Comments on: Writers Worth Week, Day Three: Improve Yourself

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Thu, 12 May 2011 14:41:37 +0000

Asking for help is my favorite these days... people truly love to help and I sure need help so it works for all concerned.

hugs

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 12 May 2011 11:41:45 +0000

Blogger hates me – all my comments are disappearing. I'll be back when it's behaving. Sorry. 🙁

By: Pamela Moeng

Pamela Moeng — Thu, 12 May 2011 08:11:01 +0000

I can attest to the reading and asking advice. Self-teaching works for me. I type 60 wpm now. Years ago, I taught myself to type using my late dad's dog-eared, yellowing army issue typing manual – a leftover from his army days. Being never-too-proud-to-ask has also helped me tremendously. My longtime friend Damaria is also a writer and her advice, along with that gleaned from other writer friends and writing publications has assisted me to improve my skills and broaden my knowledge. This week your site, Lori, has given me new ideas and motivated me to work even harder at improving as well as marketing myself as a writer. Thank you!

By: L.C. Gant

L.C. Gant — Wed, 11 May 2011 22:07:16 +0000

Paula, I'd be happy to take some of that patience off of your hands. Lord knows I could use it! I've been struggling with the lack of it quite a bit lately.

In a way, that's one of the advantages of living in the writing world, I think. It's a more level playing field than most. We're all working on something, or at least we should be. No one ever gets to the point where they truly "know it all."

By: Wade Finnegan

Wade Finnegan — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:52:45 +0000

I know marketing is my weakness. The social media is overwhelming and sending queries is daunting, but I'm learning. I leaned on Lori today for some help and she came through immediately. Thanks Lori! I'm going to take some patience from Paula and apply it to myself. I find myself frustrated that the money isn't rolling in faster. There is a learning curve and it takes awhile to climb it.

By: Ronda Levine

Ronda Levine — Wed, 11 May 2011 20:17:42 +0000

I think that it's important to work on professional development – especially when you're a writer. No matter how long you've been working, you can always learn more and improve. I read widely, and I try to work with other writers so I can learn about what works well for them. I'm getting ready to apply to MFA programs so that I can further hone my fiction craft.

By: Kimberly Ben

Kimberly Ben — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:28:38 +0000

Thanks again for sharing the awesome guest post today Lori. 🙂

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:39:58 +0000

Paula, I think patience has its limits, and you've done exactly the right thing. Now if he comes back saying "I don't understand why the check didn't arrive", that's when you insist on an overmighted check at HIS expense or your attorney will be calling. Watch him move then!

By: Paula

Paula — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:32:54 +0000

Since I was a baby, I've been known far and wide as Patient Paula. Patience can be a virtue, but it can also be a roadblock. That's why the area I've struggled with the most is holding others accountable.

I like to assume people will do as promised. The publisher who owes me for work done several months ago certainly didn't. I've been contacting him every week or so about payment, and have found myself growing increasingly impatient with him. Funny how that impatience finally got him to act. A couple weeks ago I said I would be forced to seek other means of collecting my fees if he didn't reply. He replied within minutes, saying I'd be paid the next week. I wasn't, so yesterday in honor of Writers' Worth Week, I sent a follow up e-mail, opening with, "Happy Writers' Worth Week! What a wonderful time to prove how much you value the writers whose words fill the pages of your magazines," and asking for a status update. He replied this morning saying he cut checks last night and mailed them this morning. I'll be patient a few days longer, to give them time to arrive.

I'll never be a micro manager, since 95% of the time people really do as they say. But I know I need to be more assertive with the 5% who keep dropping the ball.

Next up: My phone company. One year ago they hiked my DSL rates. When I complained they promised the new rate would be frozen for two years. Guess what? They raised it again.

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 11 May 2011 14:22:53 +0000

Kathy, thanks!!

At least you didn't say I was the wind beneath your wings! LOL

Super advice, Ashley! And you're right - we don't invest in ourselves very much. We work our hours, then switch off work altogether.