"" Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog: 2016

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Need More Time? Change Your Mind!



Become a Freelance Writer in 2017


They say it takes about a month to change a habit.

That's why rehab centers use a 28 day program. A month is roughly how long it takes for the body and mind to adjust to a new set of rules and circumstances.

There's no real cure for an addiction. The best therapists know that replacing a bad habit with a new obsession is way more effective than simply denying an urge that will no doubt resurface.

The reason why most drug addicts go back to taking drugs is that, even though they may have rid themselves physically once, their situations, their daily lives, their friends and influences conspire to get them back on the road to their ingrained obsessions.

Our brains are chemically designed to associate pleasure with familiarity. This is why self-destructive behavior can be so frustrating to observe - and counter.

This is why too, if you sometimes have a defeatist attitude towards your writing - one that may tell you that you'll never succeed and that writing is a waste of your time - the attitude will resurface.

It's not really that writing is a waste of your time, it's just that you've trained your mind to become comfortable with that fall back notion. 

The only way to counter negativity is to consciously dismantle the things you tell yourself and replace dark thoughts with positive ones. 


Do this for a month and it will become a habit.

Cynics will say this is too easy an approach. I would argue that  cynicism is the comfort zone of the underachiever and can spread like a virus.

This is why success gurus will tell you to avoid negative people.

We all have synaptic paths in our brains that are well traveled. Failure can often seem inevitable and our minds recognize this reality - and will find ways, facts, and means to endorse this crude simplification in our subconscious.

But that's the lazy way to approach the problem.

Reality also tells us that many people succeed despite huge odds, through luck or determination and persistence.

We need to train our minds to accept that despite the experience of the majority, there are those that rise above the mediocre and persist in their belief that anything is possible.

History is abundant with examples.

Edison, Einstein, Shakespeare, Da Vinci, all the way up to the present time. Dan Brown, Stephen King, JK Rowling. All experienced the idea that success was for others - but still they refused to accept they were wasting their time.

Theirs was a higher calling. The work was not just the means to an end, it was the end itself. 


A great artist's work becomes his obsession, his primary motivation - his reason to be.

I often get emails from writers who have lost touch with their muses, or have let their daily lives get in the way of their dreams.

They speak as though this is be expected, that somehow it's acceptable that our goals are there to be quashed, abused, and ignored - most often by ourselves.

But rather than endure what we regard as reality and the nature of things, we must rise above these attitudes.

Writers don't always succeed because they're lucky or have rich benefactors that enable them - or have more time than the rest of us.

Successful writers succeed because they make time - even when they have busy schedules or day jobs or children and a hundred other pressures. 


You might even say they don't succeed in spite of these extra pressures but because of them.

Pressure and the ability to find time to pursue a dream as well is the mark of a committed artist.

To be able to change your brain into seeing the value of your work in the midst of everyone else's negativity, cynicism and yourself being just plain too busy should be your real goal - every day.

If you don't have the writing habit, and you want to be successful writer, you've got to force one onto yourself.

Make a time each day, and stick to it.

Find a place to write, even if it's perched on the edge of your bed, and go to it, everyday.

Give your creativity time - and give yourself time to write.

Beg, borrow or steal the time if necessary.

Do this for a month and writing will become a habit, then an addiction, then an obsession.

As it should be for you.

Whatever you do...
Keep writing!

Thursday, December 1, 2016

What OFFLINE writers think and feel....




I recently conducted a survey of certain of my Writing Academy students - via mail. You know, using real post, with stamps! 

I did this to find out specifically what OFFLINE writers feel about writing - to see whether their worldview was different from the thoughts and feelings of ONLINE writers.

I think you'll be surprised, shocked even, by the results.

(Big mega shock: 73% of OFFLINE WRITERS don't use the Internet at all!)

Right. The first thing you have to remember about surveys is that the data may not be a totally accurate reflection of reality. 

Most surveys are, in fact, just a reflection of the kind of people that fill out surveys!

For instance, this survey was sent out to thousands of writers, of whom only 10% responded. 

