Branching Out

I started this blog because I wanted to document my life while interacting with other people. So far, the only goal I've accomplished is interacting with other people. I wondered if I should branch out with my blog... cover more topics, including personal life stuff. After all, life is short, and sometimes it feels good to get a few things off my chest.

Some exciting things are happening in my life right now:

• studying abroad in London


• applying for jobs and internships


• becoming a cell group leader


• writing professionally


• and a great deal more

I'd like to share this stuff with you.

Anyway, I guess I'm going to write a new post every day. While the subject matter may vary, I can promise you that each post will be most definitely "me." You can share it my failures, successes, and life lessons as I experience them along the way. Hopefully you might even learn a thing or two.

What topics would you like to see covered on this blog?

Interview: Allison Blanchard, Author of Forget Me Not

I heard about Allison Blanchard from one of her sorority sisters. "There's this girl in my sorority who writes," she'd told me. "She just published her first book. You need to get in touch with her."

Just like that, I shot off an email. I began talking to Allison and discovered, in no time at all, that she is one of the sweetest and most down-to-earth young women I've ever met. Allison attends a liberal arts college as a double major in French and creative writing. Four years ago, she started writing a book. On April 6, 2012, Allison's book got published. Her debut novel, Forget Me Not, is a young adult paranormal romance that is difficult to put down.

Recently, I interviewed Allison for this blog. I wanted to know all about her process, what writing means to her, and how she uses her writing to glorify God. Warning: this interview may cause you to fall in love with Allison.

B: What made you decide that you wanted to become a writer?

A: I was eleven when I had finally realized the answer to the dreaded question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I decided being a writer was what was going to make me happy and fulfilled. It was after I had read a series of books by my favorite author, Marianne Curley. She is an Australian young adult novelist whose books helped me through a dark time in my life. I am forever grateful to her because without her books, I don’t think I would have ever written one word of fiction.

B: Describe your writing process. How often do you write? Do you outline? How do you stay organized? Do you have a target word count?

A: I try to write every day, but things often come up or I get distracted, especially when I am in school. But several times a week, at least. I outline very little, but I find with a trilogy it is needed to make sure I don’t forget certain subplots that need to be resolved by the final book. However, I don’t like to be too detail oriented with my outlines. I like the writing process to be more organic. I like being shocked and surprised when a character does something completely different or not what I was expecting. That’s what I love about writing – being able to see how my characters change and grow and become their own people.

I usually try to stay organized by writing out ideas as they come to me. Basic plot points and different character motivations are written out as the ideas are born. I don’t usually have a word count, but a typical novel that a publisher will publish is 60,000 to 100,000 words. Usually, I keep my books around 75,000 – 85,000. I try to hit a certain word count each time I write, but now I tend to just say to myself, “Let’s write this scene out and see how long it goes.” Like I said before, it’s very organic.

B: How do you react when someone tells you that they've read your book?

A: I have a minor panic/happy attack inside – usually I’m dancing in my head, but try to remain calm. It is still really surreal to think that people are reading my book. Like right now. People I don’t know. It’s super humbling.

B: Is the relationship between Cole and Adeline based on a real romantic relationship? If so, which one? If not, where did the dynamic come from?

A: If Cole and Adeline’s romantic relationship was based on something in my own life, I’d be living it, not writing it. Haha! No, this relationship is fictional and comes from my brain. As a writer, I do put a little bit of myself into all of my characters. I honestly find myself more like Cole than Adeline, which a lot of people don’t expect. The dynamic, again, sort of wrote itself. Both characters are shy, but Adeline is way more insecure. Cole is embarrassed by his family (like most teenagers), but the two of them find a lot of common ground. I think that’s why they are drawn to each other. They’ve finally met someone who understands them.

B: What are your top five favorite books?

 A: Ah! What a tough question! But here are my top five favorite books!

"Old Magic" by Marianne Curley 

I think most people know about my unhealthy obsession for this author and her work, but she of course made it to the top of my list. I absolutely adore this novel. It is a young adult paranormal romance that deals with time travel and history. It is so good in every way. If you haven't read it, then you are missing out. Go buy it now. No, but really. Do it.

