April 21, 2008
by Lucia Zimmitti
You’ve probably reflected on your overall temperament and how it impacts your relationships. For instance, you have some idea about what kind of friend you are, what kind of parent or sibling or spouse or significant other. But have you ever thought about what kind of writer you are? Finding out can shed new light on your relationship with writing.
Because writers are individuals (and highly creative and enigmatic individuals, I might add), it’s not a simple matter of settling on one category and fitting yourself into it. Instead, you may share traits with several of the most common writing personalities.
Honestly assessing your writing temperament and holding an awareness of it as you work can help you avoid time-wasting habits and ultimately be more productive. And since so much of writing is putting yourself on the page (regardless of your genre or subject), if you have a clearer picture of your writing self, your finished product will reap the benefits.
(Note: to avoid s/he overload, I’ve decided to alternate pronouns from article to article. In no way do I mean to imply that certain genders are more likely to exhibit certain tendencies at the writing desk.)
Here’s the complete list of common writing temperaments:
1) Sir Starts-a-lot
2) The Perfectionist
3) Fool for a Deadline
4) The Island (includes (a) The Over-confident Island and (b) The Fearful Island)
5) The Tofu Artist (a.k.a. The Feedback-Dependent Writer)
(I’ll devote a separate article to each temperament.)
1) Sir Starts-a-lot
Someone with this writing temperament is always starting a new project. Sir Starts-a-lot recognizes enormous potential in his latest project, and he is genuinely invested in seeing this idea through to completion. At least that’s what he thinks when the idea is still new and fresh. The next time you bump into him at your favorite wireless hotspot, you’re amped up on café lattes (how many, you don’t know, since you lost count at fourteen) and he’s amped up on a brand-spanking new idea. That’s right. The aforementioned Big Project (The One) has been shoved aside to make room for a “Really, Really Great Idea.”
But he seems so happy, in harmony with his muse. His enthusiasm is so overt and contagious that it makes you rush back to your seat, ready to dig in. (You regret that, in your haste, you sloshed scalding coffee on a lady knitting in a club chair.)
Sir Starts-a-lot shares similarities with an infatuation junkie, someone who craves the beginning of relationships with all that heady euphoria and seemingly endless, shining hope. True, we all love that phase, but the infatuation junkie discards the whole relationship when the all-is-fun stage inevitably passes. Once Sir Starts-a-lot gets to the really tough part of the book/story/article (i.e., the middle), he’s lured away by the siren song of a new idea.
No matter how an idea shimmers in the early stages, it usually starts looking dull and wooden when we spend enough time with it. Those normal middle-of-the-book doldrums don’t mean the idea isn’t worthwhile. But to the writer who starts and starts but doesn’t finish, those blah vibes signal a need to exit fast.
The BENEFIT of this temperament: If this is your overall tendency, you probably have a good time at your desk. Let’s face it: new ideas are exciting. They are brimming with possibility, and you haven’t committed to them yet, so you still feel free. And you just know that this idea will be The One to get you to the finish line. You’re constantly buoyed by the steady wave of creative ideas. It’s like permanently existing in the best part of romantic relationships, where both parties are putting their best feet forward and you don’t need to make accommodations for annoying habits or complicated in-laws.
The COST of this temperament: Ah, writing does not get published on ideas alone, so if you see yourself in Starts-a-lot, the major cost is that you don’t finish anything.
The fun you have in tossing around fresh ideas that hit you in the shower, on the highway, or in the dentist’s chair is offset by the frustration you feel in never having a finished product, something you can send out and someday see in print (other than your own ink jet.)
WHAT TO DO:
Don’t give in to new ideas.
That doesn’t mean ignore new ideas. It just means not to devote your precious writing time to those new ideas…just yet. Keep a small tape recorder or notebook with you wherever you go so you can record those ideas, forget about them for now, and keep them for future use. They will be there when you’re ready for them, after you’ve completed the piece you’ve already started.
Be accountable to someone.
It’s too easy to tell yourself: Big deal, no one will know if I don’t finish this; no one will care. Make someone care about what you’re working on. Enlist the help of a friend or relative or writing coach. Tell them you really need to finish this piece and that your pattern has been to abandon works-in-progress when the excitement starts to wane. Ask them to give you a first-draft deadline, and ask them to seriously enforce it.
Make the old new.
Think about that seductive sense of novelty that you find so appealing in new projects. Now channel that into the writing you’ve already begun. Infuse your work-in-progress with new life so that some aspect of it feels new. Think of a new approach, create another character, try out a different point of view…something that makes the work feel new again to you, without abandoning it altogether.
Coming soon: Writing temperament Number 2, The Perfectionist.
To discover other ways to make your writing habit more efficient, satisfying and fun, visit http://ManuscriptRx.com and sign up for “Write Through It,” the FREE monthly newsletter that offers practical writing advice and anecdotal wisdom.
Lucia Zimmitti, a writing coach and independent editor, is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Editorial Freelancers Association. Her fiction and poetry have been published in various national literary journals, and she has taught writing at the high school and college levels.
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April 20, 2008
Every so often we will spotlight a work of fiction sent to us by our readers. If you have written something and would like to have it spotlighted here, please send it to us. It should be between 200-500 words. You may include a short paragraph describing yourself, your writing and a link to your website.
We look forward to hearing from everyone!
-Jolts
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April 19, 2008
by Deanna Mascle
Learning to write is a never-ending process. Improving your writing skill can be challenging and difficult even if you love writing — and incredibly daunting if you hate it. My students and readers ask me all the time how they can become better writers. So what can you do improve your writing skill? Three simple steps can help you find the writing help you need — reading, writing, and critiquing.
You cannot learn to write or improve your writing skill in a vacuum. You must expose yourself to other writers’ work. There is a wealth of writing tips available from every writer no matter their level of experience or expertise. Some writers offer ideas and fodder for your writing as well as expand your vocabulary. Other writers can provide examples of good writing, interesting style, and intriguing vocabulary or word usage. Still other writers can help you learn more about what mistakes you should strive to eliminate from your own writing.
And of course, you can seek all the writing help you can find, but without practice your writing will never improve. I always tell my students that I can only talk about writing for so long before I simply need to get out of the way so they can create and experiment to uncover their own personal writing process and writing style and discover how to work through their personal writing challenges. Writing is a very individual process and cannot be taught with a one-size-fits-all process. The more you write then the more you will learn about your own writing — warts and all. You will discover your strengths and uncover your weaknesses — then struggle to build on the former and diminish the latter.
Critiquing other writers and opening up your own writing to critique is one of the most effective ways to learn more about writing. Critiquing the writing of others can help you compare various solutions - and their effectiveness - to a variety of writing problems. It is often easier to find a solution to another writer’s problem or challenge than it is your own — and you may well find that today’s solution for another writer is a solution to your own future writing issue. You can gain exposure to a variety of writing styles. In addition, the advice of an informed reader can offer a window into your own work. We usually know what goal we set for our writing but cannot truly judge how effectively we achieved that goal. An informed reader can help us identify problem areas as well as find potential solutions.
If you really want writing help and you truly desire to increase your writing skill then you must read more, write more, and critique more. The more you read of varied genres, authors, and styles then the better writer you will become. The more writing practice you give yourself then the stronger and more confident you will become. The more you truly evaluate and investigate writing — and what works and why — then the more effective your own writing will become.
Find more writing help and information about writing skill at http://word-craft.info/
Deanna Mascle may be contacted at http://renaissancewomanonline.com
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April 18, 2008
by Kelly Robbins
January 29, 2008. Broomfield, CO - In BtoB’s “2008 Marketing Priorities and Plans” recent survey, they found that 60% of B2B marketers plan to increase their marketing budgets next year.
With an increase in budget comes an increase in demand for copywriting jobs in 2008. Most business use the majority of their marketing budgets in the first six months, therefore it is critical that copywriters, especially freelance copywriters make themselves known to their target market.
This is also good news for those who are thinking of switching to a career as a freelance copywriter. The desire to find a job to work from home in is increasing (and why not — it is a win-win for many working mothers) and copywriting is an in demand service.
With this increase in spending, copywriters are preparing for their own marketing efforts. Kelly Robbins, founder of The Copywriting Institute stated “As a health care copywriter, I was excited to see this statistic. I instantly began working more intently on my marketing plan so that I could be sure the prospects in my target market knew I could take on any new projects they needed done in 2008. Unfortunately, I personally know many copywriters who are stuck in their marketing efforts and are not prepared for this increase.”
The Copywriting Institute has an online course for freelance copywriters who are looking to build their copywriting business and attract clients in their target niche. The Build Your Copywriting Business Course is designed to help copywriters put systems in place to find clients in their target market! Copywriters learn how to get their name top of mind in their target market so that prospects will think of them before anyone else.
Copywriters who take the course learn what they need to do to become a high earning copywriter and learn what marketing methods work best for successful copywriters. They develop marketing materials in the course like a web site, business cards, sales letter, and create writing samples and learn how to get them published. Copywriters also receive coaching and feedback on all assignments and written materials.
Ina Gilmore, a graduate of the course, had this to say, “During the course, I found my micro-niche, and developed my marketing materials. I began working on my website and blog, both of which I completed less than two weeks after finishing the course. The course materials, homework, and gentle coaching were just what I needed to build my confidence and jump-start my business!” The Copywriting Institute’s mission is to help copywriters and aspiring copywriters learn to make high profits and create their ideal life through great writing, by creating marketing systems to generate a consistent stream of prospects, and living joyfully.
Find out more about this program here: http://thecopywritinginstitute.com/buildyourbusiness.html ###
Author of Powerful Interviewing Techniques for Healthcare Marketers E-book, Kelly Robbins is an award winning copywriter and marketing coach/consultant. She also publishes The Healthcare Marketing Connection, a free e-zine on healthcare marketing tips. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, “5 critical things you must know when writing for the healthcare industry” - info@AMarketingConnection.com or 303-460-0285.
Kelly Robbins may be contacted at http://www.AMarketingConnection.com or info@AMarketingConnection.com
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