Some great works of literature have been penned at Lakeside by writers known worldwide --D.H. Lawrence, Tennessee Williams among them. There's no shortage of fantastic writers today at Lakeside, either. For those of you who harbor a desire to try your hand at writing, perhaps some of the sites listed below will motivate, encourage, and educate.
What is a writer? A writer, according to Webster-Merriam, is "one who writes." No kidding. Perhaps "author" would be a more appropriate term? I rather like the Encyclopedia Britannica definition: "One who is the source of some form of intellectual or creative work; especially one who composes a book, article, poem, play or other literary work intended for publication." Regardless of the term, writing is the required action.
There are, of course, many types of writing, and each genre has unique requirements. Still, good writing requires one to have a basic understanding of the rules of grammar, punctuation, composition, and word usage. If you feel you need a refresher course in these areas, you may find the following sites useful:
English grammar and composition:
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/links.html http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/;
http://www.writing.com/?rfrc=inkspot.com
Vocabulary
Commonly confused words: http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/conford.html
Dictionaries/thesauruses: Merriam-Webster at http://www.m-w.com/ and http://dictionary.reference.com/ are good resources; specialty dictionaries (e.g., medicine) are readily available online -just do a Google search.
Quotations: http://www.internet-resources.com/writers/wrlinks-quotations.htm
Assuming you know the basics of good writing and/or are willing to double check such matters when necessary, what do you do next? Essentially, you need to learn about the writing process through research, online writing courses in the genre of interest, writer conferences, etc. You especially need to learn about the business of writing for publication. You see, it isn't enough to be a good writer, or even a great writer. You must know what is involved in getting someone to actually read your work. Allow me to illustrate by sharing with you my first writing-for-publication experience.
Several years ago, a friend told me about the wonders of the palownia tree ( really, it's not as boring as it sounds!), and I wrote an article about it and sent it to Mother Earth News. To my surprise, a $250.00 check arrived in the mail a couple of months later. I decided that maybe I could be a writer --a real one. From that moment on, I read everything I could get my hands on about magazine writing. I bought books, and I subscribed to both The Writer and Writer's Digest Magazine. I learned to write a good query letter and I have had more acceptances than rejections of my work. I did not become a full-time professional writer; responsibilities to my family and my teaching profession permitted only the occasional writing endeavors. The point is this: no matter how good a writer you are, there's a great deal to learn if you want to be a published writer.
Writer's Digest (www.writersdigest.com) is, in my opinion, the best place to start if you are new to writing for publication. The following are available:
(1) Writer's Digest Magazine filled with advice for writers; (2) Book Club featuring books by noted authors in their specific genres; (3) interactive online writing workshops; (4) contests; and (5) Writer's Market. The Writer's Market, general edition, is published annually and offers specifics about the needs, requirements, and pay of major publications in a wide variety of areas. In edition to purchasing the book, there is an available online. The online version isn't as extensive as the book itself, but it does offer the most current changes in the publication market; it also provides tools for keeping track of your writing, submissions, etc. There are also specialty books such as the Fiction Writer's Market. Naturally, each of the offerings within Writer's Digest has individual costs.
The Writer (http://www.writermag.com/wrt/) is similar to the Writer's Digest Magazine, but it is only published bi-monthly.
Lakeside is fortunate to have talented authors of plays for stage and screen, and I feel certain many of you are specifically interested in this form of writing. If this is your passion for writing, you should most definitely check out http://www.playwriting101.com/. This is an online tutorial that covers the types of plays, story structure and development, dialogue, and much, much more.
In addition to honing your writing skills and improving your chances for publication, the resources listed above offer one more very important thing: encouragement! By reading about the experiences, good and bad, of professional writers, you will gain confidence in your own abilities and come to realize that you, too, can become a published author. Writing, ultimately, is a solitary activity, so you should also consider joining the Ajijic Writer's Group to share with and learn from like-minded people.
Best of luck to you in your writing endeavors!
