by Susan Lovett | Dec 4, 2018 | Blog |
’Tis the season to celebrate and to make our list for Santa. I always loved writing to Santa as a child. It was magical that I could write a letter to someone like him and know he received it. I knew that because at least one of my requested gifts always appeared under the tree on Christmas morning, except when it was too large or unrealistic, like the horse I wanted one year or the penguin.
These days my lists go to my husband who tries to offer a combination of items off my list with things he picks out to surprise me.
My list always includes things writers would love. Here are a few items I’ve found and dreamed up this year:
by Susan Lovett | Nov 27, 2018 | Blog, Research |
Lately I have moved from writing to research. I am in the process of pitching my novel and using the waiting period between pitching and the inevitable edits to dive into a new story. I have a rough idea of what I want to write, including the prologue and opening scene, but I also have huge, gaping holes in my knowledge. This explains the huge stacks of books lining my desk and the hours I’ve spent learning everything from creation myths to Jungian psychology to black holes. I am diving down rabbit holes in search of my story.
by Susan Lovett | Nov 20, 2018 | Writing |
Audience is everything. Readers define how to approach a story and what words to choose. Knowing our readers frames our work as writers. You wouldn’t start a project for children the same way you would for seniors. In my last blog, I wrote about knowing your audience. This blog follows up with some concrete tips to write with your reader in mind.
by Susan Lovett | Nov 13, 2018 | Writing |
Stories serve an invaluable purpose. We all tell stories, whether in printed form or by gathering around a table and sharing an anecdote. It’s how we’re going to survive the upcoming holidays with family because stories are how we communicate with each other, and how we remember and frame experiences. It’s the foundation for human interaction. If we didn’t have stories, how would we ever capture how awful a date was or how moving an unexpected kindness?
by Susan Lovett | Nov 6, 2018 | Mindset |
Every writer will tell you to get used to rejection. They say it because it’s true. There’s no way around it. For writers, rejection is as common as succeeding and it never gets easier. But that doesn’t mean you can wallow in it your disappointment. You will never get anywhere if you do that. You need to learn how to cope with rejection and keep going.
by Susan Lovett | Oct 30, 2018 | Mindset |
There’s nothing more nerve-raking as a writer than submitting your work to an agent or editor. There’s that moment before you hit send that makes your heart skid to a halt and then jump back into rhythm. It’s a queasy act of faith before you’re forced to wait and worry. Is my work good enough? Will they like it? What if they don’t?
by Susan Lovett | Oct 23, 2018 | For Writers |
Writing is a strange career. It’s at once a creative endeavor and a masochistic effort. We stare at a blank page and do our best to spill out our ideas, emotions and past on the page. It’s a personal and vulnerable act that opens us up to criticism and judgement. To rejection. It allows us to explore expression and creation, which is both exhilarating and terrifying, depending on how the words are flowing and the day.
by Susan Lovett | Oct 16, 2018 | For Writers |
Over the past five years, I’ve posted 15 lists filled with advice for writers on a wide variety of topics within the industry. Now I’ve pulled them together in one compilation.
by Susan Lovett | Oct 9, 2018 | For Writers |
I’m in the last days of polishing my manuscript and am gearing up to jump into research for my next one. It’s been a long haul for this manuscript. I love the characters and story, but struggled with the usual things—self-doubt, length, setting, how to transfer the story I had in my head to paper, getting it right. Writing is never an easy process. We fling words on a page and then rearrange them until they feel right. Sometimes it takes no time at all and other times it takes what seems a lifetime. In the end, all that matters is that we finish.
by Susan Lovett | Oct 2, 2018 | Business |
Before I begin, I urge everyone to hire an attorney to draft their freelance contract. This cannot be overstated. A good attorney is essential in any business. Someday you will need one to send a letter to a deadbeat client or take a client to court based on your enforceable contract. Your success relies on the strength of your contract and your case.
I am not an attorney. This article is for information purposes to familiarize you with a freelance contract. It is not intended as a substitute for an attorney’s advice.
by Susan Lovett | Sep 25, 2018 | Business |
Being fired is the worst. It never feels good being let go for whatever reason. But sometimes it is necessary. As a freelance writer, there will be times (see our previous blog as to when those times are) when you need to fire a client. In the first part of this two-part blog, we covered when this is a good idea. Now it’s time to look at how to do it.
Here are some tips for how to fire a client:
by Susan Lovett | Sep 18, 2018 | Business |
Sometimes being your own boss has its downsides. Mostly when those clients who pay the bills and keep your writing career afloat aren’t as supportive and wonderful as you’d like. When clients cross the line from professional to unprofessional, it’s time to cut ties. That’s obvious. But being unprofessional is not the only reason to sever ties with a client.
Here is my master list of reasons to fire a client:
