THE BASICS IN THE BUSINESS OF WRITING

Today I'm going to give you an overview, a few small steps. Starting with selling in a market that at times seems to overwhelm us by sheer numbers. It's like sitting at a huge table filled with so many different types of food and thinking you can put everything on one plate. Well, you can't, so don't even try. Instead let's start with soup and salad, take it slow, chose what you know to start, then go on from there.

I use analogies to give my reader a picture to relate to, so picture this, all this food prepared and set out beautifully. It looks so good, you put all you can fit on your plate. Now look at the other people getting their food and picture the expression on their faces as they watch you. (I'm not done yet.) You sit down and put a big glob of something that looks delicious in your mouth and it is a thousand degrees hot. Your face is turning red and you begin to gag and can't hold it in. Everything, and I mean every little and big glob that is in your mouth comes out, some goes back in the plate the rest lands all over your designer clothes. Get the picture? Start with what you know.

Everything begins with the first step, that gets you going. In writing as well as any other endeavor, it takes hard work and a combination of knowledge of the subject matter, practice good writing, knowledge of writing markets, presentation, professionalism, and persistence. Any one of these skills alone, no matter how proficient you maybe in that area, will not help you to become a successful, or guarantee you a writing career.
While everyone has an opinion and perhaps writers more than most, each writer must find what works best for themselves. Take the information you find useful and apply it, the rest you can file away, it may prove useful as you mature. Use common sense when submitting an article, read what the editor publishes and follow the guidelines implicitly. Don't get wrapped up in details like, should the page number be on the top of each page or the bottom? Who cares, the guidelines only state that you number each page. What you need to ask yourself is, does this article relate to the publication. Ice fishing is a topic for the Great Lakes area, a magazine in South Carolina wouldn't have an interest in that subject matter.

Refine, define, and target one area, complete what your working on, submit it according to the guidelines, then go on to the next project. Don't start several different projects at the same time, you'll find that hopping from one to another leaves you with many incomplete projects. One step at a time will get you there and then proceed to the next goal. You will find your confidence grows with each project you complete and your skill as a writer improves as well. This is your starting point, the first steps you take as a writer, may this bring you success on the road you have chosen.