You can do something for me today. For every author you know. For even the authors you don’t. An act of literary citizenship that takes 7-10 minutes. Sure, you can spend time and/or money to be a literary citizen—hosting events, blogging, editing or reading for a journal—or contribute gently to your community by giving thoughtful feedback in your own writing group. But to actually help authors sell books, for free, right now:
Write a review.
Not “pitch a review to a literary publication,” although that’s great, too. Not “write a 900-word blog post balancing serious critique with just enough praise.” Not “read the book twice for fairness and highlight quotes and eventually put something up in a couple of months.” Just write and post a short review, right away.
Write a review of 3-10 sentences. Maybe quote one line you really liked.
I have written and published a number of nonfiction pieces. A personal essay about seeing my dead father shopping at Trader Joes. Another essay about my love life as a gay man in Los Angeles. An article about how my perpetual depression lessened during COVID. But, until recently, I had not tried my hand at an op-ed. Yes, similar to writing more personal nonfiction, but different.
The idea for the editorial was spawned by a headline in the Los Angeles Times, “Growing Fears of ‘Dead Pool’ on Colorado River as Drought Threatens Hoover Dam Water,” which reported that Lake Mead could be at “dead pool” levels by 2025. I’m a constant water worrier, having lived in California most of my life, and Lake Mead is an essential source of water for Southern California. Seeing the words “dead pool” frightened me. Did that mean one of our…
To write is one thing, to be read — deeply read, seen on the page for the writer we can be — is another.
Words on a page amount to something or nothing, until someone other than the writer reads them, and then those words amount to a whole new world. A world of response. A world in which the words give shape to life beyond the writer’s hopes and dreams and take hold as the reader’s.
The ultimate reader is one who, like you, reads the piece in published form. But before then, the wise and the brave writer asks for feedback on the early, pre-published drafts. If it takes courage to write, it surely takes courage to ask for feedback and then more courage to receive it: Courage and calm and confidence. Not always present in good measure, but even a scrap of each…
I enjoyed this woman’s approach to writing. Hope you like it too. If you’d like to share your writing process, I’d love to hear about it. You can easily reach me through the contact button over at http://www.writeradvice.com. 🙏
Sit. Place a folded sign with your name and title on the table where you usually work. A table under sepia photographs of Coast Salish peoples rocking a baby in a cradleboard, carving wood, and hunting whales. Some of their faces carry deep creases; many fold chapped and worn hands in their laps. They lived, worked on, and cared for this sea long before you did, years before this sixty-year-old vessel plied these waters at 13 knots, coursing between islands that now carry names of European explorers who claimed them as their own.
Scrawl. With a pen in a leather, handbound journal, numbering each page and dating each entry. Record conversations overheard; observations of rocky cliffs, cedars and coppery Madrones, and jewel-like water carrying the 310-foot Tillikum on its route through Washington’s San Juan Islands.
Type. On a shiny, 13-inch, three-pound laptop Coast Salish tribes never…
Started in a Zoom workshop offered by Story Circle Network, where Len is president. Nice job. I love the way one thought leads to another. WTG, Len. Curious about the workshop? E-mail me and I’ll tell you how to join.
Prompt: You know how it goes, some people you like, and some you just don’t. From the preface of Susan Lewis’s Forgive Me
As a rule, I like most people. That is my nature. However, there are a few instances where I find myself backing slowly away. Call it self-protection or simply being discerning, but there are situations where I sense the person I’m getting to know is not going to end up in my close friend category.
I consider it a red flag when I meet a person who repeatedly uses the expression, “In my experience…”. It’s not that I mind hearing how someone might have learned something from his/her experience, it’s just that if they use the phrase a lot, it often means that person thinks they know better than others, based on their unique “experience.” I try to give people the benefit of the doubt on this…
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” ~ Steven King
Writer Advice’s
Flash Fiction Submissions
So many people lost their employment or their businesses in 2020 that we’re reducing the price significantly for anyone who does not want feedback. Your work will still be considered for a prize, but you won’t receive a detailed evaluation of your writing.
If you’d like to know what’s working in your writing and what trips an award-winning writer up, I’m happy to send a personalized, detailed letter, but I have to ask that you pay an additional $9 fee. You’d pay the $5 submission fee and add the $9 feedback option on Submittable. If you have the money, I strongly recommend it. It’s a good bargain and a worker is worthy of her hire. Thank you for understanding.
WriterAdvice seeks flash fiction, a story running 750 words or less. Sometimes fiction is based on real life, sometimes it stretches the imagination, but we always love or hate the characters. All fiction genres are welcome. Hopefully, your story will touch or move readers in some way.
Please don’t try to cut a longer story down to 750 words. Instead, submit to a contest with a longer word limit.
Finalists who paid the $14 fee receive responses from all judges. Everyone who pays the supplemental fee receives a detailed response from award-winning author B. Lynn Goodwin.
We enjoy stories with a discovery, maybe a surprise, and a tone that rings true. Enlighten, dazzle, and delight us.
DEADLINE: The last day we’ll accept submissions is Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Early submissions are encouraged. Scroll down to find the Submittable button. The fee helps us pay expenses.
JUDGES: will be selected from previous prizewinners. Read recent winners by clicking on Archives if you are curious about what judges might be looking for.
PRIZES: First Place earns $150; Second Place earns $75; Third Place earns $40; Honorable Mentions will also be listed.
FOR BEST RESULTS:
Include your name, contact information, and title in the cover letter, but include only your title in the submission so it remains anonymous.
Since we judge these anonymously, you don’t need a cover letter that includes more than your contact information including your e-mail address. If you are a finalist, we’ll ask for a bio.
Please double-space your submission. We recommend that you use a 14-point font that is easy to read. Cambria, Ariel, and Verdana are all good. If you forget, we can fix it for you.
You own the copyright. If we publish your work, the rights still belong to you.
Simultaneous submissions accepted. You may submit up to 3 pieces to us, but each one must be submitted separately.
We prefer unpublished work, though we do accept stand-alone excerpts from fiction seeking a publisher or agent. If it doesn’t work as a stand-alone, it’s best to submit it elsewhere.
If you have questions, please click on the contact button and ask.
We look forward to reading your work.
COMMENTS FROM PREVIOUS CONTESTANTS:
“WriterAdvice.com is one of my all-time most reliable and accessible sites for writers. I use it—and recommend it to my clients.” ~Carolyn Howard-Johnson, multi award-winning author of the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers (http://howtodoitfrugally.com), poetry and fiction
“I can’t tell you how many people I’ve told about the great feedback you give to folks no matter how many entries you get.” –Bill Buschel
“Just a quick note to say THANK YOU for this feedback. It’s such a refreshing experience to have some exchange — as most submissions disappear into the either like rogue satellites.” –Charles Watts
“Thank you so much for your detailed feedback!! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to read and analyze my work . . . It’s not every day a contest gives you comprehensive feedback instead of a simple yes/no!” –Lena Crown
“Your insights are excellent” –Dan Dubelman
“You are the first professional to offer feedback and your encouraging words have given me additional motivation! It is reassuring to know that I was on the right track; you have a remarkable ability to give constructive feedback in a positive way (and you are absolutely correct). I look forward to submitting more stories and continuing to improve.” –Jamie Fouty
“I learned about this contest from the Submittable page. I then checked out your website and felt comfortable submitting my story as you seem like someone who genuinely wants to help and advise others.” –Roger Yetzer
“Thank you so much for your feedback! I really appreciate you taking the time to give me your thoughts. I’m always striving to improve my writing, and feedback from editors like you make it much easier to do so.” –Margarite R. Stever
“Many thanks for your response, from it, I can tell you’re very good at what you do.” –Kisa, Visually Versed
“Thank you so much for your feedback, it always makes me feel inspired and motivated.” –Elizabeth Cockle
“Thanks for the wonderful feedback, never, never, got that before in thirty years.” –Jenny Hickinbotham
SUBMISSIONS:
All entries should be submitted through Submittable,
Winners will be announced on WriterAdvice, www.writeradvice.com at the beginning of July 2021 or—worst case — later.
News to share: Goodwin announces the release of Talent, the story ofSandee Mason who is convinced her life will change if she can just win applause for her talents—whatever they may be. She can’t wait to accomplish something after living in the shadow of her big brother, Bri, who disappeared in Afghanistan months earlier, leaving Sandee craving the same attention the whole town is giving him, even as she wrestles with feelings of loss. When her high school drama department puts on the play Oklahoma!, she knows that now is her chance to step out and be noticed. What will she learn about herself as she reaches out to the world?
Book to feature: Talent (Koehler Books, November 1, 2020)
Brief bio and other books: B. Lynn Goodwin is the owner of Writer Advice, writeradvice.com. In addition to Talent, she has written Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife at 62 (memoir) and You Want Me to Do WHAT? Journaling for Caregivers (self-help). Never Too Late and Talent are multiple award-winners. Shorter works ran in Hip Mama, The Sun, Dramatics Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Purple Clover, and Flashquake. A reviewer and teacher at Writer Advice and Story Circle Network, she lives in Northern California with her energetic husband and exceptional terrier.
Are you working on a new book? Have you won an award or a writing contest? Did you just update your website? Maybe you just want to tell readers about an experience you’ve had. Book Club Mom’s Author Update is a great way to share news and information about you and your books.
So many people lost their employment or their businesses in 2020 that we’re reducing the price significantly for anyone who does not want feedback. Your work will still be considered for a prize, but you won’t receive a detailed evaluation of your writing.
