Affordable Ideas and Actions for Writers

"I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.”

—Harper Lee

WritersDigest.com - "72 of the best quotes for writers"

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The writer cried, "Help!" for writing. He used Google for writing help. A list of possible resources appeared, many with unaffordable, for the writer, price tags, "unaffordable" meaning "no disposable cash on hand to cover the entire package."

The writer felt downcast, lacking the necessary disposable funds. He (or she) did not realize then that there was no requirement, at least not yet, to pay for as much help as assumed.

Here are a few key no-cost steps the writer could take now:

1. Find the best local writers' group for your needs; if you do not find a helpful group, then form one, based on shared writing needs and interests;
2. Read often about the writing, proposal, query, and relationship skills you need to improve, and take time to study and practice them;
3. Find good, free resources on-line;
4. Write, write, write!
5. Be aware of a published writer or teacher who might agree to mentor you or your writing, for whatever agreed time; it does no harm to ask.

Note: If a good professional relationship develops with a mentor, be sure to treasure the other person's willingness to advise or encourage you; guard against taking for granted the help or insights received. As a mentor to many writers for over 12 years, I appreciate every sincere "Thank you" every time.

Cut through any shyness you might have about asking other, more skilled writers to read and react to your new articles, short stories, poems, or chapters. Most writers are generous to give at least some feedback. Note: consider the feedback while not starting a debate if you feel wounded by it. Aim, instead, to consider and possibly advance because of it.

I hope that you will use any of these ideas that fit your needs now. I encourage you to grow as a persevering writer without any regrets about spending finances you did not have, could not afford, or did not need to spend, regardless of the availability of financial resources.

Things to think about, link.

If you found this article helpful, I hope you will share it on Twitter.com, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other networking groups .

Stay Close to Your Mentors!

Image via Wikipedia

Students from Samarkand. Photo from Russia. Free license.

Jean Purcell
Opine eStore and Book Cafe

Every writer has mentors. Yes, every writer, including anyone with no memory of encouragement at home, or an influential teacher, or other visible support for writing or for achievement. Every writer has mentors, and this includes mentors dead or alive who guide from their works that move and improve skills and designs.

It's important to stay close to all of these and to value them highly. Lillian R. Klein says in the Preface of From Deborah to Esther, "Any book stands on the shoulders of many sources...." (Fortress Press). So, to paraphrase Dr. Klein and others, "Every writer stands on the shoulders of mentors, whether personally present or present through their works." In fact, all of art shares this.

If you had encouragement at home, stay close to those memories. Someone believed that you could do anything you set your mind to do. For me, my parents had an enormous influence. They were not gushy. "I love you" was shown more than said. Yet, that means that "I love you" was said often. There was never the big build up of "self-esteem" but mainly a quiet, steady "being there" even through my adolescent argumentativeness. My mother once said to me, during my elementary school years, "I think you should be a lawyer; you would argue with a signpost if you could."

Later, she said, "I think you'll be a writer." I had been considering various career choices and I did not want to hear those words. A writer? "There is no way!" I thought; I took writing for granted. What could I do with writing?! Why would I consider it a choice? I seemed to have no choice where writing was concerned. It grabbed me, and I could not escape it, or figure out why I would choose to do it!!

A few female writers criticize men for having no confidence in them or in women in general. My dad was one of many exceptions. He was the greatest education-achievement encourager of my life. He did not focus on excelling with grades. He wanted me to learn, and only God knows all that my dad did to make sure I remained in college to complete those studies. My husband is my greatest encouragement these days. His confidence in me is priceless. My brothers through the years have also encouraged me, and one has mentored my interest in biblical studies.

There were also teachers who I felt rode me pretty hard about getting down to business regarding studies, yet each one in that way showed confidence in me, in public schools, college, and university. And my sixth grade teacher took time to phone my mother about a poem I wrote about a green bird that felt different.

If flesh and blood people are not on a writer's list of  mentors, there are people, living and dead, whose books, movies, dramas, or other creative works have been there! Authors, through their writing, have mentored my life, faith, and writing desires. The list is too long to place here in full. I have to get going soon. But readers know of my admiration for C. S. Lewis, and these days I  would still include Robert Frost, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Eudora Welty, to name just a few of many, as well as Sinclair Lewis (whose writing I focused on for an honors paper in college. No, I did not get the honors; I worked for extra credits through independent study approved so I could graduate on time! Those were called "honors courses." )

We need to stay close to our literary, journalistic, academic, and other mentors, to reread their works and replay in memory their positive influences on our better parts of character or skill. As we develop ways of staying close, particular to the changing people we are, the mentor-influences can continue to fertilize the development of whatever else we think or do.

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