of the TV sometimes (I know I do, particularly when there's a few hours of CSI on!) But, eventually you have to make a decision as to whether you want to be a published writer or a TV fanatic! I know which one I prefer.

Even if you only have 10 minutes at your disposal to write then write, Just do it. It soon mounts up. And once I start writing I usually find that I don't want to stop, and before I know it I've written an article synopsis or half an article - sometimes even the first rough draft of an entire article. Now that and seeing one of my finished articles published in a magazine makes me feel so much more happier than watching TV ever will.

Keep your eye on the ball and give the editor what they want. Don't just write an article because it's on a subject that interests you. Read the magazines and see what interests the editors and the magazine's readers. It's important to write in the style of the magazine your article is destined for, but before you even start I would contact the magazine to see if they even take freelance contributions. You may be wasting your time if you send an article off on spec and they won't consider anything from outside. 'In-house' seems to be the favourite buzz word banded out by editors these days who are feeling the financial squeeze along with the rest of us. So don't waste your or the editor's time. By all means send them your writing CV. I've done this in the hope that one day an editor might contact me - you never know! But don't give the editor something they don't want. True, sometimes, editors don't know what they want until they see it, but usually they have a clear idea and if you're not on the same wavelength it will be a thank you but no. But there's no harm in asking.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Back To The Future

2010-10-21T20:42:00.001+01:00

I intend to spend some time over the half term holidays looking at back copies of a couple of a few magazines. I'm also going to look at the current copies. I'm going to do this for two reasons:

1. So that I can get a flavour of the types of articles and features they publish and work out from the content the magazine's intended reader.

2. So I can get some ideas on what seasonal themes the articles are based on so I can write something appropriate to that magazine's style ready to send for this time next year.

It's also an excuse to put my feet up with a cup of coffee! It's something I don't have a lot of time to do usually. But I had to ask myself if I could afford not to. I owe it to my writing, and you owe it to yours to get down to the nearest newsagents and pick up some magazines that take freelance contributions and read them from cover to cover. If you don't give yourself that valuable research time you are denying yourself the best chance of publication. You have to read the whole magazine, adverts and all, in order to get your head round what it is the reader and, therefore, the editor wants - that means reading as many back copies of the magazine as you can lay your hands on as well as the current issue. The closest you can match your article to the general style of the magazine, (and remember that each magazine has it's own particular style, so one size or format does not fit all!) the better your chance of acceptance.

Happy reading!

Julie xx

Chasing

2010-10-13T21:53:00.000+01:00

We all know how life can run away with us. Most of the time we are chasing our own tails and time seems to accelerate at an alarming rate. There never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything that I'd like to achieve done. This is particularly true with writing which, I have to say, has been treated a bit like Cinderella recently - the underdog. Not high on my list of priorities.

I'm ashamed to say that the realisation at just how far I'd slipped with my writing subs was when I suddenly realised I'd written an article back in May, sent it to the person it was written about but not heard back from them. So I contacted them and resent the article which they loved. They were apologetic but it was my fault as I should have contacted them within a couple of weeks after I'd sent the article - not almost five months!

Anyway, the point of this post is to say that if you want to be a published writer you need to:

* Make your writing a serious priority and actually make the time to write.

* Keep a log of the article pitches you send out and any articles you send out, so that you know exactly where you are.

* Whatever the outcome of your submissions make sure you log this down too so you know which articles to revamp and send elsewhere.

* Accurate record keeping is important so you don't send the same pitch/article to the same magazine twice!

*If you are interviewing people for your articles, remember they also have busy lives and don't always pick up their messages. So if you've contacted them but not heard back from them, give them a reasonable amount of time (only you can determine this time scale as only you know when the editor is expecting the article) then try contacting them again. It might be a good idea to indicate within your e-mails to those you are writing about the time scale you are working with. It might chivvy them along!
*Bide your time. The world does not revolve around the writer! We have to fit in with other's busy schedules. People will forget. People will dither and chop and change their minds. It's human nature. I know it can be frustrating, but life happens and the mark of a good writer is for them to learn not to let it bother them. Work round it.

I've been trying to get my questionnaires filled in by the Morris Dancers for ages - but there was a couple of times I couldn't get up to them due to my family commitments and other times when they forgot to tell me about a venue change, they were away dancing the other end of the country, they had meetings, they forgot to give the questionnaires out! But I don't panic or cause a fuss. What would be the point in that? I'll get the questionnaires in when I get them in and the articles will still get written eventually. Just go with the flow and be grateful that people have agreed to let you in to their worlds. Enjoy the process of meeting new people and watching what they get up to! Your writing will be so much better.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Interviewer or interviewee?

2010-10-07T09:37:00.000+01:00

I had the pleasure of being interviewed myself via e-mail yesterday. I think it does writers good to be on the receiving end of an interview rather than the giving end every now and then. We can learn so much about the interviewing process from being interviewed ourselves and it informs and improves our own practice. It might be a good exercise to do a mock interview - get your friend, writing buddy, family to devise some questions and interview you. It can be great fun and you'll get a flavour of what your interviewees go through when you grill them!

I find e-mail interviews the easiest to cope with as an interviewee but you can't beat face to face interviews when you are the interviewer. I've performed many interviews and met such a lot of wonderful people through my work as a writer in this way. I've also discovered some surprising things about people that I never knew - aren't other people fascinating? Or is that my nosy streak?! Nosiness is an essential quality in a writer. I find e-mail interviews easy at the moment as there's not much time in my schedule to get out there and meet anyone who wants to interview me. But had I had time to and we lived nearer to each other I would have liked to have met my interviewer.

I think meeting people and sitting down face to face gives you so much more information than telephone or e-mail interviews ever will. You can see facial expression, their environment (if you get invited to their home you are lucky and can use that,) subtle body language, how they speak etc are all important in getting the gist of what a person is really like. It's nice to meet them too and they can also suss you out too.

I went up to the morris dancers again last Monday and delivered my questionnaires that I'm hoping will be completed by next week. The Morris dancers are so welcoming and tried their level best to get me to join them but I'm afraid I have two left feet and an appalling sense of direction! They'd be dancing one way and I'd be off in the other direction! So I did them a favour and declined. I am looking forward to writing about them. And that's what it's all about - enjoying the writing process. If you enjoy what you write about and are genuinely enthusiastic about the subject, person you are writing about then this will show through in your finished article, giving it life and the personal touch - much more interesting than a mere stringing together of facts. Make it sparkle!

Happy writing

Julie xx

mini success

2010-09-30T21:18:00.000+01:00

Because my writing time has been reduced recently I've been sending little snippets out. The result of this is that I had a letter published in the local newspaper and a filler article published in the local school governor magazine. Nothing big or paid for but just enough to keep the writing flow going and give me boost!

I've also started to send out my writing CV to magazines. I've sent one out so far and think I might send out a couple more. There is no harm in trying and it might get my foot in the door to at least show them I'm a serious writer who can deliver the goods. It might come to nothing but I'll try anything once! That's the thing with writing - you have to learn to take the risk of a) not being allowed to pitch to certain publications; b) being able to pitch but having them declined at every turn; or c) writing the article but being told it's not quite what they were looking for! But there is always the chance that you will be successful - that's a risk I'm willing to take. What about you?

Happy writing

Julie

Small but beautiful

2010-09-20T21:08:00.001+01:00

I had three surprises on the filler writing front yesterday (Why do they all seem to come at once?) When I was in the dinner hall at school, one of the other lunch time assistants told me that she'd seen my beauty tip in Prima magazine (Nov issue.) That will be £25 coming my way soon then. When you consider that it's £25 for probably as many words it's not a bad gig! Prima and Essentials mag are always on the look out for tips etc, both general and themed. Have a look on their website, or better still, get the mags themselves and indulge yourself with a cuppa and some biccies while you do your 'research.'

The second and third surprises were both in the Nov issue of Writers' Forum. I had a letter in response to my previous article on NaNoWriMo and I supplied some quotes for Sally Quilford's column too on judging short story comps (thank you Sally!)

So not a bad day at all really. The only perplexing thing that happened in evening was when I went to meet the Morris Dancers at their practice session but they weren't there! I met a nice lady, though, who had also come - she'd been in their team a few years ago and wanted to rejoin them. We had a nice chat as we waited. Then we ventured to the leisure centre where we thought they might have gone instead . We had a giggle too. When we arrived at the leisure centre it was deserted. A light was flickering and we could hear a faint whistling coming from down the long corridor. I said, "isn't this how really bad horror films always start! It was freaky! Anyway, the morris dancers weren't there either so we gave up and went home! They're probably down the pub somewhere.

Happy writing - get those tips and fillers out there £25 is a printer cartridge or two or a couple of small moleskine notebooks - well worth the minimal effort!

Julie xx

To Write or Not to Write is That The Question?

2010-09-16T22:24:00.000+01:00

I've been thinking a lot about my writing recently. You'll note I said thinking about it and not actually doing it. Although I am writing, I'm not writing to pitch or try and earn money from it - well not in a direct sense. I am doing a lot of 'essay' writing for the teaching assistant course I'm doing, but no article or stories. But it's still writing isn't it? I still have to construct proper sentences, think about the words I use and the point I want to make in a concise and meaningful way. I'm varying sentence length, trying to make what I'm writing interesting to the reader (my assessor) who, for all intents and purposes is acting as an editor. If I don't make myself clear or include all the relevant points, or I start waffling, I won't pass the course. So although I'm not writing my articles or short stories I am still practising my writing skills, keeping my hand in so to speak.

My plan is to do as much of my course work as I can during the week and leave the weekends free to indulge myself in writing articles and short stories. The course finishes in January 2011 but I know I can get the course work out of the way much sooner than that. I have had such great support from the two teachers whose classes I go in and that has made all the difference. I've also been using my writing skills in the classroom, helping the kids to improve their writing/reading and it's been such good fun.

I am frustrated that I'm that I'm not doing as much writing as I was and I'm still disappointed that I was unable to make a living purely out of writing and had to go back to some paid work other than writing. But I can live with that at the moment. I love going into the classrooms and it's given me fodder for things to write - we writers must always be alert to new writing opportunities! I don't think I'm the kind of person who can survive without going out to work albeit part time. I think I liked the idea and the flexibility of working purely from home as a writer but I missed the social side of interacting with other people and I certainly missed the money! There's a fine balance between having enough money and doing the kind of work you really want to do. I think I have the best of both worlds at the moment, even if I, temporarily, have to write more essays/coursework than my beloved articles/short stories.

Writing is about choices: we, to a certain extent, choose what we are going to write - or what an editor wants us to write. We choose how much time we devote to our writing - sometimes we have more time and sometimes we have less. But we have to decide what we are going to write and when and how much time we can give to it. Sometimes life gets in the way and we just have to go with that and write when we can. It's no use to man nor beast if we think, 'I've got too much on this week so there's no point in me even trying to write as I haven't got the time to do it justice.' You have to make your choices and get on with it.

In the words of a famous sports brand - Just Do It! Oh and another motto, this time from a leading supermarket, I've found helpful is, 'every little helps!'

Happy writing what ever form it takes and for how ever much time you have to do it in,

Julie xx

Got an itch

2010-09-07T19:43:00.000+01:00

I have this itch that I'm just going to have to scratch and it's all Writers' Forum's fault. If I hadn't have seen my article about NaNo in there in their October issue I would still be procrastinating and being indecisive about what to write next. As you know I have been concentrating on writing my short stories but now I really feel the need to get back to articles. So Writers' Forum have given me he kick I needed to get going again.

I had a successful year last year with my articles when my short stories didn't do as well as I hoped they would. But because I wanted to give the short stories another bash I stopped pitching and writing so many articles. I didn't have the time or the inclination to do them both justice. Now I've subbed some short stories, I'm once again scouring the magazines in the name of research to see any likely victims - I mean candidates and thinking about the kinds of articles I could pitch to them.

It's an essential activity for article writers to get out to the newsagents/ look on the Internet and look for new potential outlets for their articles, even moreso in the current economic climate. A couple of magazines I've had my articles in before are full to the rafters with articles and so I've had some pitches rejected. But instead of deterring me, this has made me even more determined to widen my search and find mgazines that are open to submissions.

It's important for writers to reinvent themselves on occasions and write something they wouldn't ordinarily write. But needs must and writers need to be flexible in their approach to their work and write for the market that's out there not the market they would like to be out there. And that's where thorough research comes in.

It's not easy but neither is it impossible to get your articles published in this financial crisis. You just have to think a bit harder and wider about what editors want and become more inventive and creative with your article ideas. Yes, there are thousands of other writers trying to do the same thing as you which means it's highly competitive, but you musn't let that put you off. Up your game and act like the professional writer even if you don't feel like one! It's all in the mind is a good motto to use here. Think positive, think professional and be productive - you won't succeed every time but every article you get accepted is an article further toward your writing goals.

I was thinking of having regular question and answer sessions on here. What do you think? I thought we might find it helpful as there are things I wish I'd known before I started writing articles and even now I don't know everything and I never will! So if you have a question about article writing, put it in a comment and we'll see what happens!

Best of luck and keep going!

Julie xx

A welcome boost

2010-08-29T16:02:00.000+01:00

I know I haven't written any articles in recent months but I have had one published in Writers' Forum (Oct Issue) out now in all good newsagents! It was a great feeling to see my article in print and it has given my confidence a boost - particularly so as I had confirmation from the editor that he would publish another of mine too! Great news.

The article was about NaNoWriMo - the write 50,000 words of a novel in a month madness from America! You may recall I did this for the first time last November, alongside two other Wrekin Writers, Sue and Jenny and the lovely Suzanne Jones in blogland (thank you for contributing!) All three feature in my article, as does just over 300 words of the nonsense I wrote for NaNo! It is a great example of writing what you know and using your experience of something you've tried or do regularly and turn it into an article.

It's given me the inspiration and motivation I needed to get going on the articles again. I also want to finish the journalism course I'm doing with The Writers' Bureau - so I can kill two birds with one stone and submit the articles I write for the course to magazines.

I have been concentrating on my short stories for a while and was really surprised and pleased to discover that I've actually managed to submit six short stories to various magazines over the six week school hols, with another two about to go in the next few days. So that will be eight in total - I can live with that. It's shown me what I am capable of when I put my mind to it and make the time to write. Whether any of them will be published is a different matter, but you can't blame a girl for trying.

If you should happen to see my article in Writers' Forum, take a look at it and tell me what you think about it. I always like to do a post mortem on my articles to see what I could have done better or what worked really well so I can improve on my article writing technique for the next one. It might be an interesting exercise to read other people's articles in this analytic way and see how you would have written it. Then you could have a go at writing an article, using the tips you picked up from your analysis, and submit it. See what happens.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Whoopsie. Mr Magoo lives!

2010-08-18T16:10:00.000+01:00

Guess who arranged to meet a local author in a cafe but managed to go to the cafe next door? We were both sitting at the same window seat in the respective cafes, waiting for each other! Each of us was worrying that something ghastly had happened to the other as neither of us had driven by ourselves for a long time and we needed the practice! It's a good job we are good friends and can see the funny side of it! But not very professional on my part - completely my fault for not looking where I'm going properly. Note to self and other journalists: make sure you know where you are meeting your interviewee and make sure you go through the right door! If it's in a cafe/restaurant ask the waitress or owner just to make sure.

Don't think I'm ever going to live this down! Still it gave us both a laugh once we realised we were both okay, even if I was and still am a little embarrassed.

Julie xx

Waiting Time

2010-08-08T14:53:00.004+01:00

On a bit of a hiatus really with the article writing. No excuse other than I have been having a wild time with the short story writing, looking after my wonderful daughter as it's the school hols, and catching up with the more mundane things in life like doing the housework (don't faint, yes I do actually do some occasionally) However, I do have an article about NaNo coming up in the October issue of Writer's Forum so watch out for that one if you read that magazine. (If you don't read it. I'd highly recommend that you do). I can't believe that I started the NaNo challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days back in November 2009 and here we are, almost a year later, and I not only got an article out of it that was accepted for publication but I now have a 75,000 word novel awaiting its second edit! Out of small acorns ..........

I'm still waiting for the Morris Dancers to return their e-mail interviews, but as it's holiday season I think I'll be waiting a while longer yet. But while I'm waiting I won't be resting on my laurels, oh no - I shall be transcribing the interview I already have from the Morris dancers on my Dictaphone and looking at the one e-mail interview I have had back so I can start formulating a plan for the articles and follow up on my pitches. The writing devil waits for no man or woman!

I also had a bit of a revelation recently in regards to article writing. Something Alex said in his blog also struck a clanging chord with me. I have been looking at several magazines (whilst lying on the sofa, coffee in hand, all in the name of research you understand) and I keep thinking I could have written that, or that's the kind of thing I could write about. But I haven't - someone (another writer just like you or I) has got on their first. The first question that crossed my mind after this light bulb moment was: why haven't I pitched to these magazines before? Answer - I don't know (too self conscious, they'll never be interested in small fry like me, they'll be inundated with similar pitches from other writers who are much more capable than me - yes Simon, I can feel the heat from your glare!). Then the second question, after I'd beaten my 'you're no good, you'll never make it as a writer' devil in to submission, was how can I rectify this and what do I have to do to get my features into these magazines? (Read the magazines through again cover to cover - mine's a white coffee, no sugar thank you. Find out who the editor/features editor is and whether they take from freelancers. Discover their house style/presentation and subbing preferences. Find out if they prefer a pitch first or the whole article and then kick my nerves/reservations/ squeamishness out of the back door and nail the cat flap down so it can't get back in (the nerves, not the cat) and go for it - you never know!

So if you think your writing isn't good enough for the likes of the such magazines STOP! Ask yourself what you are basing your assumptions on. Do you know for a fact that they will reject your pitch/work or are your self confidence diminishing demons at work? You don't know until you ask or try - and if it's a NO to your work this time, next time might just be a resounding YES! So go on, dare to be a little devil and have the audacity to bother these editors. Assume nothing and remember the saying 'assume makes an ass out of u and me!

