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What Does It Take to Be a Full-Time Writer?
Last month, an upcoming college freshman interviewed me about how to become a full-time writer. While I can’t speak for every writer, I shared the following tips with him, which I believe have contributed to my ability to work for so many years in a profession I love.
Have You “Scottified” Your Manuscript?
I’m currently ghostwriting and incorporating my client’s themes into his book. He’s an academic heavyweight with years of business experience, something I point out to explain that he’s not lacking in IQ points or business acumen. However, he reached out to us, because he knows that writing is not something he claims as his strong suit.
Early in our work together, I’d send him a draft of a chapter, and then he’d expound on his concepts where I didn’t have enough depth. (Note: When ghostwriting for a subject-matter expert, the expert will always know more than the writer.) In a recent chapter, knowing that he’d written his notes in a stream-of-consciousness fashion, he added a final comment:
“Please Scottify.”ary-goes-here
Put the Pen Down: When to Get Away
A professor in college once told my Soviet studies class, “Sometimes you have to go away to get close.” I can’t remember the reference, but the meaning behind the quote stuck to me permanently.
Writing can provide great therapy. It’s often an effective negotiation tool. It’s a means of making a living for many. For others, it’s a way to build a legacy or document a story. But there are times when putting the pen down for a while is the healthiest—and even most productive—choice. Here are a few of those times.
How to Trim a Manuscript That’s Too Long
Trimming words is often the hardest part of writing—which builds a case for a solid outline up front to organize your ideas and prevent “rambling” too far off track. Still, every book goes through a process where some material is left on the cutting room floor. If your manuscript needs to be trimmed based on your publisher’s or industry-standard guidelines, read on for strategic cutting tips.
When Reality Is Fading, Write in Vivid Color
What is real?
With AI infiltrating everything we do, and politics convincing us that hatred and vindication are desirable traits, and change coming at a pace that induces whiplash, reality becomes hard to distinguish. At best, reality is blurry—and blurring.
Does it matter?
For the Love of Descriptors!
For the love of everything holy, please stop inserting words that do nothing but clutter your writing.
Before littering your writing with a slew of meaningless descriptors, ask yourself these questions:
Explore posts by topic:
All Blog Posts
- author coaching 1
- author spotlight 7
- book editing 2
- book writing 2
- courage 1
- fear 1
- ghostwriting 1
- guest author 2
- hiring an editor 1
- hybrid publishing 1
- leadership book writing 1
- maya angelou 1
- memoir writing 2
- poetry 1
- protest 1
- self-publishing 2
- traditional publishing 1
- voice 1
- who can edit my book? 1
- writers block 1
Search all posts: