Jumpstart Your Writing Career

And Snag Paying Assignments

by Beth Ann Erickson

Published 2001 

Published by Filbert Publishing, Box 326 Kandiyohi, MN56251. USA.  Ó 2001 Beth Ann Erickson. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. 

Manufactured in the United States of America. 

About the Author

Beth Ann Erickson lives in Minnesota with her husband, son, and Rat Terrier. She’s written hundreds of articles for publications throughout the nation. Reviewers are calling her first novel, The Almach, “Outstanding,” “Vivid,” and “Reading Pleasure.” Check out her latest projects, read the “Writing Tip of the Week,” and subscribe to her free e-mag by surfing to http://filbertpublishing.com .

Hi. I’m Beth Ann Erickson, an actual working writer. I write copy for businesses, corporations and nonprofit organizations. I’ve written hundreds of articles for newspapers, newsletters, and nationally distributed magazines. My first novel is in the bookstores as I write this.

I hold a bachelors degree in Communications and Sociology. I even attended Sorbonne University in Paris one summer. (Boy, that was an experience of a lifetime!)

This past year, my “business partner” died. He was a beautiful black Schnauzer. Today I write with Lucy, my little Rat Terrier. She’s the most enthusiastic creature I’ve ever met. I’ve come to love her lots….

So here’s my point. If I can live in the middle of nowhere and make a living writing, there’s no reason why you can’t. All it takes is a little know-how and practice. And that’s exactly what you’ll get with “Jumpstart Your Writing Career.”

So roll up your sleeves. Get ready to write. Get ready to have fun.

And if you like “Jumpstart Your Writing Career,” be sure to subscribe to this free e-mag. Each week, you’ll receive tips, techniques, and inspiration to keep your keyboard humming. Check us out at http://filbertpublishing.com/  .

Beth’s books include:

Jumpstart Your Writing Career – and Snag Paying Assignments

The Almach – A Novel

Upcoming Titles

HeartSong – A Novel

TGV – A Novel

Murder on Third – A Novel

Make your writing sparkle. Write killer queries. Get published. Subscribe to Writing Etc. the free e-mag for writers. Receive the free e-booklet "Power Queries" by subscribing today. http://filbertpublishing.com/ 

Table of Contents

Section I

Getting Started – Page 7

Section II

Make Your Writing Sparkle – Page 24

Section III

Writing for Business – Page 59

Section IV

And Then There Is Fiction – Page 82

Section V

Snag Paying Assignments – Page 100

Section VI

Never Give Up…. – Page 132

Section VII

Keep Your Journal Fresh – Page 138

Section VIII

Resources – Page 141

Section I 

Getting Started

On becoming a Writer

Welcome to “Jumpstart Your Writing Career – And Snag Paying Assignments.” It’s chocked full of writing exercises to hone your writing skills, sharpen your senses, and get you on the road to publication.

Whether you want to give words to your innermost thoughts, make big money copywriting, or have a novel screaming to be told, this book will give you the skills you need to get your writing career started.

And guess what?

You’ll have one heck-of-a-good journal when you’re finished. A journal full of ideas, jumping off points, and perhaps a number of articles you’ll be able to pitch to paying publications.

So are you ready? Are you ready to learn, practice, and hone your skills until their razor sharp? Are you ready to become an actual writer? A writer who could make a good living doing what you love?

OK, then. Let’s roll up our sleeves. Let’s hunker down and get to work. Because if you give me some time on a regular basis, I can help you develop a very marketable skill.

Let’s get writing….

Finding Time To Write

Life is moving at a frantic pace – at least it seems that way at my house! And if you’re like me, you’ve always dreamed of becoming a writer. But how do you find the time in between family responsibilities, work pressures, and anything you may try to squeeze in between them.

It sounds overwhelming, doesn’t it? Where are you going to find time to develop your writing skills? Well, it’s not as hard as you think.

Becoming a writer with good, solid skills doesn’t take as much time as you think. Just a little bit of writing each day will take you farther than you can imagine. And knowing a few tricks of the trade will advance your writing skills far beyond your competitors….

So, are you ready to get to work?

Here’s your first assignment:

Take a look at your typical (if there is such a thing) day. Where can you find a block of uninterrupted time to improve your writing skills?

Can you skip a television show? Can you squeeze some writing time in while you’re waiting for a bus, subway, or cab? Maybe you pick your kids up from school and have time to read or write while you’re waiting in the car.