Happy writing!
Julie xx

Keeping an eye out

2010-08-01T08:51:00.000+01:00

So how is the article writing going these days? Is anyone having any success? I have to admit that I'm still trapped in the land of short stories at the moment and enjoying every minute of it. It's as though my brain has sent my creative writing on a package holiday to short story. I am, however, keeping one eye on the articles. I've sent a list of questions off to various Morris Dancers (you may recall I went to watch some practice a few weeks ago and they've gallantly allowed me to write about them.) I'm doing the interviews via e-mail and did one face to face (because the bloke I interviewed was only there for one night and was then going back down South and I wanted to catch him while I could!)

I like all forms of interview except over the phone. I don't know why I don't like it - I haven't the technology to record it so I find myself frantically scribbling down what the interviewee is saying and can I read my notes afterwards? NO! Mind you the one I did with someone in the USA was great.

I'm still searching for article ideas and pitching occasionally, but not to the extent I was before. I find I'm getting the same old story at the moment and I'm getting a sense of how Mary and Joseph felt when they were told there was no room at the inn. But things will no doubt improve. Ever the optimist!

Here's something that cheered me up. I had a funny thing happen with a pitch. I pitched an article to one of the writing mags about how writers might find alternative markets for their work in the face of the recession when many mags are folding or editors aren't taking submissions from freelancers but going in-house for their material. The editor replied that he thought it was too negative. So I re-pitched with a more positive slant to which the editor said he liked it had no space in his magazine at the moment but to try again next year! The very tip of one of my points in the article - editors not taking any subs from freelancers because they had no space in the mags! Oh I did laugh!

Next week I'll be concentrating on my short stories again - I have a few I want to get out there. I already have four out there doing the rounds now. Once I've done that and I've got the answers back from the Morris Dancers, I'll be formulating that article, along with a couple of articles I've had in the pipeline about local issuse. I've still yet to get to my NaNo novel edit! So much to do, so little time. I really must calm my butterfly mind. I'm sure I'd get a lot more writing done if I could just slow my fluttering mind down a tad and focus on one thing at a time. I'm just glad it's the school hols and I've had time to get some writing done. I've surprised myelf by how much I actually have done - it's amazing what you can achieve when you set your mind to it. But today is my day off - if a writer can ever have such a thing.

Happy writing

Julie xx

I know there's a recession .......

2010-07-24T18:57:00.000+01:00

........and everything, and we writers, along with every other profession/job/occupation in the country can expect things to slow down, but has anyone else got the article writing heebiegeebies? You know what I mean: you take a look on the newsagent's shelves, as every budding good writer should, searching desperately for inspiration and a few new outlets to try your luck with but you draw a blank. You clamp your hands over your ears and shout LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA every time you hear about magazines folding, publishers going bust and editors not taking any new commissions this side of Christmas - perhaps longer (gulp). What is a writer to do?

Regular visitors to this blog will know that I am, by nature, an upbeat, positive writer, bursting with enthusiasm and motivation. But I am worried about what the future holds for we freelance article writers and for those yet to be published. How is it all going to pan out I wonder? We can try and comfort ourselves with the knowledge that people will always read and editors will always need writers to provide them with stuff for their readers to read, and there will always be topics to write about. But with many magazines limiting their writing to in-house ( GASP - that's a swearword for freelancers!) just what can we do to 'recession proof' our writing?

The answer to this is not easy. But giving into our fears and thoughts that the markets for our writing are diminishing by the day and so it's not worth us bothering to write or send our articles off to editor, is not an option - or it shouldn't be. In the words of Corporal Jones 'Don't panic Mr Mainwaring!' That should be our mantra I think. Keep pitching, keep writing and keep sending our work out there. If one editor says no, try another one and another one until you've exhausted all your options. Keep searching the magazine racks for new outlets - they are out there if you look hard enough. Don't be afraid to approach the editor of a magazine you haven't heard of or considered before. Be brave and take a shot at it - you've got nothing to lose. New titles will spring up from time to time too. All is not lost. Only those who give in to their apathy and belief that this recession spells the end of their writing career will see it happen - a self professed prophecy?

It isn't going to be easy but I believe that perseverance is part of the key as is being doubly thorough in your market research and keeping your writing standards and presentation high. This will increase your chances of success. If an editor is presented with umpteen different manuscripts to choose from ,they will most likely go for the one that is well written and well presented. So don't let that slide - even though your enthusiasm and hopes for your chances of being published are half way down that slide with your knuckles white from clinging on to the safety handles for dear life.

Have some faith in your writing and your ability to adapt your writing skills to whatever writing opportunities are out there and you may be surprised!

Happy adapting your writing

Julie xx

No Man's Land

2010-07-16T21:12:00.000+01:00

I'm in a bit of a dip with my article writing at the moment. I pitched two ideas this week but both were declined. One was too close to a series of articles they run already (tut, tut, tut, I should have spotted that before I pitched.) The other the editor had already comissioned a similar series of articles on. So I know with one of them I wasn't far off the mark. That's encouraging at least!

I've been up to watch and talk to the Morris dancers twice now and I'm just waiting for a couple of them to agree to have interviews with me and I can then start writing the articles. I've had a fabulous time with them and have met some great characters, so I'm looking forward to writing about them. I'm thrilled they agreed to let me in. Having a couple of articles I've already had published ready to show them really helped - so that's my top tip of the week: take a portfolio of your work along to show them what you can do. It shows them that you are professional (even if you don't feel it) and are capable of getting in print.

Having been out and about in Shropshire recently, taking notes and photos on my local area, I think it's about time I get a move on and actually wrote something up on them! Oh if only I had more hours in the day, or I made my writing more of a priority. It's difficult though isn't it? I know - excuses, excuses!

Have a great weekend. It's Wrekin Writers' meeting tomorrow morning - something I'm looking forward to. I always find my writing enthusiasm and motivation tanks are filled to overflowing when I've been to my writing group meeting. They are just a little bit low for my liking at the moment! What I need is another sale.
But if I don't do the writing and work hard at it, it won't happen. Time to get my skates on.

Happy writing

Julie

Out And About Again

2010-07-06T14:05:00.000+01:00

It has to be said that there is something about getting an assignment finished for my journalism course and posting it off that gets the creative juices flowing again. I've said before that I've struggled with finding the time and the inclination to complete this course. I started it last October and I'm only on Assignment four of fifteen! Having no deadlines is one of the problems, I think!

I haven't been as enthusiastic about my article writing as I usually am for a while now and I think despondency had set in which had led to inertia. All that changed last night. I had the good fortune to go and watch some local morris dancers who practice just up the road from where I live at the local school. And what an experience it was! They were great and I managed to interview one of the founding members who had come up from Devon. I'm going again next week to get more interviews and, hopefully, some photos.

I'm well on my way with assisgnment four, of which an article about the morris dancers will be part of. I just have to get my priorities back into sync and push forward with giving more emphasis and importance on my writing rather than some of the other stuff in my life that I can afford to either let go or put on the back burner. Prioritising what we want in our lives is a big part of our writing. Life will always get in the way and if we want to be published it's up to us to make the best of the writing time we have.

So over the next 2.5 weeks before the schools break up for the 6 week's hols I shall be finishing off assignment four and pitching more articles - I also have four short stories that I need to edit and send out. Busy, busy, busy! I'd rather have a lot of writing ideas and a couple of projects on the go than none at all, though!

Happy writing

Julie xx

Back on track

2010-06-29T20:57:00.000+01:00

I sent assignment three of the journalism course I'm doing off late last week. I wouldn't say that it's the best assignment I've ever done but hey ho! It's done and gone - now onto assignment four. Why did I sign up for a course? Oh yes that's right; I wrote an article on are writing courses for you!

Anyway - I've found my pace again with the course and I'm looking forward to working on the next assignment. I was feeling a bit low on the article front as I hadn't sent any articles or proposals out for a while and I started this course last September and here we are 11 months later and I had hoped to have finished it within the year, but it wasn't to be. Maybe 18 years is a more realistic time frame.

That's the thing with writing. I think that all too often we writers put far too much pressure on ourselves by trying to achieve too much at once. It takes a lot of time and patience to produce work of a good enough quality to be published. And it takes a lot of time to research possible outlets for your work and build up a rapport with the editors. So I think the message is: slow down to get the results you want. It's tempting to send off submissions willy nilly that could have done with a bit of maturing time in the drawer before being edited and sent out.

I'm still concentrating on the short story side of my writing at the moment but hope to get back to some article writing soon. But if you'll excuse me I have a date with Gok Wan! For some reason I like watching his Fashion Fix show ( says she who is a regular tomboy with no interest in fashion and that stuff - I don't even own a skirt or any make up!) shock, horror!!!

Happy writing

Julie xx

Course or no course?

2010-06-16T21:47:00.000+01:00

As you know I started a Writers' Bureau Journalism course back in October 2009 and I'm still going with it now. Only my enthuasism for it dwindled when I received what I thought was a bit of strange advice in the feedback I got back on one of my assignments. It's made me reluctant to write the next assignment. But I'm determined to carry on regardless to the bitter end! It was nothing drastic but having submitted and had published many articles I'm not sure the advice I was given helped really.

