Pen Dames Pointers! Tips to Jazz Up Your Writing

 

A goal of Pen Dames is to help other writers by sharing some of the tips and insights we have learned along the way. We hope you will find the pointers beneficial. 

Loretta C. Rogers

Write what you love. By writing what you love, you will always write stories that are powerful and that mean something to you. Your energy and love will then become evident to readers.

Kathy Eddinger Smits

Make a firm commitment to yourself that you will complete at least a first draft of whatever project you begin no matter how awful you think it is, because at some point, you WILL think it is horrible and want to quit. Don't quit! Every author doubts every project sometime during the process. Published authors are the ones who don't let that stop them.

Barbara Cairns

Write to inform and to inspire! Help readers to enjoy learning while enjoying a good story.

 

Jennifer Taylor

A great first step to developing your novel is to write in a journal-consistently-whether it's a mere ten minutes a day or an hour. You can write about anything--issues you're experiencing in your life, or any story ideas that pop up at random. You can puzzle out your story issues. The important thing is to let your mind wander. Write it down, no matter how far-fetched or crazy your idea is. I can't tell you how much a journal has helped me write my books. Amazing things pop into your head once you put your pen to paper. Basically, you're talking to yourself, whether you choose to do it on your computer, phone, or on your favorite notebook. And it's a great way to give yourself a pep talk when you need it most. You can do this. 

Flossie Benton Rogers

Be flexible with your writing process. What worked best at one time in your life or with one genre or book may now need a tweak. Do you write your rough draft and then edit? Do you write a day’s worth and start the next day by editing before moving on to new words? Do you write sequentially or skip around? Do you write the end before the middle? Start with what feels natural and try new ways if needed.

What do you think of these suggestions?

Thank you for joining us. Happy writing!