Therefore the views of this other 90% might be completely different from the hundreds that took the time to mail me their answers.

Having said all that as a qualifier, here's what I discovered.

Only 14% of people who considered themselves writers had ever got paid for what they'd done. 

7% considered themselves a professional. 

Just 6% said it was their goal to write for a living. 

A whopping 51% considered themselves to be enthusiastic amateurs - the rest wrote only occasionally.

61% said their main interest was in fiction, 33% nonfiction and 10% picked out poetry as their main focus, with smaller percentages spread over a wide range of areas.

A fact that shocked me was the genre most respondents were interested in was Children's and YA fiction - at 21%. 

Romance came in second - 16% with Mystery and Suspense third - at 14%. 

Only 4% said they were interested in writing Thrillers. 

Smaller percentages were recorded over a wide range of genres - everything from Horror to SF to Fantasy to Biographies. 

It surprised me that only 7% were interested in writing anything they considered 'literary'!

44% had never taken a writing course before taking one of mine. 

Only 6% were involved in a writer's group and only 6% had ever used the Internet to find writing help. 

What I found particularly interesting is that almost to a man, all of the professional writers had paid for writing services in the past, from Net courses to correspondence, to MS assessment or even mentoring.

This confirms my experience, though - the writers most likely to succeed are those that actively seek out - and pay for - resources designed to help them.

Also fascinating was that 51% said they wanted 'advanced writing tips' while only 26% wanted help with the basics. 

Curiously, it was mostly the 'enthusiastic amateurs' who wanted 'advanced tips' whilst the professionals still wanted help on the basics!

Bearing in mind that most of these respondents had never used the Internet, it was interesting how much respondents were willing to pay for writing courses. 

35% said they would pay up to $500 for a good course, 33% up to $200, and 17% up to $100. 

17% said they'd be willing to spend over $500! 

A mere 1% said they thought writing courses should be free.

Finally, 46% of writers said they wrote purely for pleasure. 

42% said their main goal was publication and, also interestingly, 13% said they were writing for posterity.

Well, I hope you've found these results as fascinating as I did - it certainly provides real insight into how offline writers - as a community separate from online authors - see themselves.

Till next time,

Keep Writing!


Thursday, October 27, 2016

Writing is a Life Long Sentence

Image result for writing prison sentence images

1. Read Like it's Going Out of Fashion

You've heard it a million times before. You can't love writing without first loving to read. Read a lot. Read everything. Analyse writing and writers. Study what works, what doesn't, wonder why and learn from it.

Realize too that the published writing you see has probably been worked and reworked over and over to appear effortless. Don't assume professional writers get it down perfect every time. They don't. Their work has been analyzed, edited and beaten into shape by themselves and other editors.

2. Study Your Own Writing

Study every word, every sentence, every phrase. Are you maximizing the effect of your words? Could you say the same thing a different way?

Don't just blindly accept your words as perfect. Professionals know there is always another way of stating something, setting a scene, explaining an emotion. Too many novice writers fall in love with their words, refusing to accept there might be a better way to get to what is true.

3. Learn to Love Criticism

When we start out, criticism hurts - big time. We've bared our soul. We've agonized over our words and are proud of what we've said. Off-hand comments about our work can feel like a body slam, even an attack on our capabilities, our character, our integrity.

But that's not what is going on. People love to criticize - it's human nature. Even the best writers are criticized. The point is to learn from criticism and rise above it. Listen to what is being said, make changes if necessary but do it for yourself. You are the final arbiter - but don't be blind or sulky about it. Take it on board.

4. Read Aloud to Others

Reading out loud can highlight the strengths and weaknesses in your writing. Especially in the areas of rhythm, wordiness, and dialogue. It's a great test.

Read to friends and family, yes, but also read to other writers. Let them make comments. Enjoy the process.

Try this. Read a short piece to a group of friends/writers. Make note of how your writing sounds to them. Listen to suggestions. Make changes, read it aloud again. Keep doing this until everyone involved thinks the writing - every word, every phrase - is perfect.