This begs the question: do I need to do the course? Well yes, I think I do. I've read all the course material through and I've learned a lot I didn't know before. And I've had some good feedback on the assignments I've done. So I just have to grit my teeth and get the next assignment finished and sent it. Once I get on a roll again I know I can finish this course before the year's out - which was the original plan. The school summer hols are coming up soon so I'm hoping to get assignment three and four and five (5 weeks) done before school's out and six, seven and eight in the holidays themselves. That will give me three months to get the rest done!

What I need is my fellow bloggers to keep me on track and kick me at regular intervals to make sure I ruddy get on with it! No excuses - no mercy! Will you do that for me? Ta!

I'm interviewing some morris dancers on Monday for a couple of articles and also I'm going back soon to the lovely amateur dramatic group I spent some time with last year and wrote a couple of articles and a review of one of their plays, so I'm looking forward to that (thank you Mike!)

It's my writing group meeting on Saturday - time to get my fix! I always feel energised and enthusiastic about my writing when I've been there - I think it's everyone's successes we hear about and the general buzz is infectious!

Don't forget to let me know if you want to join my private blog and join in the debate and look at published articles to see what we can learn about how to improve our own articles. I've posted one of my published articles, the original pitch and the manuscript on there already but so far I'm Jilly No Mates in there ;0) So come on - someone keep me company please! I'll make a nice cake and we'll have a brew while we're at it.

Good luck with your writing!
Julie xxx

Where do you want to go next?

2010-06-02T11:45:00.002+01:00

No, I'm not talking about where you fancy going on your holidays this year but where you see your writing going over the next week, month, year, five years, decade. It pays a writer to think about what their writing goals are what they can realistically achieve. What I've found helpful is to write down both my long term writing goals and some shorter ones so that I am always working towards something, a smaller short term goal, while also working on longer term projects such as my novel.

Making plans is a good way for writers to narrow down what it is they actually want to write and what kind of writer they are. Of course plans need to be realistic and flexible so that you don't become despondent when things don't go exactly how you want them to. Life often gets in the way of writing so to keep your spirits up and the words flowing you need to take a 'what the hell' attitude, learn to roll with the punches and change tack to get round the obstacles in your way, and write whatever happens!

As I've said before, I'm concentrating on my short story writing at the moment - this is one of my short term goals: to get a short story published in the UK, with a longer term goal of getting lots of short stories published here and abroad. I've already achieved one of my goals by getting a short story published abroad (two now!) and that spurred me on to write more and more and now I'm editing a novel! Unthinkable to me a couple of years ago.

It was the same with article writing. I started off writing letters and getting them published in local and then national magazines and newspapers. Then I wrote short articles for free for local community mags and then progressed to a local glossy magazines and national writing magazines where I actually got paid for my work - as they say in the football world RESULT!!

Now we are half way through the year it might be a good time to take stock of what you have achieved so far with your writing and make plans for where you are going to take your writing between now and the near year. You might be surprised how far you have already come. I know I am! And even little victories: a letter here, a filler or tip there, can bolster you up to carry on writing and achieve an article in a local magazine or national glossy. It can be done - even if you think it can't! I never thought I'd get an article published but here I am with several articles and two short stroies published. How the hell did that happen?!

1. Hard work and determination by the bucket load.
2.Listening and acting on advice given to me by more experienced writers than me who knew what they were talking about.
3.Reading the magazines cover to cover and adopting the house style as my own.
4. Perserverance. Keep going, keep learning, keep improving and never give up.

That's what I think anyway! So, on the article front, although I've come to a bit of a hiatus while I get some short stories out of my system, I'm still gathering ideas and have sent off couple for vetting, so I'm still giving my article writing some thought.

For those who have joined my new article analysing forum, I'll be posting a manuscript of one of my articles alongside how it appeared in the magazine it was published in. It will hopefully help people to see how I presented my manuscript to an editor and the changes they made to my text to better fit their remit.

Happy writing!

Julie xx

New Forum

2010-05-31T21:51:00.000+01:00

You can access the new Analyse This forum (looking at short stories) by sending me your e-mail address and then when I've added you to the author list by clicking here

Or if articles are more your cup of tea then send me your e-mail address and I'll add you to that one! Then click here

Both forums are a lot of fun and will give us the opportunity to see work that has been published from the submitted manuscript to the finished articles and short stories as they appear in the magazines. There will be lots of time for questions and we can address any specific problems writers may have.

We will be discusseing what makes a good short story and article and how we can improve our work to get it published.

Hope to see you there soon!

Julie xx

OOOPS!

2010-05-31T21:36:00.002+01:00

I've recently been informed that some people are having trouble accessing this blog - I've had a tweak and a tuck and you should be able to get onto it now!

Computers, computers, computers! Tsk, tsk,tsk!

Julie xx

Have A Think

2010-05-29T10:38:00.001+01:00

What do you look at/think about when you are leafing through a magazine? What draws your eye and holds your attention? What is it about the article that makes you want to read it? Or what is about the whole magazine that made you pick it of the newsagent's shelf? These are all important questions to ask yourself when choosing a magazine to buy and when considering writing for that magazine.

*Are we looking for: entertainment? Information? Something to pass the time? Lots of illustrations or photos?

*What kind of reader would this particular magazine appeal to?

*Is it full of celebrity gossip? Or is it a how- to magazine with step-by-step guides? Is it full of fiction or solely non-fiction or a mixture of both?

*What kind of topics are covered in the magazine? This can help us to narrow the themes we can write about down and increase our chances of publication.

*What are they advertising in the magazine? This will give us an idea of who the magazine is targeting and who we are writing for.

*How are the articles worded/what is the layout/ length? Paying attention to this can really help us to make the editor's life a lot easier when we present our work and sub it.

*How often is the magazine published - this will help us guage how much competition there is from other writers to get in and the amount of space available. A quarterly magazine will need less material than a weekly.

*Look at the names in the staff list in the magazine and look at who has written the articles. Are there lots of different names or the same few? This will help us to see how much work the editor takes from freelance writers and how much is done in-house.

*Look on the magazine's web site if they have one. This can provide you with a lot more information.

*Find out the submission guidelines if there are any and stick to them. If there aren't use the standard presentation rules.

*Don't be afraid to e-mail the editor or contact them via which ever method detailed in the magazine and introduce yourself and ask if they would be interested in hearing your ideas. Even if it's a 'no' now - you might get a 'yes' at a ater date and the editor may well keep your details on file.

These are the sort of things we need to consider when we want to write for a magazine. It's no good just casually flicking through the magazine, scribbling down your article and then sending it off. Take your time to really study at least two back copies of the magazine, follow the style and submission guidelines of that magazine (remember not all magazines will have the same guidelines), and before you do any writing for that magazine check they take freelance subs! If not, don't waste your valuable writing time. Target another magazine instead.

Happy analysing and writing.

If you go over to my new Analysing Articles Forum for the next post there I'll put up a copy of one of my article manuscripts and a copy of how it eventually appeared in a magazine so we can compare the difference.

To join the forum let me know your e-mail address and I'll add you to the author list so you can post, comment and join in the fun.

Julie xx

NEW FORUM

2010-05-26T20:29:00.000+01:00

I've now started a private blog forum to look at articles and what we can learn from reading and analysing published articles to improve our own writing and improve our chances of publication. If you would like to take part then drop me your e-mail address and I'll add you to the author list so you can join in!

Happy writing

Julie xx

Reawakening

2010-05-26T14:14:00.000+01:00

Having had some time off article writing in order to concentrate more on my short stories, my urge to write articles again has been woken and is having a long yawn and stretch, flexing and warming up its muscles ready to go! I've finished the second drafts of two articles: one for a writing magazine and the other for a local school governor magazine, that I hope to finish off tonight with a view to submitting them soon.

The journalism course is also going well as I've started to work on that again. I'm now on assignment three and hope to get that one and assignment four done by the end of Whit week. I've found taking a break from the articles refreshing and although I'm still writing and subbing short stories, I don't like to neglect my article writing for too long.

I still have a couple of articles that were accepted some time ago that are yet to be published, so I'm looking forward to seeing those in print. I'm sure once I see them in the magazines it will kick start my article writing session again. I'm always searching for new things to write about but recently I've been thinking more about what I can use from my past experiences to write about. There is a lot that I have done previously in my life that I'd like to tap into to - my 15 year nursing career has got to be good for a few articles surely!

Although I don't like writing about myself in particular there are lots of opportunities, if you think hard enough, of things you can write about that you have either knowledge or experience of which could provide you with plenty of material to keep you going for ages. Why not sit down and go back through your life: your past jobs, hobbies, interests, anything that can give you ideas of what to write about. It doesn't have to be a first person article as you can write on a topic within your frame of reference on what issues are relevent to the job you used to do today or tackle things from a different angle. Why not compare and contrast how things used to be done to how they are done now. As long as you do your research and approach it in the right way you should end up with some interesting and saleable articles.

I have just started a new private blog for analysing short stories and I'd like to do the same for articles too. Is there anyone interested in looking at a few articles that have made it into print and discussong why they got into print and seeing what we can learn from them to increase our own chances of publication? Let me know what you think.

Good luck!

Julie xx

Finding Time

2010-05-19T20:40:00.000+01:00

My copy of Writers' Forum came today and I've been reading it with interest, as always! It never fails to bolster my flagging enthusiasm and it sends me into a flurry of writing activity after I've read it. I have to admit that my writing time has been severely squeezed over the past few weeks - my fault for taking more things on in my 'real' life but entirely my choice. I only have myself to blame when I don't have any articles to send out!

