Every writer needs to believe. In themselves. In their work.

Art of writing changes as does the changes of time. But the love of words remain steadfast and strong.

Yes, writers are an elite class of people.

For within each of us there’s a desire, to write. express, share thoughts, views and ideas. We look for that pat on the back, the praise, recognition. For writing well done. To see our name in print. A sense of self accomplishment.

Far too many of us have collections of promising articles and stories in various stages of incompletion. Fearing of not believing in ourselves.

Fearing rejection. We personally are not being rejected. Our writing is. It may not be exactly what the editor be looking for. Disappointing? Of course. End of the world? No!

Close your eyes, imagine you are an editor facing hundreds of equally qualified submissions. But the need is a mere handful for one issue. You see, editors jobs are not that easy.

Move on, because rejections are not signs of failure. Each rejection brings us closer to acceptance.

Continue to write and rewrite those articles, stories and essays to perfection. Editors are busy people.

Remember we are trying to make a sale.

Continuously submitting, improving our craft, coming up with new ideas and angles is our job.

We must know each publication and guidelines. We must know the expectations of the editor. Follow their every instruction. Remember they are in control.

We need them. It’s not the other way around. Make sure every submission is error free. Proof read many times. Never rely on spell checkers alone. They do miss errors. There is no perfect system out there. Put it aside for a day or two.

Be positive that each submission, envelope, cover letter and hard copy is clean and professional looking.

So let’s get to the post office, mail out those pride and joys.

Each Email and postal submission must remain clean and professional. Follow the guidelines of the publication. There is no excuse for sloppy work. Never be cute in e-mails or postal cover letters. Be professional through out. Never address the person by their first name, even if they do.

Are you staring at a blank computer screen, thinking: “What am I going to write, I can’t think of anything?”

Write as it flows to mind. The rest will follow. Even if it makes no sense. Just get those thoughts down first. As long as you write daily. Don’t be hard on yourself, have fun.

Start your story where ever is convenient for. It doesn’t matter at this point.

Writer’s block does not exist. What is lacking is inspiration. You must write something, Write anything daily. Whatever it is, it’s far better than nothing. Take a break. Get inspired by looking out the window, taking a walk. Observe, taking in everything. I prefer recording those notes on my mico-recorder. You may choose a small pad and pen.

Once you are refreshed, write down what you observed. The longer you don’t write -the more difficult it becomes, Write, write, write.

My micro-recorder and pocket-sized notebook are with me where ever I go. Not only have they been instrumental in keeping notes for ideas that are captured through my days journey but has done wonders in my readbacks. My nightstand have both, just in case.

Goals must be in short attainable steps, easily within your grasp. Otherwise they are useless and you won’t be able to determine if they’ve been met. As long as it’s realistic and attainable. It has to work for you. It’s great to have big dreams.

Don’t ever stop dreaming. But you need a plan with goals. Step by step to get there. Without a plan you go nowhere or you go in circles accomplishing nothing.

Have a writing plan, a goal. There are many free courses. out there if you help. Check these out first. My friends Rob Parnell and Judy Cullins are excellent sources of information.

Review your progress once a week to find. You will need to know if you are on schedule, ahead of schedule, or falling behind.

If your first three months haven’t brought you any closer to your goal, don’t waste another three, doing exactly the same thing! Revise accordingly. Be realistic. Goals are like maps, they guide you to where you wish to go. The beauty of goals they can be changed as needed.

Beware of Scams. Never pay to have your work read or published. They are to pay you.

Most poetry magazines do not pay. It’s sad but true. If an editor accepts your work, that’s fantastic. You are one more step closer to success.

Check businesses out with the Better Business Bureau. If a red flag goes up in your mind, listen to it. Remember anyone can hang a sign out saying they are such and such. But are they legitimate and honest?

NEVER give up your source of income. Keep your job. There are no guarantees in this writing profession as you are starting out. You will need food on the table, a roof over your head, heat to warm you in the cold of winter and air conditioning in the sweltering heat. You and your family come first. You know I’m being realistic.

It’s too easily to get side-tracked if your goals are unrealistic. Don’t listen to those sure fire secrets to success in many writing magazines and web search. They do offer up a hefty advice on writing ideas. But they fail to mention the strategies are not for everyone.

Beware of those writing magazine advertisements that try luring your monies out of your pocket into theirs. Hold tight to your dreams, goals, monies.

Writing classes could help you toward your long-term goals. Thoroughly investigate. Ask questions. Most importantly will they provide you the knowledge you seek? What are their credentials? How long have they been in business? Be careful when disclosing your personal information, especially online. Above all get everything in writing, signed receipts with dates.

So what Kind of writer do you wish to be?

First-timers sometimes negotiate their own book contract if they have no agent. It is advisable to get an agent. Contracts may range from three pages to fifteen pages or more. Much of what is within the contract simply states the rights of the author and publisher issues which may be negotiable are:

Advance. Royalties Various rights being sold and purchased. usually listed near the end of a contract.

To understand the basic language of the contract you should consult with a lawyer. Contracts are not always clearly written. Never sign anything you do not understand.

There are so many paths to choose in the field of writing. Do you picture yourself as a successful novelist? Writing the evening news? How about political speeches?

Are you interested in scientific journals or university magazines? Academic writing may be for you. When academic magazine writers are published, it is considered an honor. There’s no other pay for it.

Those articles help them keep their jobs as teachers, professors and/or scientists. The published articles or books are results of years of studies within the writers’ field, and can make or break careers. Aspiring writers should steer away from this type of work:

Article writers write short pieces on specific topics or news items. The market for write well-written articles are vast. Article writers can be freelancers or staff writers. Travel writers, food writers, medical writers are specialists on their topic and usually write for many magazines. Experienced writers with a deeply specialised knowledge can make a very good living in commercial, pro-level magazines.

Commercial newspapers and business magazines hire both freelancers and staff writers, for their Business Writing. Read by high-income readers. Business writing is considered well paid work, and there are many markets both on and off line.

Columnists follow and comment on trends rather than news. Columns are a staple item in newspapers, magazines and newsletters. The better class of columnists are syndicated with their columns appearing in hundreds of newspapers. Larger newspapers and magazines have staff journalists with an established name who provide the regular columns.

Copywriters are among the best-paid writers in the business. All marketing is written to sell the consumer something. Evoking the interest and enthusiasm about a product while retaining the readers’ trust. A dollar or more per word is quite attainable for average freelancers, and many copywriters are staff writers in marketing bureaus.

Erotica writers requires a lurid imagination with a handful of standard plots and formulaic scripts that most erotic stories follow. If the writing is very good, many may be on contract with advance royalties. They mostly work as freelancers.

Freelance writers do not make their living of one full-time writing engagement. Many beginning writers will find freelancing work a lot easier to get than staff writing positions, but only veterans working full time can make a decent living from it.

Game Writers create and write all of the surroundings,the plots, dialogue and characters used in a game. This is usually done with with a team. Larger game companies have staff writers, but most of the small studios selling game prototypes to the big companies engage freelancers.

Ghost writers write for other people as if they were these persons. The writer must plan the book with the client, perform a number of interviews, do research on the topic (in order to understand it) and be able to capture the client’s writing style. The work is challenging, requires substantial people skills and much patience — considerable rewrites are often necessary. Naturally, the ghostwriter is obliged not to reveal his or her work in the book.

Grant writers are copywriters in a class of their own. Specialised skill to write applications for grants from governmental and private institutions that hand out cash for various purposes. Requires knowledge of both law and business language.

Journalists are the writers read by the most people; working in the national and local newspapers and magazines that are read every day by millions of people. The one unbreakable rule: Keep the deadlines.

Many journalists are freelancers, Full time and experienced journalists, usually make a living. Part-timers can make a respectable side income.

Non-fiction book writing is like article writing. Requires fact research for accuracy.Most non-fiction writers work with a publisher one book at a time, just like novelists.

Novelists {authors} write fiction books that are approximately 200,000 words long for some genres; They must keep track of the progress of plots and each characters’ development. Requires an abundance of planning and patience.

Online writers are freelancers who do their writing for websites and e-zines. Unfortunately this vast market are based on getting work from authors for free. It is possible to make a modest living. It’s great for those just starting out. Remember to keep that day job to pay your bills with food and shelter.

Play writers: The number of beginning playwrights out numbers those who get are successful. Amateur theatre companies accepts the occasional manuscript, but there’s very little income in that. Radio is a market, if you can get in.. To get a play script accepted it is not essential to live in the right place But it is essential have the right connections in the theatre business.

Poetry doesn’t sell, here in the United States. Over seas, such as the United Kingdom the market is booming. Beware of contests where the top prize is an anthology that you are asked to purchase, Beware of anyone that ask money up front.

