Knowing Your Target Audience

Computer Tips, RESOURCES-TIPS, Writer's Block-Tools

RESOURCES-TIPS: For writers of all genre who want to write, and the readers who love them.

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write.
- Somerset Maugham

All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary -- it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.
- Somerset Maugham

Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdotes were about.
- Alice Munro

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs

Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil -- but there is no way around them.
Isaac Asimov

To write fiction, one need a whole series of inspirations about people in an actual environment, and then a whole lot of work on the basis of those inspirations.
- Aldus Huxley

Get it down.  Take changes.  It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good.
- William Faulkner

Books aren't written, they're rewritten.  Including our own.  It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.
- Michael Crichton

Any man who keeps working is not a failure.  He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer.
- Ray Bradbury

Knowing Your Target Audience

by Deanna Lilly
Bizness Concepts Web Design

Today you are dealing with four generations to which you have to market your advertising and products.  Each of these generations views a website differently.  They have different needs and desires, and it is your job to make sure they get what they want when they visit your site.

Although this information is directed mainly at website design, it can also be used for with your writing.  This information is presented in a very brief format and does not go into the detail of studies relating to color choices.  Please use this as a “guideline.”

 

MATURES • Duty – Scarification Generation

  • Born between 1909 – 1945
  • 57.8 Million
  • 20.5% of the population
  • Wealthiest Generation
  • Economic Impact – $20 Trillion

Matures in the Workplace

  • Are loyal to their employer and expect the same in return.
  • Possess superb interpersonal skills.
  • Are enjoying flextime arrangements today so they can work on their own schedule.
  • Believe promotions, raises, and recognition should come from job tenure.
  • Measure a work ethic on timeliness, productivity, and not drawing attention to themselves.

Matures in the Marketplace

  • Have great faith in the nation’s institutions: people (i.e., Charlton Heston), companies, and the government.
  • Demand quality. It is more important than speed or efficiency.
  • Are loyal customers but aren’t afraid to shop around.
  • Willingly follow the rules that have been established. They believe they are there for a reason.
  • They don’t want to be on the cutting edge. They want something after it’s been proven.  No fancy customization.

Websites

  • Useful information.
  • Practical and full of factual data.
  • Easy to use – read like a magazine (but not in columns).
  • Stress value and quality and a reward for hard work.
  • Monochromatic Blues – Blue and White – Red, White and Blue (minimal use of red), Greens and minimal use of black or gray (which reminds them of illness and death).

BOOMERS • Individuality –  “Me” Generation

  • Born between 1946 – 1964
  • Biggest generation US has seen
  • 82.8 Million
  • 29.4% of the population
  • Economic Impact – $900 Billion

Boomers in the Workplace

  • Believe in the champion, and evaluate themselves and others based on their work ethic.
  • Work ethic for Boomers is measured in hours worked. Measuring productivity in those hours is less important.
  • Believe teamwork is critical to success.
  • Believe relationship building is very important.
  • Expect loyalty from those they work with.

Boomers in the marketplace

  • Are interested in products and services that will allow them to regain control of their time.
  • Believe technology brings with it as many problems as it provides solutions.
  • Want products and services that have been customized for them, the individual.
  • Believe rules should be obeyed unless they are contrary to what they want; then they’re to be broken.
  • Want products and services that will indicate to their peers that they’re successful.

Websites

  • Relaxing and de-stressing
  • Time Saving
  • Things that appear to their kids (grandkids)
  • Warm, rich muted colors, split-complimentary, triadic and tetradic – Double Complimentary combinations (think muted flower-power)

XERS • Skeptical, Reluctant

  • Born between 1965 – 1978
  • 58.9 million
  • Make up 20.9% of population
  • Economic impact $125 Billion

Xers in the workplace

  • Shun the hard-core, super-motivated, do or die Boomer work ethic.
  • Want open communication regardless of position, title, or tenure.
  • Respect production over tenure.
  • Value control of their time.
  • Look for a person to whom they can invest loyalty, not a company.

Xers in the marketplace

  • Can spot a phony a mile away.
  • Rely on peer-to-peer referrals more than any other generation.
  • Want options; plans B, C, and D.
  • Embrace technology as a way to maintain control of their lives.
  • Want to be in control of the sale.

Websites

  • Excitement, media and products with attitude, global influences, well designed.
  • Innovative, clever, humor, irreverence, peer information and word of mouth campaigns, fun.
  • Grey tones, black and white, or extreme bright bold colors variations, split-complimentary, triadic and tetradic – Double Complimentary combinations

MILLENNIALS / ECHO BOOMERS • Coddled

  • Born between 1979 – 1988
  • 80.5 million
  • 28.6% of population
  • Economic influence $105 Billion

Millennials in the Workplace

  • Search for the individual who will help them achieve their goals.
  • Want open, constant communication and positive reinforcement from their boss.
  • Find working with someone of the Mature generation easy to do.
  • Search for a job that provides great, personal fulfillment.
  • Are searching for ways to shed the stress in their lives.

Millenials in the Marketplace

  • Want to be like their peers but with a unique twist.
  • Don’t want to be hurried.
  • Will consider a company’s products if the company is known for their altruistic attitude.
  • Are loyal consumers.
  • Search for the unique and hard to find items.

Websites

  • Exciting websites.
  • Extreme or bright colorssuch as  cyan blue, chartreuse green.
  • E-commence opportunities that don’t require a credit card.
  • Humor and irony, funny, quirky, never trivialize.
  • Direct messages (“Just show me the jeans.”)
  • Messages that appear skewed or slightly out of order.
  • Ethnicity, age peers, racial diversity.
  • Anything to make them feel older.

Resources Menu

MAR-MAY Writing Contests & Workshops
FEB-APR Writing Contests & Workshops

New Articles
20 Literary Agents Seeking Writers

Love Contests?
Click to Join the Writing Contests Group

Writing Groups List

RESOURCES-TIPS, Writer's Block-Tools

RESOURCES-TIPS: For writers of all genre who want to write, and the readers who love them.

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write.
- Somerset Maugham

All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary -- it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.
- Somerset Maugham

Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdotes were about.
- Alice Munro

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs

Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil -- but there is no way around them.
Isaac Asimov

To write fiction, one need a whole series of inspirations about people in an actual environment, and then a whole lot of work on the basis of those inspirations.
- Aldus Huxley

Get it down.  Take changes.  It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good.
- William Faulkner

Books aren't written, they're rewritten.  Including our own.  It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.
- Michael Crichton

Any man who keeps working is not a failure.  He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer.
- Ray Bradbury

Writing Groups List

Comic_Writers – Finally, a mailing list for comic book WRITERS! This is the forum to discuss the ins and outs of scripting, proposals, and collaborating with an artist. We’ll also be doing critiques of other listmember’s scripts.  Writers of all comic book genres are invited to join. Artists who also write are welcome too. Pros and amateurs alike are invited, as long as you’re serious about writing comics!

Historical Fiction Writers – The Historical Fiction Writers Group is a forum for exchange of news, views and information on historical fiction. All writers in this genre, published or not, are welcome to join.

Momwriters – Trying to launch or keep your writing career afloat amidst Barbies and Hot Wheels? Looking for support in a writing forum? Friendship? Conversations that consists of more than, “Why, Mommy?” Momwriters is a forum for discussion of parenting, writing, and anything and everything that affects our lives in between. Momwriters members offer each other support, resources and caring. We actively support each other in various projects and events all year round. Please visit our web site: www.momwriters.com

National Writers Union – The union for freelance writers working in U.S. markets.

National Writers Union Job Hotline – The NWU Job Hotline is a nation-wide, non-profit alternative to job shops, temp agencies, and brokers. The Hotline is a way for employers to locate the writers they need, and writers to find jobs. The Hotline is a project of the National Writers Union and is run by, and for, the writers who use it. Employers list contract jobs for free. Writers contact and deal with employers directly.

Romance Writers of America – Romance Writers of America is the professional association for 8,400 published and aspiring romance writers. Members of RWA write the novels that make up 55% of all popular paperback fiction and that generate more than $1 billion in sales each year.

Work for Writers – This list is for professional writers, staff or freelance, to find job leads, share information on job searches, writing contacts, contracts, writers’ organizations, etc. The list also posts jobs from employers for print, screen and tv writers, journalists, editors, book indexers, etc.

Working  Writers – A low volume list for PUBLISHED writers of any genre.

Write From Home – Whether you’re a freelance writer, author, or writing from home but employed by a publication, this site strives to offer work-at-home writers tips, information and resources to help you balance your writing career and children under one roof. You’ll also find lots of writing and marketing resources to help you achieve the success you desire. It features a chat room, email discussion list, and a Monthly E-zine featuring articles, markets, guidelines, tips and more.

Writing Contests – Want to know about the latest contests but don’t want to spend precious time cruising the net searching for them? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Our members share the best and warn you of the worst.   The Writing Contests list is where you’ll find new contests announced and occasional publisher submission requests.

Writer’s Way  – This site is full of well-organized links.  If you want to find something it won’t be hard here – all links are categorized.

Resources Menu

MAR-MAY Writing Contests & Workshops
FEB-APR Writing Contests & Workshops

New Articles
20 Literary Agents Seeking Writers

Love Contests?
Click to Join the Writing Contests Group

Slang and Jargon Souces

RESOURCES-TIPS, Writer's Block-Tools

RESOURCES-TIPS: For writers of all genre who want to write, and the readers who love them.

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write.
- Somerset Maugham

All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary -- it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.
- Somerset Maugham

Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdotes were about.
- Alice Munro

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs

Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil -- but there is no way around them.
Isaac Asimov

To write fiction, one need a whole series of inspirations about people in an actual environment, and then a whole lot of work on the basis of those inspirations.
- Aldus Huxley

Get it down.  Take changes.  It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good.
- William Faulkner

Books aren't written, they're rewritten.  Including our own.  It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.
- Michael Crichton

Any man who keeps working is not a failure.  He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer.
- Ray Bradbury

Slang and Jargon Souces

American Slang Terms– slang, etiquette, some opinions and fashion do’s and don’t s.

AlphaDictionary – American dictionary of slang Drug Related Street Terms/Slang Words

College Slang Dictionary

Drug Slang Dictionary

Edwardian Slang

English Slang

Grafitti Terms

Medieval Dictionary – This is the dictionary of medieval words. It covers a lot of territory including weapons of the knight, parts of castles and medieval life in general.

Rap Terms – Terms used by Rappers and in the Rap Music industry.

Slang Language by City

The Best of British Slang

Twists, Slugs and Roscoes: A Glossary of Hardboiled Slang

Vietnam Veteran’s Terminology and Slang

Resources Menu

MAR-MAY Writing Contests & Workshops
FEB-APR Writing Contests & Workshops

New Articles
20 Literary Agents Seeking Writers

Love Contests?
Click to Join the Writing Contests Group

Research Links

RESOURCES-TIPS, Writer's Block-Tools

RESOURCES-TIPS: For writers of all genre who want to write, and the readers who love them.

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write.
- Somerset Maugham

All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary -- it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.
- Somerset Maugham

Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdotes were about.
- Alice Munro

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs

Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil -- but there is no way around them.
Isaac Asimov

To write fiction, one need a whole series of inspirations about people in an actual environment, and then a whole lot of work on the basis of those inspirations.
- Aldus Huxley

Get it down.  Take changes.  It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good.
- William Faulkner

Books aren't written, they're rewritten.  Including our own.  It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.
- Michael Crichton

Any man who keeps working is not a failure.  He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer.
- Ray Bradbury

Research Links

Writing Corner is striving to be the “Resource of Writers’ Resources”.  This is essentially a links page but you will only find links to reference or research tools here.

Don’t be bashful – if you know a good link that should be added EMAIL us and we will check it out.  We know you have one or two trade secrets online you won’t mind sharing with the rest of us.

ADVERTISING

Author Self-Promotion – In addition to some beautiful promo items like magnets and bookplates, there are some really great articles of self-promotion, book promotion etc., Earthly Charms.

BABY NAMES, MEANINGS OF NAMES, NAMES

Whats In Your Name?

Belly Ballot – A large list of baby names, origins and ethnicity.  Can be broken down by boy or girl names.

BIBLE REFERENCES

Bible Answers

CALENDARS / ALMANACS

Information Please: Online Almanac Reference

Earth Calender

CASTLES AND KNIGHTS

British Titles of Noblity 

The Castles of Wales – need historical inspiration? How about the names of the various parts of a castle? This site has links to pictures for the definitions (loads slowly at times) This is the place to visit.

dMarie Time Capsule find out what happened the day you were born, or the day your hero/heroine was born.

Knighthood, Chivalry and Tournament Glossary of Terms

Odin’s Castle of Dreams & Legends – another great place to take a tour of castles and learn more about them.

COPYRIGHT LINKS

Basic Copyright Concepts for Writers — *Writers Write — The IWJ*(article)

CopyrightAct 1968 (Australian)

SUL: Copyright & Fair Use (Stanford University Libraries)

EBLIDA umbrella association of national library, information, documentation and archive associations and organisations in Eu(European information)

DICTIONARIES

RefDesk.com – This is the place to look first for the information you need.  A gigantic selection of links to dictionaries, thesauruses, language translators, almanacs, history, grammar, formatting and other information of great value to writers.

Aussie Slang Dictionary – an invaluable tool to the non-Aussie writer with the Aussie character.  Try not to get too carried away though.

Dictionary of Ballet Terms

Martindale’s “The Reference Desk”  

Yahoo Reference – Dictionaries – Slang – you will find more of the above here for various countries (mostly ex-British colonies) but you will also find sub-cultures here too (i.e. mountain bikers, gays etc…)

Semantic Rhyming Dictionary – an invaluable tool for the poet – or anyone else who gets the urge to rhyme.  Allows you to search various levels of rhyme i.e. exact match, end sounds etc.

A Glossary of Hardboiled Slang – an everything slang dictionary.

High – Tech Dictionary – Technical Terminology

Information Please: Online Dictionary and Encyclopedia

EDUCTION FOR WRITERS

Free Education on the Internet

ENCYCLOPEDIAS

RefDesk.com – This is the place to look first for the information you need.  A gigantic selection of links to dictionaries, thesauruses, language translators, almanacs, history, grammar, formatting and other information of great value to writers.

Encyclopedia.com – a free online encyclopedia.

Encyclopedia Mythica – a great fantasy/fiction writer’s reference.  Full of myth, legend and folklore information.

GAMERS JARGON

There many different types of gamers jargon.  Below are some useful links to help you find the right terms for you manuscripts.

Computer Gamers Jargon

GENERAL REFERENCE

The Internet Public Library Wikipedia

The Internet Public Library Reference Center

GRAMMAR AND STYLE

RefDesk.com – This is the place to look first for the information you need.  A gigantic selection of links to dictionaries, thesauruses, language translators, almanacs, history, grammar, formatting and other information of great value to writers.

Elements of Style – the well-known grammar and style aid now online.

Guide to Grammar and Writing – This is the Internet’s solution to Strunk and White.

GRANTS AND OTHER FUNDING

Grants.gov – Finding funding and grant resources on the Internet.

HISTORY

Archiving Early America – Digital Library, world of early America, great site

LAW REFERENCES

Oxford Handbooks Online

MEDICAL INFORMATION
(Great for researching that medical mystery fiction story)

The Virtual Dental Center

Web MD

MISCELLANEOUS    

DillWeed ~ The Online Media Resource ~ Dictionary, radio, film, museums, engines, television, telephone, and so much more.

John Hewitt’s Writer’s Resource Center

Page ONE Lists Of Resources – Incredible list of links.

Writer’s Toolbox –  Internet Resources for Writers

Literary Trivia Links

Poets and Writers – tools, funding, jobs and more

Shakespeare Trivia

Sports Trivia

QUOTATIONS

Quoteland – just what it sounds like.

Cyber Quotations: Cyber Quotes from BrainyQuote, an extensive collection of quotations by famous authors, celebrities, and news makers.

The Movie Quotes Database

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Information Please: Weather and Climate

TALENT

Talent Development Resources – A wide variety of information available here, articles and snips about creativity, talent, personality, giftedness, including quotes from any famous and talented people.

THESAURI

RefDesk.com – This is the place to look first for the information you need.  A gigantic selection of links to dictionaries, thesauruses, language translators, almanacs, history, grammar, formatting and other information of great value to writers.

Roget’s Thesaurus – old, faithful basic English Language thesaurus.

Think Map – allows you to search words and create visual word maps from that word. I haven’t tried it yet but it sounds good (BTW this is a recommended writing “warm up”)

WORD ORIGINS

RefDesk.com – This is the place to look first for the information you need.  A gigantic selection of links to dictionaries, thesauruses, language translators, almanacs, history, grammar, formatting and other information of great value to writers.