You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to steal some time away from your busy schedule so you can begin your writing career.

Get out your journal. Form a loose writing schedule. Decide when you’ll write. Then, just for the fun of it, write how you’ll feel when you begin to write on a regular basis. And I’ll see you tomorrow….

Getting The Most Out Of Your Writing Time – Or, Believing You’re A Writer

So, how did it feel? Take a minute and remember how it felt as you formed words on the paper, how it felt typing on that keyboard and watching your thoughts take a physical form.

It’s pretty awesome, isn’t it?

Well, lets dig a little deeper now.

Now that you’re writing on a regular basis, you can consider yourself a writer. It’s just a matter of time before you become a published writer. As a writer, there are a few habits you need to establish.

You need to sharpen your observation skills. You can do this by thinking like a writer. After you work on each day’s assignment, think about it throughout your day. Think about how you’d write about everything you see, everything you feel, every person near you. You need to become aware of your surrounding.

You need to listen. What do you hear? How would you describe it on paper?

What do you smell? Do you feel anything against your skin? How does something you’re eating taste?

Sharpen your writing skills throughout the day. Feel every moment. Then try to take the sensation and form it into words. Do this exercise as much as possible and your writing skills will take root.

Now for your assignment:

Sit in a comfortable chair. Allow yourself to experience your surroundings. Now choose one sense (hearing, seeing, taste, touch, smell) and describe what you’re experiencing.

Organizing Your Time

Each of us has 24 hours each day to do with as we please. No more, no less. What we decide to cram into that 24-hour period will determine our success as writers. I’m continually amazed at how time can slip through our fingers….

Luckily, most writers have computers. And many computers come equipped with time-management software. If you don’t have time-management software or a good calendar, I recommend that you purchase one or the other pronto.

I use the Microsoft Outlook calendar software. With it, I’m able to divide my day into half-hour increments where I’ll work on one project, then move onto the next when my “time” is up. If I don’t finish my project, I simply add it to another day’s activity.

Outlook keeps me on track. It prevents that horrible overwhelming feeling I get when a project feels too big. It also keeps my writing fresh because I never get bored with a project.

It’s a godsend when I have too many irons in the fire. It helps me focus and not obsess on what I need to do because it helps me funnel my energies in one direction at a time.

It also squashes any urges I may have to sleep in, play with my Rat Terrier, or lollygag through my day.

It also provides me with a guilt-free reading time because I schedule a daily hour of unadulterated, uninterrupted reading every afternoon.

And if that isn’t enough, my daily schedule gives me a feel for how long it takes me to write anything – and when I need to estimate the cost of a copywriting assignment, I instantly know what to charge.

So, for today’s assignment, refine your writing schedule. Organize your time. Now get to work.

Life is Camouflaged

Let’s take a minute to discuss what it means to be a writer.

I take daily walks. Not because I want to, but because my little Rat Terrier would act berserk all afternoon if I didn’t. So every morning I snap on her leash and head out the door.

Because I live in a small town, our route tends to be the same: We walk the parameter of our fair city — either clockwise or counterclockwise — resulting in a good twenty-minute stroll.

The unchanging sameness of each days trek has taught me something valuable that I’ve adopted in my life as a writer: Life is camouflaged. Let me explain....

When I began this daily journey around town I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d soon become bored seeing the same houses, the same woods, the same roads day after day after day after day. But that’s not what happened.

As Lucy (my dear puppy) and I traveled our daily path it was as though scales fell from my eyes. I began to see things I’d never noticed before.

Subtle changes my neighbors had made to their houses began to whisper for my attention. Birds I’d never seen before — bright birds like Blue Jays and Cardinals — began to appear like a developing photograph. Squirrels, muskrats, cats, raccoons, fox — all these animals live in the same town as me — and I never knew it.

So here my point: As writers it is our job to notice the things other people can’t or don’t have the time to see. It’s our job to look at something long enough for the camouflage to disappear and for the scales to be removed from our eyes.

We have the daunting task of not only living life, but stepping away long enough to really see what’s going on — in all places, and in all situations. We need to see the hidden bird, the quiet gesture of a coworker, the nonverbal communication other people miss. It’s these observations that make our writing come alive.

In a nutshell, life is camouflaged. Writers need to see through that camouflage and show this real world to others.

Go for a walk today. Or look out your window. See something you’ve never noticed before. Now write about it.