"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen 

I am a hardcore Austen fan and I am not ashamed. I love everything about this book and often reread again and again. Austen does a romance justice and I aspire to be like her. Oh, Jane. If only you were alive today for me stalk.

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini 

Oh. My. Gosh. This novel literally punched me in the face. It was so good. No, but really. This book is insanely well written that I laughed, cried, laughed again, and cried even more. If you haven't read this beautiful book, then you haven't lived life.

“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte

I love both of the Bronte sisters, but this novel is one of my absolute favorites. It is so beautiful and tragic. It is one of those novels I can read again and again. LOVE!

"Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers 

I think it's clear that I love Jesus and therefore would like to fall in love with a man who does too. This romance novel showed me that it is possible. Francine Rivers' words and truth of the Gospel changed my perception of true love and what it is all about. I cried throughout this novel, loving the characters and seeing myself in them. This book is a must read for any follower of Christ who is looking for a man to lead her closer to God. Although it is fiction this love story will ignite of flame to know Christ more intimately so that you will be able to perceive the right man from the wrong man. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.

B: What websites or resources have been the most helpful for you as a writer?

A: Writersmarket.com was absolutely HUGE in my quest to find a publisher. I paid a small fee each month to gain access to contact information to literary agents and publishers. That and reading. If you want to be a serious writer, then you need to be a serious reader. Read anything and everything. It will help you grow as a writer and learn what you like to read, which more than likely will be what you love to write. 

B: What would you like to do after graduating from college?

A: I would love to continue writing and also become an editor in a publishing company. Since being published, I have really fallen in love with the process. I would love to help an author see his or her work go from the computer to the hands of a fan.

B: How do you feel Christian writers can use their gifts to glorify God, as you have with your writing?

A: I think Christian writers need to remember why/how they write. Because God has given you the gift and talent to write. I always pray before/during the writing process. I want my work to glorify Him and I want Him to lead me in what I am supposed to write. Therefore, I would encourage other Christian writers to continue to lean on Him, trust Him, and write to glorify Him.

B: What was the most difficult part of the publication process?

A: Getting someone who would actually read the full manuscript. Many would only ask for a few chapters or only 75 pages and make a decision based on those pages alone. I was always thrilled whenever someone asked to read the full manuscript. And even more excited when someone actually sent me a contract!

B: If you go back to before writing Forget Me Not, what kind of advice would you give yourself about writing, publication, or the process as a whole?

A: To trust God and this process, no matter how long it takes. Don’t freak out or get discouraged when someone says no. Like my mom constantly told me, you don’t need a 100 yeses, you need only one. And that one yes will come. 

As you can see, Allison Blanchard is a wonderful woman with a passion for writing and also for God. If you'd like to learn more about her, check out her blog. Her first novel, Forget Me Not, is available through Amazon.

Guest Post: Lamar Hull from Direct4TV

Writing tips for student athletes: Applying athletic principles to your writing

Being a college student athlete is tough. You've got to spend long hours practicing and, most importantly, you've got to learn to balance your time between school work and your sport. You may be set on continuing your sports career after college, but we all know sometimes things don't work out as planned, and that's why your college classwork is especially important. For a college athlete, building good writing skills can be nearly as vital as crafting your athletic ability.

Fortunately, learning writing skills isn't as hard as you may think – you can even apply some of the same principles from sports to your writing experience. Whether you're just trying to do well in school or you want to start writing your own novel, these tips can help make you a better writer.

Plan

Just like you'd plan goals for training, you can plan goals for schoolwork. Perhaps you could set a goal for a GPA you want to earn, a grade on a research paper or a word count for your personal writing. If you play on a team at school, you probably have set training and practice times. It's good to also plan out set times to do work and write every day. If you set time to devote to writing, you'll get in the groove of sitting down with your computer to write, and it will become a daily habit. And with more planning comes plenty of practice!

Practice daily

You've probably heard it a million times, but practicing is crucial for improvement. You wouldn't go a week without training, so don't go a week without writing. Try to write daily to better yourself and your skill. The more you write, the better you'll get – just like how running through more basketball or football drills can help you become a better player. Do you play a couple different sports? Try different types of writing, too. Become a well-rounded writer and athlete with plenty of practice!

Accept criticism and improve on it

No one is perfect, and you don't need to try to be. Improvement is a continual process, and you can't expect to magically become a better writer or athlete. You have to learn to take your criticism gracefully. Don't let things get you down – whether you don't play as well as you'd like in a big game or you don't get the high grade you wanted. It's important to keep trying and to work hard to keep getting better.

Even if you're not a student athlete, you can use these tips to improve your own writing skills. With some hard work, you can become a great writer, too!

Author: Lamar Hull is a former Davidson College student-athlete who loves to provide advice to college students and college graduates. Lamar currently writes for Direct4tv. You can follow Lamar @lamarhull20 and his youth basketball blog.

Top 10 Writing Soundtracks

In one of my recent posts, I talked about the connection between writing and music. It goes without saying that listening to music is a great way to get the creative juices flowing. I love listening to music while I write. Lately, however, I've discovered that music with lyrics is too distracting. I've dismissed lyrical melodies in favor of movie soundtracks.

In my search to find the perfect background noise for my muse to work, I've stumbled upon the top 10 best soundtracks to listen to while writing. Listening to these soundtracks while you work will help you focus without distracting you.

1. The Dark Knight (sweeping, mysterious, and epic)
2. Atonement (emotional and romantic)
3. Pride & Prejudice (sweet and soulful)
4. Wall-E (bright and bold)
5. The Return of the King (triumphant and multifaceted)
6. Edward Scissorhands (whimsical and offbeat)
7. Pearl Harbor (heroic and visceral)
8. Requiem for a Dream (surreal and unsettling)
9. Forrest Gump (all-encompassing)
10. Pirates of the Caribbean (fast-paced and dramatic)

If you're looking for something to listen to while working, look no further than these ten soundtracks. This ambient music will enhance your concentration without overwhelming you. And if you want to listen to these soundtracks without dumping your money off at iTunes, check out Pandora and Grooveshark, where you can listen to them for free.

What do you listen to when you write? Feel free to share your playlists!

The Kurosawa Guide to Daily Writing

You don’t have time to finish your book.

Sure, when you started out, you imagined endless hours dedicated solely to banging away on your keyboard, producing The Next International Bestselling Novel. Now that reality has set in, however, you’re realizing that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Between work, family, and social obligations, how can you be expected to find a minute of free time?

As writers, it’s important for us to write every day. The business of everyday life outside of writing can make it difficult to schedule time to get some serious writing done. You know you should be working on something, but you don’t feel like you have time to make any real progress. By utilizing the Kurosawa Method, you can finish your current project, no matter how little time you think you have.

The Kurosawa Method was developed by world-renowned writer and director Akira Kurosawa. He came up with a strategy for writing every day, no matter what. No matter how busy he was, he made a commitment to get down at least one page every day. One page is better than no pages, after all. This method works wonders. It’s easier to put your butt in the chair with such a small goal, and one page often turns into two, three, or ten before you know it.

Writing just one page per day is the ideal strategy for finishing your current project while juggling a busy schedule. All you have to commit to is a single page per day. If you write more, great; if not, that's fine, too. Writing a single page per day leaves you with 365 pages at the end of the year, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Set the Mood with a Playlist

Music and creativity are inexplicably linked. Both stimulate the brain, trigger emotions, and inspire people all over the world. A writing tip I discovered lately is to listen to music while you write. Compiling a writing playlist can help you get more writing done by putting you in the mood to put fingers to keyboard or pen to paper. William Shakespeare wrote, "If music be the food of love, play on." Good ol' Willy Shakes. He knew what was up.

My favorite resource for creating playlists is Grooveshark. It's easy to use and has an attractive interface and a massive collection of songs and artists. They have every song that I've ever looked up. For the sake of this post, I'll show you what the playlist for my latest novel looks like.

In this playlist, each one of the songs relates to the tone, characters, setting, or theme of the novel in some way. I have this music on in the background when I'm working on my novel. It helps me get into the writing zone, so to speak, so that I can make some serious progress.

What do you think? What kind of music do you listen to when you write?

From Daily Writing Tips: 34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better Writer

Today's post comes from Daniel Scocco at Daily Writing Tips. You can find the article in context here. I highly recommend that everyone have a look at this awesome resource.

