The Three P's of Writing

copyright 2011 Ron Adams

I have had an occasion to witness the turmoil of some writers and publishers when things don’t go according to plan. It was a sad thing to watch, and I am grateful to have maintained good working relationships with all the parties involved. I offer, therefore, some assistance for the new, budding, aspiring, frustrated writer still working on getting their masterpiece into the hands of the readers. Please take it for what it is, and I hope these tips can be of some help. I call these the three P’s of writing.

PROFESSIONAL – First and foremost, writing and writing well is an art form, one which most of us have invested our hearts and souls in. But publishing is a business. It is a for profit enterprise where the writer must learn to become the best business person they can be, and be willing to approach it in a professional manner. Life is not fair, and the business world is not fair, either. Approach every interaction with your agent and editors in a straightforward, respectful, and professional manner, and most of the time it will be returned in kind. Not always, mind you, but you will be better served in that approach in the long run.

POSITIVE- Remain as positive as possible in all your dealings with your agent, editor and publisher. Adopt a can-do/will-do attitude towards all interactions. Be willing to listen to those that may have more expertise, and offer what expertise you can bring in a positive, constructive manner. A problem solver is easier to work with than a problem bringer.

PHILOSOPHICAL – A while back, a friend of mine got me and my wife involved in a network marketing business. Yeah, I know, but I did learn a valuable lesson. They have a philosophy of some-will-some-won’t-so-what in regards to their business. Not the worst approach to take to this business. When going through the process of promotion and building your writing career, listen to those you believe in and trust, listen to the experts, and remember some things will work, some things won’t. So what. Doing is better than not doing, trying is more productive than not trying.

And if I have to add a fourth, it would be PERSEVERANCE. Keep learning, keep growing, and keep believing in yourself and your goals. I can’t promise that any of these will get you on the best-seller list. But I do believe that a positive, professional writer with a philosophical approach, who perseveres in the face of adversity, will be one that agents, editors and publishers will want to work with.

Positively absolutely

Is your glass half-empty or half-full? Analysts say how you look at your life and career, whether positively or negatively, could affect the outcome. Take this positive thinking into the battleground of writing a novel or short story and you could have a publishing dilemma.

Recently on my radio show, Introducing WRITERS! I hosted a wonderful author who firmly believed in daily affirmations to get her in the right frame of mind. She wrote them down every day and tried to keep them as a sort of mantra between her and negativism she faced on a daily basis.

I really thought about that and it occurred to me that a lot of us hear “you’ll never be published” sorts of stories from a lot of different sources, and that negativism has to impact our writing. It just does.

So I wanted to share a few ideas to stop the insanity of allowing negativism from taking away our joy for writing.

1. Create a few daily affirmations that apply to your writing life and say them or write them every day. *an example would be : I am a genuine writer filled with creative words and ideas. Remember not to use any negativism in your affirmations. It’s true anyway, you know. You ARE a wonderfully fearfully made individual!

2. Be thankful. Everyday take time out to thank the people in your life who enable your writing. Maybe it is a parent, a spouse, or even a co-worker. Who ever it is, thank them for the positive influence they are in your life.

3. Learn to breathe deeply. I have found that I do not breathe as deeply as I used to when I was a child, and that could be that I am a lot more sedentary than I was back then, but at any rate, breathing deeply and allowing the wonders of oxygen to work within me seems to encourage creativity.

4. Find something that soothes the soul. I know of a few people who use natural oils with natural scents to do what the old commercial for Calgon used to say, “take me away”. Others use music or soundscapes to relax them. Anything that will make your mind stop its usual hurrying and worrying is ideal.

5. Give yourself a break. We all need time to regroup and regenerate our minds and bodies. If you have fallen in a slump with your writing, take a break. Allow yourself to take a day off. If you keep saying positive affirmations and give yourself soothing things to relax with, believe me, the writing muse will rejoin you stronger than ever.

I have heard a lot of negative comments on the Internet about organizations who look down on this group of writers or that group. I say, don’t hate, appreciate! Traditionally published books will always be with us, no one will ever stop us from having the paper and hardbound books we have always known and loved. Electronic books are definitely a newer and excellent choice. I believe that the Ebook is here to stay regardless to who likes it or not. So why don’t we all find joy in the freedom of choice we now have!

To me, most ebook authors will one day see their work in a print format, because most all ebook publishers are offering print versions. I also believe that traditionally published books are being offered as ebook in a great deal of online retailers. So really, there is no true argument here, and truly, the negativism is damaging a lot of relationships. We are all just drops of water filling up a huge pond. Together we are stunning. Alone we are but one wet spot on the planet!

I hope you will go out today and use your positives to enlighten others. The world needs more + and less – these days so go out and enrich someone with your creativity!