That's the trouble when life gets in the way and we are forced to push our writing in to the background like a once loved toy that has become all grubby with an eye missing and it's belly in tatters letting the stuffing poke through. But are we forced or do we just use the extra activities we cram into our lives as an excuse not to write? Are we procrastinating? Sometimes I'm not so sure!

Having had my second short story accepted for publication last week I'm still determined to persue that avenue of the writing - if only I had the time! If only - there is that universal cover all excuse! If only I'd done that; if only I hadn't done that; if only I hadn't wasted all that time; if only, if only, if only! I think I need less of the if only and more of the make it happen! What about you?

Happy writing!

Julie xx

Inspiration

2010-05-09T15:00:00.000+01:00

I have been out and about recently gaining more information and ideas for articles. I think it does writers good to put their pens down, close their computers down and get up from their chairs and go out into the big world once in a while. It can become a bit claustrophobic and I find I get a bit of cabin fever if I'm stuck inside writing for too long. But I don't always want to stop what I'm writing. So I have a dilemma: do I interrupt my writing flow to relocate and get some fresh air? Or do I stay in doors and become hermit like? I chose the former.

I've been feeling a little restless of late and I'm finding it increasingly difficut to do anything about the ideas for articles I have in my head and written in various notebooks.I also want to get my next two assignments for the journalism course I'm doing out of the way as I am in danger of forgetting I'm even doing a course if I don't buckle down to it soon! This is why I think doing a course that has assignment deadlines like the OU does is a good idea if you lack the ability to motivate yourself. The Writers' Bureau one I'm doing now gives you about four years to complete the course - I need to self impose some deadlines I think or it could well take me four years to finish it.

Yesterday I went to a school reunion. They've built a new school behind the current one and the current one is due to be knocked down soon, so it was our last chance to take a look around. It was strange going back. I left in 1987 - a long time ago. I was struck by how old the ex-students all looked! Then it struck me: oh my Lord I must look that old too! It was a bit of a shock that required a sit down in the canteen with a strong cup of tea! I didn't see anyone from my year but saw many faces I thought I recognised but wasn't quite sure. I spoke with some of my old teachers and our old headmaster but I didn't really get a sense of nostalgia and there was no emotion attached to the school - I didn't really feel anything when I was walking around - just had a sense of how noisy and crowded it was and the fact that I once pounded these halls with my aged 11-16 feet!

It was an opportunity to take my daughter round who was amazed that mummy used to attend that school! It also gave me some great ideas to base some articles on - if I could only gather enough umph to write them! I also bumped into the Percussion teacher I interviewed some time back. He'd done an African drumming workshop at my writing group and yesterday he was doing the same workshop in The Edge - a small theatre/community space attached to the school (it used to be the old gym when I was at school). So it was nice to see him again. And a timely reminded to get a ruddy move on with the articles I'm writing about him and his work!

Today my family and I went to Attingham Park, a sprawling estate with a wonderful manor house near Atcham which is on the way to Shrewsbury. I've been there many times before and as the weather was so nice, we decided to have a walk within the beautiful grounds - a truly inspirational place for writers! I have taken some pictures so will post some on here when I've got them on my computer so if you've never been there you can see what a great place it is. I will also be writing there one day soon if anyone who lives close enough wants to join me.

I find that by going to places - it doesn't matter where but a variety of places works best: a cafe one day, the countryside another day, a town park, a skating rink, spectating at a swimming pool, anywhere you like where there will be nature, or other people, quietness one day and noise another - gives you a great pool of resources when setting your story/article. You can really soak up the atmosphere and note down what it feels like to be there: sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Use all your senses while you are there, take loads of photos and notes, ask lots of questions. You will have a mountain of subject matter to write about as well as enjoy the experience of being somewhere else. This really kick starts my creativity. If I've been feeling a bit stale writing wise, I go somewhere else. It doesn't need to be far away, but just a different environment to engage your brain into experiencing something different from your normal routine.

Don't forget to get out and about. Now the weather is better (occasionally) it's easier to get out into the great outdoors!

Have fun exploring and don't be afraid to open yourself up to different experiences - your writing will thank you for it.

Julie xx

Think About It

2010-05-01T09:40:00.000+01:00

I've sent a couple of short stories out there and so now the frustrating wait for a verdict from the magazine editors starts. I'm sure we've all been there/are there. You send your work off in a flurry of excitement and expectation which soon transforms into agonising anxiety and frustration as you chew your finger nails down to nothing while waiting for that all important letter/e-mail/phone call that you know deep down isn't going to come for a while yet, if ever!

So while I've been waiting, I've been e-mail interviewed by another writer who is doing an article - that was fun and I hope the article finds a home. I've also managed to finish transcribing the last interview I did and will be planning a couple of articles from that. I've made a list of the magazines I think might be interested in an article (you need to think wide and obscure for this - don't just go for the old favourites.) This is where I find I really need to sit down, highlighting pen clutched in my hand and notes from the interview spread out in front of me on the floor and read through it, highlighting quotes and bits I particularly like. It helps me to have three blank sheets of paper too. These pieces of paper represent the three articles I'll be writing on the same subject aimed at three different magazines. I write the name of the publication I'm aiming for on the top of each sheet and then put any relevant quotes of bits of info I find on each sheet - ensuring that no two quotes/information bits are the same in any of the articles - unless I write the information in a different way for each article.

I always try and aim for three articles out of one interview - maybe more if I can stretch it! Once I have been through my notes and transfered the bits I want to use on each of the pieces of paper I have a cup of tea or two and then I start to form a plan for each article. I don't go overboard or in to too much detail here - it's just a short beginning-middle-end format where I note down what I want to say in the article and which order I want to say it in. I think about it at this stage so I can ensure I don't miss anything important and I can contact the interviewee if I'm unsure of anything rather than waiting until it's almost due for submission and having a mad panic about it! I might note down a few sentences that pop into my head that I'd like to put in the article so I jot them down before I forget.

Then I put it all away for a couple of days while I get on with something else. This gives me more time to think about it and I'm sure a lot is going on at a sub-conscious level in my brain too. Then I get it all out again and start looking at one of the plans. This is where I go either one of two ways depending on how much time I have and what mood I'm in. I either write the first draft of the article in longhand on paper, or I type it straight on to the computer. I have no preference as to which one I use really, but the typing option cuts down on time in the long run. It's already there on screen ready to edit rather than me having to type the whole thing from the hand written one.

I tend to do about three edits (I think three must be my magic number!) These edits take place over a week or two and I always put the 'finished' article away for at least two days to a week before getting it out for a final read through before I send it off. You'll be amazed what errors you can miss - even at that late stage, so it's important to do that final read through.

I'm hoping to get the first draft of one of the articles from this interview done by the end of the weekend. I have pitched the idea to two magazines but they said no thank you, so I'll go to the next magazines on my list and pitch to them until I run out of magazines. I will also use one of the articles for the journalism course I'm doing which I must get a crack on with as I have been neglecting it.

Whatever you're doing this bank holiday I hope your article writing is going well and the ideas are flowing. Keep at it!

Julie

Interview Buzz

2010-04-27T21:05:00.000+01:00

I've just been transcribing an interview from my digital dictaphone I did about a month ago. Due to my ears being bunged up after a cold and with wax for that time period I hadn't been able to do it until now. I had fun listening back through it as it was a fun interview to do and the interviewee was fantastic. So now the hard work starts!

I'll be reading through my notes for next few days and looking at which magazines to pitch my ideas to from the interview. There are so many different avenues I could go down with this that I find it quite exciting making those first tentative approaches to editors. Some will invariably say no - but there might just be one or two who say yes!

Thinking positive and thinking outside of the box are two qualities a writer should strive for if they want to be a freelance article writer. You have to use the writing talent and knowledge of what makes a good article that will sell to its fullest advantage to make your pitch and article stand out from the other hundreds the editor has landing on their desk on any one day - but this is all part of the process and fun!

I'll let you know how I get on - and do let us know how your article writing is going and what problems you've had or if there's something you've experienced or learned that has helped you gain success with your article writing.

Happy writing

Julie

Trying Your Hand

2010-04-23T21:55:00.000+01:00

I hope everyone's writing is going well and you are enjoying the process even if you haven't got anything published yet. It took me ages to get something I'd written published and even longer to get something published that I'd written and actually get paid for it! But it can be done and I'm so glad that I persevered with it. It can be a hard slog but it's imortant that you keep going - it worked for me.

Today I had a short (250 word) review published in the Times newspaper. It was for a regular slot called You The Editor and it involves readers of the newspaper saying what was good, or bad about one issue of the paper - snag is you have to get it in by 3pm for the day's paper you want to review! Hence the fact I was up early yesterday and had to enrol the services of my brother-in-law to deliver the paper to my house on his way to work at 7am and I had about 30 minutes to read the paper, write the review and e-mail it off before I took my daughter to school. As I was at work 9am-3pm that day, I wouldn't have had time to do it later!