Word Wizard – a great site full of word origins, quotes, insults and more. Stop by if for nothing else but the fun of it.

WRITING REFERENCES

Best Reviews – Best Reviews from Leena Hyat

Freelancewriting.com

Georgia Writers (wonderful people to work with)

John Hewitt’s Writer’s Resource Center  

National Writing Project WWW Resources – Finding funding and grant resources on the Internet.

Occupational Outlook Handbook – a great place to find information about different occupations for your characters and other research.

RhymeZone – Rhyming and word search – great source for finding that “other” word.

The Dabbling Mum.com – The on-line magazine for busy parents.

The Olive Tree Genealogy – find your ancestors or a long lost knight.. The Olive Tree Genealogy is dedicated to bringing you primary sources such as passenger lists, muster rolls, church records and more, FREE of charge.

Writing by Genre and Form 

Writer’s Way – This site is full of well organized links. If you want to find something it won’t be hard here – all links are categorized.

WritersWeekly – writer’s online newsletter, has markets and tips.

 I would like to thank David M. Somerfleck who unbeknownst to him gave me many of the links you see here.   “Thanks for sharing with Writing Corner!”

Resources Menu

MAR-MAY Writing Contests & Workshops
FEB-APR Writing Contests & Workshops

New Articles
20 Literary Agents Seeking Writers

Love Contests?
Click to Join the Writing Contests Group

Newspaper Writing Resources

RESOURCES-TIPS, Writer's Block-Tools

RESOURCES-TIPS: For writers of all genre who want to write, and the readers who love them.

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write.
- Somerset Maugham

All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary -- it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.
- Somerset Maugham

Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdotes were about.
- Alice Munro

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs

Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil -- but there is no way around them.
Isaac Asimov

To write fiction, one need a whole series of inspirations about people in an actual environment, and then a whole lot of work on the basis of those inspirations.
- Aldus Huxley

Get it down.  Take changes.  It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good.
- William Faulkner

Books aren't written, they're rewritten.  Including our own.  It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.
- Michael Crichton

Any man who keeps working is not a failure.  He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer.
- Ray Bradbury

Newspaper Writing Resources

Introduction to Basic Legal Citation (1997-98 ed.)

American Journalism Review

Reporter’s Resource — Links for Journalists

Newspapers.com – News papers around the world.

Resources Menu

MAR-MAY Writing Contests & Workshops
FEB-APR Writing Contests & Workshops

New Articles
20 Literary Agents Seeking Writers

Love Contests?
Click to Join the Writing Contests Group

Magazine Links

RESOURCES-TIPS, Writer's Block-Tools

RESOURCES-TIPS: For writers of all genre who want to write, and the readers who love them.

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write.
- Somerset Maugham

All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary -- it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.
- Somerset Maugham

Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdotes were about.
- Alice Munro

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs

Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil -- but there is no way around them.
Isaac Asimov

To write fiction, one need a whole series of inspirations about people in an actual environment, and then a whole lot of work on the basis of those inspirations.
- Aldus Huxley

Get it down.  Take changes.  It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good.
- William Faulkner

Books aren't written, they're rewritten.  Including our own.  It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.
- Michael Crichton

Any man who keeps working is not a failure.  He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer.
- Ray Bradbury

Magazine Links

The magazines in the list below offer advice to aspiring and established writers.  Several of the magazines and ezines listed below are accepting submissions from new and established writers.  Some magazines and ezines are listed for the research material they provide.

Writing Corner offers this list for your use, but in no way recommends or endorses any of the magazines or ezines listed, and is not responsible for their content.

Air & Space Magazine  – flight and space travel magazine of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

American Songwriter Magazine  – covers the craft and business of songwriting, with interviews, songwriting tips, news, and a song lyric contest.

Aphelion: The Webzine of Science-Fiction and Fantasy  – forum for amateur writers to hone their skills and present their work to the public.

Arabian Horse World Magazine

Archaeology Magazine

Arizona Highways Magazine  – photography and writing about Arizona.

Artist’s Magazine, The  – resource for beginning, intermediate, and advanced artists to learn how to paint and draw better, as well as how to sell their work professionally.

Aspiring TV Writer and Screenwriter Blog  –  how do you get an internship or assistant job? How do you make connections in Hollywood? What is a script reader? How do you get an agent or manager?

Audubon Magazine

Baltimore Magazine

Bartender Magazine  – recipes, message boards, the “baroscope” (a sort of alchoholic horoscope), a bartenders’ crossword puzzle and more.

Black Enterprise Magazine  – business service publication for African-American entrepreneurs, corporate executives, professionals and decision makers.

Bloomsbury Review  – community for everyone who is interested in literature and writing.

Booklist Online selection of reviews from Booklist, a selection tool for librarians. Reviews of books for adults and children.

Career Magazine  – resource center with job openings, employer profiles, resume posting, articles, and more.

Circle Magazine, The  – quarterly literary magazine featuring poetry, short stories, and articles.

Crayola Kids Magazine  – offers a selection of storybooks, puzzles, and craft actvities.

Creative Screenwriting  – magazine for writers of feature films and television.

Crime Magazine – provides a brief biography and a timelines of real crimes.

Dance Magazine

The Dabbling Mum.com – The on-line magazine for busy parents

DesertUSA Magazine  – travel and recreation guide to the American southwest and its deserts.

Discover Magazine monthly magazine of science and technology; their wonders, their uses, and their impact upon our lives.

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine – brings you the best in short mystery fiction.

Emergency Medical Services Magazine  – Monthly publication for emergency medical technicians, paramedics and other EMS providers.

