Sometimes finding time to write can be difficult with everything else going on around you at home. There are endless distractions that compete for our attention and unfortunately they usually win.

We assume that things such as folding laundry and sweeping the kitchen are more important than our writing.

What we need to do is claim more time for our writing. Here’s how:

Skip a TV show

If you skip just one sixty minute show each evening, that’s sixty full minutes you could to be writing. If you don’t watch much TV as it is, skip a thirty minute show and write. When other people are watching shows that you aren’t interested in, don’t feel obligated to sit and watch too. It won’t be productive for you.

Carve out weekend hours

You don’t have to wake up super-early to be able to fit in writing time on the weekends. If it’s not a busy weekend there is no reason you can’t work during the day or evening for a while. Just decide on your hours and let your family know. If your children are older, chances are they are busy with their own stuff anyway. Working just two hours each day on the weekends adds up to four hours of writing time!

Write during homework time

While the kids are doing homework is the perfect time for you to sit down and write too. You’ll still be there to help them when they need it and make some progress on your own work. While you attempt to motivate your children to do their work, you can motivate yourself as well as being an example.

Ask for help

If you are finding it hard to make time to write because of all the things you need to do around the house, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Have other people cook dinner a couple of times a week and during that time you can squeeze in some writing. When you work from home it’s just assumed that you can do everything without any trouble. Let other people know that. Or show them by working and having them realize that you do more than take care of the house and writing is hard work. You working from home is not meant to be a convenience for others.

Get out

Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you are chained to your desk. Pack up your laptop and notebooks once a week and head out to the library or someplace else that you can accomplish your writing. Maybe you’d like to join a critique group or just meet with a group of other writers for the company and just write together.

Though it can take time to get the hang of writing from home, over time you will grow more confident and know what you need to do in order to accomplish your goals.

Be A Better Writer and Blogger

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Claim Time to Write

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Do you have aspirations of becoming the next Ernest Hemingway?

Do you like being “in the know,” on a first-name basis with government leaders, high-profile developers, or personalities?

Do you like being sought by folks who want to tell their story, run for political office, or publicize their business?

Or do you want to earn a steady income doing what you love, writing?

Consider becoming a news reporter.

Local newspapers are a great place to build your portfolio quickly. You can also make it a stepping stone to magazines, free-lance writing, wire services, syndicates, public relations/advertsing, publishing or authorship.

The lifestyle of a news reporter is fun, yet demanding, often requiring long hours at government meetings, in courtrooms, or at the office making telephone calls and writing news stories. Dedication requires the reporter to represent his employer if he/she happens to be on the scene when news happens, no matter what the time.

A dedicated reporter also is expected to offer help during major news events like hurricanes or floods, even if they fall on his/her off days. A dedicated reporter can be caught reading their own, or a competing newspaper or magazine, even on their off time. They’ll frequently listen to one or more television broadcast.

They’re also likely to be avid readers, devouring books as a hobby. While news reporters have the reputation of being a bit pushy, sometimes obnoxiously pushy, some reporters would describe themselves as a bit shy.

The mild-mannered reporter who folks trust is likely to be first getting a hot news tip. Because even reporters can specialize, these shy types eventually can settle into a feature writing job about gardening, or write about local sports, without having to be very aggressive. It is the muckraker, an investigative reporter writing about government-related or business scandals, who likely will fall behind for lack of aggression. These scandals attract reporters from various media, making the job much more competitive.

So how do you actually get one of these coveted, glamourous reporting jobs?

We’ll take a look at several important steps.

Step One — Keep up with current events by reading your local newspaper and listening to broadcast news. Consider subscribing to a well respected newspaper like The New York Times or The Miami Herald. Read it faithfully, paying attention to how articles are crafted.

Step Two — Earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in journalism, mass communications or a related field. Get training/references in news writing. Be sure to take advantage of opportunities to write and edit your school newspaper. Train to work for online newspapers to broaden your base of opportunities. Learn how to use a computer. Learn how to use the Internet to look for a job and post writing samples.

Step Three — If you don’t already have one, buy a reliable car. Very likely you will be paid a gas stipend per mile, or a standard gas allotment.

Step Four — Be an intern. Seek opportunities to intern at a local news operation during the summer or school year. Take advantage of this time to learn as much as you can, make valuable contacts, build your portfolio, and get professional references.

Step Five — Consider becoming a news stringer as a part-time job while you’re in school. The small part-time assignment could bloom into a full-time job when you graduate.