A couple of weeks ago we asked our readers to share their writing tips. The response was far beyond the initial expectations, and the quality of the tips included was amazing. Thanks for everyone who contributed.

Now, without further delay, the 34 writing tips that will make you a better writer!

1. Daniel
Pay attention to punctuation, especially to the correct use of commas and periods. These two punctuation marks regulate the flow of your thoughts, and they can make your text confusing even if the words are clear.

2. Thomas
Participate in NaNoWriMo, which challenges you to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. I noticed that my writing has definitely improved over the course of the book — and it’s not even finished yet.

3. Bill Harper
Try not to edit while you’re creating your first draft. Creating and editing are two separate processes using different sides of the brain, and if you try doing both at once you’ll lose. Make a deal with your internal editor that it will get the chance to rip your piece to shreds; it will just need to wait some time.

A really nice trick is to switch off your monitor when you’re typing. You can’t edit what you can’t see.

4. Jacinta 
In a sentence: write daily for 30 minutes minimum! It’s easy to notice the difference in a short time. Suddenly, ideas come to you and you think of other things to write. You experiment with styles and voices and words and the language becomes more familiar…

5. Ane Mulligan 
Learn the rules of good writing… then learn when and how to break them.

6. Pete Bollini
I sometimes write out 8 to 10 pages from the book of my favorite writer… in longhand. This helps me to get started and swing into the style I wish to write in.

7. Nilima Bhadbhade 
Be a good reader first.

8. Douglas Davis
While spell-checking programs serve as a good tool, they should not be relied
upon to detect all mistakes. Regardless of the length of the article, always read and review what you have written.

9. Kukusha
Learn to take criticism and seek it out at every opportunity. Don’t get upset even if you think the criticism is harsh, don’t be offended even if you think it’s wrong, and always thank those who take the time to offer it.

10. John England 
Right click on a word to use the thesaurus. Do it again on the new word and make the best use of your vocabulary.

11. Lillie Ammann
After editing the work on screen or in print, I like to read the text aloud. Awkward sentences and errors that slipped through earlier edits show up readily when reading out loud.

12. H Devaraja Rao
Avoid wordiness. Professor Strunk put it well: “a sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.”

13. David
Write as if you’re on deadline and have 500 words to make your point. Then do it again. And again.

14. Yvette
Sometimes I type in a large font to have the words and sentences bold before me.

Sometimes, in the middle of a document I will start a new topic on a fresh sheet to have that clean feeling. Then, I’ll cut and insert it into the larger document.

I wait until my paper is done before I examine my word usage and vocabulary choices. (And reading this column it has reminded me that no two words are ever exactly alike.) So at the end, I take time to examine my choice of words. I have a lot of fun selecting the exact words to pinpoint my thoughts or points.

15. Amit Goyal
To be a good writer is to start writing everyday. As Mark Twain said, “the secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

Try using new words. i.e avoid repeating words. this way we learn the usage of different words.
Do edit your previous articles.

Start with small paragraphs like writing an article for a Newspaper, and proceed from there.

16. John Dodds 
Remove as many adjectives as possible. Read Jack Finney’s tale, Cousin Len’s Wonderful Adjective Cellar for a fantastical tale about how a hack becomes a successful author with the help of a magical salt cellar that removes adjectives from his work.

17. John Ireland
I set my writing aside and edit a day or two later with the aim of making it terse. It has trained me to be more conscious of brevity when writing for immediate distribution.

18. Jai 
Try to write in simple way. Express your views with most appropriate words.

19. Mark 
Read great writers for inspiration. If you read them enough, their excellent writing style will rub off onto your dazzling blog.

YOU ARE what you read (and write!).

20. Caroline
I watch my action tense and wordiness in sentences when I am writing my technical diddley.

For example, in a sentence where you say …”you will have to…” I replace it with “…you must…”, or “Click on the Go button to…” can be replaced with “Click Go to…”.

Think of words such as “enables”, instead of “allows you to” or “helps you to”.

If one word will work where three are, replace it! I always find these, where I slip into conversational as I am writing quickly, then go back and purge, purge, purge.

