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Message to the Writing Community

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Marie Sinadjan

All the world’s a stage, it’s been said, and it is my wish for my art and writing to be an inspiration to others to find their voice. I find joy in working with other people, exchanging ideas and bearing witness to others’ talents and creativity, for I believe that together, we can bring out the best in each other. Collaboration, not competition. Community, not connections. So feel free to reach out to me, writing community! I'm here for you, as you have been for me.

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Matt Adcock

We’re in this together so let’s support each other – some of the best advice, feedback, and wisdom I’ve had has been from other authors. Helping another author succeed doesn’t hurt your sales or status, I’m all for win/win situations!

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Lachlan Waterman

There is now a considerable shift in the writer's responsibilities. Marketing has now become one of the crucial skill-sets in a writer's arsenal. This is what attracted me to the Writers Lift, an opportunity to promote my own work andNetwork and learn other skills from writers in different genres.

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Francis H Powell

To the writing community, we need to support one another we can't live in a vacuum. We may live in places far from one another, but we all have the same goal to have our work read and appreciated. We all need a writers lift to join together on social media we are stronger together

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James Stewart

Take advantage of any opportunity to interact with other writers, especially in read/critique groups. But beyond that, no one can really teach you how to write a book, and they certainly can’t teach you the perseverance it takes to write one and get it published. To write a book you need to, a) read a lot of books of the type you want to write, b) sit down and start to write, and c) keep at it until you get it done. When you finish the book, congratulations, you just accomplished something that many people say they want to do but that few actually do. Then comes the hard part. The dream for most writers is to get a deal with a big New York publishing house. But to do that you need to already be well known or have a good agent. I spent a couple years trying to get an agent with nothing but frustration to show for it. Get an agent if you can but I think your efforts are better spent submitting directly to small independent publishers. There are tons of those now and they do business very differently than the traditional houses and I’m not talking about self-publishing. Do an online search and write down every independent publisher that might publish a book like yours. Submit to them and keep submitting until one of them says yes. That’s what I did. It’s not the big dream but this way you’ll get your book out in the world where you can get exposure. Bigger things can come in time.

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Gary Hickman

 Don’t try and tackle an entire book at once. With everything a book needs, it can be overwhelming. Try to think of a story outline; major parts of the story, introduction of main characters, etc. After that, just start by focusing on that one chapter. Write that and move to the second. Don’t worry if you have to go back and fill in some of the transitions to take you from one part of the story to the next. It will all come together.  I personally cannot sit at a computer and write a story. I have to use a pad and pen to create. The pen movement is much smoother and it occupies my hands to allow my mind to concentrate on the story. I hope this helps!

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 G.H. Kohn

Hello all!  Writing is usually a solitary activity, but social media certainly doesn't need to be!  Let's all cling tight to each other as we churn through the choppy seas of promoting our own works!

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Kathy O'Shea

  1. Be patient with responses from your proposals to publishers. We often think since we have put so much hard work, time, and energy into them that they should receive a timely response, but for publishers, “timely” is a relative word.

  2. If you receive difficult critical response and what seems overwhelming work from a “negative” reading of your piece, take a deep breath, set aside the review for a bit, and then come back to it to be able to respond more objectively. Glean what you can from it. You don’t have to agree with all of the suggestions for revisions, but you do need to be able to make an argument to support your position in response. Inevitably, you WILL find helpful critique within the review, even if it means significant change in your original work. The final piece will be all the better for it!

  3. After publication, be a real advocate for yourself in trying to get the work “out there.” This process has been, of course, much more difficult during COVID, but there are a variety of avenues these days that you can participate in and have control over.

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 J. W. Traphagan

Perhaps the most important thing I’d say to The Writing Community is to put your work out in public and embrace constructive criticism. You learn much more from those who are critical of your work than you do from those who love it.  Listen to criticism and take what you can from it.  Some criticism will just be pointless—ignore that.  But, in general, if someone is critical of my work, I want to understand what it was that generated that critique. That understanding will help me to improve my writing. Your work will never be perfect, so there is always room to improve.  And if you are not getting better at your writing, you are getting worse.  There is no stasis point in creativity.  

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 Robert “The Hook” Hookey.

Writers are often riddled with anxiety and self-doubt, and so we rewrite and edit ad nauseam. Trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to indulge them past the point of all reason. No one ever truly succeeded by going halfway or playing it safe.

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J.G MacLeod

Thank you to Writers Lift for the opportunity to introduce myself and my books. I look forward to interacting with the community members and supporting other featured writers.

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Narado Zeco Powell

Writing and creating make us who we are. It only takes one person to make a difference. Do not underestimate your impact on the world. 

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Richard Bist

The one thing I always tell writers – or anyone creative – is to be fearless. Don’t be afraid to try something new, to go outside your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid that people won’t like your work. Don’t be afraid of failure. Don’t be afraid of your artistic voice or vision. Be yourself and be fearless 

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Paul Lafferty

Keep writing! It gets better!

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Elif Hoorain

My message for this community, readers, and my fellow writers is that writing is a talent, a gem that has to go through harsh conditions to achieve the best sparkle so never give up writing especially when it makes you happy.

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Rachel Pfennig Hales

As writers, we know the stories we are being drawn to tell. Learn, listen, read a ton, but keep that focus. Even when others can’t see it yet, if you have a vision, keep chasing it. We all need to read that story.

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Dan Klefstad

Powerful, inspiring words lay undiscovered in you. Every day you write, you leave a gift for readers to discover. Giving up would deprive them as much as you.

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Despoina Kemeridou

The writing journey isn’t easy, but it can be fun, inspiring, and beautiful. Take breaks when you need them and keep on writing. Giving up is not an option.

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Tracy Harding

If your dream is to share a compelling story by writing a book, you can and you will. Follow your dreams…

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