Posts Tagged "Failure"

The One Thing Required for Success

Posted by Lori Freeland on Dec 4, 2012 in Featured, Writing Tips | 8 comments

Success.

Some days, success feels unreachable.

Like the tunnel’s so long, forget the light that’s supposed to be waiting, there isn’t even another side.

I can sit and ponder that dark tunnel that leads to my future, debate why some people realize their dreams while others aren’t even close, or I can do something about reaching my own goals. Something active.

Planning, wondering, discussing, reading–none of those things will take me where I want to go.

So, what’s the one thing that will?

Hard Work.

Sitting down every day in front of my laptop with a vision. Even when that vision blurs or grows murky. Things don’t happen without momentum. My job? To get the proverbial ball rolling–even if I have to roll that boulder uphill.

Today, I encourage you to step forward and do something that pushes you closer to your goal.

For More Writing Tips Go Here.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

Posted by Lori Freeland on Aug 17, 2012 in Christian living, Devotions for Writers, Insecure Writers, Writing Tips | 18 comments

Fear.

Fear is my word of the day.

Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear to finish my novel. Fear not to finish my novel.

My solution?

Write blog posts. Hide. Produce articles. Give them away free. Read writing tips. Edit my friend’s books. Teach. Lead critique groups. Read writing books. Build up Facebook likes. Share. Tweet. Pin. Read writing articles.

Single-spaced, at 8-point font, my Stay Busy list could fill this page and probably the next.

What’s So Great About a Critique Group? Part Two.

Posted by Lori Freeland on Apr 30, 2012 in Writing Tips | 1 comment

What’s So Great About a Critique Group?

Part Two in The Critique Group Series

Part One

Brainstorming. There will be times when you hit a wall—in your plot, with your characters, coming up with ideas for an article or story. Getting a fresh perspective and talking out your issues with the group can help you find direction. In addition, if more than two of three group members agree that you have an issue in your manuscript, you know you may really have a problem.

Meeting regularly gives accountability. Continually pushing forward requires discipline. One of the best ways to find discipline is through accountability. Find others who have similar goals, agree to meet often, and hold each other to that promise. The most productive groups meet weekly. If you’re not ready for that, try every other week until you establish a comfortable routine and then push for those two extra weeks a month.

Set your group size. I’ve heard the magic three. I’ve worked with groups of five. My group consists of seven. Limit the size of your group to the workload you can handle in the time you’ve allotted. If you have a larger group, divide into subgroups when you meet—but stick with the same people. Building a trust relationship is crucial to success.

Send out your pages ahead of time. Sending out your manuscript a few days before you meet allows for a good in-depth critique. Making this commitment to each other also helps accountability, gets you used to meeting deadlines, and strengthens editing skills. You can edit on the computer and use the comment boxes, track changes, or different colored font. You can print out the pages and write directly on them. Do what works for you as an editor.

Find the entire Critique Group Series Here:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four 

What works for you? Leave a comment.