It's important, as writers, for us to think about what obstacles we face in our quest to write and get published. Some of these obstacles are outside of our control but some of them are self imposed and if we really wanted to we could leap over them and write. It took me three attempts to get a review in The Times and after the first attempt the editor e-mailed and asked me to try again which I did. However, there was some problem in the office that day and the editor missed it so he editor rang me asking me to try again and once I'd climbed back on my chair having fallen off it in shock at speaking to the editor of the Times (my husband took the call and said to me "It's the editor of the Times on the line for you!" I didn't believe him!)
So although it doesn't pay it would be great writing practice for you to give it a go - just buy a copy of the Times, read it and e-mail your review in. You never know what will happen!

I also got an article in The NAWG newsletter as did two of my fellow Wrekin Writers Simon Whaley and Sue Ross. As Simon pointed out to us, of the seven articles in there Wrekin Writer members wrote three of them - that's not bad going!

Have a great weekend and keep writing

Julie

Trying New Outlets

2010-04-20T10:40:00.000+01:00

I had a magazine through the post yesterday with one of my articles in it. You may remember that a few months ago I interviewed several people from the charity Volunteer Reading Help. I managed to get one article in the local paper about them and now this one in Learning Support. The magazine is aimed at Teaching Assistants and it was Sue Ross, a fellow Wrekin Writer and blogger who pointed me in their direction (thank you Sue!)

Because I do reading support in my daughter's school (though not through this charity) I thought an article on this subject might be of interest to a variety of magazines and so far two have taken the article (the wording in each is very different as if you are going to pitch articles on the same subject to different magazines you don't want to clone them - editors don't want to read the article you've given them in another publication!)

I have recieved no payment for either artices. Learning support gave me a copy of the magazine which I can put in my portfolio and I could use it as a taster for other editors from 'paying' magazines who may take articles on a similar subject. In this case working for 'free' has its advantages in that it can lead on to other things. Although I would say that generally you should be paid for your work, if you are just starting out, it can be a good way of getting cuttings to build up your portfolio and get your work published. Writers are divided on the issue of whether writers should write for free - so I'm not going to go into the pros and cons here (we'd be here all day going round in circles!) I think the idea for the articles still have some mileage in them so I'll let you know what else I do with it.

Other article news: although I am concentrating on short story/novel writing at the moment, I've had a couple of ideas for articles that I'm going to pitch to some parenting magazines - a group of mags I haven't yet aimed for - so that will be interesting to see what happens there. Plus I will be writing another couple af articles for the local governor magazine. I hope you're having success with your pitches/articles!

Happy writing

Julie xx

Thinking Time

2010-04-13T10:49:00.000+01:00

As you know I'm on a sabbatical from article writing at the moment to give me chance to get up to speed on finishing the first draft of my NaNo novel. I started it in NaNo season (Nov 1st) 2009 and wrote the required 50,000 words in the 30 days of November. I'm sure most of you know what NaNo is but for those of you who don't, it's an American idea where you get to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Thousands of people do it so you'll be in good company should you decide to do it this year.

Well, I hit my 70,000 word target yesterday and I am on the final chapter now, so I'll be going over my target by a couple of thousand words. However, this is the first draft so the eventual wordage after much editing may be more or less anyway.

In the spirit of NaNo, this novel was written minus a plan and was totally spontaneous - the plot and characters grew as I wrote it. I'd recommend this 'writing by the seat of your pants' approach as, for me, if I'd have had to sit down and plan it I'd still be planning it now. Yet here we are, 5 months later, and I've nearly finished it. I have been writing it part-time as well as writong articles and working outside the home - so I think I've done reasonably well time wise. If I'd have been writing it full-time, I'm sure I'd have finished it ages ago - but I wouldn't have had any quality thinking time factored in, and that thinking time is imortant as it gives your ideas time to grow and mature.

Once I've finished it I'll leave it a while and get on with some more short stories, but I haven't forgotten about the articles! Look out for my article about NaNo coming up in Writer's Forum (hopefully!) in the Summer.See writing about what you know does work! I did NaNo and then wrote about NaNo! And I'm sure I'll get a few more articles out of that experience too.

Other articles I have coming out soon include the Wildlife rescue centre article and two about being a Governor. There are a couple of other articles still out there doing the rounds, but I haven't heard anything about them yet. I also submitted a short story recently, so I'll be interested to hear its fate.

While I'm doing all this fiction I'm also thinking of new article ideas. I'm finding that having engaged the fiction part of my creativity, it's inspiring me with the non-fiction too. I think it's helpful to have several pieces of work out at any one time, as when the rejections come it doesn't matter so much as you'll always have something else out there that may be accepted.

Because I write poetry, articles, short stories and now a novel, the potential for being published is wide. I think being a chameleon in this game doesn't do any harm. It pays to be flexible and able to turn your hand to different styles/genres of writing. So if you don't usually write poetry or short stories, give them a go, and vice versa. Or if you only write about a couple of subjects in your articles, cast your net wider and stretch your writing skills to write about something or someone you know very little about. I did it with my archery article and it got published! So don't be afraid to give things a go.

Have a look at Simon Whaley's recent blog posting Stepping Into The Editor's Shoes It gives some excellent advice on what to do with the unpublished articles you have lying around (of which I have many and I'm guilty as charged for doing nothing with them when I ruddy well should be! Kick gratefully received, Simon! - ingenious! Give his advice a try - his advice has always worked for me.

Happy thinking!

Julie xx

Article break

2010-04-05T19:40:00.000+01:00

I'm having a break from the article writing for a bit (they say a change is as good as a rest, don't they?) I want to focus my attention on my fiction. I did so well last year and up until now with my articles - much better than I ever envisaged. So I'm hoping that if I can focus my energies on the short story and novel writing throughout the rest of April, I might give myself a fighting chance in getting more short stories published - especially armed with all that I have learned since I last subbed a short story.

I have also been inspired and spurred into action by several other bloggers who have had some success with getting their stories into the women's mags recently: Suzanne Jones, Teresa Ashby, Helen.M. Hunt, Olivia Ryan (aka Sheila Norton) and Sally Quilford, to name but a few. I've read some of their stories in the mags and I have to say they are fantastic, so I am a little but daunted by trying to follow in their talented footsteps and get my stories published in the same mags. Especially with my rather dismal track record last year after my efforts! But I decided, as I'm approaching a big birthday next year, the number must be significant as I sent 40 short stories out - so I hope if I send forty out again before my next birthday (most will be reworked from the 39 that got rejected - sorry - declined) something might stick!

But I'll still be thinking up article ideas and I'm sure a few will come from my fiction writing exeriences too. And I know there are several mags out there I want to try and write my non-fiction for. I'll also be finishing the journalism course which involves a lot of article/feature writing, so I'll still get my fix!

If anything great happens you'll be the first to know - if it doesn't, you'll still be the first to know!

Wish me luck as the fiction writing starts in earnest tonight!

Julie xx

No room at the inn

2010-04-01T19:44:00.000+01:00

So far none of the pitches I sent out last week have been accepted - both magazine editors said they were full to bursting. One said he'd only take an article if the idea was good enough to jump the queue and another said they liked one of my ideas but wern't taking any articles until probably after the Summer. Hmmph! So that's that then. Or is it? There are one of three ways I could go with this:

1. Stop thinking of article ideas, sending pitches out and stop writing articles because there is no point.
2. Make this an opportunity to get back to my fiction writing and try sending short stories out again and finishing my novel.
3.Concentrate on finishing my novel as well as sending out a short story or two, whilst keeping my ear and brain tuned in to possible articles and researching the other magazines out there that might take my articles.

If you were in my shoes and would have gone for option one shame on you! Just because a couple of magazines don't want your articles another magazine might. Okay, you might have to cast your net wider to catch a fish, but it's not an impossible task.

If you chose option two - this is a slightly better course of action than option one, but think of all those wasted article writing opportunities you might miss. Plus, you could have had a few articles pitched, commissioned and published in the time you are waiting for the verdict on your novel. Also switching to non-fiction whilst you are writing your novel can give you brain time to mull over your novel if you have become stuck on a chapter or your character is not working the way you wanted them to and the story isn't flowing.

Option three is the one for me! I can be finishing off the first draft of my novel and in the times when I am driven to distraction by it I can write non-fiction to give me time to think about where I'm going with my novel. Even if it's tough to get articles accepted, it can be done - it just takes a bit of lateral thinking to come up with an article idea and proposal that will knock the editor's socks off!

Easter is a time of rebirth, of miracles and new life - turn over a new leaf and become engaged with your writing in a new and exciting way and let your creativity give birth to your best writing yet.

Happy Easter and happy writing

Julie xx

Inspiration everywhere

2010-03-27T19:59:00.000Z

It's been a bizarre start to the weekend but one that has fuelled some new ideas for articles: last night one of the neighbour's teenage children and their gang decided to have a party and they were outside for ages making a lot of noise. This morning a hole has appeared, ripped out in the bit of fence in the gap between our two houses with empty beer cans and bottles of beer in two bags by the hole! Thankfully, from my point of view, the hole is in their bit of fence and not ours - but unfortunately for them there will be hell to pay when their mum comes back - as it appears the little darlings have scarpered and it looks like their mum is away - but when I see her I will be informing her of her little darlings' antics and reminding her of her responsibilities as a parent and neighbour to ensure her kids toe the line and don't cause her neighbour a sleepless night.

Ordinarily, as I have done in the past, I would have gone out and told them to shut up and go away. If they hadn't, the police would have been called (they usually go away with that threat as they know that I actually will call the police!) But as my husband was on nights and it was just me and my daughter in the house, I decided revenge would be a dish best served cold and their mother could have the piece of my mind that her kids were going to get!

I intend to make them pay - literally! There is enough material there for several articles aimed at different markets: teenage drinking problems, unsocial behaviour, teenage drinking and violence/criminal damage, noisy neighbours, community policing, neighbourhood watch schemes, even the fiction market. It's a treasure chest full of potential sales!

I also took my daughter to a pet shop who were holding a workshop on keeping lizards. The assistant was so knowledgeable and informative plus I got to hold a bearded dragon and it was so cute. My daughter didn't want to hold it as she was obsessed with the rabbits - but I know I'll be going back there to see if I can do an interview and take some photos - again several possible articles there too.

Now the weather is supposed to be getting better (don't forget to put your clocks forward tonight - ooh another idea for an article or two) it presents us with more opportunities to get out there and find stuff to write about. In my experience, as the above examples show, you don't always have to go that far to find article fodder!

Happy writing!

I wish I was a fly on next door's wall when mother finds out about the fence - a writers' dream!

Julie xx

How do you do it?

2010-03-21T16:14:00.000Z

While I was at my writing group yesterday I was asked a couple of questions relating to article writing by other members who have had some publishing success but who were feeling put off by rejections and didn't really know how to go about finding stuff to write about or how to find writing outlets for their work. It can be really difficult when you first start off in your writing career to be able to see the wood for the trees so this is what I advised:

A/ Get a copy of the Writers' and Artists' year book and/or Writer's Market and read through it. Both books have masses of advice for writers and also listings of publishers, agents and magazines that you can approach with your proposals/work. I would say these two books are an essential bit of kit for freelance writers. You can get them on Amazon quite cheaply and they will pay for themselves several times over if you use the advice in them.

B/Scour the shelves of your local newsagent (and the ones out of your locality when you go on your hols/day trips etc). You will find loads of potential markets for your work and be able to see the types of article they publish and all the clues as to who their target readership is will be in there too.

C/ Don't be afraid to contact the magazine editor to ask if they take freelance contributions to the magazine and how they like their submissions. Most magazines will have contact details inside either a phone number or e-mail address/snail mail address. The magazine may also have a website - so have a snoop on there too. They may have their submission guidelines you can download from their website or an e-mail address you can request them from.

D/ Always be on the lookout for new article material: local/national newspapers, local/national magazines, the library, free magazines, trade magazines, newsletters, local schools and college newsletters. Keep your ear to the ground of what is happening at a national level and how that impacts on your locality. Also, take a look around your community - are there any special events/anniversaries coming up? Is there anyone doing an interesting job/hobby? Charity workers? Any unusual jobs or hobbies? Local history. All of these and more will keep you in articles for years as you can get several articles with a different slant and different markets all from one topic.

E/ Always aim to get two or more articles out of one idea. If you word it and style it towards different magazines you can sell an idea several times over - as long as you don't sell exactly the same article to rival magazines at the same time there's nothing to stop you from writing with a different slant and changing the wording/style to suit several markets.

F/ Don't be shy! Get out there - if you don't ask you don't get. The people you want to interview and write about might say no, but they very often will say yes!

G/ Don't be put off by rejection. I send many, many, many article proposals out to magazine editors each week. Some are ignored, some are an instant no, some take a few weeks and are then a no, but increasingly I am getting yesses!! If the editor says no then re-pitch your idea to another editor and so on and so on until one says yes! If you get to the stage where you have exhausted possible outlets for your idea then have a rethink - rework it and try again. Most editors will not tell you why they don't want your article but just because they say no doesn't mean it's not good enough. KEEP TRYING. And if they say no to this idea they may well say yes to your next. I think I had about 8 ideas rejected by Writing Magazine until the 9th idea was accepted!

H/ Be persistant. In my experience, it takes a long time to get published and get paid for your published work. I spent months writing my articles for free but they were still a publication to go in my portfolio that I could mention to the editors I was sending my proposals to. It's taken a good year of writing part-time to get to the stage I am now. It may take you less time or longer. But the important thing is to KEEP TRYING!

The answer to the other question I was asked of where I get my ideas from I said everwhere! If you belong to a writing group or know of a writing group in your area you have the perfect supermarket within which to shop for ideas! And don't assume that they are all writers so are already taking all the best ideas and writing about each other because they are not! If the opportunity is there and you have willing participants then take it! If anyone moans that they never get a look in and that you are always taking the opportunities just smile and say, but you could do it too! There's nothing to stop the other members from approaching guest speakers and each other to write about them. They just need to do it while they have the chance.

You don't have to do a course to become a published freelance writer but I am but I'm still undecided as to whether it's actually benefitting me and improving my writing (see a previous post! Different Opinions).

I've just finished reading an excellent book on freelance writing that I picked up from the library on Friday. I hadn't been in there for ages but I'm glad I did. The book is called The Freelance Writer's Handbook (How to make money and enjoy your life) by Andrew Crofts. Piatkus publishers 2007. ISBN 0-7499-2763-1. It has a plain talking style with oodles of great advice if you are just starting out in freelancing. He is a man after my own heart!

I have sent another pitch out this week and will be sending at least five more out next week. I'm supposed to be concentrating on my short story writing for the women's mags but I have been distracted by all the article ideas popping into my head. It must be something to do with Spring! But I am determined to have as much success with my short stories as I have with my articles. It's going to be tough and a lot of hard work, but I know I can and will get there - and you will achieve your writing goals too.

Happy writing

Julie

It's not just about the articles

2010-03-17T14:13:00.000Z

I love writing articles but more than this I adore getting out and meeting and interviewing people. I find other people fascinating and I believe that everyone has a story in them that is just itching to come out in article form. I also love it when an article I've written goes beyond the actual publication and good things happen afterwards.

For instance, I was showing my archery article to a head teacher and she was interested in having the archrery group in to do some archery with the kids. So I contacted the chap in charge of one of the archery groups and he was pleased - so I'll be passing his details on to the school and hopefully the kids can have a go at archery! Something they've not had at the school before.

Similarily my article in Writing Magazine featuring two local authors has also interested the same head teacher and I hope the school will be inviting one of the authors to do an assembly/workshop soon. It's not just about being published for me - it's about seeking out the good stuff that goes on in the community and heralding this. I'm not a 'misery' writer or interested in sensationalist reporting or banging on about all the rubbish and bad stuff that goes on - we hear enough of that! I love to see the positive in the people/subjects I write about. I did, of course, in the past, write moaning letters to the local press (they do love to print a good old moan!) but there came a time when I had to move on from that - although it was a great way to let of steam!

Why not try this exercise when you are writing articles. Write about the same subject but in one version write it with a negative slant and in another version write only the positive - your third article should be a balanced blend of the two. Editors don't want a too-good-to-be-true sycophantic article about a subject or person, neither do they want a damning (potentially libel providing) thrashing! So a balance of light and shade is advisable. For instance - someone may appear to have the perfect life but may have suffered a tragedy in their personal life that made them stronger and who they are today as a result. But do check with the interviewee that they are happy for you to write this in to the article - they may not be, and you don't want to upset anyone.

I'm still not sure about letting the people I write about see the finished article before publication: on the one hand I can see that it helps with accuracy and there can be no come back from a disgruntled person you've interviewed when there's something wrong if they've seen it and 'okayed' it! But recently I did let an interviewee see the article I'd written about their work and it was a complete nightmare! And even when the articles had been submitted they still contacted me, even though they knew the articles had been accepted for publication , because they'd found a couple of points they weren't happy with (this was after they'd already seen and commented on the article three times!) So you can see why I'm a little reluctant! I'm learning all the time and the journalism course I'm doing is helping a great deal (bearing in mind I'm taking some of my tutor's comments with a pinch of salt! It's a writer's prerogative - we can't help it! There is more than one way to do things too).

One of the three recent pitches I made was a definite no. The second was a 're-pitch it in a couple of months. I'm a bit snowed under at the moment," and the third I haven't heard anything about, which usually means it's a no. But as every good article writer knows, you can't let rejections get you down - for every no you get you have to send another pitch out. It's the only way. If one editor doesn't want one of your ideas then pitch that idea elsewhere, go back to the drawing board and pitch a new idea to the editor who rejected your original idea - keep on the hamster wheel!

Happy writing

Julie xx

Like Buses

2010-03-14T16:10:00.000Z

Well what do you know! Just as I'm trying to get a couple of short stories written and subbed and telling you all that I was concentrating on writing short stories and leaving the articles alone for a while, three article ideas came into my head and I just had to propose them to three different magazines! Where did the ideas come from? Who knows! I was leafing through the dictionary (as we writers do) and PING! There they were, dancing the salsa around in my head!

Don't get me wrong. I'm pleased that the ideas decided to come to me at this moment as I was starting to worry that I'd never have a good article idea again. So there you go; this is my advice of the day: if you are having trouble coming up with great article ideas, go off somewhere and think about/do something else for a while and when you least expect it the ideas will come to you in a flash of inspiration.

