The Writer's Hut Family Blog
Friday, 16 January 2009
Ramp It Up
Topic: By: Donnett Ekwerike
Lord, when I am tempted to stay below in a lowly place....When operating in my comfort zone, becomes my usually pace....Come swiftly to my place of rest and unperturbed repose....Shake me loose, wake me up, my unused wings expose....Though I may not always understand or see the things you see....Deep inside I hear your voice saying, "I have need of thee."
The words above are taken from the beginning of a poem I wrote titled, "On Eagles Wings." We should always seek to go higher, take it (our efforts) to the next level. As writers, we may start writing for one reason or another, but as we grow in our craft, we come to realize that the words inside of us answer a need that is `out there' – in the heart of a man woman, boy or girl. Someone needs your words – to transform their lives, to make better decisions, to break loose from a situation, or simply to smile a fresh smile. Writing is a gift, an art, a miracle. Someone needs what you have. Take it to the next level. Dig deeper inside. Feel that feeling you have been resisting until now – there is a new (different) baby that has been waiting to come through your loins, your pen. Go ahead and give birth. You are in good company.
Posted by writershut
at 10:08 PM EST
Friday, 26 December 2008
How Do The Holidays Affect Your Writing?
Topic: By: Kendra Norman-Bellamy
It's nearly 2:00 in the morning on December 26th as I'm typing this blog entry. I've been sitting in the bed working on my laptop (off and on) for the past five hours. That means that even on Christmas Day, I was writing.
As I looked at my beside clock and noted the time, it occurred to me that when it came to my writing pattern, weekends and holidays were just like any other day of the week. In fact, sometimes these "special days" seem to add fuel to my motivation, and the creative juices seem to flow more freely; pushing me to write even more. There are very few days that pass that I don't find time and/or inspiration to tap away on my keyboard; writing, editing, journaling, blogging, etc. Am I in this alone? Please share your thoughts with me.
How do "special days" affect your writing...or do they affect them at all? Do you turn off the computer completely on the weekends? When you're on vacation, do you vacate from your writing as well? On holidays, do you break away from your writing just like you break away from a corporate American job? I'd love to hear your feedback.
Okay....back to my manuscript. :-)
Posted by writershut
at 2:23 AM EST
Updated: Friday, 16 January 2009 10:09 PM EST
Friday, 24 October 2008
Sound Advice for Aspiring Ghostwriters
Topic: By Monica Carter Tagore
I have a bit of ghostwriting experience, as my company, Rootsky Creative have done projects for known and lesser known people. And my quick advice list is this:
1. Get your money. This is not volunteer service. So don't write a single line without some money in hand. Set a payment schedule -- starting with getting some portion of payment up front.
2. Get your agreement in writing -- use a contract that you present to your client, so you know and understand the agreement. Make sure your contract states that you retain the rights to your work until payment in full is made. So that way if they try to stiff you on payment, then they can't use your work.
3. Don't be persuaded to accept no payment or a later payment because the client promises you grandeur, bestseller lists or places on Oprah's couch. You don't care about that. All you care about is doing your work and getting your money.
4. Don't be impressed by big names. You may get approached to do a book project for a celebrity or other known person. A person can say he/she has lots of money, but it may not be true. And it may not be true that the person will pay you, even if he/she does have the money. So still follow the suggestions listed above.
5. Set a fee that works for you. You may cut a slight break if you don't have a lot of experience or if there are other circumstances that cause you to give a break, but don't work for such a cheap rate that you feel like you're working for free. Make it fair for you and for your client. Ghostwriting takes a lot of work and you want to do a good job. So make it worth your while.
6. Do good work. People are paying you a lot of money to write their stories/experiences /research/ whatever it is. So make sure you deliver.
7. Have fun. Ghostwriting can be a wonderful experience. You get to help someone share his/her story (maybe even realize a dream) and you get to be paid a pretty nice amount for your expertise. It's a good gig!
If you want a bit more background on what I've just said above, then here it is:
You are ghostwriting for money, so make sure you get your money. Don't accept any bootleg arrangements! People will try to offer you all sorts of crazy payment arrangements. Don't do it! I've even had a woman to try to give me some family jewelry as payment. Do I look like a jewelry store? No. If someone can't afford to pay for ghostwriting, then he/she needs to figure out another route. People will want to promise you that they will pay you when their books hit bestseller lists or when they get called by Oprah. Tell them -- as Sarah Palin claims to have done -- "thanks, but no thanks."
Make sure you get part of your money UP FRONT before you do any work. For our projects, we usually get half payment up front and the remainder at the end, but for projects that are more than $6,000, we do offer the option of allowing clients to pay in thirds: one-third upon signing of contract, one-third upon notification that their draft is ready and one-third upon notification of project's completion.