There are poetry websites and e-zines purchase the occasional poem for small sums, Unfortunately poetry writers can not make a living. Perhaps someday this could change. If enough of us got together and changed it.

Resume writers take the information given by the client, interview the client to find out further information. To focus on the clients most important accomplishments.

Reviewers must be informative and entertaining without repetitiveness.

Screen writers write scripts for motion pictures and television. Script acceptance is as difficult as getting a book published. Getting movie scripts accepted. That is why it is best to reside within the vicinity of the studios in order to be able to do changes during production. Networking is very important.

Song writers, Many musicians are songwriters as well. As with screenwriting, living close enough to the studios is important.

Speech writers. We know many leaders can’t write speeches for larger audiences. That’s why corporate heads and politicians depend on talented speechwriters to shape and liven up their messages into friendly speeches.

Staff writers are staffed by larger newspapers, magazines, marketing bureaus, publishing houses and companies with permanent needs for writing work. Staff writers are told what to write as well as not to write. Deadlines are extremely vital.

Story writers are freelance writers. Specialists in writing short tales of many genres of fiction. Before moving on to book-length stories, many well known authors began as story tellers.

Technical writers requires the expertise in the professional levels of knowledge in the relevant technology and product fields. Though often employed as staff writers in bigger companies, many easily find work as freelancers for small companies.

Translators are usually freelancers; exceptions happen in major news-publishing companies where translations must be done urgently. Becoming a professional translator sometimes requires a degree.

So whatever your choice in writing, be determined. Be dedicated. Don’t ever give up your dreams or goal. It’s a long road, paved with hard work and rejections. I’ll see you on the other side of the rainbow.

Keep writing, Keep on Smiling.

Writing songs on the keyboard or piano.

As a song writer, you will always end up with a method that works best for you, whether or not you learn the art of songwriting from a professional songwriter.

I can only speak from my own experience as far as songwriting is concerned, so for myself, playing the guitar and a little piano has helped a lot in my own personal style of songwriting.

For someone just starting out with songwriting, I would suggest buying a small keyboard to help get ideas down.

The nice thing about the piano or keyboard is that if you stick to the key of C, the chords are very easy to play.

Another very usable feature for writing songs on the keyboard is the auto accompaniment function. Setting a good beat and style for a song before you write it can work very nicely towards getting inspired.

A note of caution though, is to remember not to use the one finger feature when creating chords, as you won’t know what it is that you played.

Why I write songs on the guitar.

The main reason why I write songs on a guitar is because that’s my main instrument. Many people who play guitar, even if they are novices at it, somehow, like myself, seem to prefer it as a song writing tool.

As a fairly advanced guitarist, and I’m not trying to blow my own trumpet here, heck, I don’t even own a trumpet.

Okay, where was I now?

Oh yes, I can use guitar riffs, off beats and various other little music nuances to really get the song happening.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that it really helps to have a good mastery of the instrument when writing songs.

Be that as it may, the essence of a good song, and I’m talking from a commercial appeal point of view, is good melody, chords that sit nicely on the ear (no funny pictures please) and a good beat.

How to write lyrics.

Now this is the real scary part, mostly because a lot of people thing they are good lyricists, when in fact they aren’t.

I need to make a very clear distinction here between poetry and song lyrics. They are not the same.

The thing with song lyrics is that they don’t have to be that good, they still need to be meaningful though.

Good song lyrics communicate a feeling or concept in easily understandable words that have a tendency towards rhyme.

Writing lyrics for songs is a bit of a black art, if you ask me. Listen to the greatest lyricists of our time, and try to get a feel for what they did that was so powerful.

One thing that they do very effectively is communicate. Listen to Bob Dylan, he’s very clever and a natural.

Purpose of your song

What is the purpose of your song? Is it to make money? Is it to get played on the radio? Or maybe you don’t care about the money and the radio play, but you want to make a song that evokes emotion out of its listeners. Maybe your song’s purpose is to stand the test of time and have listeners 40 years from now.

Here’s how the purpose of your song affects your song structure.

If you want to make money with your song by getting it plugged in with pop artists and into the popular radio stations, you want to follow the general song structure that is used. This isn’t true for all cases (example:Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen), but true for most. And what is this general song structure formula? It is along the lines of A-B-A-B-C-B or in other words, verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus.

