A compilations of all of my book review columns for the Writer2Writer.com ezine. Enjoy!

Book Reviews for Writers (originally published in the Writer2Writer.com ezine)

Novelist’s Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes

Sun Signs for Writers

Bylines Calendar for Writers

The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won’t

Making a Good Script Great

Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How to Win Top Writing Assignments

Blockbuster Plots: Pure & Simple

No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript That Sells

The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes & Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes

First Draft in 30 Days: A Novel Writer’s System for Building a Complete and Cohesive Manuscript

The Writer’s Retreat: A Guide for Creative Exploration and Personal Expression

Writing From the Inside Out

Writing Short Fiction That Sells

The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide To Freelancing Success

Coaching The Artist Within: Advice For Writers, Actors, Visual Artists & Musicians From America’s Foremost Creativity Coach

Writing Realistic Dialogue and Flash Fiction: A Thorough Primer for Writers of Fiction and Essays

The Revised and Expanded Punctuation for Writers: A Throrough Primer for Writers of Fiction and Essays

Write Here,Write Now: A Step-By-Step Guide to Launching Your Writing Career

Need Motivation and Focus?
The Art of Creating a Writer’s Mission Statement

by Beth Morrow

Copyright 2007 – All Rights Reserved
Ready for a quick writer’s quiz?

In one or two sentences, answer these three questions about the last piece of writing you completed (or started with the intention to complete, even if you didn’t quite get finished):

• Who was the intended audience/reader of your piece?
  
• What was the single most important point of your piece?
  
• If the reader thought about your piece one week after reading it, what do you think their dominant impression/recollection would be?

Difficult, isn’t it?

Having a creative mind is positive in many ways: mental flexibility, the ability to think outside the box, creative types are often more optimistic and willing to take on challenges and the level of attention to detail and observation in the creative mind is far more finely tuned than the average person. On the other hand, at times, the sense of limitless possibilities throws writers for a loop when we face the issue of narrowing ourselves, our ideas and our writing—even when it’s a necessary evil.

Spending a little time, then, at the beginning of each new project to create a writer’s purpose, or mission statement, for the project you’re about to embark upon is one way to help stay motivated by focusing your imaginative mind on the initial goal you set out to accomplish. New problems and promising project ideas that seem to inevitably pop up when we’re deeply entrenched in one piece of work divert our attention and sometimes subconsciously sabotage our best efforts to remain focused on the work at hand—a curse of the creative mind. Creating a mission statement for each project can help regain—and retain—that spark of excitement that will drive us to completion of our work.

But how to create a writer’s mission statement? It isn’t as intimidating (or time-consuming) as it sounds. A successful writer’s mission statement contains only two crucial items:

• What you wish/plan to accomplish with this piece of writing
  
• How this piece of writing will contribute to the life of the reader

A few sample writer’s mission statements…

The mission for my cooking columns is to bring readers a new recipe with a family story each month. I want readers to remember that food is an integral component to creating positive family memories.

The mission of Mandi’s Lucky Day is to help readers escape reality for a few minutes and spark the belief that the possibility of love can show up when we least expect it.

The mission of my research article on Bats of the Midwest is to inform readers about the agricultural benefits of bats. My hope is that readers will no longer fear bats or see them as nuisances or Halloween decorations, but realize their presence is crucial to the ecosystem.

The mission of my interview with Lloyd Carr is to show the human side of a football coach who impacted the life of his players in many positive ways. I want readers to feel there’s more to a coach than the legacy of a losing career record against his arch rival.

The mission of my book reviews is to share insight with writers on the contents of a book that might help their career or writing processes. I’d like readers to be concurrently entertained and informed.

Mission statements should vary by project and type of writing. The mission statement you create for your short horror story obviously won’t work when you begin a nonfiction feature on types of dog treats. You can create a mission statement for each genre of writing you do: one mission statement for your nonfiction educational articles, another for your romance novels and yet another for your copywriting business. Or you can craft individual mission statements for each project as you go. The most important reason for taking a few minutes to create a mission statement is to maintain motivation and focus toward the writing goals you’ve set for yourself.