Step Six — Go for your dream. Apply to the news magazines, wire services, or major metropolitan dailies. Don’t wait for them to run an ad in Editor and Publisher. The ad will bring piles of competition. Be willing to take an intern job and write obituaries or engagement and wedding notices, if necessary. Consider starting as a copy editor, but be sure to let them know you want to be a reporter so they can plan to give you the job when it becomes available.

Step Seven — If you fail to get hired at your dream news organization, or if you’re not sure where you want to work, check trade resources like US Newspaper List online and send letters of application, with resume, to a big batch of eligible employers. Offer samples of your work and references. Unfortunately, the proliferation of spam leaves you no guarantee e-mail will be opened.

Step Eight — Be sure to follow up, providing all requested information.

Step Nine — When an editor requests an interview, dress like a professional. Yes, even consider buying a suit, depending on the size and reputation of the news organization. (A suit probably is not necessary for small newspapers.) Even at larger newspaper offices, reporters typically wear casual, comfortable clothing, although suits and dressier clothing are required for some jobs. An interview is definitely time to pull out the suit at these newspapers. In any event, look professional and resist the temptation to wear your tattered jeans. They may not be allowed because you represent your employer where-ever you go on assignment.

Step Ten — Prepare for your interview by learning about the company beforehand. Plan to answer basic questions like why you would be an asset to their news staff and why you would like to work there. Be prepared to talk a little bit about yourself, but have questions to ask about the company and an editor’s expectations. Check into the area’s cost of living beforehand. Editors can and do negotiate on occasion, so you should know your salary requirements and politely let them know your needs. The salary on your first job may not be negotiable, however, so avoid appearing greedy.

Step Eleven — Repeat the application and interview process as necessary until you land the big one!

Once on the job, you may find yourself writing death or engagement notices, or covering police news. If you are assigned to cover suburban news, you may monitor local government, schools, police and courthouse events, take your own photographs and write features. It’s a great place to learn the ropes and find out what assignments you like best.

Consider joining the local press club or journalism society to make more contacts and establish yourself.

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How to Become a News Writer

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Rise to the Challenge

Book reviews are a great way for readers to get a taste of the story and find out if they’re interested in it, plus gather reviewers’ opinions or recommendations on a novel. People who read books and review them must walk a fine line, revealing information about the story without giving away the plot twists or ending, while writing as objective an opinion as possible. It may not be the job for everyone, but for those who love books and are ready for the challenge of reviewing them, it is possible to earn compensation for their hard work.

Practice Makes Perfect

For those who have never written a review or have written only a few, getting experience with writing reviews is essential. Publishers won’t hire individuals with no experience with reviewing, no matter how clever a writer they may be otherwise. Studying reviews by other writers is necessary to learn style, format, and structure, as well as becoming familiar with the content and review genres that are being published. Understanding the market will put a new reviewer on the right road to selling their own work.

Making a Name

Once the reviewer has some writing experience and some understanding of the field, getting their work into the public arena is the next step. This probably won’t include payment at first. Though some exceptional new writers may be accepted by paying publishers, most reviewers find that they need to volunteer their work to make a name for themselves and to gain attractive credentials to put on their resumes or queries when hunting for paying jobs. There are an enormous number of book review sites on the Internet that are willing to assess and publish voluntary reviews, but print magazines or newspapers may also consider free reviews. Reviewers can also benefit from creating a website or blog to display their work.

Finding a Paying Publisher

After getting a few bylines to their name, the reviewer can then consider applying to a paying publisher for a review job. Reviewers need to explore the market before sending queries, to make sure that they find a good match for their type of reviews. Publishers come in all shapes and sizes, from small to mega publications, online and offline book, magazine, and newspaper publications. Publishers interested in freelance book reviewers can be found in writer’s markets, classified ads, and employment search engines. Writing a professional query letter that follows the publisher’s submission guidelines is essential to show serious interest and competence. Most publishers will also require a review sample to assess the quality of the reviewer’s work.

Be Proactive

Once a reviewer lands a paying job, they need to be able to keep it. Of course, writing interesting reviews is top priority, but it’s also necessary to keep updated and educated. Reviewers need to continue reading other reviews, updating their own styles and approaches to reviewing, plus being aware of the changes in the market itself. A reviewer who is proactive and up to date will always be appreciated by publishers and find a secure home in the world of book reviewing.

Image Credit – Ian Wilson

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It happens to most serious writers at one time or another. You have plotted out the story line. You have developed most of your major characters and you may have even completed half of your novel. Then one day you open up your word processor, or note book, and you can’t, for the life of you, think what to write next.

