Writing Tips from HARO PART 4

HARO tips are still coming in and I am sharing them with you, this being the fourth batch.  I am amazed at the sheer volume of response, but almost all of it is inspiring and worth reading. 

“Don't listen to some of the popular writing myths out there. One is  ‘write what you know.’  If writers did that, the whole field of science fiction would be eliminated. Many mysteries would be off the shelf, because, frankly, few writers encounter dead bodies, and certainly none encounter them every year!  Also, all the fairy tales would be gone, and most of the fiction field, too.  Much better advice is to write what inspires you. Write the kind of book you'd like to read. Write what you want to know. Write with passion, with an eye for detail, with attention to accuracy - even if it is fiction. The devil, or rather the delight, is in the details.”  From Sylvia Forbes herbs@mcmsys.com , www.heartlandwriter.com ,  www.bylinescalendar.com

 Hildy Silverman

“Sales Tip:    Do not respond to rejections unless explicitly told to do so. Many writers think they can ‘explain’ their story to the rejecting editor, get exact feedback on what they should rewrite, or otherwise argue their way out of the rejection. They can't -- all they can do is irritate the editor, who will probably make a note that the person is difficult and reject any future submissions out-of-hand.”   From Hildy Silverman, editor-in-chief of Space and Time Magazine (www.spaceandtimemagazine.com) and professional short fiction writer.

Tips I selected from a long list: “Get up, have coffee  tea, or breakfast and just start writing about whatever project you are working on. There is something about engaging the subconscious immediately after getting up that unlocks amazing ideas.”  

Also, “If you are in a position of writing about something you know very little about, or the subject of your writing has little background, start making things up that pertain to the subject. Then go back to edit with the scalpel of truth. ” 

Janet Hansen, Brio Public Relations, Sumner, WA, with this social site for music lovers: http://scout66.com. .

“Keep your day job!” From Carole Terwilliger Meyers author: WEEKEND ADVENTURES IN SAN FRANCISCO & NORTHERN CALIFORNIA and MILES OF SMILES: 101 GREAT CAR GAMES & ACTIVITIES
 free e-letter: http://www.caroletmeyers.com , http://travelswithcarole.blogspot.com

cheers,

Laura