Once you’ve created the perfect mission statement, don’t hide it in the drawer along with your last unfinished story. Make copies, post them in places where they’re most likely to inspire you, both as you’re writing and when you aren’t. Use them as mantras to keep focus on your writing when you aren’t sitting down to write, and you’ll find your mind naturally settles faster when you do begin to write.

Creating a writer’s mission statement takes but a few minutes of focused thought and can pay off with increased motivation, determination and focus toward finishing your writing projects. Spend some time thinking through what you want to leave behind when the reader finishes your piece and you’ll find an added level of success to your projects. Start small, and use writer’s mission statements as guidelines for yourself and your career. If you don’t know where you’re going and why, how will you ever know you’ve arrived?

About the author: Beth Morrow has many missions in life, one of which is to write as much as her fingers can handle. Her first fiction short story, Mandi’s Lucky Day, is an upcoming release from The Wild Rose Press, and she’s currently knee-deep in research for an upcoming business book. Visit her online at: www.bethmorrow.com or her blog at: www.writer-in-progress.blogspot.com

*originally published at www.writer2writer.com

*originally appeared at www.writer2writer.com

How To Write List Articles Every Editor Will Love

Copyright Beth Morrow
- All Rights Reserved
Outlining, drafting, revising…markets, queries and clips. The process of creating an article for publication is a long one, subject to as many changes as the day has minutes. Regardless of how you get those ideas onto paper, one perpetual gate keeper holds the key to your seeing your work and byline: the editor.

Ask ten editors what they’re looking for in a list article and you’ll get ten very different responses based on the readerships they serve. While their topics needs are specific to their audience, the elements of a successful list article bridge publications. Read on to discover three valuable secrets to help get your list articles into print from the editors themselves.

1. Fresh, new spins on old standbys.

Editors are eternally in search of a new angle on an old yet reader-favorite topic. “An excellent list article gives a new twist to a common theme,” says Gregory Kompes, editor of the writing ezine at FabulistFlash.com. “The list expands the possibilities for that idea, yet stays on one basic concept.” C. Hope Clark, editor of several writing newsletters at FundsForWriters.com, agrees. “What separates an excellent list article from an average one is that the list is unusual to begin with. When these items are aha! items that have not been done a million times, it makes for an interesting read.” Clark also adds that “Novelty is important. [Good writers] deliver a list with attitude, humor and a strong voice to make age-old, sage advice sound fresh.”

1. Tailor the length, tone, verbiage and purpose of your article to reflect the publication.

Beth Erickson, editor of the freelancer-focused Writing, Etc. at FilbertPublishing.com notes, “An excellent list article targets our audience. I know, standard advice. But the majority of queries do not fit this agenda. If you even remotely research the audience a publication caters to, you’ll fly far ahead of any competition you may face.” According to Cheryl Wright, editor of the Writer2Writer.com ezine, “One reason for rejecting articles is that the writer doesn’t understand the subject matter covered by my ezine.” Remember: editors are filters for the reader. Please them and you’ll please the audience.

1. Be the professional writer they won’t forget.

“I genuinely appreciate professionalism. I love enthusiasm. Send me a professional, enthusiastic writer who knows my audience and you’ll find a very happy editor.” shares Erickson.

Monica Poling, editor of the Writing Sparks newsletter from OnceWritten.com, mirrors Erickson’s sentiment. “I automatically delete email without the sender’s name in the body of the email. If the writer doesn’t realize they’re sending a business letter when querying me I can’t be sure they understand other business practices.”

Regardless of the audience they serve, editors want to work with writers who give the readers what they’ve come to expect. “Make an editor’s life easier,” says Beth Erickson, “and you’ll have a good shot at a long-term working relationship.”

About the author: Beth Morrow is a freelance writer who lives for writing—and reading—list articles. Currently at work on final edits for a business book, she hosts a daily blog for writers at www.writer-in-progress.blogspot.com Visit her on the web at: www.bethmorrow.com

*originally published at www.writer2writer.com

Don’t Schmooze? You Lose: The 5 P’s Of Networking for Authors

Copyright Beth Morrow
- All Rights Reserved

One element of writing that strikes fear in the heart of the author is speaking up in the name of self-promotion. Not all writers are introverts, of course, but many writers are uncomfortable when the time comes to meet new people, break out of their comfort zone and approaching someone who can potentially help our career.

There’s both good and bad news about expanding your circle of literary colleagues. Bad news: You must speak up to become successful. Good news: Networking is easier than you think.

How easy? Check out this list and see for yourself:

1.      Successful networking is personal

Networking is based on the premise of breaking large groups of people into individuals who can benefit the author’s career in some capacity. Think beyond the typical editor and agent here: published authors who can share invaluable advice, professionals who have research knowledge crucial to your plot, other writers looking for critique partners, email loops or goal-setting groups. Building personal relationships in the writing and publishing world is the same as establishing meaningful partnerships in the “regular” world. Others want to get to know you for yourself and your business, just as you want to connect with them, so be respectful and honest from the start. Don’t pry if your new contact is shy; rather, pick a common area of interest (to eliminate pressure) and see where the conversation goes.

2.       Successful networkers areprofessional

If you aren’t published (yet), and even if you are, remember that the impression you leave with your new acquaintance will linger long after your initial discussion has ended. Make your best effort to maintain professionalism at all times, even if the conversation does not go in a direction you would like. Rub an editor the wrong way on the first chance and it’s likely they’ll never forget you in the future—and not for the right reasons.

3. Successful networking is about potential

As I mentioned above, networking is about meeting and connecting with a variety of people from all walks of life who have one thing in common: enriching your life in some way. Limiting yourself to the belief that you only want to go to conferences with a certain agent or workshops with one author is a good way to start gaining confidence to attend writing gatherings, but you never know how the others you meet along the way might help. Maybe not now, but writers are one of the most open, caring groups of people who genuinely enjoy helping others. You never know where the next good idea or helpful tidbit will come from. Why not surround yourself with interesting people to help foster your own growth?

4.       Successful networkers are positive

No one likes a complainer, whiner or wimp. Period. It irks others to no end to meet writers, published or unpublished, who gives more reasons to not buy their work (or to not consider them a ‘real’ writer) than enjoying the interaction of a new relationship. If the first thing you do is make an excuse for your writing (“I only write short stories because I don’t have good ideas for longer ones”), complain about the lack of editor/agent interest in your work (you never know who may be a friend or client of those you’re berating), or whine that you never have enough time/energy/creativity to actually sit down and writer (who does?!), it’s guaranteed you’ll turn the other person off—almost immediately. We all have our own personal writing issues, and there is always a time and place to discuss them, but that time is not at the initial stage of a networking opportunity. Save your gripes for later and put on your best smile. If you don’t find confidence in yourself, how can anyone else?

5. Successful networking relies on preparation

Networking is also about promotion. If you’re published, you know this all to well and nothing needs repeating. If you’re not yet published (or newly published), use this time to bolster your image by establishing yourself as a credible, potential author. Business cards are an easy way to do this. Not only does it make collecting information simple, it will jog the memory of your conversation at a later date. Many authors are nervous about tooting their own horn, so practice what you’ll say before you meet others. Compliments are a great way to start a conversation. Volunteering at a conference or writing event often opens channels of communication because talking is a part of the job. Think ahead about topics of conversation you can introduce if you meet someone fascinating but get tongue-tied. Be one step ahead of where you’re starting to get the most from every networking opportunity.

Authors learn early in the publishing game that there’s far more to writing books than just, well, writing. Networking may be intimidating, but it does get easier the more you do it. Take full advantage of every chance you get to network to add friends, increase colleagues and invite readers to your work. Make it your mission to expand your network and your career will reap the benefits.

About the author: Beth Morrow is a freelance author whose writing colleagues (and family) find it hard to believe that she used to be a shy writer. She’s awaiting the publication of her first nonfiction book while jumping back into fiction writing with both feet.

Flour, Sugar and Lots of Passion: Learn To Love the Writing Process
By Beth Morrow

Central Ohio Fiction Writers’Write from the Heart
July 2004Vol. XVI, Issue 7 RWA Chapter 48

One of the few pleasures my mother indulged in when I was young was to take a cake decorating class at the local vocational school. She was a quick and creative student, and it wasn’t long before her circle of friends and family began asking her to make cakes for a variety of occasions: birthdays, anniversaries, children’s parties, retirements. Her passion translated to bringing in extra money for her growing family thanks to her beautiful, edible compositions.

That short course introduced her to a passion that has lasted most of her life. Through hours of practice and patience, mounds of flour, and pounds of shortening, she perfected her craft to the point of being able to create exquisite roses and elaborate stars of sugar with a flick of her wrist. Never once, while my sister and I licked icing from our fingertips as we sat at the counter with her did she complain that her roses weren’t as elegant as the local bakery’s or that her cake batter was too thin for her to work with. She never stopped her mixer because of ‘baker’s block.’ She found joy in immersing herself in the process, not wasting her energy worrying about the product, and that pleasure made her final creations all the more delicious.

After many years, arthritis made cake decorating far more painful than pleasurable, and mom limited her cakes to family birthdays. Once, while looking through old scrapbooks, a photo of a birthday cake she’d made for my brother brought to mind how much joy her cakes had given those around her. I asked if she would teach me her craft so I could do the same.

She agreed but warned me that succeeding would take equal amounts of failure and patience—and that I needed to learn to enjoy making the cakes as much as decorating them. I failed to take her warning seriously and dove in to my new hobby. Though I followed her directions exactly, the quality of my cakes never quite matched hers. Where the texture of her cakes had been light and delicate, mine were uneven and tough. The pink in my roses was too bright, my icing leaves more squashed than elegant. I continued to work toward cake nirvana, but as life crept in with more demands on my time, I chose to leave cake decorating in favor of new pursuits. I wanted the quick, easy guarantee of fortune and fame—without the dirty wooden spoons and food color stained fingers.

Not long ago I had a conversation with someone enamored with the writing life. Like countless others, her notions of writing were lofty and misguided, believing that publication must certainly bring with it the trappings of wealth and infinite happiness. She believed good writing magically appears at will for writers. Her driving desire, I discovered, was to be a published children’s author. I inquired as to how many stories she’s written and for how long she’d been writing. None and never, she informed me, but she did assure me of how easy it would be once she found the right publisher. I laughed.

Goals in themselves are wonderful things. Common sense tells us that having a goal and taking legitimate, active steps toward fulfilling it will bring us much more success than simply wishing for it to appear. But to put the book or publication contract before the writing, or the cake before the recipe guarantees success in only one thing: failure. To write with the sole purpose of publication does not make you a writer. A hobbyist? Perhaps. A dreamer, certainly. Ask any writer—one you admire, published or not—and you’ll discover that while they may derive pleasure from holding that book with their name on the cover or framing that page with their byline at the bottom, what fuels their ambition has more to do with the path they’ve chosen in life than the final destination. If you don’t love words, don’t love slaving over sentences and immersing yourself in the craft every spare moment you have, chances are your passion for writing will wane—and that will come to pass in your writing. Write for the pleasure, the sheer happiness of seeing words dance across your screen or beneath your pen. Write to fill your soul with the song that a well-constructed paragraph plays. Do so and your writing will begin to sparkle with your inner passion. Don’t become so consumed with the product that you forget how much you love the process. The happiness you feel in writing— and in your life—will then be but icing on the cake.

(Beth Morrow has been writing since the fifth grade. Her paranormal placed 2nd in the 2004 OVRWA Enchanted Words contest and her first nationally-published non-fiction educational article is slated to come out in the next few months. She is a member of RWA, COFW and OVRWA and bakes everything but cakes from scratch.)

*Would you like to use this article in your writing newsletter or on your site? Email me for reprint info.

Flour, Sugar and Lots of Passion: Learning to Love the Writing Process
Originally published in Central Ohio Fiction Writers’ Write From the Heart, July 2004