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Help Wanted
Hurry! Sign
up! The Writing Loft is hiring students
and Loft friends to ghost write books and articles
for our clients who are anxious to have their stories
written but don't want to write them
themselves. Don't worry, we'll train you and we'll
secure a compatible project for you. We'll even
collect the fees for you.
Call us
to find out more: 530-877-2292
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The Writing Life:
What Loft
Students Are Doing
Claire
Ayriana
Claire,
a Writing Loft private student and class attendee, is now "The
Medicinal Chef". Her Writing
Loft training has resulted in the
creation of a company she has longed to create, Cooking
as Medicine Workshops.
The
Writing
Loft has worked with Claire to help her formulate her business
identity and then on the writing of
her website content, her brochures (2) and her own
magazine, Cooking as Medicine--imagine
that! Claire has become quite a writer.
She
is already conducting cooking seminars and is
bringing
in clients.
She says, "The
where of what happens is almost as important as the who
that makes it happen. It's like being invited to a gourmet dinner by
someone you adore, taken to a chic restaurant, and then seated
at the best table in an ideal setting. The
Writing Loft is like that. The ambiance sizzles with encouragement
while Nora Profit marinates knowledge and inspiration to help you write
your way into your heart's desire."
To find out what Emily, Candy and Beth are doing,
watch upcoming newsletters.
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Women all over the country are learning that you don't have to
sacrifice your kids for the joy of writing. Here are some tips
gathered from moms who are putting their children first while still
giving their writing priority:
1. Search your schedule and see where you can steal 15 minutes. Fifteen
minutes each week-day can produce one draft page. That one
draft page will become 20 pages in a month, and 20
pages a month become two chapters. Imagine, you could actually
write a book.
2. Get a babysitter (or enlist dad) for one or two hours a week and
take yourself to a quiet place where you can be creative; a local
coffee shop, the park or a local library.
3. Write before the kids wake or after they go to bed (if you still
have the energy). Nap time is also a great time.
4. Take an online class and write whenever you are able.
5. Take an onsite class so you can get together with other women who
are also writing.
Remember: All it takes to be a
write-at-home mom is to give your writing some importance.
When you do, you'll find the time and your kids will never even notice.
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Coming Next Month
Interview with
Adam Cozad,
screenwriter
for soon to be released, "Dubai".
Hear what this new screenwriter has to say about
how he learned his craft.
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Dear
Friend,
I have always thought
about the things I might have accomplished if I
respected time. I think about how much I could have gotten
done during the hours of Star Trek and Spider Solitaire. I'm also aware
of the things I hesitated to start.
If
you are like me and sometimes need to be reminded of what's
within your power to achieve, then here are words of wisdom from those
much wiser than I am.
"The one thing
you can't recycle is wasted time and if you lack the
courage to start, you have already finished." And remember
this: "It is never too late to become what you might
have been."
See you in print,
Nora
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Profit from
Mysteries
Writers
interested in the world of mysteries need look no further than their
own homes. Great mystery ideas can be found everywhere; newspapers,
television news and magazines.
Editor Cathleen Jordan of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine says that
of the 85 stories printed in her publication each year, a dozen are
first stories.
She also advises that if you are looking to write about crime
be certain to use reliable sources and document them well because some
magazines will want to fact check.
Mystery writing is a genre that has no bounds. Find a story
that interests you and write it. Readers have sought and will continue
to seek out a great piece of mystery writing. |
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Memories
Come to Life
Life's
experiences are something to be cherished and written down. Memoirs are a perfect outlet
for taking your personal story and giving it
substance.
To write a memorable memoir consider the following tips suggested by
Daniel Phillipson.
First, decide if the memoir is for family or for publication. If it is
for publication, make sure your writing is professional enough to be
published.
Secondly, pick the best stories to tell. This means being choosy when
it comes to the events you'll include in your memoir. Things that are
interesting to you may not be interesting to your readers. Be sure to
take notes as interesting events come to mind remembering to choose
events that support your theme.
Finally,
start writing your memoir. Make sure you set a specific timeframe for
the completion of your work. As with any writing, all events must have
a beginning, middle and end, just as the memoir itself.
If you need additional instruction on mastering the memoir, The Writing
Loft offers an online course that can
assist you to write the perfect piece.
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Inside the Publishing
World
Part 1
There are three ways to go when thinking about publishing; large press,
small press and self-publishing. The choice you make depends on your
book, your energy and stamina, and the amount of time and
money you are willing to invest. Here is a short overview of the pros
an cons of each.
Large
Press:
Advantage: They
take on all the risk: printing, proofreading, editing, promotion,
advertising, distribution, cost of publication, etc.; and will probably
pay a larger advance--they pay you, you don't pay them
anything.
Disadvantage:
Attention to new writers is minimal; if a book doesn't make it in the
first few weeks, it is shelved; purchases only a few projects by new
writers; most accept only works represented by an agent; royalty
amounts and rights are negotiated.
Note:
Publishers make decisions about the publishing of your book from the
information given in your book proposal.
How well your book proposal is written determines how large an
advance a publisher will offer. How well
your query letter is written is a major factor in
getting a publisher to want to see your manuscript.
Both
query letters and
book proposals take careful writing. They are
sales letters written to convince publishers to take a chance on your
book. Our next Query Letter & Book
Proposal Class will take place on May 5th and
runs for two consecutive Mondays. The time is 6:30-8:30.
Small Presses and Self-Publishing covered in next
month's issue.
For
more extensive information on publishing and what avenue is best for
you, take the online class "The Nuts and Bolts
of Publishing".
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