Writer’s block descends like a paralysing fog that seizes up the brain and sends the new writer into panic mode. When it’s the first time it’s happened it really does seem like the end of a promising career. The flow of words that have been bubbling along like a fast-running stream have suddenly dried up and you are left staring at a blank page with no idea where your cherished writing is to go next.

It could be a short term problem that is easily fixed, a bit like a computer that refuses to work properly when you switch it on. The guru’s solution then is to switch it off, leave for a few minutes and restart. This usually works, and it’s a good idea to use the same technique with the brain. Get up from your screen, or put away your notepad and pen, and do something else for a short while. Make some coffee, go into the garden and de-head something…above all don’t sit staring at a blank screen or page. It will just make matters worse. While the coffee ‘percs’ let some ideas mull around in your head. If it’s a minor hitch, like how to start a new chapter, or even a new paragraph, just relaxing for a few moments will probably do the trick. You’ll be able to go back to your writing refreshed and ready to run again.

If it’s a major block (you’ve painted yourself into a corner with the plot, or you just can’t think of a convincing piece of dialogue that’s going to be vital to the ‘show not tell’ rule you’re trying so hard to stick to) it’s even more important to get as far away from your work as possible.

The golden rule is …don’t start to fret about it. It’s not the end of your career, it’s just a blip and you will recover from it. So try and distance yourself from this particular piece of writing. That doesn’t mean give up all together. Still try to write something every day. It’s like going to the gym, but involves a brain work-out rather than a session on the treadmill. Forget the novel for the time being and start a short story, or if you’ve never written poetry before, experiment with rhyming couplets…limerick writing can be fun and relaxing. It requires word skills and a sense of humour. Something you’re probably a bit short of under the circumstances.

Don’t become obsessive about writing though. Try not to let it be the first thing you think of in the morning. You could become depressed, and that won’t help anybody, least of all yourself. Did you have a hobby before the urge to write took over your life? If so, retrieve it from the cupboard, the shed, or the last known sighting of it and take it up again (temporarily of course, just until the ‘block’ has cleared).Whilst you’re concentrating on sticking the millionth matchstick onto that almost completed model of the Eiffel Tower the solution to the tricky problem of how to dispose of the body, or how your hero is going to escape from the locked room will probably come to you.

If you really can’t bear the thought of leaving your ‘baby’ all on it’s own try skipping the part of the story that’s giving you trouble and have a go at writing the last chapter or two. Yes, you may have the ending totally worked out, but you may also find yourself going off on a slightly different track, and this in itself could provide you with the necessary route to fixing the stalling point of your plot.

The brain is a complex organ and the answer you’ve anguished over for so long can have a strange habit of popping up when you least expect it. That’s when you need to be prepared. During this ‘fallow’ period of creativity keep writing materials everywhere. In the car, by the sink,and especially on your bedside table. Three o’clock in the morning, when you’re drifting between wakefulness and sleep, is a favourite time for a piece of scintillating dialogue to spring into your mind. It’s an absolute cracker…it will set the page on fire. You roll over and go back to sleep, and by the morning you can’t remember a word of it. Oh dear, oh dear! But think about it…you wouldn’t commit a length of prose to your word processor without saving it, would you? Unfortunately the human brain doesn’t come equipped with a ‘Save As’ facility so keep that pen and paper handy at all times. A lot of very successful writers advocate a ‘jot it down before you forget it’ policy for their writing at all times and it’s sound advice.

Lastly, try sharing your woes. You need a sympathetic shoulder right now. Don’t burden your family with it. Unless they are writers themselves they won’t understand why you are making such a big deal of not knowing how your protagonist is going to get out of the mess you’ve got him into, or how your heroine is going to respond to the good-looking guy you just wrote into her life. Close, but non-writing friends will profess an interest and then quickly become bored as you chew over every possibility. You will notice this when their eyes glaze over and they suggest a sudden trip to the shops or the pub.

Hopefully, in your personal phone book you will have the numbers of a few fellow writers you can call on in times of need. Writers groups are great for this, so make sure you’ve swapped numbers with some friendly members. If you’re a writer in isolation this can be more of a problem, so it’s a good idea to go online and check out some writer’s web sites. A quick engine search will bring up hundreds….some good, some not so, but there’s bound to be one or two that you like the look of. Register, and hey presto, you’re in a virtual writer’s circle. Post your problem on their forum…offer advice yourself if you’ve experienced something similar, and suddenly that feeling of being the only writer out there will evaporate. You’ll get a wealth of advice and feedback. And who knows? Someone’s suggestion may be just the help you need.