I always find the changing seasons to be most inspiring so, as it is almost Spring, why not get out there and be inspired by nature and all the rebirth and growth that is going on around us after the long, dark, cold days of Winter? You may be surprised by what you discover. Don't forget your notebook and camera, though! Oh and your thermals - it's still a bit chilly out there.

Happy writing

Julie xx

Different opinions

2010-03-10T20:43:00.000Z

I had my second assignment back from my journalism course today and although the comments were mainly positive and encouraging, the tutor suggested something I'd never heard of or seen before. She advised me to put the first word of the first paragraph in each article in capital letters and not just the first letter. I've never done this before and never seen it in any books about writing that I've read before, either. It threw me a bit as I've had several articles accepted for publication now and none of the editors have mentioned this. Has anyone else done it?

I just found it an interesting comment The course is great and I'm enjoying doing it. I realise that courses don't suit everyone but I'm glad I'm taking this one. I've learned so much already and I know I will continue to learn more that will improve my writing.

I've got one article out there awaiting a verdict and one more to edit to resend out soon. Then it's back to the drawing board to have a think about what subjects I might write articles about next. It's a good job that assignment four is about doing just that - it couldn't have come at a better time for me as I was having some difficulty in thinking about what to write next. So I thought if I did some fiction for a while and assignment three (letters and fillers) by the time I get to do assignment three I will have some great ideas.

It's an ongoing process: thinking of ideas, pitching ideas to editors, researching, interviewing, writing the article, submitting, resubmitting, writing from a different slant and pitching to other markets. Never ending! And you have to keep on top of it if you want to see a steady stream of your work published.

Happy researching and writing

Julie xx

The Waiting Game

2010-03-06T13:50:00.000Z

It seems to have taken forever for me to see my articles in print. They are like buses; you never see one then you get two or three turning up at once! I've had quite a good run of them lately which I am estatic about but it wasn't always that way. It's taken me two years to get to where I am now and a lot of hard work and rejections inbetween. I started off with letters to local magazines and newspapers and after a few publications in there I progressed to national newspapers and mags: won some pens, a night in a luxury hotel for two, £50, a £50 book voucher at Amazon, £25 - it soon mounts up.

But I knew I couldn't stay purely producing letters for the rest of my writing life so I moved on to short stories and articles. The short story side of things didn't go well, resulting in one sale out of 40 odd short stories submitted. But the articles flew! I started off in the small presses, community magazines, The Link (National Association of Writers' Groups publication) where there was no payment but the work was published! After success here, I moved on to bigger publications and was delighted to see my work in print and actually get paid for it!

That's the trick with writing, you have to keep that forward momentum going. If you don't keep producing a variety of articles with different themes you may find yourself overtaken by someone who is flexible and can adapt their writing style to what the editors want. That's why I decided to take the journalism course - to enhance my writing skills and learn to do better - and it's paying off - slowly!

I used to get so frustrated that it took months to hear back from editors about your work - sometimes never - and when I got emails from magazines saying yes, once I got over the shock I was amazed how long it took from acceptance to publication! Still am. When I've finished a batch of articles I always go through a fallow period where I don't think I'll ever find anything to write about again. But then a magazine will pop through my door with my article in it and it's like magic - ideas begin to pop into my head again. There's always something to write about - you just have to open your eyes and look; be still and listen. Look and listen to what is going on around you and take notes.

I'm still on the short story road at the moment but I'm still keping my ear to the ground for nuggets I can process into articles at a later date. For instance, I went to the town centre today, primarily to get some new clothes and a desk lamp which I purchased (the clothes were purchased within 15 minutes of looking which is good going for me as I hate shopping, and if I can't see what I want within half an hour, I'm out of there!) But I was also watching the people around me, listening to their coversations: there was an Eastern European elderly gentleman with a lovely white bushy and curled moustache sitting on a chair outside busking, playing an accordian; a group of people with a stand about dosmestic violence; a whole 'street' within the town centre devoted to a college whose students were showcasing their wares - there's enough material there for at least six different articles, maybe more, for starters!

Happy being nosy and gathering material for your articles!

Julie xx

It's in!

2010-02-27T13:54:00.000Z

My article about archery in Shropshire is in the March Issue of Shropshire Life! I have to say that I'm really pleased with it and it looks better than I ever imagined. I still can't quite believe that it's my work! It's a three pager including my photos. An electronic version of it plus a gallery of my photos can be viewed at http://www.shropshirelifemagazine.co.uk/ under Latest Articles if anyone's interested.

It also shows that it can be done! You can get articles in these magazines if you work hard and pick the right subjects to write about. I used to read Shropshire Life all the time but it never crossed my mind that I would ever get anything I had written in there, but I have. And it's a paying market - always a bonus!

Remember this article was declined by another local glossy magazine because they didn't like the photos - they never even saw the article! So I pitched it to Shropshire Life and they took it - photos and all! So never give up. If one magazine say no, another may say yes.

Shropshire Life are also publishing another article of mine later in the year, so I'm looking forward to seeing that one in print too. I am currently working more on my short stories for the next month or so, but I will be making notes on other articles I could do at a later stage, so I'm ready to go when the urge to do some article writing hits me again.

I've also sent the second assignment off on my Freelance Journalism Course with the writers' Bureau and I'm currently half way through the third assignment on writing letters and fillers to magazines and newspapers. It's all go so I could do with a few more days in the week to do all the writing I want to do! But prioritising and working to deadlines - whether they are self imposed or imposed by editors - are a good thing and an essential skill for writers to learn.

Happy article writing

Julie xx

One down, one to go.

2010-02-25T20:44:00.001Z

I submitted an article yesterday so I have one more to go of my present batch of articles and that will be it for a while (she says!) My writing tends to go in cycles where I either have the urge to write articles, or short stories, or poems, or novels and I feel that I have just come to the end of my article writing phase. I've looked for inspiration in article writing but nothing grabs my attention enough at the moment, so until I find something that does, I'll be taking this hiatus as an opportunity to get back to my fiction writing (but I'll still cary on doing my journalism course too).

The good news is that my article about archery will be in the March Issue of Shropshire Life - there is a version of it on their website http://www.shropshirelifemagazine.co.uk/ with a gallery slide show of the photos I took too! After the issues and frustrations I had with another magazine who wouldn't even see the article because they thought my photos weren't good enough, the feeling my article has been published by another magazine is sweet!

So don't be put off or despair if one magazine says no to your articles - it's not the end of the world! Have another look at it and look at the submission guidelines for other magazines that may take it, edit it to their style and specifications and pitch it!! You may be pleasantly surprised, as I was.

Happy writing and don't stop searching for new things to write about or new markets to aim for.

Julie xx

Catching Up With Courses

2010-02-21T22:09:00.000Z

Hurrah! I have finally got round to doing the second assignment of The Writers' Bureau Freelance Journalism Course I started back in October 2009! The reason why I am behind is that just after I enrolled on the course I started getting more articles accepted for publication, and I've been too busy writing articles and getting them accepted to do the course!! Typical - but I'm delighted. I still intend on finishing the course as it looks a fantastic and interesting course and we can all do with improving our writing. I've learned a lot from it already and I'm sure I will continue to do so.

The first assignment was just a simple introductory one for the tutor to get to know me and my style of writing: my background; what I write, why I write; what I want to achieve with my writing. I wrote a piece of sample writing on Much Wenlock Farmer's Market and completed a personal profile questionnaire. I was so pleased with my tutor's positive and encouraging comments on my assignment and she gave me some good pointers on how I might improve.

This second assignment was more indepth as I had to choose a magazine and write a full analysis of it; write an outline of an article I could submit to them and the actual article! It's nothing I haven't done before but it's great practise for me and nice to have it looked at by a professional writer and tutor before I submit it to the magazine - will let you know how I get on!

I must keep on track with this course now as I'd like to finish it in reasonal time and go back to my original plan and do the Open University course I wanted to do so I can get a Diploma in Creative Writing. With one thing and another I had to back out of it at the last minute and I didn't think I'd be able to do a course at all until this October - but as luck would have it circumstances changed and I could do the journalism one. I'd love to do the Writers' Bureau short story writing course as well - so I'm wavering between the two at the moment! Either way I know I'll enjoy it.

I think it does writers good to take a course or two along their writing journey. It's done me the power of good and has certainly improved my writing. As my recent article in Writers' Forum pointed out: there are so many courses out there for writers that it can be difficult for writers to know which courses are best for them. I hope my article helped writers to decide which courses to try and I know I've been lucky with my course choices so far.

My article writing plans this week are to finish the two current articles I'm writing on the subject of writing and get them submitted. After this I'll be doing assignment three (on letter writing and fillers in magazines / newspapers). Then I will be taking a break from article writing for a while so that I concentrate on the reason I initially started this writing journey: short stories! I will still be posting on here anything useful that pops into my head to do with article writing and keeping you updated on the progress/fate of any articles I have out there at the moment - I just won't be writing any new ones unless, as does usually happen, I get a great idea for one and am compelled to write it (or I get fed up with the short story writing and start diversion article writing!)

Happy writing

Julie :0)