Entrepreneur Magazine  – features daily news, chat rooms, message boards, interactive coursework, the SOHO Mall and more.

Exceptional Parent Magazine  – providing information, support, ideas, encouragement and outreach for parents and families of children with disabilities, and the professionals who work with them.

Exploratorium Magazine Online: Paper  – articles on origami, making paper airplanes, creating handmade paper, and more.

Fade In: Magazine  – film magazine for screenwriters. Interviews and articles covering the creative and professional aspects of working, writing, and sucking up in Hollywood.

Fairfield Review  – online literary magazine for Fairfield County, CT writers and students of poetry, short stories, and essays.

Family Corner

Family Tree Magazine  – for beginners as well as more experienced family historians and family heritage hobbyists.

Flash Fiction Online – complete story in 1000 words.  To serve flash fiction readers and writers with a professional, sustainable market for flash fiction stories. To promote the general population’s reading of great short stories in general and of great flash fiction in particular.

Foreign Policy Magazine  – a leading quarterly of international affairs.

Fortune Magazine  – market and business news updated throughout the day, feature columns, screening tools, and more.

Girls’ Life Magazine  – magazine for girls ages 8 to 15.

GQ Magazine Fashion, sports, women, journalism, fitness and more for the modern man.

Happy Woman Magazine  – we think so you don’t have to.

Harper’s Magazine  – includes a preview of the current issue and the last three months of the Harper’s Index.

Hello! Magazine  – photos and features about royals and celebrities.

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) – the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.

Irish Dancing Magazine  – monthly international, full colour magazine devoted to Irish Dancing. From Riverdance to absolute beginners. Subscribe from the website.

Just Laugh magazine  – features humorous columns, comics, links, and more that are all aimed squarely at the funny bone

Kepler’s Books and Magazines  – independent bookseller since 1955 featuring new and selected titles handpicked by staff, online ordering, and author events calendar.

List a Day – over 1,800+ unique issues about email newsletters that we thought was worthy of your attention.

Literary Times, The  – complete program of services for readers and writers of romantic fiction. Also find the latest info on your favorite authors.

Mad Magazine  – includes madimations and madness of the week.

Magazine Publishers of America (MPA)  – industry association for consumer magazines, representing hundreds of companies, publishing thousands of titles.

Marketing Journals and Magazines  – links to marketing and related journals or magazines, provided by the Marketing and Marketing Research group of Tilburg University.

Make-Up Artist Magazine

Modern Humorist  – daily humor and satire magazine.

Ms. Magazine  – feminist magazine founded in 1972 by Gloria Steinem. Now woman-owned and operated by Liberty Media for Women, LLC.

NanoTechnology Magazine  – window into the emerging technology whose awesome power mankind will acquire, for good or evil, very early in the next century.

National Geographic Magazine

National Geographic Kids  – fascinating facts, interesting kids and cool games. All you need to bring is curiosity

National Geographic Traveler Magazine  – subscription information, travel resources and summaries of current features.

National Parks Magazine  – an award-winning, full color magazine that offers spectacular photographs and articles on national parks

New Frontier Magazine  – New Age consciousness magazine

Newslink Magazine from the American Journalism Review.

Parade Magazine

Parents Magazine  – offering fun and informative information for young parents and families.

PC Magazine

PEN America  – journal featuring award-winning fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and translation, as well as symposia on topics of concern to writers and readers alike.

Pen & Ink  – Philippine literary journal dedicated to providing a venue for writers and artists who want to share their works with a sympathetic audience.

Pif  – dedicated to publishing quality poetry and short stories by new and emerging writers. Book, CD, movie reviews and political commentary also welcome.

Poets & Writers  – focuses on the source of literature, providing support and exposure to writers at all stages in their development.

Pointe Magazine  – source of information for a career in ballet.

Police Magazine  – a resource for the street cop.

Potluck Children’s Literary Magazine  – publishes poetry, stories, book reviews, and artwork from writers and artists ages 8-16.

Qwerty  – lit-zine for readers, writers and other dysfunctional personality types.

Readers Digest Magazine

Renaissance Magazine  – articles on the history of the Renaissance and Middle Ages for Arthurian fans, medievalists, roleplayers, and re-enactors.

Rhapsody in Black  – showcasing up and coming African-American writers and artists.

Rolling Stone Magazine  – includes current cover story and the table of contents from the print mag, as well as exclusive online content.

Romantic Times reviews and news about romance novels. Includes author biographies, writers’ resources, and more.

Science Fiction and Fantasy World

Science Fiction Weekly

Science Magazine global weekly journal of research which serves the scientific community as a forum for the presentation and discussion of important issues related to the advancement of science.

Screenwriter’s Utopia

Script Magazine  – includes contests, live chat events, and online classes.

Skeptic Magazine  – The Skeptics Society and Skeptic magazine investigate claims by scientists, pseudoscientists, and pseudohistorians on a wide variety of theories and conjectures

Slipstream  – yearly anthology featuring the work of both new and established writers.

Smithsonian Magazine  – magazine of the Smithsonian Institution that explores art, history, and science.

Speculations  – for writers who want to be read.

Star Magazine  – entertainment news, celebrity features, gossip, and fashion.

Stone Soup  – the magazine by young writers and artists.

Storyteller Magazine  – Canadian quarterly short story magazine which welcomes new writers.

Surfing Magazine  – includes magazine ordering information, forecasting, weather information, photo/video gallery, and more.

Time Magazine

Time For Kids  – version of the popular news magazine for children.

Time Magazine: The Year In Pictures  – looks at the most interesting photos of 2000.