21. Akhil Tandulwadikar
Don’t shy away from adopting the good habits that other writers use.

Do not worry about the length of the article as long as it conveys the point. Of course, the fewer words you use, the better.

Start the article with a short sentence, not more than 8 words.

22. Julie Martinenza
Instead of adding tags (he said/she said) to every bit of dialogue, learn to identify the speaker by showing him/her in action. Example: “Pass that sweet-smelling turkey this way.” With knife in one hand and fork in the other, Sam looked eager to pounce.

23. Aaron Stroud 
Write often and to completion by following a realistic writing schedule.

24. Joanna Young
One that works for me every time is to focus on the positive intention behind my writing. What is it that I want to communicate, express, convey? By focusing on that, by getting into the state that I’m trying to express, I find that I stop worrying about the words – just let them tumble out of their own accord.

It’s a great strategy for beating writer’s block, or overcoming anxiety about a particular piece of writing, whether that’s composing a formal business letter, writing a piece from the heart, or guest blogging somewhere ‘big’…

25. Shelley Rodrigo
Use others writer’s sentences and paragraphs as models and then emulate the syntactic structure with your own content. I’ve learned more about grammar and punctuation that way.

26. Sylvia
Avoid long sentences.

27. Mike Feeney 
Learn the difference between me, myself and I. For example: “Contact Bob or myself if you have any questions.” I hear this very often!

28. Richard Scott 
When doing a long project, a novel, for instance, shut off your internal editor and just write.

Think of your first draft as a complex outline waiting to be expanded upon, and let the words flow.

29. David
Careful with unnecessary expressions. “At this point in time” came along during the Nixon congressional hearings. Too bad it didn’t go out with him. What about “on a daily basis?”

30. E. I. Sanchez 
For large documents, I use Word’s Speech feature to have the computer read the article back. This allows me to catch errors I have missed – especially missing words or words that ’sort of sound the same’ but are spelled differently (e.g. Front me instead of ‘From me’).

31. Cat
Either read the book “Writing Tools 50 Strategies for Every Writer”, by Roy Peter Clark, or read the Fifty Writing Tools: Quick List on his blog. Then join a writing group, or hire a writing coach.

32. Suemagoo 
Write the first draft spontaneously. Switch off your internal editor until it is time to review your first draft.

33. Lydia
If you’re writing fiction, it’s a great idea to have a plot. It will coordinate your thoughts and add consistency to the text.

34. Pedro
Edit your older articles and pieces. You will notice that great part of it will be crap, and it will allow you to refine your style and avoid mistakes that you used to make.

After reading this article, I was surprised that I hadn't heard of many of these tips. I plan to implement Bill Harper, Jacinta, Pete Bollini, Lillie Ammann, and Caroline's suggestions.

What do you think about these tips?

Make Something Every Day.

Getting Back into the Habit of Writing

I found this post a few days ago that really resonated with me. For the past month or so, I haven't been writing every day -- shocking, I know. But I am human. If you, like me, have been neglecting your daily writing routine, here are some tips that will help you start writing again.

More than two weeks ago, I finished up a one-act play–I did the final edit, hit the deadline, then heartily congratulated myself.

In the days leading up to the deadline, I was writing 3+ hours each day in order to get the thing done (yes, I procrastinated a bit).  Once the piece was complete, a short reprieve from writing seemed to be in order.  My current internship started the following day, and now that few days has grown into nearly 3 weeks.  Not cool.

For me, writing is a lot like exercise.  When I’m writing most days of the week, and making progress toward my goals, I feel great.  When I skip days–or weeks–I grow grumpy and lethargic.  Everything is terrible and I don’t know why.  By the time I figure out that my lack of exercise is causing my terrible mood, I’ve usually reached the point where I’ve lost all motivation to write ever again.  It is only through a combination of guilt and restlessness that I finally put on my sneakers and go for a run.

The first days getting back into a routine are rough but necessary.  Here are some things I do to create momentum in my writing life.

1. Forgive yourself.  Writerly guilt got you sitting at the desk; now forget about it so that you can immerse yourself in your story’s world.  Otherwise, your session will be plagued by the conviction that your writing is shit and so are you.