You may develop a few pen-friendships from these forums into the bargain . These are great too. You can email off all your troubles, and even if they haven’t a solution, at least you’ll feel better having unburdened yourself to a fellow sympathiser. It’s highly probable that he or she has suffered from writer’s block as well and just being told you are not a complete failure will do your morale no end of good.

Anyone author who says they have never suffered from an attack of creative meltdown is either a genius or a fibber, so don’t succumb to the notion that you haven’t got it in you to write that book. You have, and writer’s block is all part of the process of developing your skills and completing your work. And when you’ve finally written those magic words THE END the real work (of finding a publisher) will just be beginning. And when you acheive that you’ll need to start the whole darned process off again with your next novel!

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Freelance journalists write for newspapers, magazines, radio, television and online publications.

Being a staff journalist is a job full of deadlines, stress and competition.

To land a reporting job at a paper, writers usually take a position as typist in hopes they can get in line for any staff writing jobs.

As a freelance journalist, you can find stories, pitch them to any paper you like, and write about the issues and topics you prefer. There is also an option that falls between freelance and staff and that person is called a stringer.

A stringer is a freelancer who has been assigned an area by the newspaper on a freelance basis. Within the area the stringer writes about politics, town meetings, issues, school happenings, entertainment, basically anything newsworthy or of interest to readers.

A stringer is not an employee of the newspaper, since he or she is paid per story, but unlike a freelancer the stringer is given assignments. So, how do you become a stringer? Find the editor’s name on the publication’s web site or in the paper and give him/her a call and introduce yourself. You’ll probably want to pitch a few story ideas as well.

Freelance journalists and magazine writers have a lot of balls in the air at once. They are constantly thinking of story ideas, writing and sending out query letters (idea pitches) to publications, and always writing something for publication.

So where do you come up with ideas to pitch to papers and magazines?

1. The news is a great source for nonfiction writers. Truth is stranger than fiction, right? Cut out articles or snippets from newspaper and magazines you find interesting and create a file folder for each category. Keep a notepad next to the TV incase you hear something interesting and want to jot it down. Have an “eye” and an “ear” for the news.

2. Local and college libraries are a wealth of information (thanks to grants and student tuition.) You’ll find a great deal of information among the databases and periodical collections. Read back issues for story ideas. If the magazine ran the article in the past, they may be willing to run an updated version in the future.

3. Dig up information on local history or people who came from your area. Visit the local museum or historical society, both of which usually have boxes and boxes of local information. If you do not live in a city with a museum or library with a specialized collection consider making a trip to review their collection.

4. Go online and browse forums. If you’re thinking of writing an article on a certain topic, visit a related-forum to find out what people want to learn. For example, if you want to write a series of articles for first-time home buyers, visit forums and learn what types of questions people have. You can then answer these questions in your article.

5. Ask people! Call business owners and ask what the issues in their industry are.

6. Research publications and journals are a great source for ideas. For example, research journals with recent medical studies and the latest medicines are great sources for “filler” articles as well as features.

7. Talk to people. Be alert. If a new and interesting business opens up, interview the owner.

Opinion Writing

Do you have an opinion? Do you have a strong voice? Love to debate? If you answered yes, then you have a future as an opinion writer. This type of writing can be found in newspapers on the “op-ed” page, in syndicated columns, and in articles. Opinion writers also make great speech writers. A quick way for opinion writers to get published in a newspaper and start accumulating clips is by writing Letters to the Editor. Be aware of the issues in your community and nationwide and write 300-500 words on your views on the topic. These are now your published opinion writing clips that you can send in when submitting your resume, stories, or queries to publications.

A career as an opinion writer can be a harsh one, especially if you wish to have many friends. This is because you are calling the public’s attention to the issues and in doing so, will probably offend at least one person. However; opinion writing, if done with humor and wit, can make you very popular, like Jon Stewart host and co-writer of The Daily Show.

Opinions and Letters to the Editor need to start with an attention grabbing opener. If you are referencing an article or current news event, you should mention it. Make sure your point is clear and that readers know what issue you’re referring to. In the next paragraph, start to make and support your views. Be specific: give names, data, facts, dates. Make it part humor part informative.

The following is an example of a letter to the editor published March 11, 2005 in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Ex-hostage’s story has holes

“Something doesn’t add up about released Italian reporter Giuliana Sgrena’s story. If you were just released as a hostage in Iraq and claimed to see no checkpoint, no people, would you drive at a ”regular speed” or would you haul butt? I just can’t believe they weren’t driving as fast as possible to get out of that country if no one else was around. She claimed they were driving slowly because the danger was behind them, yet they were still in a war zone. There is a huge contradiction there.