As for rates, you'll have to determine that yourself, based on the needs of the project. Set your hourly rate based on your experience, skills and other factors. I started with a very nominal hourly rate several years ago when I was new at copywriting (though not new to writing, as I was a journalist at the time). You can see what works for you.
Posted by writershut
at 12:33 PM EDT
Updated: Friday, 24 October 2008 12:39 PM EDT
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
What Are The Colors Painting the Pictures of Your World?
Topic: By: Alvin Romer
When was the last time you were in awe of nature and other things that you deem wondrous and beyond description? At times we are negligent, failing to stop and take account of what's in the world that don't belong to us. We have tendencies of taking natural things for granted. The essence in reference to the title of this short essay has given me the wherewithal to assess a phenomena that wouldn't allow me to ignore. Despite these turbulent financial times, there's always vestiges of God's Grace reminding us that He is still in control -- even when we fail to acknowledge otherwise. Those that may not have Him in mind perhaps will not see what need to be seen, or will further ignore the order of things to the spectrums that color us all. Just to give you an idea of how He smiles and bestows benevolence, I stepped outside this morning on this somewhat balmy day, Yet, the sun was prominent enough for me to look upward to the sky and behold -- a rainbow! Yes, that arching spate of color cascading opulently from the western horizon so bold, beautiful and majestic. I immediately concluded that "this truly is an essay!" So as it is, I'm writing this homily to illustrate my joy dispelling the angst that has us all up in arms clamoring for change. And what?! God sends an offering of congeniality in the form of a rainbow!
Albeit, how we interpret the world around us and circumstances that are so persuasive, it can be said that it's colors that tend to define moods and measure our mettle. Take for instance: Blue, that morose tint that give melancholy a ring of truth;and compare it Green, so verdant and vibrant signaling growth; and how can we forget the Yellows with their illuminating spirit conjuring up the propensity for sheer happiness? Temperate and tantalizing are the Reds, fiery in nature but with the ability to warn us in our time of calamity; and then there's the color Purple, God's chosen hue for royalty and regal splendor -- all of these are things that we use every day to define, defy and delineate our reasons for what we do. We attribute these colors every single day in some fashion or form. With this in mind, I'd be remiss not to ask what are the colors that are coloring the pictures in YOUR world? What indeed are dictating and representing the stories you are writing?
For me, it's the greens and yellows because of the faith I have in the writers in my midst. The Hut is where it's at, and I'm growing diligently every day seeking the knowledge to learn my craft to help other obtain what I was able to get through the years by traversing the legacies that literacy bring. Being a member of this site with all the prolific writers in house gives me much more to be happy about nowadays. Tell me the significance of your colors!
Posted by writershut
at 4:36 PM EDT
Thursday, 18 September 2008
The WRITE Kind of Therapy
Topic: By: Kendra Norman-Bellamy
Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting with a special group of women to discuss my life, my writing journey, and Three Fifty-Seven A.M., their book club's chosen read of the month. This was a meeting unlike any I've attended in the past. When it was all over, the women, one by one, embraced me and told me how much of an encouragement I'd been to them. What they didn't know, was that they'd blessed me beyond measure.
The women I met with were all residents of a safe house...a hide-away...a shelter for abused women. The meeting was set for 9:00 p.m. so that all of the children who resided there with their mothers would already be in bed, and perhaps, so that my arrival at the dimly lit secured property wouldn't be so obvious. When I pulled my car onto the gated grounds, women came out to meet me and walk me inside. When our meeting adjourned, women walked me back to my car. Not as a simple act of courtesy, but for safety purposes. I was told that men, trying to get to the women who were trying to get away from them, had been known to scale the security gates to try and reclaim their victims.
Can you imagine the stories these women have to tell?
During our two-hour fellowship, I listened to some of their hurts and felt the lingering pain of their sordid pasts. In response, I encouraged them to believe in the power of prayer and the power of the pen. Though we're not all in safe houses or other places that physically mark our life experiences, all of us have suffered pain. To reach inside oneself and re-live those things that wishful thinking would rather make disappear, takes a strength greater than our own. That's where prayer comes in. Nothing is too hard for God. And the pen? Well, most of us know that writing down inward struggles can serve as an enormous release. It can be as theraputic as (not to mention far less expensive than) lying on a leather couch, purging hidden pains to a trained stranger. Using writing as an outlet helps to curb the need to act out because of circumstances. All the hurt, anger, animosity, etc. is much better when vented on paper than when it is allowed to build to a breaking point and is released through actions that causes harm to others or ourselves.
I was delighted to find that many of these beautiful safe house sisters had already begun writing down their life stories. Some, by way of poetry, and others, in diaries and journals. They were keeping a written chronicle of the lessons they'd learned from the mistakes they'd made. Mistakes that, because they recognized them through penning them, would never be made again. That's the WRITE kind of therapy.
The written word is such a powerful tool. Amen?
Posted by writershut
at 1:52 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 14 October 2008 4:37 PM EDT
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