2. Set a concrete, measurable goal.  ”Write.” is not concrete enough to put on your to-do list.  Give yourself a word or page count goal (“I won’t get up from this chair until I’ve written 1,000 words.”), or tell yourself that you’ll write for the next hour.


3. Schedule it.  If you decided on a time goal, fit that block of time into your calendar, and write it down.  Don’t schedule anything else during that time.


4. Write somewhere else.  Writing somewhere you usually don’t can be an easy fix when a blank page seems daunting.  This could mean finding a park bench or coffee shop on the opposite side of the city, or it could be as simple as moving to the couch if you usually sit at a desk.


5. Write sometime else.  If you usually write before bed, try waking up early.  Make yourself a cup of coffee and write as the sun rises.  If you’re a morning writer, sleep in one morning, and stay up writing late that night.


6. Re-read.  Look through your previous writing beforehand to get yourself excited about what you’ve done in the past, and to get back in touch with your characters and setting, if it’s a longer piece.


7. Start Slow.  Ease into it by using your first writing sesh to brainstorm or outline.


8. Start Small.  Begin working on something bite-sized first, if you’ve been away a super long time–a character sketch, vignette, flash fiction.  Try a six-word story if you’re really struggling.


9. Minimize distractions.  Turn off the internet.  Don’t sit in the library with your friends and don’t sit in a busy coffee shop, unless those are environments that you’ve thrived in previously. Isolate yourself in a room without windows, if you must!


10. Tunes. Listen to music that fits the tone of your piece–this can help you get into the proper mindset, and the words may flow more easily.


11. Don’t censor.  You’re returning to writing, so your prose will not be very polished.  That’s what second (and third! and fourth!) drafts are for.  Focus on the quantity of words rather than the quality, or challenge yourself to write for fifteen minutes straight without taking a break (perhaps use a web app like Write Or Die).


12. Start writing now.  No really, like rightnow. Write the next sentence of the story you’ve been away from, or write the first sentence of a new one.  Then write another sentence.  And another.

As you can see, getting back into the habit of writing is mostly just about getting to work. There aren't really any tricks -- just sit down and start writing.

What do you think? What do you do for your writing routine?

The Merits of Reading and Writing Fanfiction

Whether you're a fan or a critic of Fifty Shades of Grey, there is no denying that the novel has a universal appeal. Fifty Shades of Grey was originally written as a work of Twilight fanfiction paying homage to the work of author Stephanie Meyer. E. L. James took her fanfiction, altered some names and book-specific details, and made a massive profit from her work. You may not be interested in reading or writing anything related to Twilight, but there are many other kinds of fanfiction out there. If you want to know why you should look into reading or writing fanfiction, let this blog post be your guide.

One of the greatest benefits of fanfiction is that it explores a wider range of issues than mainstream fiction. Fanfiction is noncommercial, so authors can write about whatever they want without fear that the subject matter will affect their book sales. The anonymity of fanfiction is another factor that allows authors to address whatever issues they want without worrying about being too controversial.

Another wonderful thing about fanfiction is that it is free. This case is one in which you get much more than what you pay for, however. No pay means that fanfiction writers aren't in it for the money. They're passionate about the craft. You could say that fanfiction is extremely cost-effective.

Fanfiction is also interactive. Thanks to the magic of the internet, readers can submit reviews and ratings for stories they enjoy. Writers receive the feedback and use it to improve their work. These reviews also serve as motivation to keep writing. You're more likely to finish a project if you know that people are interested.

If you want to write fanfiction, it's easy to get into. There are pre-established stories, characters, and settings - all you need to do is come up with a scenario. Fanfiction comes with preset fan bases. Everything is online - check out Fanfiction or Archive of Our Own to get started. Read a few stories first to get an idea for the format.

Fanfiction is a great way for beginners to practice the craft of writing. You can post stories, get feedback, and gain a better understanding of your prowess as a writer. Readers and writers alike can benefit in many different ways from the world of fanfiction. So what are you waiting for? Get out there!

What do you think? How do you feel about fanfiction?

4 Unexpected Places to Find Writing Jobs

The world of freelance writing is a gratifying, albeit frustrating, career path to pursue. I've been getting paid to write for various websites for three years now. Not only do I get a little pocket change--freelance work also allows me to put my name out for other potential clients and employers to see. If you want to look into doing freelance work, here are four unexpected places to conduct your freelance writing job search.