She speaks worse of the U.S. troops than of the terrorists who kidnapped her at gunpoint Feb. 4 and held her for a month. And she speaks nothing of the unconfirmed $1 million paid to terrorists for her release, money that no doubt is now intended to harm troops, journalists and innocent Iraqis. Kidnapping has just become profitable in Iraq.”

This situation is tragic in so many ways and caused by many circumstances, but all the reporter sees is the evil United States. The loss of the intelligence officer is horrible, but I also think that with her refusal to give the United States information, there is some deflecting going on with this situation. I think the United States deserves some answers as well.”

Can you see why this was published? First, the author has a strong opinion and uses proper nouns (Giulana Sgrena, United States) and facts, (Feb. 4, $1 million) to support her point. A good Letter to the Editor will address a specific event, article, or other letter, use a strong voice, and have facts to support the message.

Food/ Reviews/Travel Writing

Book, restaurant, and travel reviews are also options for the nonfiction writer. These can be for newspapers, ezines, Web sites, magazines, or you can take it further and write regional guidebooks or cookbooks.

a. Book reviews:
In a book review writers give readers a little information about the book without giving anything away. Writers should also add a little information about the author, include quotes from the book, and give an opinion.

To get started write a letter of introduction to publishers telling them you are a writer and express an interest to receive certain books for review. After contacting a publisher once, often you will receive free copies before they hit shelves.

b. Food reviews:
Five-star restaurants are not the only ones worthy of a review, as you can see just by picking up the daily paper. People want to know where to go for a specific type of cuisine, price or atmosphere in any given town, state and country. Take a look, for example, at Lake Claremont Press at http://www.lakeclaremont.com/. LCP is an indie publisher in Chicago, IL, USA that creates regional guidebooks full of reviews, with the bulk being restaurant reviews.

Often publishers look for contributors to such guidebooks, so always be on the look out. When writing for newspapers, magazines or web sites make your reviews interesting. Come up with clever titles and an entertaining opening line. You don’t want to simply write that the chicken parmesan was good and cost $16.95. Give the reader a sense of the service, atmosphere, and crowd.

c. Travel reviews:
Travel reviews can be either an impartial review of a country, cruise, airline, resort, or anything else related to travel, or it can be a personal account of your trip or experience. Readers look to these reviews for unbiased information on hotels, cruise lines and resorts, while also enlightening about things to do.

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Anyone who produces written work, whether they are writing an article, a business proposal or an academic thesis, should bear in mind the importance of proofreading and more importantly, the dangers of not proofreading.

Proofreading is not solely the job of an editor as many might have you believe.

Proofreading your writing is a very important and integral part of the writing process but how should you go about it and what might you be looking for?

Here you’ll find five tips to help you get the most from the proofreading process and ensure the quality of your writing reflects the effort made.

1. Get a second opinion. Proofreading your own writing is fine, up to a point but independent feedback is valuable. You can be too close to your own writing and subject to spot the errors sometimes. Have someone you trust proofread your text. Many advisers say that you should get a friend or family member to do this. This is fine if you’re sure they will be able to spot errors. You need someone with an eye for detail and a sound knowledge of grammar and spelling. Encourage them to give you constructive criticism where they think they see errors, and not to just tell that something is wrong without offering an opinion or a reason why.

2. Never try to proofread your writing as soon as you’ve written it. Your mind is telling you what you think you wrote and not necessarily what actually made onto the page. Most editors will advise that you go and do something else for at least a few hours to ensure your attention has been diverted and you’ve had time to drop the train of thought that you had when you were writing. In truth, it’s far better to put the writing away until at least the next day, possibly even a few days if you have the luxury of time. This will guaranteed that you come back to it with a clear view or even just in a different mood. It’s much more likely that you will spot mistakes and areas for improvement.

3. Make sure you actually read the words on the page. Simple though it may sound, for many people this will be very difficult as their normal method of reading may be very fast, almost skimming the text. This is not a suitable reading style for proofreading unless you are very experienced. Thorough proofreading requires the editor to see, appreciate and digest every single word and its place in the sentence.

4. Never fully rely on spell checking applications and automated grammar checkers. They are no substitute for a thorough human proofread. Make sure you fully understand the limitations of spelling and grammar checkers and what they are actually checking for you.

5. Look for mistakes in context with the type of writing you’re undertaking. For example, grammatical mistakes associated with the way you speak or even a regional dialect may be fine and might even add to the texture of a character if included in dialogue. If, on the other hand, you’re writing a guide on the importance of perfect grammar, you will probably want to be much stricter with your language.

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5 Tips to Help You Get the Most From Proofreading

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