5. Try Different Styles

It's too easy to get stuck in one area of expertise. If you're a fiction buff, try writing magazine articles or screenplays. If you're a journalist, try free-form fiction. If you're a literary type, try writing advertising copy. Don't limit yourself. All types of writing are good in their own way and experimenting with them can teach you little tricks that help you become a more mature, fully rounded writer.

Novice writers tend to think they shouldn't experiment, that somehow it might taint their art. Nothing could be further from the truth.

6. Take Courses, Read More Books on Writing

The process of being taught, of exposing yourself to the ideas of others, cannot be underestimated. Even if you disagree with what is being said, it all helps stretch you and give you a deeper understanding of what is good and right for your writing.

When you take lessons in writing, study hard, do the exercises, listen to the feedback, act on it and write some more. Your writing will improve the more you do it. Don't sit and fret over your writing. Just do it.

7. Seek Out Good Advice

I quite often hear novice writers complain that they're learning nothing new about writing from the various authorities they consult. They sound disillusioned, as if there's more pertinent information out there if only they could find it.

Odd. considering I've never met a seasoned writer didn't love to debate the absolute basics of word-play, grammar, sentence structure and all the other little things that novices seem to grow weary of hearing.

Remember. You can never hear good advice too many times.

8. Give Back

Share your knowledge. Teach what you have learned about writing to others. Too often novice writers can feel there's some sort of clique of professionals who don't want to talk to them or associate with them.

We writers, whatever our abilities, must learn to see ourselves as a community with similar aims - to actively enhance all our writing - to raise the bar and to act for the betterment of all writers.

9. Constantly Want More From Yourself

Stretch yourself continuously. Find new ways of expressing yourself.
Writing is sometimes a strange past-time. A writing project that begins like an adventure can quickly become an obsession that ends up feeling like some self-inflicted curse!

But all writing experience is good, whether it's fun or not. Not all of your writing is going to be fun and fulfilling. Some of it may be a hard slog or a nuisance. This is okay.

If you want to succeed in writing, it should become your life, your passion, even your reason to be. It's a fine and noble way of life. If you want it, embrace it, and your writing will benefit enormously. Go for it!

Best of luck and - whatever you do - keep writing.

Rob Parnell

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Anatomy of the Modern Bestseller

Today sees the launch of Anatomy of the Modern Bestseller

It's a step by step course for creating and writing a fiction bestseller, based on studying five of the bestselling novels of our time.

You're going to want to get this!


Rob Parnell
Anatomy of the Modern Bestseller
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I don’t know about you but during my life, I have spent a lot of time wishing I could create a bestselling novel.

You know what it’s like. 

You see a book selling bucket loads. You eventually read it to find out what all the fuss is about.  You quite like it but a small part of you is thinking, “I could have done that.” 

You don’t mean it in an arrogant way. Just that, it’s got words you know, strung together in a way that’s not dissimilar to what you might do, and there are a whole bunch of characters and a story line that doesn’t stretch much beyond what you could have imagined.

Pretty soon, you see the author’s name everywhere. Next, they’re making a movie and you’re thinking, “Wait a minute, my book’s just as good! Why isn’t my name up there? Why isn’t my book a bestseller too?”

Yep, it's every writer's dream.

To write something that sells millions and pretty much guarantees the author a place in history. Now that's sweet - the idea of it anyway.

I read a US publisher's blog recently that said that it was RARE for ANY author to sell more than TWO HUNDRED of their own books - and only then if they were lucky! This figure is apparently true for Amazon and iTunes authors, as well as traditionally published authors with bona fide book deals.

Yes, even mainstream publishers with worldwide distribution often have trouble selling the first print run (usually less than one thousand copies) of what they call their 'B List' authors - a category which pretty much covers the majority of us!

That's the reality. 

Bestsellers have a habit of surprising everyone: their authors, the media, Amazon and publishing companies too.

It's been said often that even publishers are pretty bad at spotting potential bestsellers. If anyone has an inkling of what a bestselling book looks like, it must surely be writers like you and me. After all, it's our job to write them!

It should, therefore be in our own interest to know what a potential bestseller looks like. 

In the movie business, there's a whole industry built around teaching writers how to write effective blockbuster movies - to a kind of formula.

(Okay, if you don't like the word formula, think in terms of a set of conventions that are necessary to make a movie work for a large audience.)

The sheer size of the film industry and the lure of the millions to be made have effectively necessitated the need to teach writers how to do it 'properly'.
Why, I wonder, is there no similar resource for novel writers?

(There is now, of course, because I’ve created one for you!)

I mean, it's not as if you need to be a great literary talent to write bestsellers. As the bestselling author, Ken Follett, says, “It's enough to be literate - that is, to be able to string a few sentences together.”

Bestseller writers are routinely criticized for their lack of literary finesse - but surely that's to miss the point.

It's the story that makes a bestseller. The story, the characters, the setting - and the big idea.
Isn't it about time somebody instructed ambitious writers on the fundamentals of writing potential bestsellers?

Yes. I definitely think so. 

That's why I put together my latest writing course, Anatomy of The Modern Bestseller. 

To teach novelists the basic conventions contained within all bestsellers. And if you think there's no rhyme or reason to these things, then you'd be wrong.

There are glaring similarities between all bestselling novels but as writers, we often can't see the forest for the trees. We get so involved in the writing process, we fail to see the big picture.

The reality is you really can plan, create and manufacture a potential bestseller. (Assuming you are literate, of course!)

There are conventions that always work. There are indeed templates - just like you'd use to write a screenplay - that a writer can use to hang their own novel on - and make their story look and feel and read like a bestseller.

Click below to find out more about my latest writing course: Anatomy of The Modern Bestseller:


I think you’ll find it’s information you need to know!

Keep Writing!

Rob Parnell

Your Success Is My Concern
The Writing Academy

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

The Art of Story Revealed


I don’t do as many live seminars as I used to but when I do, the most popular topic is my Art of Story course. 

I once gave a whole day over to the course with a live audience, slides, and an intense Q&A. It was great fun. Plus I got to go to Singapore to give it, which is a lovely city in the springtime.

The best part about The Art of Story is that it’s a fun way for writers and authors to learn something new. Plus the substance can be easily implemented immediately after the course and turn amateur writers into seeming professionals instantly. 

It’s all about structure, you see.

The Art of Story shows you what the greats, the classic literary authors, and modern bestselling authors have known all along: that structure IS story. 

That even a bad story well told will be considered brilliant. And that, conversely, a good story told badly just won’t work. Ask any Hollywood producer if you don’t believe this is true!

The story-telling structure that is used is simple yet profound and if you begin to use the structure yourself, you’ll find it immensely helpful when you’re trying to get published and when you’re selling your own books, perhaps on Amazon - which just about EVERYONE is doing these days!

Structure is crucial when you want to look professional and inspire trust in readers, fans, and industry people like literary agents and traditional publishers.

I have revisited The Art of Story for my new Writing Academy. It’s now in four parts, lessons if you like, with a couple of bonus ebooks to help with your creativity.

Plus this one’s a bargain. Robyn, my beloved wife, (and resident mystic) recently told me that eight was currently my lucky number.

So what better way to celebrate that fact than by releasing this course at the one-time special offer price of $8 - normally $197.

That’s a huge discount!

Go here to enroll: 

Right now!

Keep Writing!

Rob Parnell
Your Success is My Concern
Rob Parnell's Writing Academy

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Purge - announcing the proud re-release of my classic novel

Purge by Rob Parnell

Recently I met an editor online by the name of Peter Wilson. 

I can’t quite remember how we began talking. I think he emailed me a question about one of my Academy courses and we hit it off. We got to chatting. 

I was interested in what he had to say because he said he’d been editing a detective thriller that had just been released on Kindle. 