If you’d like to know what’s working in your writing and what trips an award-winning writer up, I’m happy to send a personalized, detailed letter, but I have to ask that you pay an additional $9 fee. You’d pay the $5 submission fee and add the $9 feedback option on Submittable. If you have the money, I strongly recommend it. It’s a good bargain and a worker is worthy of her hire. Thank you for understanding.
That said, WriterAdvice seeks flash memoir, a personal life story running 750 words or less. Enlighten, dazzle, and delight us. Focus on a moment that changed you. Memoir is a slice or sliver of your life. Hopefully, your story will touch or move readers in some way.
Finalists who paid the $14 fee receive responses from all judges. Everyone who pays the supplemental fee receives a detailed response from award-winning author B. Lynn Goodwin.
We enjoy stories with a discovery, maybe a surprise, and a tone that rings true.
DEADLINE: The last day we’ll accept submissions is Tuesday, March 2. Early submissions are encouraged. Scroll down to find the Submittable button. The fee helps us pay expenses.
JUDGES: will be selected from previous prizewinners. Read recent winners by clicking on Archives if you are curious about what judges might be looking for.
PRIZES: First Place earns $150; Second Place earns $75; Third Place earns $40; Honorable Mentions will also be listed.
FOR BEST RESULTS:
Include your name, contact information, and title in the cover letter, along with a statement that this is memoir–not fiction, but include only your title in the submission so it remains anonymous.
Since we judge these anonymously, you don’t need a cover letter that includes more than your contact information including your e-mail address. If you are a finalist, we’ll ask for a bio.
Please double-space your submission. We recommend that you use a 14-point font that is easy to read. Cambria, Ariel, and Verdana are all good. If you forget, we can fix it for you.
You own the copyright. If we publish your work, the rights still belong to you.
Simultaneous submissions accepted. You may submit up to 3 memoir pieces to us, but each one must be submitted separately.
We prefer unpublished work, though we do accept stand-alone excerpts from fiction seeking a publisher or agent. If it doesn’t work as a stand-alone, it’s best to submit it elsewhere.
If you have questions, please click on the contact button and ask.
COMMENTS FROM PREVIOUS CONTESTANTS:
“WriterAdvice.com is one of my all-time most reliable and accessible sites for writers. I use it—and recommend it to my clients.” ~Carolyn Howard-Johnson, multi award-winning author of the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers (http://howtodoitfrugally.com), poetry and fiction
“I can’t tell you how many people I’ve told about the great feedback you give to folks no matter how many entries you get.” –Bill Buschel
“Just a quick note to say THANK YOU for this feedback. It’s such a refreshing experience to have some exchange — as most submissions disappear into the either like rogue satellites.” –Charles Watts
“Thank you so much for your detailed feedback!! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to read and analyze my work . . . It’s not every day a contest gives you comprehensive feedback instead of a simple yes/no!” –Lena Crown
“Your insights are excellent” –Dan Dubelman
“You are the first professional to offer feedback and your encouraging words have given me additional motivation! It is reassuring to know that I was on the right track; you have a remarkable ability to give constructive feedback in a positive way (and you are absolutely correct). I look forward to submitting more stories and continuing to improve.” –Jamie Fouty
“I learned about this contest from the Submittable page. I then checked out your website and felt comfortable submitting my story as you seem like someone who genuinely wants to help and advise others.” –Roger Yetzer
“Thank you so much for your feedback! I really appreciate you taking the time to give me your thoughts. I’m always striving to improve my writing, and feedback from editors like you make it much easier to do so.” –Margarite R. Stever
“Many thanks for your response, from it, I can tell you’re very good at what you do.” –Kisa, Visually Versed
“Thank you so much for your feedback, it always makes me feel inspired and motivated.” –Elizabeth Cockle
“Thanks for the wonderful feedback, never, never, got that before in thirty years.” –Jenny Hickinbotham
SUBMISSIONS:
All entries should be submitted through Submittable,
Winners will be announced on WriterAdvice, www.writeradvice.com at the beginning of April 2021 or—worst case — later.
‘Tis the season to give back, so I am sharing this important reminder from a Brevity Guest Blogger, Lisa Ellison. Take a look at her article and do what you can to support.
During my parents’ divorce, I lived with my grandmother, a gifted raconteur with impeccable timing and skillful intonation. Listening to her made me want to become a storyteller. Most of her tales were set during her childhood in the Bronx and involved the Yankees, her mother’s mysterious illness, or her family’s elaborate Italian dinners.
One day, she told me about a dollhouse she’d wanted for her sixth Christmas. At sixty-one, she could still recall the number of rooms and the color of the kitchen’s porcelain plates. With each detail, she transformed into the little girl who pleaded for her one and only Christmas wish.
But the only gifts under that year’s Christmas tree were underwear and socks.
After a long pause, she swallowed hard then patted my hand. “That day, I learned an important lesson. If you never want anything, you’ll never be disappointed.”
B. Lynn Goodwin 