Great Learning Opportunity

Every now and then, I see a great opportunity for writers to learn and grow so I want to pass this on to all of you.

A great friend and editor I worked with from the beginning of Greyhaus Literary Agency is launching a great new program. Here is the information from Joanne Grant.

Are you looking for something to keep you motivated and on track with your writing goals?

Are you finding it hard to stay focussed and feel you could benefit from some guidance and support?

Wherever you are on your writing journey, why not join me, Joanne Grant, your Editorial Coach, for May Motivation: a month-long inspiring group coaching experience!

This programme has been developed with writers of all levels and genres in mind and is designed to get tangible results!

For a one-off introductory rate of £195, May Motivation for Writers includes all of this:

• · 4 x 1-hour interactive Group Coaching sessions held weekly to support and motivate you in person. Timing TBC depending on participants
• · Access to two workshops: ‘Powerful Goal Setting’ and ‘Breaking Through Your Barriers’. These will be pre-recorded sessions so you can participate in your own time.
• · Writing tips, advice, and ongoing encouragement as well as fun, social posts
• · Exclusive access to a closed members’ only group where you will have the regular support of myself for the month, and your writing peers
• · Access to discounts on my 1-1 coaching packages

So ask yourself, what would you like to achieve in a month’s time?

Come on this journey with me, starting May the 4th and experience the powerful results that group editorial coaching can have on your writing!

To register for this opportunity or require more information, please contact me directly: joannemgrant@outlook.com

I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully, welcoming you as one of my May Motivation Writers!

You can also follow here on all social media sites including:

TWITTER: @JoanneMGrant

FACEBOOK: @JoanneGrantEditorialCoach

  

Learn From Each Book You Write And Improve

My wife and I joke all of the time when we read a book from an author that we have always enjoyed and then the book just tanks. We then find that several books in a row from that author are equally as flat. What happened? We had such high hopes for this author and then things just fall apart?

In reality, this happens to a lot of people in a lot of various hobbies, skills and occupations. The individual simply quit learning and growing as an author. They became too relaxed and comfortable with where they were at in their career and started taking things for granted.

Strong authors, the ones that do have long careers in this business have found a way to always grow and learn. In fact, editors and agents want to see this in the authors we work with. We want the author to have the ability to dissect what they are doing on every project they are working on. We want them to be able to self-diagnose their writing and their stories.

At the completion of each book you write, it is crucial to pick it up and start examining everything you did with it. What were some things that worked, and why did these things work? Did you make changes in how you wrote the book? Why? Did those changes work?

Along the same lines, you need to take the time to constantly read and continue to learn your craft. Writing is not something that you can simply claim you have learned all you need to know the moment you have been published. This is something I have said here on the blog before. I am always constantly amazed at how published authors quit taking workshops, quit attending conferences other than to do book signings and really do seem to shut the educational side of this business off. This, in my humble opinion, is a huge mistake.

We have to remember that the publishing world is constantly changing. This is not simply in how we deliver the books to our readers, but the style of writing our readers like and will buy. If we do not continue to learn and grow, you become pretty dang stagnate.

"Dear Scott, This is my first story..."

When do you submit a story to an editor or an agent? Do you submit your first project or do you wait?

We all have to go through that first manuscript and certainly the first submission at some time or another. I have to say, however, that more often than not, I find that I have to write a rejection letter to that author instead of asking for more stories. Why? The writing is just quite right. No, I don't reject anyone simply because it is their first story; and yes, I have read more of a project or signed an author with a first story.

The issue for most new authors is the lack of really finding the right personal voice in their story. It is, for lack of a better word, missing the maturity that comes from writing experience. What I often see are projects that have all of the right pieces, but used awkwardly in the story. This goes back to the ideas I have talked about in the past about knowing why we use the techniques in writing.

I don't want to tell you not to submit. You never know if the project is right for the agent or editor that you contact. Just don't feel the need to rush it. Your gut will tell you when it is the right time to submit the project.

I always like to tell writers to take their time on the first project. Certainly get the story finished, but continue to learn and grow. It may be your 2nd or even 15th story that is finally ready to be submitted. Even then, it may still not be right.

Scott

Reviewing is always good

As some of you know, on the side I am also a USA Swimming Official. Before a meet, we often sit down and read over the rules as a group and discuss any confusion that we might have. Now, while we all know the rules and see this list in our sleep, there are still times that we need to discuss something. Coaches change training procedures and sometimes the swimmers come up with a new move that pushes the boundaries of a rule. So we talk.

I bring all of this up because I believe that more published authors need to do this every now and then. While they might be successful with their career and see great returns on their books, it is always good to review the basics every now and then. Too often, I see writers that really lose that "special touch" they had when they started writing. In some cases, it might simply be not being ready to make the move to professional writer, but in other cases, I do believe they have forgotten some of the basics.

I am not talking about going back to their earlier form of writing. I do want to see growth and that same "pushing of the boundaries" I see on the weekends at the swim meet. I want them to stop and review those basics and be able to "review" what they have done, and "understand" why they did it, and "know" what the impact is on the reader.

I used to lead a lot of training sessions on leadership management. We would always have people sitting in these sessions saying, "Come on, I've taken this course before." Sure, they may have, but I know for myself that I have always left a session learning something new, even those I have taken before.

So, your homework this week? Go back and re-learn something.

And, just to let you all know. This will be a short week. I will be seeing a few of you in Myrtle Beach at the SCWW. Make sure you check in with me and say hi! And if you haven't registered and you are in the neighborhood, check it out. This is a FABULOUS workshop!

Scott