1. Elance. Okay, maybe this site isn't extraordinary. It's standard fare for most freelancers. Still, Elance is a great place to start looking for work. Clients and employers post jobs for freelance writers to bid on. If your bid wins, you get the job. For each job you complete, your rating goes up, which could lead you to even more work.
   


2. Craigslist. Hear me out. Although Craigslist can be unsavory at times, it's still a decent source for tracking down freelance writing jobs. You can either post your resume or apply for one of the jobs in the writing/editing section. You never know what could happen.


3. Reddit. Once again, I can feel you shaking your head. I got my current job from Reddit. Post your resume to r/forhire or r/hiring and see what comes up.


4. Ed2010. This site is the writing world's best-kept secret. Ed is the only site with jobs and internships geared toward those who are serious about writing. Check it out.

These are just a few resources to get you started on your way to a career in freelance writing. Be persistent, patient, and passionate about looking for work, and you'll be hired in no time.

What do you think? How do you find freelance writing jobs?

Pen versus Keyboard: A Pros and Cons List

One of the most prevalent dilemmas in the world of writing involves the method used to compose novels, short stories, essays, blog posts, poems, and scripts. Should you write your project out on paper or type it up on your computer? Fitzgerald and Wilde didn’t have much of a choice. Stephen King most certainly has a computer, yet he chooses to draft his pieces by hand first. Some people judge other writers by the method they use to write their first drafts. In this article, I’ll be listing the pros and cons of writing longhand versus writing shorthand. It’s up to you to decide which method works better for you as a writer.

Let’s talk about good ol’ fashioned pen and paper. The majority opinion of writers everywhere is that writing longhand allows you some freedom for pretention. Practically-speaking, there are several things to consider about writing your first draft on paper. It increases your focus, removes a majority of Internet- and computer-based distractions, cannot crash or freeze or be lost as easily, and is much more thoughtful on the whole. At the same time, writing on paper is hard work, can be time-consuming, and is difficult to search through when looking for a specific passage or scene.

Typing your draft may seem like the better solution for most writers, but there are two sides to this idea. Writing on the computer allows you to edit as you go along, backup your work, save it to access remotely when away from your computer, write more quickly and easily, search documents with ease, and automatically calculate word count. Some problems with writing longhand include the possibility for distractions, losing data to crashes and freezes, and less planning and forethought.

I’m writing this article on the computer—not because it’s better, but because typing my work is easier for me. I type much faster than I write. I’ve written this article hoping that you’ll use it to make your own educated decision about which method to use. Ignore people who try to judge your talent as a writer based on whether you write or type your work. Those people are silly. Content matters more than method.

Immerse Your Readers in Your Setting

Imagine yourself in the middle of a meadow on a summer afternoon. Hear the soft buzz of the bumblebee, the rush of wind-blown grasses, and the trickle of a nearby stream. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Taste the tart sweetness of the lemonade you sip from the glass in your hands. Feel the chill of the ice in the glass as condensation slides down the sides of it. See the sky—impossibly blue, bright, and cloudless. Reach out to touch the smooth wooden railing of the front porch.

Come back to the present.

Were you in the meadow?

As writers, one of the hardest parts of our job is convincing our readers to dive into our stories. We want them to become fully immersed in the worlds we’ve created. We want them to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell the reality of what we’ve put on the paper. Characters, dialogue, and plot are important, but setting is what makes the prose come alive for the reader. You want to get your audience hooked? Develop a fully-dimensional setting.

Start with sight. When you walk into a room, sight is the first sense activated in the brain. You notice what’s in front of you because it’s at eye level. The same should be true in your writing. If you want your audience to be in the desert with your characters, show them sand, cacti, and perhaps a snake. Once you develop sight, you can move on to the other senses.

Hearing should come next. What do you want your readers to hear? Rushing water? Crackling fire? The dull roar of a crowd? Whatever it is, be sure to describe it in as much detail as possible. Be unique. Find fresh ways to describe the soundscape of your setting to grab the audience’s attention. The readers will feel like they’re more involved in the story if they can see and hear what’s going on.