Topics Online Magazine  – for learners of English as a second or foreign language to express their ideas with writings and illustrations. Also has a section for teachers that discusses technique and methodology.

TV Guide Magazine  – feature articles, reviews, gossip and more.

Women Today Magazine  – features on fashion, beauty, health, childcare, career and religion.

Victoria  – includes articles and subscription.

Web del Sol  – experimental, literary, mainstream, international poetry and fiction, novel excerpts, interviews, essays, author web sites, writers’ resources, and more.

Western Horseman Magazine

Write Markets Report  – publish magazines and an annual directory of writers’ markets

Writers Digest

Writers Post, The  – features stories, essays, and poetry, with an emphasis on Vietnamese literature translations.

Zeotrope – Short  Stories and anthologies – offers many contests with prizes from $250-$1000

Resources Menu

MAR-MAY Writing Contests & Workshops
FEB-APR Writing Contests & Workshops

New Articles
20 Literary Agents Seeking Writers

Love Contests?
Click to Join the Writing Contests Group

Helpful Books

RESOURCES-TIPS, Writer's Block-Tools

RESOURCES-TIPS: For writers of all genre who want to write, and the readers who love them.

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write.
- Somerset Maugham

All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary -- it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.
- Somerset Maugham

Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdotes were about.
- Alice Munro

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs

Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil -- but there is no way around them.
Isaac Asimov

To write fiction, one need a whole series of inspirations about people in an actual environment, and then a whole lot of work on the basis of those inspirations.
- Aldus Huxley

Get it down.  Take changes.  It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good.
- William Faulkner

Books aren't written, they're rewritten.  Including our own.  It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.
- Michael Crichton

Any man who keeps working is not a failure.  He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer.
- Ray Bradbury

Helpful Books

E-Publishing

How to Publish a Profitable E-Mag By Angela Adair Hoy

Fiction

GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon

How to Publish Your Articles: A Complete Guide To Making The Right Publication Say Yes by Shirley Kawa-Jump

Self Editing for Fictions Writers  by Browne, Renni and Dave King

On Writing by Stephen King

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

Markets

Writer’s Market – 8,000 Editors Who Buy What You Write  (always search for latest edition)

Non-Fiction Books

Carpool Tunnel Syndrome  By: Judy Gruen – Think you’re the only mother whose children turn into terrorists when you’re on the phone?  Wondering how come the authorities haven’t arrested you for being a terrible parent? You’re not alone! Judy Gruen’s new book “Carpool Tunnel Syndrome” will have you nodding your head in agreement and roaring with laughter.     Buy the Book

Freedom to Freelance  By: Rusty Fischer – From now on, whenever I receive an email from an aspiring writer who wants to know how to get started as a freelancer, or a struggling writer who needs to know how to find work, I’m going to send them an email that simply contains the URL to purchase this book and the comment: “Read It.”   Buy the Book

How to Publish a Profitable E-Mag   By: Angela Adair Hoy – This book is a must have if you dream of putting out your own e-mag. It is a step by step instructional piece that will guide you through your entire publication process. Starting from.   Buy the Book

The Well-Fed Writer By: Peter Bowerman – The Well-Fed Writer is a must-read for anyone considering a career as a freelance corporate writer. It provides step-by-step instructions and suggestions for establishing a career in this field, whether or not you’ve had any previous experience. If you’re looking for an easy-to-read, get-started-quick guide to a career in corporate writing, Peter Bowerman’s book is a great resource.   Buy the Book

Writing for Magazines: 12 New Things Writers Must Do Today to Make Money  By: Meg Weaver – Would-be magazine writers need to meet the new demands of the marketplace, Weaver says.  Her book, “Writing for Magazines:  Twelve New Things Writers Must Do Today To Make Money,” tells us how.     Buy the Book

Proposals

Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 That Sold and Why, 2nd Edition by Deborah Levine Herman and Jeff Herman

Publishing

How to Publish Your Articles: A Complete Guide To Making The Right Publication Say Yes by Shirley Kawa-Jump

How to Publish Your Nonfiction Book by Rudy Shur

Self Publishing

How to Publish a Profitable E-Mag By Angela Adair Hoy

Earthly Charms – Self-Promotion

Synopsis

The Dreaded Synopsis – Elizabeth Sinclair

Resources Menu

MAR-MAY Writing Contests & Workshops
FEB-APR Writing Contests & Workshops

New Articles
20 Literary Agents Seeking Writers

Love Contests?
Click to Join the Writing Contests Group

Unblocking Your Muze

RESOURCES-TIPS, Writer's Block-Tools

RESOURCES-TIPS: For writers of all genre who want to write, and the readers who love them.

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write.
- Somerset Maugham

All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary -- it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.
- Somerset Maugham

Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdotes were about.
- Alice Munro

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs

Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil -- but there is no way around them.
Isaac Asimov

To write fiction, one need a whole series of inspirations about people in an actual environment, and then a whole lot of work on the basis of those inspirations.
- Aldus Huxley

Get it down.  Take changes.  It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good.
- William Faulkner

Books aren't written, they're rewritten.  Including our own.  It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.
- Michael Crichton

Any man who keeps working is not a failure.  He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer.
- Ray Bradbury

Unblocking Your Muze

250 Words at a Time

by Mia Zachary

There you are. It’s your favorite time of day; you’re in your preferred spot on your preferred chair in front of your laptop. After flexing a few times, your fingers descend to the keyboard. You take a deep, cleansing breath and- Just check email right quick, maybe post “Don’t bother me, I’m writing” on Facebook, then click on this one article link…

Bet you wish you had a Muze.

