Extreme Writers
President’s Column
By Jeanetta Chrystie, Ph.D.
OCACW President |
| Everything seems
to be extreme lately. Magazine and newspaper advertisements tout
extreme makeovers and extreme artists. Our televisions scream
about extreme weather, extreme sports, and even extreme cooking!
Often these advertisements misspell “extreme” as “Xtreme”.
Of course, as a writer, even advertisements provide ideas for
our writing. So I began a little brainstorming list of potential
qualities of an Extreme Writer – or Xtreme Writer, if you
prefer. I chose a broad focus, to include Christian and secular
writer-type activities.
Extreme Writers might:
- Start each morning giving thanks to God for the writing ideas
he provides.
- Study their Bible during breakfast and pray to hear God’s
voice that day.
- Check e-mail every hour in case an editor sent you an e-mail
so you can be responsive.
- Write in a journal about everyday experiences, your thoughts,
your dreams, etc.
- Record writing ideas and file them where you can easily find
them.
- Read 20 pages of Sally Stuart’s Christian Writer’s
Market Guide daily to find new markets you haven’t yet tried.
- Avidly peruse magazines, newspapers, and online blogs for
hot writing topic ideas.
- Get up an hour early just to squeeze writing time into your
busy day.
- Check ShawGuides.com every week, and click the “Writers
Conferences & Workshop” link to check for a conference
where you can meet editors to sell your latest book, etc.
- Set specific writing goals - for specific markets - every
week.
- Select
a writing how-to book, or a writing inspiration-focused book,
to read every
month.
- Attend
at least one, and preferably two or more, writer’s
conferences for training and inspiration every year.
- Create an organization system for your written works, submitted
writing,
writing
business financial
records,
and editorial contacts.
- Meet regularly with local writers for training, information,
and inspiration.
- Submit writing somewhere regularly.
- Participate in a local critique group.
- Try writing in another genre to break through any writer’s
block.
- File rejection letters, or e-mail messages, and immediately “redirect” -
find another market for that piece, then update it for that market
and send it.
- Start your own writer’s blog and update it at least twice
a month, preferably weekly.
- Create your writer’s web site to offer your author’s
bio, credentials, writing topics, and publications list.
- Pray every time you sit down to write for
God’s direction
and guidance, so your writing will outlast you by positively impacting
other lives.
Are there other items you can add to our Extreme Writers description?
Where would you set the bar to define an Extreme Writer? Perhaps
you fit 5 of the 21 items, or 10, or 15. If we said 15 of the
21 items was the definition of an Extreme Writer, would you fit?
I
wouldn’t - yet. Are you an Extreme Writer - yet?
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