The point of this structure is to have a musical theme set and have it repeat to bring about a sense of familiarity to listeners, then introduce a new section (section C) which gives the listener a sense of freshness. After the new section is introduced, a theme that was introduced before is brought in again which makes the section feel both fresh and familiar. This gives the listener more of a chance to feel hooked in without feeling like the song is boring and repetitive.

This idea of creating a sense of familiarity and variety isn’t constricted to the structure A-B-A-B-C-B. The structure can be expanded to A-B-C-A-B-C-D-B aka verse-prechorus-chorus-verse-prechorus-chorus-bridge-chorus. Another example of an extension is A-B-A-B-A-B-C-B, but be weary of getting the song to sound overly repetitious. You can do this by thinking about varying the instrumentation in each section or even use variations where you might do something a little different in the third verse. Personally, repeating a verse and chorus 3 times before the bridge is too much. I give myself a ‘no more than two’ rule for sections other than the chorus. The chorus is given the ‘no more than three’ rule. You can be creative and add subtle changes to expand A-B-A-B-C-B. Another example is A-B-A-B-C-A-B where you have another verse after the bridge.

If you can’t decide what song structure to use, then start with A-B-A-B-C-B. If this structure doesn’t provide the space you need for all your lyrics, expand it. Maybe you can add a prechorus, or add an extra verse in the beginning where the structure would become A-A-B-A-B-C-B.

A lot of times, people feel a need to add to the song when they actually need to leave the song as it is or even remove some of the content. Don’t add lyrics just because you feel a need to fill in the space of the song structure. Cut your structure down to fit your lyrics. For example, if you decided to write a song with the structure A-B-C-A-B-C-D-A-B-C, and your lyrics are too short for the structure. Don’t add more lyrics for the sake of fulfilling the space. If you feel like your lyrics are done and anything else would be filler, then cut down the structure.

If you are the songwriter that doesn’t write songs in order to get them played on the top 40 list, then you have more freedom than the pop song writers. You can even write a song that’s 30 minutes long if you wanted. Would that mean people will listen to it? My guess is only if you make a song that contains high value.

You can have a song structure that is A – A – A – A. If you use that structure, I advise that you have really really good lyrics, or have an interesting instrumentation or chord progression that gives listeners a sense of variety. You can have a structure of A – B – C – D with no recurring themes.

One cool thing you can do is have a section play a theme that sounds similar to another theme that occurred earlier in the song. You can make it a variation of a theme, or a theme that gives a hint of another theme. There are no limits. This way of songwriting gives you a chance to think outside the box.

You can turn it into an exercise. Here’s an example exercise. Write 3 songs. The first song has to have the structure A – B – C – D – E, the second song has to be A – A – A – A, and the third song has to be A – B – A – B – B’(a variation of B). Doing fun exercises turn songwriting into a fun game. Have fun with it. Go wild

No one becomes a celebrated songwriter overnight. Even musical geniuses put in a lot of hard work before they have come up with their own masterpieces. Here are some tips for songwriting that you can use to enhance your songwriting skills.

Tip 1: Know how you feel. A song is a reflection of the soul and emotion. If you will write without feeling anything at all, you will not be able to come up with a song worthy of people’s attention.

You have to draw inspiration from what you feel and from what you are. Simply put, you should also know what genre you should write about. Is it a rock song? Do you like happy novelty songs or sentimental love songs? Once you have identified your personality, you will also be able to identify what songs to write. Always remember that one cannot be a jack of all trades.

Tip 2: Focus on the lyrics. Other than the melody, words mean a lot in a song. You can have the greatest song arrangement but if your lyrics do not really voice out what it is supposed to, your audience will not love your song.

Do not use words that are very deep because people who will listen to your song want simple yet profound lyrics. Make it easy to understand.

Tip 3: Arrange the vocal melody. The sound and melody of the song is what your listeners will remember. This includes opening notes and closing notes in a song. Remember that the rise and fall of your melody should also match the words. If the words are of a person who got hurt and is angry, you may want to consider a rising tone.

There are other tips for songwriting but the best tip of all is to practice, practice, practice and write, write, and write more songs until you fell really comfortable with it.

To make this article more useful, gather up your 3 strongest or most recent titles, hooks or choruses, so that you can apply what we’re discussing to the “real world” of your material.

