What Motivates A Writer To Write?

What motivates a writer to write? If you are like me, you don't need to be motivated. Your day is not complete unless you write something, and that something often falls into several different categories: blogs, articles,WIP's, and notes for future articles and books.

Some of the things that can give us needed motivation, or motivate us in new directions, include:

• Tackeling the obstacles that we see as standing in our way.
• Achieving a certain goal - such as entering a writing contest, or writing a given amount of words per day.
• Creating characters that we would enjoy reading.
• Resolving personal scenarios through our books.
• Connecting with a given audience.
• Being able to sustain our lifestyle through our writing,
• We have a story to tell.
• Writing is therapeutic - we heal on all levels as we write.
• Writing when the muse wants to talk - for me, that is in the oh dark thirty hours!
• Creating an environment for writing that is distraction free, and a "happy place".
• Allowing our writing to flow. If it doesn't work out - trashcan it!

I am going to do a 1,000 word flash fiction this week, instead of my usual 100 words. And ... I am going to present two different endings. Wish me luck!

(c) July 2019 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written authorization from the author. 

Writing A Better Newsletter

I have done newsletters on and off over the years. Right now I am developing a newsletter that will, hopefully, help me promote my writing. I send it out on a monthly basis, and tweak it as I get feedback. (Many thanks to my friend Jamie Morris for her wonderful suggestions!)

I am always looking for ways to ramp up my newsetter. I do have the target audience - people who read my work, and other authors. I try to vary the content enough to hold the attention of my newsletter audience. (I was aghast to find out that having 10% of those that received my newsletter actually opening it was a good percentage! Note to self - write better subject lines!)

I include links to writing related articles, blogs, and tools that have crossed my path. From time to time I will include links to other authors whose work I admire. I also include links to books that I already have out there, and snippets from my WIP (thank you Jamie for this suggestion!).

Things that we can all do to make our newsletters better are:

1. Keep our intended audience in mind when pulling the newsletter together.
2. Create an editorial calender. For me, since my newsletter goes out monthly, that would be creating a list of twelve topics that I would like to address. the months that have major holidays I cheat, and use the holiday to base my newsletter around.
3. Format the newsletter to look professional.
4. Use an professional e-mail sender, such as Mail Chimp.
5. Make you newsletter easy to scan, with bold headlines. People won't read your newsletter unless they see something that interests them.
6.  Give your readers information (or links to information) they can actually use!
7. Include links to your previous work - I have links to four of my books at the end of my newsletter.
8. Include a pic of yourself, so that your readers can relate to you on a personal level.
9. Be consistent - don't ramble!
10. Make sure your readers can opt out easily if they want to.
11. Ad images to create interest.
12. Use a logo and tagline that will brand you for your readers.
13. Include links to your professional site, as well as your social media sites.
14. Check your newsletter before you send it, checking for spelling, grammar, and consistent photo size. 

(c) January 2018 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.

March Madness

Normally the term "March Madness" refers to the NCAA basketball free for all (yes, I love basketball - preferably the NBA, but the collegiate boys take over in March!). On to my personal form of March Madness - today I start the process of finishing my 2010 NaNoWriMo project, editing it, then sending it out for editing. Then I am going to self-publish - digital and print.

Speaking of editing - I should be getting back the editing from my very first print book -a Tarot book coming out from Schiffer Books in fall of this year. Hope that I understand the process and can get through that!

I also have to keep a closer eye on my monthly deadlines - one guest blog for one site, two guest articles for another site - all three give or take 1,000 words each. A monthly blog as promo for my upcoming book, three blogs a week for the #SHINEonline project, at least one flash fiction piece, and an attempt to put up one article here each month.

Once I get my NaNoWriMo piece published, I plan to start writing my next Tarot book (outline already done). Come November, back to NaNoWriMo and the second book in a planned series of mysteries (the first book being the 2010 NaNoWriMo opus).

What is it that they say ... writers write? Yes, indeed they do! Now, to keep all deadlines straight! (And fit in my other projects!)

(c) March 2011 Bonnie Cehovet