It was a genre piece and I wondered if he might be interested in editing my next detective thriller, at the moment called, All The Right Reasons.  

Peter said he’d be interested and where was the manuscript? 

I had to break it to him that although I’d finished the first draft, I wasn’t ready to hand the story over to him yet. 

You see, that’s the thing with work in progress manuscripts. 

The author has to do everything he can to make the story AND THE TEXT perfect BEFORE he hands the MS over to an editor.

That’s the way of the professional: make your manuscript PERFECT before you even think about letting anyone else read it.

Never show people work in progress!

Not even family members.

Not even writer friends.

NEVER anybody associated with publishing books! 

Now, sadly, a lot of lazy new authors don’t think this way. They think they can write any old crap and just get an editor to fix it. 

Admittedly this phenomenon is a lot more common in the modern nonfiction publishing world where many would-be writers - who are actually more like salespeople disguised as authors - write very quickly to produce often very short e-booklets - and then release them on a weekly basis.

This may seem like a strange way to make a living but I kid you not. 

I’ve read blogs produced by these people and they say that it’s the only way THEY can make a living on Amazon Kindle: they have to release a lot of short (crappy) e-books on a continual basis.

Why would you want to do that? 

Because that’s not my experience. I’ve found that if you take your time and write longer, quality books, then they tend to stay in the book chart for much longer, sometimes AGES. 

For example, some of my books are still in the top 100 of their category TWO to FOUR YEARS after their initial release. I believe in creating the best possible books I can. Whether fiction or nonfiction, no matter how long they take to write and GET RIGHT!

But this article is actually about fiction.

Fiction is generally a much harder sell these days because there’s so much more competition than there used to be. 

In the old days, traditional publishers were able to effectively hold back the tide of new novels by rejecting 99% of all author’s books. Now, authors don’t need to bother with these self-appointed gatekeepers. 

I read recently that about TWENTY new novels are appearing on Amazon and Kindle EVERY DAY. 

That’s a seriously huge amount of authors vying to be read and taken seriously.

And in a world where only the cream will rise to the top, the only trick necessary for a new writer is to remain consistently good. 

It’s tempting to be cavalier about such things, especially when you’re starting out. Plus it’s all too easy to get so scared of putting something online that you never get around to it. 

That’s why you need to engender a nice balance between courage and skill.

Plus, get yourself good beta readers and especially good editors.

As much as you can do yourself, you can NEVER catch all the typos. For some reason, the brain can override what you see and actually put in words that aren’t in the manuscript. 

You literally CAN’T SEE your own mistakes. It's a very strange phenomenon.

Hence the need for a great editor. 

All of which is a preamble to announcing the re-release of my crime thriller novel PURGE.

Considering it’s fiction, the book has done pretty well. It floats in and out of the charts all the time and the reviews are great.

To cut a long story short, Peter - from an editing company he’s calling Grizbokkit Editing Services - offered to edit Purge because, as he put it, it would help him get to know my writing style in preparation for the follow-up novel, All the Right Reasons.

I think he’s done a superb job of editing the story, especially improving the references to Boston, where Peter used to live.

Now if you don’t know already, Purge features my hero character, Matt Johansen. He’s a young cop who keeps getting passed over for promotion and is eager to prove himself to senior management. 

He wants everyone to know he’d make a great detective. Problem is, his behavior and his youthful temperament doesn’t sit right within the Boston Police Department. 

So, he goes it alone when he discovers a serial killer has caused the death of his long lost sister. Purge is a story about redemption because not only is Matt trying to rid the streets of crime single-handedly, he’s also trying to purge some inner demons that keep him from powering ahead in his career.

Of course, there’s an autobiographical strain to Purge - and the follow-up. 

Yeah, Matt is a bit like me, well, more like the way I used to be when I was his age. 

Okay, simply put, in the spirit of constant improvement and giving my readers the best possible experience of my novels, I have updated Purge, probably my best novel. 

And I’d really love for you to get it. It’s only 99 cents for the next couple of days. Feel free to grab it while you can especially if you’re intending to read the follow up when I release it - probably before Xmas this year.