Now, you’ve moved to a different spot, with a different chair but now you have your preferred word processing program open and a stack of printed pages beside you. You take a deep, frustrated breath and- Barely resist the urge to burst into tears or smack your forehead onto the keyboard in case that will help…

Looks like your Muze is out to lunch.

So, here you are yet again. The cushion of your preferred chair is permanently shaped like your butt. You don’t favor any spot right now except your bed with the snuggle blanket. But there’s no time to sleep because you got a five page revision letter. You take a deep, panicked breath and- Continue to stare at the jumbled words on the screen…

Where the hell is your Muze?

Does any of that seem familiar? Yeah. It happens to me at some point in every single novel! But let me tell you something about those fickle and elusive bright ideas.

The Muses were Greek goddesses and patrons of the arts and sciences. They inspired all creative artists, especially poets and philosophers— Calliope’s symbol was the writing tablet. Those fortunate to be inspired by the Muses were held in the highest esteem. No wonder so many writers anxiously wait for brilliance to strike so they can collect awards, starred reviews and big fat checks.

Unfortunately, the Muses were mythical beings. Only perspiration begets inspiration and, as a published author with deadlines, you can’t wait around. Writer’s Block is a recurring mental disorder caused by your Muse taking off for an extended vacation on a tropical beach, leaving you in a state whereby the damned words just won’t come.

My name is Mia Zachary and what I’m sharing with you has been learned from frequent and painful experience, from the hundreds— yes, hundreds— of times I’ve hit an obstacle and had to work around it, jump over it, bust through it, avoid it or accept it with ill grace. In other words, I know of what I speak.

I BELIEVE that writer’s block can happen anytime in your career – be it your first novel or your 50th; that I’ve experienced writer’s block as many as 10-20 times per book; that having writer’s block totally stinks on ice, that getting around/over/through writer’s block should be fun.

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity.  The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” – Carl Jung

If you’re in it for the long haul, if writing is what you do in life or what feeds your passion, then eventually you’re going to run up against writer’s block. It can happen at any— and every— stage of your career. But is it on the page or in your head? The first step in overcoming writer’s block is to acknowledge the pink elephant on your keyboard before you can get rid of it. And in order to get rid of it, you have to figure out what put it there.

It could be a small, temporary block brought on by being tired or distracted or simply not being in the mood. It could be that you haven’t done enough research or preparation, so you’re stopped by not knowing what needs to happen next. Maybe you’re stuck, feeling like there’s no spark to your writing, in which case you may not have done extensive enough character work.

Longer and larger blocks are most often caused by non-writing related issues. It’s hard to be creative when you’re sock or bone weary from lack of sleep. Don’t dismiss a lack of time as being responsible for your block. Another very real cause could be depression, either emotional or clinical. (One of the dumbest things I ever did was try to force myself to write after losing my father and my job in the same week.)

  • Don’t panic— Writers’ block can often be self-perpetuating… and self-fulfilling. Take a deep breath and say, “Writers write.”
  • Be realistic— Don’t set deadlines or goals you’re going to have to kill yourself to meet. Know your process and limits.
  • Don’t be so critical— Comparing your work to others or punishing yourself makes things worse. Repeat, “I have worth.”
  • Give up perfection— Do the best you can at the time, then let it go. You can always edit later, but you can’t edit blank paper.
  • Focus on the positive— What is good? What is working? Be proud of yourself and every word you get from brain to page.

We all have setbacks. The trick is to look at them as opportunities to reassess and regroup. The difference between giving up and quitting is perspective. Giving up is only a temporary situation, an opportunity to learn, so that we can start again and do things differently. Quitting is permanent. And I hate being a quitter.

In September 2010, I was feeling stuck, guilty and frustrated. Maybe it was the new-to-me genre; perhaps confusion over what I wanted the book to say, or maybe the Life that kept interrupting my efforts. Whatever, I needed help with this latest bout of writer’s block. And that’s when it hit me:

block/blăk -noun 1. An obstacle
block/blăk -noun 3. a child’s toy for building activities

There are two ways to look at writer’s block. The first is as an obstacle. You want to write, but you’re not writing or you can’t write. You feel aggravated, angry, frustrated and afraid. And the more you don’t write, the more you fear that you can’t write, that you’ll never write again. This can lead to hopelessness and depression.

Another way to look at writer’s block is as a toy that facilitates building activities. It really is okay to take time off. If forcing yourself to write just makes you more miserable, then give yourself a break and do something fun.

“Ah”, you say. “This is where she got the idea for Writing Blocks Idea Dice®!” Yep. By letting our creative mind play around a bit, we increase the probability of discovering a unique perspective that will lead to a breakthrough. So, a great way to deal with writer’s block is to roll the Writing Blocks® and see what happens when you play with story building!

Kaizen is a Japanese term that literally means “good change.”  Pronounced kigh-zen, it refers to an ancient Zen philosophy that prescribes “constant, small, gradual improvement;” Kaizen is baby steps, “one day at a time.”

If the page is empty because you feel anxious or overwhelmed, don’t ask, “How can I write 280 pages?” or “How am I going to write an Award-winning manuscript?” or “How am I going to finish this by the end of the week?” The problem with big goals is that they send the person into fear, and fear diminishes creativity.

Instead ask yourself, “How can I write one page today?” One page doesn’t sound like very much, now does it? One page in standard manuscript format is 250 words and freewriting 250 words each day will get you into a creative mindset.

Freewriting is just what the word suggests. Start with the first thing that pops into your mind and write, without stopping, without editing spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Do not worry about “rules.” Think of it as play time. Allow yourself to write junk. Be silly. Have fun. Dig deep. It doesn’t have to make sense. Tell your internal censor to shut up.

