by Susan Lovett | Nov 2, 2021 | Mindset |
Writers get rejected. It’s part of the job. But the frequency with which it happens doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.
Recently I threw my name into consideration for a contract position I wanted. It would have meant a significant cut in my rate, but an increase in my quality of life. I would have been writing about a topic that would have brought me joy. It was a job I also would have excelled at doing. But therein lies the problem—I was overqualified and too expensive. Or maybe they just didn’t like my pitch or tone or samples. Who knows? I never heard. It was one of those situations where you apply and hear crickets.
by Susan Lovett | Oct 26, 2021 | Scriptwriting |
The first moments of your script or novel matter. They set up what is to follow and hook the audience. Or they don’t.
The best film openings establish tone, settings, and character. They establish context for what will follow or establish expectations that will be thwarted later on. They do more than simply open the film. They start the story and grab the audience.
by Susan Lovett | Oct 19, 2021 | Scriptwriting |
How you start your script or screenplay matters. These opening scenes establish an expectation and either appeal or repel an audience. What a film shows in the first five minutes is critical to how an audience will react, how engaged they become, and how long they will sit watching your story unfold.
The opening shot is your chance to hook them. It’s the first exchange of information. The first connection. How you approach that is everything.
by Susan Lovett | Oct 5, 2021 | For Writers |
Does it matter whether you fill your head with the classics or modern books? Manga or SciFi/Fantasy? Romance or nonfiction? The top 100 books by NPR or the Rory Gilmore Challenge? Does what you read matter as much as the fact that you are reading?
by Susan Lovett | Sep 28, 2021 | Business |
Part one of this blog covered the first five tips for caring for your clients as a freelance writer.
Clients are essential to running a successful freelance business. They keep the lights on and the dream alive. It pays to learn how to care for those relationships.
by Susan Lovett | Sep 21, 2021 | Business |
Freelance writers need clients. They are the lifeblood of a strong freelance business. They pay the bills and keep the dream alive. As such, it pays to take care of them and nurture those relationships.
For the purpose of this article, I will lump editors and publishers (both traditional and online) in with clients. The tips below work for anyone who hires you to write for them.
by Susan Lovett | Sep 14, 2021 | Story |
Scenes make up stories. They are the building blocks that form narrative. As writers, we stack scenes together to tell a particular tale. How we write, build, and stack those scenes matters.
by Susan Lovett | Sep 7, 2021 | Editing |
You’ve finished your project and hit send. Then you notice an error. It’s the worst feeling when you find the mistake after submission. Those tiny errors haunt writers, which is why proofreading is an essential step for everyone. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve written an email, presentation or novel. It needs to be error-free.
by Susan Lovett | Aug 31, 2021 | Business, Mindset |
The sight of school supplies lined up in boxes in colorful store displays brings back memories. There is something magical seeing those pencils sharpened and ready to write new words and stories. It’s a writer’s dream. Even when I was a grade school student, I loved the colors and feel of pencils. Later, I became obsessed with pens and have boxes of them stashed in my office supply closet.
They contain possibilities. Words still unwritten. Stories begging to be released.
by Susan Lovett | Aug 24, 2021 | Editing |
Editing can be fun, but it also can be tough. It’s an emotional phase of the writing process that can batter a writer’s spirit. Not all of the time. There will be projects that are easy to write and edit, but I’m not talking about those projects today. Today I’m talking about those larger beasts that tear at a writer’s soul. The projects that make us question whether we can write and why we want to do this in the first place. Those projects are the ones that test our resolve to write.
by Susan Lovett | Aug 17, 2021 | Editing, Writing |
I am often asked to critique my friends’ work. I consider it an occupational hazard. Of course, I also offer manuscript critiques as part of my business. I enjoy doing them, but recognize they can present a few challenges and always proceed with caution.
by Susan Lovett | Aug 10, 2021 | For Writers |
Summer is fading, even if the heat persists. It’s back-to-school time and the sales of pens, paper, and notebooks are calling to me as they always do.