Keep Writing!

Rob@easywaytowrite.com

Your Success is My Concern

https://www.amazon.com/Purge-Matt-Johansen-Crime-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00NETG5F8/

Thursday, August 4, 2016

FREE Writing Course, Book, System - plus Mentor Advice

As part of the roll out of my new Writing Academy, I want to give you access to a FREE fiction writing course.

It's HERE. And it's FREEEEEEEEE!

If the above link isn't working use the one below - click or copy n paste:

Enjoy!

Rob@easywaytowrite.com
Your Success is my Concern

What to Look For In a Writing Mentor
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First of all, you have to decide what you need.

Look at your writing critically, decide where you are deficient, define the areas where you need to sharpen your skills, and outline the specific writing goals you want to achieve.

And by specific, I mean very specific.

Is your problem grammar, characters or plotting? Sentence construction or style? Maybe it's motivation or just finding the time. A good mentor can help in all these areas - as long as they know what you need.

When you start seeking out mentors, ask questions. Not only is it important you know what you want, it's important you're confident the mentor can and will deliver for you.

When I take on a new author, I ask lots of questions. First, I want to be sure I can help. Second, I want to build a close connection with the author. Third, I want to be sure the writer knows what to expect - at every stage. Here are a few examples:

Damian came to me with his second novel. He'd lost his way and wasn't sure the book really worked. I agreed to help him because he was enthusiastic and wanted to work hard to learn more about his craft.

I read his book and recognized the problem - it wasn't the story so much as his style, which lacked some immediacy. We worked step by step on his scene construction - deepening the perspective of the protagonist so that he became compelling and believable. After that, the story began to work better and Damian was much happier with his work!

Bill was different. He knew he had a great book. It was his sixth - to all intents and purposes he was a professional. He just wanted his novel proofed and edited for sense.

As I began sending him over corrected chapters, Bill started asking questions about improving his writing style. I was more than happy to offer advice.

A few emails later, Bill understood and appreciated my writing philosophy much better and went away to re-write huge sections of his book, thereby improving the work even more. Bill later told me his agent thought it was his best book so far.

Julia was different again. She'd written only the outline for her novel and saw 'the writing' as a huge task she might not complete without help. 

We spent a lot of time preparing before she started. I showed her how to prioritize her life, organize her time and make room for her writing.

Three months and four drafts later Julia submitted her romance to a publisher.

It's about flexibility - from both the student and the mentor. There must also be communication - usually lots of it - and a certain rapport and trust.

Because just as all authors are different, so are mentors.

Not all of them will be best-selling authors or have a string of writing credits. Some are just good at what they do.

But what do you look for?

Intelligence? Patience? Professionalism? Yes, all of these things.

If academic qualifications are important to you - go for them. But beware, when John, another 'mentoree', came to me, his book had previously been edited by a writing professor - but not to John's satisfaction. The writing had come back 'correct' but so wooden it was almost unreadable!

We worked through the text, deleting qualifiers and all the clumsy (but grammatically correct!) conjunctions until we had writing that was fresh and fun to read. John has now self-published his book in his hometown, much to the joy of his family.

But are those writing credits important to you? Do you believe that only a best-selling author can give you the advice you need? If you do, you might be better advised to buy books like "On Writing" by Stephen King and see what you think.

Failing that, you could contact a famous - or favorite - author and ask if they ever mentor new authors. Most don't but some will.

What about the cost?

Again, it depends on what you want. Just need an overall assessment and a little guidance? You're probably looking at about $300 to $500 for a 100,000-word novel. It's almost an industry standard.

Want to give your book and attitude a thorough workout (editing, reworking etc?) Then budget perhaps double up to $1500 a novel. 

Anything less and you have wonder what you're getting. (You get what you pay for etc.)

Need complete handholding, lots of encouragement and blow by blow assistance? Most reputable mentors will charge anything from $500 to $1000 a month for that - but are usually open to negotiation depending on your circumstances. Some will charge more - a lot more.

But remember.

It's not all about the writing. Sometimes it's about turning you into a writer, gaining the right mentality and putting you on the road of self-discovery, with the confidence and skills to handle success in this industry.

Whatever you get from it - it should be rewarding and fun. Shop around to find a mentor that suits you, makes you feel good about yourself and helps you grow - as a person and an author.
The Easy Way to Write
Keep Writing!
rob@easywaytowrite.com

Thursday, July 28, 2016

A Beginner's Guide to Success: What to do when you get there...



You've finally made your pile. 

People respect and admire you. 

You've got the cars, the house, the kids' education is taken care of, you're taking your holidays in all the best places and... what then?

Most people don't think past the 'getting'. 

They just assume their lives will be so fulfilled by being rich that it won't matter what they do with their time when they get there.

Common sense should tell you that it's not going to be like that. 

It's human nature to always want more. 

So what's the answer? Well, here's a rough guide to living life AFTER success!

1. Move On Up

You're gonna have to set bigger goals. 

Achieving what you want is good yes but, guess what, only for about 3 seconds. 

Life can only be fulfilling when you're in need of something - when you want something so much it pulls you out of bed every day.

2. Move On Out

You've got to take bigger risks. 

Ask anyone who stays rich and happy, they'll tell you, we all take risks with money - it's how we got rich in the first place, right? 

That buzz associated with risk is life enhancing. 

Some things work, some things don't. How will you know unless you try?

3. Give It Away

There's no point in hoarding all your money to yourself - or even saving it for your kids - they'll only end up like Paris Hilton, or worse. 

Give at least 10% of your money to people who need it, can use it well and deserve to be helped. 

It all comes back in different ways anyhow, so why not?

4. Bring It On

Educate yourself continuously. 

Find out new things and keep interested in everything - the news, politics, science, history, the arts, whatever gives you a kick and makes you excited and happy to be part of this great big beautiful world.

5. Feel the Burn

Become more creative. 

Stretch yourself into arts and crafts you've only ever dabbled in. 

Like films? Then make movies! 

Like music? Write songs and form a band! 

Enjoy traveling? Get a boat. 

Buy a club, start a new business every year - even if you don't want to work there! 

Employ others to help.

6. Play With Money

As often as you like, analyze your investments and savings and move things around to maximize your net worth. 

Regularly liquidate assets and invest in new things. 

Enjoy working with money and stay informed of opportunities.

7. Be Careful

Beware of fair-weather friends - and con men - lots will appear once the word gets out you've got money! 

Always investigate business and personal ventures thoroughly, using lawyers and the like to help you. 

I can only stress that you'll likely end up very sorry if you don't.

8. Have fun

Whether it's ballooning across the Sahara or just keeping in touch with friends - don't forget that you're here to have fun. 

And enjoy the simple things - the love of a good partner, playing with your children and keeping your mind and body healthy.

It's all too easy to imagine life at the top as glamorous but it's rarely what it seems to be. 

Best that you prepare now, before you get there, or the reality may come as a shock.

Plus, preparing for success will obviously help you condition yourself for it - and, I believe, better attract it!

Keep writing!

Rob Parnell
rob@easywaytowrite.com
Creating Successful Writers The Easy Way to Write

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Nine Tips to Improve Your Writing Career


There's really only one duty a writer has - and that is to constantly strive to improve.

Ask any seasoned writer and he or she will tell you that getting better at the craft is probably the most fulfilling aspect of writing. 

Because you are effectively getting better at communicating your ideas - and placing your world view into the minds of others. 

To me, this is an almost magical concept.

So - constant improvement - how does one achieve it? Here are nine short tips:

1. Read Like it's Going Out of Fashion

You've heard it a million times before. You can't love writing without first loving to read. 

Read a lot. 

Read everything. 

Analyse writing and writers. 

Study what works, and what does not, wonder why and learn from it all.

Realise too that the published writing you see has probably been worked and reworked over and over to appear effortless. 

