Writeriffic: Creativity Training for Writers

Imagine that you've just purchased the latest market guide, filled with guidelines for submissions to publishers and magazine editors. The book is awesome! Looking at it, you understand how a child feels who has eaten too much cotton candy and hopped on a merry-go-round. Market guides can be overwhelming and exciting. There's so much potential. Where to start? How do you find the right magazine or publisher for a project? How can you know when it is the right one? These are just a few of the questions that you may ask. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to navigate through it. But wait, there's more! You'll also learn about one of the most powerful brainstorming and writing tool around. It's called the bubble method and it's fun, fast, and effective.

For most writers, the idea of using correct grammar and punctuation is a necessary evil. In this lesson, you'll get a clear concept of the grammar and production requirements for creating marketable writing. Since self-editing is an essential ingredient to produce good writing, the lesson will also focus on that as well. Most writers have a difficult time editing their work, but once you finish reading this lesson, you'll be well on your way to putting polish on your words.

Sorry to break the news, but even professional writers haven't found out how to squeeze 26 hours into every day. Thankfully, there are ways to manage the ordinary 24 that could help you. That's what you'll explore in this lesson on time management for creative writers. By the end, you'll know how to use non-writing time to create ideas and properly manage the time that's available to write.

In this lesson, you'll learn about overcoming obstacles that may be stopping you from writing. One obstacle, called writer's block, can be remedied once you know about the ailment. Alternatively, writer's block can stop you cold in your tracks, never to write again. In this lesson, you'll continue to build confidence as you realize that all writers have fears, including fear of what is lurking inside a creative mind, and what might happen when it comes out in writing.

Names and titles convey information, so the title of your story, novel, nonfiction book, or article is also important. It can pique your readers' interest and generate excitement, or do the opposite. Titles can't be copyrighted, so you could call your book on dust storms in Death Valley Gone with the Wind and not fear copyright infringement. However, doing so could lessen the impact of your work. This lesson will focus on that topic and also talk more about writing essays.

Now is the time to ask yourself whether you actually like your own writing. No one is listening, so forget about false modesty. If writers are honest, they'll usually say they like their own writing. Some people adore most of what they write—including the secret scratchings in their journals. It's healthy to say that you like your work; that doesn't mean that you can't strive to improve it—that's what drafts are all about. It means that at a certain point in time, like this second, the writing is as good as it can get—for now. Over time, you'll always find new ways to improve it. In this lesson, you'll delve into a variety of ways to evaluate your own work. Plus, you'll learn everything you need to know about having a successful experience at your first (or next) writer's conference.

Everyone has dream smashers in their lives. Those are the people who pride themselves in saying, "You've got to be mature. You could never do this or that." In this lesson, you'll look at how to overcome the power of doubters. You'll learn how to treat yourself like a professional writer, even if you're still an emerging one. You'll discover why it's smart to buy the books and magazines you need, take writing classes, and attend workshops. Writing is all about you, and you have the power to succeed!