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Here is the place to share your advice to your fellow writers :]

Treat it like a job, even if you're "playing" at it.

Proofread your work about ten times. Then proofread it again, then have someone who can proofread look over it. Stick it in a drawer for a few weeks, then proofread it again. (Print it, don't try to do this on the computer.)

Do NOT submit a query letter unless you've gone over it with a fine-toothed comb. A friend of mine is an editor, and she'll pass on a book without even reading it if the query letter is full of issues. (Frankly, why bother submitting a work at all if you don't make sure your query letter is perfect?)

The easy part is writing the book. Editing, ongoing promotions, and even more ongoing promotions are hard and are themselves almost full-time jobs.

Join the Internet Writers Workshop (it's free) and submit your works through the lists there, and actively participate in critiquing. After about three months, I guarantee you will find you weren't nearly as good a writer as you thought you were at first. HOWEVER, after three months on the lists and actively participating, you WILL be a much better writer than you were when you started. (It also makes it much easier to spot issues in your own work that you were blind to before.)

Your editor is your friend. Never reject all of an editor's comments without at least considering them. Most editors worth their salt are willing to explain why they made the suggestions they did, and sometimes you don't need to fix what they suggested, but something else that led to their suggestion in the first place.

Ever edit while taking Nyquil. Trust me on this.

Redundant backups. As in external backups to CD media on a regular basis that goes off-site, preferably to a safe deposit box. I also use a huge 500gig external hard drive, and then I use 2 - 2gig flash drives that stay with me. I keep the most current stuff backed up on the little ones and they fit on my keychain (they are the same content, but in case one fails or is lost, I have the second). I also back up to a second computer.

You can never have too many backups.

Outstanding advice Tymber...I especially liked the "never edit on Nyquil" comment.

I know that I am about to purchase a 500gig external (after my laptop crashed last month). Backing-up data (on a regular basis) has become my number one New Year resolution.

Oh, and here is the link to the Internet Writers Workshop:



Thanks for your sage advice!
Dee Marie

Yeah, my editor and I were joking we were passing a "virus" back and forth via email because she got sick, then I got the ms back and I got sick, then she got sick when I sent it back to her. *LOL* And on and on. We both realized then that "no Nyquil edits" is a good, firm rule. *LOL*

Isn't it ironic how a human virus can be transmitted through a computer ;]

When I working on the magazine, inevitably, everyone would come down with a “bug�� at the same time…two days before the final deadline! I used to blame the “evil word-fairies.��

*LOL* Evil word fairies....I LOVE that!

I'll have to tell my editor that one.

Well, she's on final edits on the ms in question now and not getting sick again, we're hoping the last round of edits exorcised the last of the virus demons... *LOL*

I think that is excellent advice as well. One of the best tricks I learned for revision is to put your book (story, whatever) in 20PT font, then reread it. It's scary how many things I could see in my own work that I would otherwise glaze over.

Jen Knox, Author of

Changing your font style can also help you spot errors.

I'm only thirteen and I am writing a book. I cannot join the Internet Writers Workshop because I am under age. Does anyone have any help or advice for me?

The only advice I would give is that you read wonderful books, and work away on your book. Young people have been successful before with their books. Katherine Webb was just 14 when she published Mirror Dreams.(she's 16 now.) Good luck! And keep writing. Maybe you'll tell us what your book is about.

Allen Itz has put three of my poems on his marvellous poetry newsletter, Here and Now.
One of the tragic poet Anne Sexton's poems are up there and some beautiful Chinese poetry. Laurel

I decided to upload the book to ŷ������(R). Here is the link:

http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/5...

Please post criticism as it will help me become better in my writing and usage and language skills.

Bob the Builder - I glanced through your piece. It is well written, but I thought there was too much telling when you could show what the characters were doing. You didn't say what had happened to Edward's parents in the earthquake. I presume they were killed.
Laurel

Thank you for your criticism. I was going to talk about that in a later chapter because Edward doesn't know what happens to his parents, and he THINKS they are dead. However, in the end, he will find that his parents were indeed NOT dead. Thank you for telling me to describe their actions. After reading some more brief literature, I agree with you and will edit the chapters as soon as possible.

In case you were wondering, Bob the Builder's a nickname. My real name's Franklin.

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