INCENTIVE

I have been running around in circles looking for that incentive to motivate me. Not all that long ago I was pumping out stories with an enthusiasm that surprised me. I was always inspired and ideas for my stories came from a seemingly endless fountain of creativity. The dwindling of short story markets and the difficulty of making a mark in the novel publishing industry had left me feeling discouraged.

I hung in there. I hoped for the best. I waited for incentive to find me – and that’s exactly what happened today. Turning the pages of That’s Life Magazine a photo of myself smiled back at me. The caption read; ‘I’ll never stop writing.’

I had been interviewed by the magazine a few months ago and hoped they would run a story promoting my novel Dream Keeper, but had no idea it was out in this week’s issue.

The article titled: ‘My Dream Became A Novel’, reminded me of my aspirations as a writer and the journey I had travelled from unpublished to published writer; which took a lot of perseverance and determination – every bit of it worth it! The article is a great promotional tool for my novel and I am very grateful for that, but more importantly it reminded me of who I am and why I write.

Today I have found my incentive and I feel inspired, so I’m off to do what makes me happy …. WRITE!

GHOST WRITING

I have been reading Ghost Writing (How to write for Others) by Lynne Hackles. This book has completely changed my perception and attitude of this avenue of writing from a negative one to a positive one. I used to think: Why put in all the hard work only for someone else to get all the credit? But Lynne points out; ‘Everyone has a story but not everyone can write their story. Your work can help people achieve their dreams and share their stories.’

This has opened my eyes to the prospects of branching out as a writer. We are all painfully aware of the dwindling story markets, and being able to apply our creative skills to bring someone’s story to life would be a rewarding experience. Lynne also points out; ‘It’s worth remembering that a ghost will get paid for their work whether it gets into print or not.’ How good is that? The added beauty of ghost writing is that it’s a project that can be tackled alongside your usual writing.

Writers need markets and in reading Ghost Writing I have learned there is a huge market for ghost writers – not everyone has the gift of successfully expressing the written word. Here are just a few of those markets:- celebrity autobiographies, specialised subjects, blogs, websites, speeches, novels, articles, history of a town and memoirs.

The book, Ghost Writing, is a comprehensive easy to read guide which covers everything from the opportunities available, finding clients, marketing your services, setting up your business, meeting and interviewing potential clients, dealing with contracts, writing and selling the client’s story and everything in between. It really is a worthwhile read!

So, if you are thinking about taking your writing skills to another level, opening up your options and branching out, consider ghost writing.

Keep writing :-)

WRITING QUOTES

I found some interesting quotes that I liked. I hope you like them too:

Never stop trying. A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.
- Richard Bach

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. Sometimes you need to actively seek your sources of inspiration.

- Jack London

Show, don't tell. Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.

- Anton Chekhov

Keep your writing interesting. The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.

- Samuel Johnson

Follow your instincts and do what you feel you must. A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.

- Maya Angelou

Let success happen in its own time. Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it… Success is shy – it won't come out while you're watching.

- Tennessee Williams

Keep on writing....