Tap Into Your Personal Experiences For “Nuggets of Truth”

It’s my firm belief that the old adage, “write what you know” is applicable to songwriting as well as prose. Although some of us prefer to believe we can write about anyone and anything, our most meaningful and successful songs usually spring from “real life” experiences, and our responses to, and interpretations of, those experiences. Each day we spend on the planet, observed through the prism of songwriting, offers innumerable creative possibilities. The seeds of brilliant songs often lie just beneath the surface, but the writer must be willing to nurture their growth.

Let’s say you’re starting with a blank slate: germ of an idea brewing, recording device turned on, and instrument, voice or blank page ready and waiting. How do you go about extracting the proverbial Killer Hook from your precious “nuggets of truth”:

• First, ask: what is true, real, intensely felt RIGHT NOW in your life? Be attentive to those flickers of realization, your “aha! moments.”

• What experiences do you have a burning yearning to share?

• What contribution do you want to make to the world?

• What makes your angle on life unique, compelling, interesting?

• In the movie “Walk The Line,” Sam Phillips asks Johnny Cash what song he’d sing if he was dying in a ditch on the side of the road and only had 3 minutes left. What hook would you sing in that situation?

• How can you arrange words and/or musical notes to get your “soul” down in song?

• Get crazy, be bold, bare your deepest truth or your silliest notion.

• Your job as a songwriter is to express what others can’t express. Go overboard!

Now take a few minutes and blurt out what comes up for you. Really dig in there and fearlessly sing, write or play something, anything, as long as it rings true. This is a great exercise to try any time you have 10 minutes to spare.

Next, start to put that spark of inspiration into song form. Stay connected with the essence of your personal experience as you begin to experiment with lyrics and music.

Ways to Enhance the Impact of Your Song’s Hook(s)

In the Verse/Chorus song form — the most common form these days — the chorus, and especially the hook, is where you “deliver the goods.” It’s the equivalent to the summation to the jury, the punch line of the joke, the revelation on the mountaintop. Every verse, every pre-chorus, every bridge, every line and every note leads up to this ultimate payoff. A great hook (and chorus) is packed full of meaning, fun, passionate intensity… or all three! It can’t be overemphasized that your hook has to really Rock Their World. But first, it has to rock YOURS. It has to ring true to you.

• Boil your Big Idea down into the smallest possible expression of its essence: your hook.

• Stay simple-yet-elegant. Less is usually more.

• Don’t pussyfoot around. Be bold and risky. Always take a strong point of view!

• A great line bears repetition. If it’s worth saying, it’s usually worth saying again.

• Make your song move rhythmically. People want to be SWAYED in more than one way by your song.

• Think of it this way: your hook is the hub of the wheel, and the other song elements are the spokes.

• Marry your melody to your lyric so that each intensifies and deepens the other.

• If you are thrilled by your hook, “they” probably will be too. And if you’re holding back, they probably will too!

• Show off your “money” note, your slammin’-est groove, your cleverest line, your most unusual concept in your hook. Aim for the bleachers, emotionally and creatively.

Give Your Hooks Mass Appeal

Singles are distinguished from album cuts by their catchiness, accessibility and freshness. And the hook is the key to that mass appeal. Most listeners and People Behind Desks couldn’t sing all of a song’s verses back to you if they tried. But most CAN remember a killer hook or chorus. For those of you who are driven by thoughts of financial gain, singles are also where the money is. (But remember: selling doesn’t mean selling out!) When you get to your main hook, hit us with fresh language, chords and melodic movement to wake us up physically, emotionally and spiritually. The might mean:

• An impassioned title or lyrical line: a twist of phrase, an unforgettable image, or an emotional outpouring that rings true

• A peak moment for the vocalist. This could be a high note, a long note, a rhythmically cool pulse or movement, a fresh interval, a repeated pattern or melodic sequence, etc.

• A catchy-as-hell instrumental riff or chordal pattern

• An underlying rhythm or groove that sweeps up all in its path

• Enough repetition to be catchy without becoming boring

• A striking contrast to whatever comes before and after (verses, pre-choruses, bridge), so that your hook stands out in an obvious way

Remember, more Hooks-Per-Square-Inch is better! In this day and age of sensory overload, listeners thrive on intense songs that cut through the clutter. We WANT to be moved on all levels. We’re hungry for depth, for truth, for emotion, for humor. Strive to discover the universal within the personal, the specifics of real life. Make your song paint a picture or create an environment people can live in.

By following these guidelines, and learning from songs that are hits in your chosen genres, you can make your songs more accessible, satisfying and commercially viable.

Happy songwriting!