Don't assume professional writers get it down perfect every time. 

They don't. 

Their work, too, has been analysed, edited and beaten into shape by themselves and other editors.

2. Study Your Own Writing

Study every word, every sentence, every phrase. 

Are you maximising the effect of your words? 

Could you say the same thing a different way?

Don't just blindly accept your words as perfect. 

Professionals know there is always another way of stating something, setting a scene, explaining an emotion. 

Too many novice writers fall in love with their words, refusing to accept there might be a better way to get to what is true.

3. Learn to Love Criticism

When we start out, criticism hurts - big time. 

We've bared our soul. 

We've agonized over our words and are proud of what we've said. 

Off-hand comments about our work can feel like a body slam, an attack on our capabilities, our character, our integrity.

But that's not what is going on. 

People love to criticize - it's human nature. 

Even the best writers are criticized. 

The point is to learn from criticism and use it. 

Listen to what is being said, make changes if necessary but do it for yourself. 

You are the final arbiter - but don't be blind or sulky about criticism. 

Take it on board.

4. Read Aloud to Others

Reading out loud can highlight the strengths and weaknesses in your writing. 

Especially in the areas of rhythm, wordiness, and dialogue. 

It's a great test.

Read to friends and family, yes, but also read to other writers. 

Let them make comments. 

Enjoy the process.

Try this. 

Read a short piece to a group of friends/writers. 

Make note of how your writing sounds to them. 

Listen to suggestions. 

Make changes, read it aloud again. 

Keep doing this until everyone involved thinks the writing - every word, every phrase - is perfect.

5. Try Different Styles

It's too easy to get stuck in one area of expertise. 

If you're a fiction buff, try writing magazine articles or screenplays. 

If you're a journalist, try free-form fiction. 

If you're a literary type, try writing advertising copy. 

Don't limit yourself. 

All types of writing are good in their own way and experimenting with them can teach you little tricks that help you become a more mature, fully rounded writer.

Novice writers tend to think they shouldn't experiment, that somehow it might taint their art. 

Nothing could be further from the truth.

6. Take Courses, Read More Books on Writing

The process of being taught, of exposing yourself to the ideas of others, cannot be underestimated. 

Even if you disagree with what is being said, it all helps stretch you and give you a deeper understanding of what is good and right for your writing.

When you take lessons in writing, study hard, do the exercises, listen to the feedback, act on it and write some more. 

Your writing will improve the more you do it. 

Don't sit and fret over your writing. 

Just do it.

7. Seek Out Good Advice

I often hear novice writers complain that they're learning nothing new about writing from the various authorities they consult. 

They sound disillusioned as if there's more pertinent information out there if only they could find it.

Odd. considering I've never met a seasoned writer didn't love to debate the absolute basics of word-play, grammar, sentence structure and all the other little things that novices seem to grow weary of hearing.

Remember. 

You can never hear good advice too many times.

8. Give Back

Share your knowledge. 

Teach what you have learnt about writing to others. Too often novice writers can feel there's some sort of clique of professionals who don't want to talk to them or associate with them.

We writers, whatever our abilities, must learn to see ourselves as a community with similar aims - to actively enhance all our writing - to raise the bar and to act for the betterment of all writers.

9. Constantly Want More From Yourself

Stretch yourself continuously. 

Find new ways of expressing yourself.

Writing is sometimes a strange past-time. 

A writing project that begins like an adventure can quickly become an obsession that ends up feeling like some self-inflicted curse!

But all writing experience is good, whether it's fun or not. 

Not all of your writing is going to be fun and fulfilling. 

Some of it may be a hard slog or a nuisance. 

This is okay.

If you want to succeed in writing, it should become your life, your passion, even your reason to be. 

It's a fine and noble way of life. 

If you want it, embrace it, and your writing will benefit enormously. 

Go for it!

Best of luck and - whatever you do:

Keep Writing!

The Writing Academy

Welcome to the official blog of Rob Parnell's Writing Academy, updated weekly - sometimes more often!