The hardest part is to keep writing, to not stop until the time is up. But that’s what you have to do because Freewriting only works if you can allow yourself to get caught up in the momentum. So here are the rules: Don’t say No. Don’t reject or deny information. Don’t ask questions, edit or judge. Trust yourself to be with your writing.

Once you do, your Muse will finally show up with wine, chocolate and an idea or three.

Resources Menu

MAR-MAY Writing Contests & Workshops
FEB-APR Writing Contests & Workshops

New Articles
20 Literary Agents Seeking Writers

Love Contests?
Click to Join the Writing Contests Group

Reconsider Hand Writing

RESOURCES-TIPS, Writer's Block-Tools

RESOURCES-TIPS: For writers of all genre who want to write, and the readers who love them.

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write.
- Somerset Maugham

All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary -- it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.
- Somerset Maugham

Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdotes were about.
- Alice Munro

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs

Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil -- but there is no way around them.
Isaac Asimov

To write fiction, one need a whole series of inspirations about people in an actual environment, and then a whole lot of work on the basis of those inspirations.
- Aldus Huxley

Get it down.  Take changes.  It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good.
- William Faulkner

Books aren't written, they're rewritten.  Including our own.  It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.
- Michael Crichton

Any man who keeps working is not a failure.  He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer.
- Ray Bradbury

Reconsider Hand Writing

By Mia Zachary

Novelist Robert Stone said: “I write in longhand in order to be precise. On a typewriter or word processor you can rush something that shouldn’t be rushed — you can lose nuance, richness, lucidity. The pen compels lucidity.”

Another novelist who goes old school is Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods and Neverwhere, writes his first drafts in longhand using fountain puns and moleskin. “One reason I like writing by hand is it slows me down a little, but it also forces me to keep going: I’m never going to spend half a day noodling with a sentence to try and get it just right, if I’m using a pen. I’ll do all that when I start typing.”

The most obvious argument for returning to pen and paper is that writing by hand eliminates- or at least minimizes- the inevitable distractions of e-mail, instant-messaging, digital games with flying pigs and web-browsing for everything except research.

I eventually make my way to the PC or to my laptop, but hand writing has some superior benefits to composing on the computer:

  • Writing by hand keeps the emphasis where it needs to be — on getting the words right, not on fonts, margins, or program settings
  • Writing by hand can get ideas out faster and simplifies the effort of organizing ideas
  • And, most importantly, hand writing acts as a powerful reminder that a draft is a just a draft, not a polished work ready to submit.

Hand writing compels you to move forward across an entire connected gesture and integrates three distinct brain processes—visual, motor, and cognitive. Writing by hand requires executing sequential finger movements activate brain regions involved with thought, language and short-term memory—the mind’s system for temporarily storing and managing small pieces of information.

That’s especially true for visual learners like myself, I always remember things I wrote myself better than I remember things that were typed. I’ll easily recsll which side of the paper it was written on, what shape my notation formed and how my words appeared. It may seem trivial to writers who prefer electronic mediums, but I have been able to locate many a late night ‘great idea’ simply by envisioning where and how and why I scribbled my notes the way I did.

The human brain has several distinct regions that process visual information, auditory input, emotions, verbal communication, etc. Although these regions communicate with each other, when presented with multi-faceted information, each region has its own processes to complete first. When you’re writing, spatial relations between various bits of information are created in your brain.

So what point am I trying to make? Why am I asking you to reconsider hand writing? Because when you write something down, our brain can’t tell that you’re not actually doing that thing. Envisioning doing something can “trick” the brain into thinking it’s actually doing it. This means that brainstorming, creative visualization and just plain daydreaming help us as writers to craft settings and characters, emotional scenes and action sequences. Then handwriting these elements triggers the brain to believe “so let it be written, so let it be done” Thus handwriting helps us to turn those daydreams into a cohesive literary work.

Even before we begin the physical act of writing, our brains are putting some degree of effort into evaluating, prioritizing and organizing the information we are imagining. That process helps to install ideas more firmly in our minds, leading to greater recall down the line. Writing by hand strengthens the process by which creative information is stored in our memory.

For the past couple of years, I have signed myself up for National Novel Writing Month- 50k words in 30 days. Each year I procrastinated, got distracted , became frustrated and didn’t ‘win’. Until 2012. That’s the year there weren’t enough plugs in the cafe and I had to resort to using an ink pen and a notebook… I finished the month with 49, 410 words, 95% of which were handwritten and 80% of which were crafted well enough to keep in the manuscript. Drafting my novel this way felt amazing, liberating and most importantly productive.

There is great value in writing slowly and taking time over ideas, as well as in scribbling as fast as your hand allows, to capture your thoughts. Grab your pen and give yourself permission to write whatever you can come up with. Just dump your thoughts and ideas straight onto the paper. Feel free to scribble, doodle, jot notes in the margins and squeeze extra sentences between the lines. Writing by hand encourages focus on the story process and brings the writer neurologically and psychologically closer to the work itself. But, if you’re anything like me, you probably need to work on your penmanship 🙂

Stephen King wrote Dream-catcher all in longhand using “the world’s finest word processor, a Waterman cartridge fountain pen.” He says, “First of all, writing longhand was physically easier for me, because of the location where I can work. But also, it brought the act of writing back to this very basic level, where you actually have to take something in your fist and make the letters on the page… It slows you down. It makes you think about each word as you write it, and it also gives you more of a chance so that you’re able– the sentences compose themselves in your head. It’s like hearing music, only it’s words. But you see more ahead because you can’t go as fast.”

Resources Menu

MAR-MAY Writing Contests & Workshops
FEB-APR Writing Contests & Workshops

New Articles
20 Literary Agents Seeking Writers

Love Contests?
Click to Join the Writing Contests Group