Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Business of Writing I

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"An Itty Bitty Column on Writing" by Mindy Phillips Lawrence
From Sharing with Writers (Carolyn Howard-Johnson)
July 21, 2009
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We’d rather forget, but we can’t. Writing is a business as well as a creative endeavor. The way we keep our records, log our submissions and prepare for the inevitability of taxes shows whether we are professionals or not.

In the next few issues of Sharing with Writers, I’m going to talk about ways to organize what you do and become the true professional that you were meant to be. Why? Because I need to know this information, too.

Let’s start with organizing our work area. Oh, yes, I know it’s never completely organized, but the better job you do at keeping things together the more time you have to write.

I hope you have a cozy nook where you can write. If you have a spare bedroom you can convert into an office, congratulations. If not, find a corner of a room (or a basement) where you can work. You simply must have a dedicated area. I use the second bedroom in my little duplex. Make sure you have space for your computer, printer and shelves filled with good reference books. I have four bookshelves crammed with volumes and a closet that I converted into a supply room for paper, folders, and so forth.
So get your act together! Next issue well take the next step.
Happy organizing!

LINKS

Handling Writers Income and Expenses
http://www.writing-world.com/rights/expenses.shtml

The ABC Checklist for New Writers
http://www.writersservices.com/mag/08/ABC_Checklist_3.htm

Organized Writer - Julie Hood
http://www.organizedwriter.com/

The Writer’s Legal Guide – Tad Crawford
http://books.google.com/books?id=VIqj8BRPnOsC&printsec=frontcover

Taxes and Freelance Writers, What to Do?
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/89298/taxes_and_freelance_writerswhat_to.html?cat=3

A Straightforward Guide to Creative Writing, Stephen Wade
http://books.google.com/books?id=fWVzvxp3eBMC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=keeping+records+for+writers&source=bl&ots=9nZTHzV_Q9&sig=ReRe9IUztTrmWeR-WwMZCmJYLNw&hl=en&ei=pv5kSrLoC426Ne6wiZ8M&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10

Simple Recordkeeping and Tax Deductions for Writers, Pamela S. Thibodeaux
http://www.go-publish-yourself.com/articles/writing-related/thibodeauxp.php

Tracking Your Submissions, Greg Knollenberg
http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/apr98/gak4.htm
Get Organized, Get Published, Don Aslett and Carol Cartaino
http://www.amazon.com/Get-Organized-Published-Ways-Success/dp/1582970033

10k Write Day! On a WEEKEND!

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For Milli Thornton's FEAR OF WRITING
http://www.fearofwriting.com
July 26, 2009 _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

10K Weekend Write!
Tentative Date: August 22, 2009

A Saturday Dedicated to WORDS

We all have a ton going on through the week and catch up with housework, second jobs, family and sleep on the weekends. I’m here to tell you that you also need one weekend a month to dive into the glory of words. You owe it to yourself. It’s like getting a weekend manicure – only this is a word-a-cure.

So here’s the deal. Join me, Mindy Phillips Lawrence, for the first WEEKEND 10-K Write on AUGUST 22, 2009 from 1am until 12am. OF COURSE you won’t write that long but you're going to want every minute to matter. Here are ten suggestions to make your 10K Writing Day count and give you time to get all those words written:

· Do everything you can around the house on Thursday and Friday before the Write begins.

· Prepare Saturday meals the day before so they can be nuked or cooked in 30 minutes or less (access a Web site or too for recipe ideas). This is the one day you have permission to eat in front of your computer.

· See if you can get your kids invited somewhere that day. See if granny is busy. If you ARE granny, see if you can swear off keeping the grandkids that day – or write around their visit.

· Lay out your clothes the night before.

· Shower early. It pries your eyes and mind open to begin your writing day fresh and alert.

· Start Saturday laundry and write from load to load. This is like having a writing timer set and you get clean laundry to boot.

· Establish a pattern you’ll use on both your weekend and weekly 10K Writes. DEDICATE yourself to giving a day a month to develop your stories, novels, articles, Web sites and so forth. It will pay off.

· Lay out all the writing paraphernalia you’ll need to write if yon intend to use a dictionary or a thesaurus (although this is actually a no-no on 10K Days).

· Plan 15-minute breaks to where you don’t get sick of the written word.

· Plan to take a walk during the day to exercise your muscles and air out your mind.


There you are. I’ll be writing with you and reporting my progress on the link Milli gives us. Just knowing that other people are in this with me is a huge boost so CHECK IN! CHECK IN! CHECK IN!

Mindy Phillips Lawrence
Springfield , MO