Smell is the sense with the closest ties to memory. A single scent can be powerful enough to take you back in time all the way to your childhood. For me, that scent is chlorine. I grew up in Florida surrounded by pools. The smell of chlorine is all it takes to bring my mind back to summers spent splashing around with my friends. Describe the smells inside your setting. Use sweet, fresh smells to evoke pleasant feelings and acrid, strong smells to evoke unpleasant ones. Smell can do a great deal in bringing out your setting.

Touch. How does your character interact with the setting? Give the reader the same experience. If he's petting a cat, let your reader feel the soft fur of the animal's back. If he's touched a hot stove, describe the sharp pain of the hot burner. Touch is a sensory detail that is often left out. I would encourage you to utilize it whenever and however you can.

Taste is arguably not as essential as the others, but nevertheless, it is worth mentioning. We are not constantly tasting things. The same is true for your character. If he is walking down the street and not eating or drinking anything, you don't need to tell us anything about taste. If he's digging in at an all-you-can-eat buffet, the reader is going to be much more interested in how everything tastes. Use taste when it makes sense to draw your readers in.

Utilizing the five senses is one way out of many to encourage your readers to dive into the world of your story. Sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch can make your setting come alive. Armed with this knowledge, you should be able to put your audience right where you want them--an encourage them to stay for longer than they'd had in mind.

Finding the Right Title

The most important aspect of writing a book is the writing, of course.

Once the first draft, second draft, and final draft are down, though, a writer's work is far from over. No matter how much or how little progress you've made on a piece of writing, the nagging title quandary is impossible to ignore. The title is what pushes readers away or pulls them in before they even put their hands on the book. It's the first impression that shapes the way your reader's frame the content of the novel.

Basically, it's a massive deal.

If you're having a hard time coming up with the title of your latest work, consider these tips.

1. Use a character's name. The name need not belong to the main character of the work, but that certainly helps. Examples: Dracula, Frankenstein, Moby Dick, Carrie, and Jane Eyre.

2. Use an important symbol or motif from the work. Make sure it's significant. Examples: The Bell Jar, The Grapes of Wrath, The Scarlet Letter, Pride and Prejudice, and The Glass Menagerie.

3. Use a quotation. You can pull one from the work itself or make an allusion to another literary work. Examples: Brave New World, A Time to Kill, Down to a Sunless Sea, Dying of the Light, and Things Fall Apart.

4. Use the main conflict. Don't give too much away. Examples: The Old Man and the Sea, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, and Love in the Time of Cholera.

Choosing a fitting title is a difficult yet rewarding task for nearly every writer. Armed with this advice, you should be on your way to the title of your dreams.

Unexpected Sources for Writing Inspiration

When you write all the time, it's easy to feel like every concept in the universe has already been exhausted. I understand your pain. If you think your idea pump could use a good priming, you might want to start thinking outside the box. Here are a few unexpected sources of writing inspiration.

PostSecret is one of my favorite places to get story ideas. This website "is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard" (PostSecret). The secrets range from trivial to life-changing in significance and are accompanied by pictures that may or may not relate to the confession. When I want inspiration, I look here first. Sometimes you can get plot situations from here, but more often than not, you'll come away with at least some interesting character quirks.

You can also find ideas from magazine article titles. This method works better for creative nonfiction, but if you get creative, you can still apply it to your short stories and novels. I wrote a piece not too long ago titled "Five Ways to Make Him Stay" about a troubled marriage. The title came straight from Cosmopolitan. You can also get ideas from news headlines, which tends to be my preference.

Another excellent source for writing inspiration is the re-imagination of actual events--whether from your life or from someone else's. This method can also be very therapeutic.Take an encounter and turn it on its head. How could the event have happened differently? What could have been some of the consequences?

If you're still having troubles finding idea, consider this model to set up a story:

A _____ wants _____, but ____ gets in the way.

This model is the one I use for most of my stories. My most recent short story, "Teacup," looks something like this:

A creative writing professor wants to have a romantic relationship with a pretty girl, but the fact that she's a student gets in the way.

This format is very basic, but it can be surprisingly helpful. The same is true of the preceding methods. The next time your mental well is running dry, poke around one of these unconventional sources of inspiration.