Writing Technique's and Tips

The most avid readers understand the rewards of reading something that touches our senses and flows with the beauty of nature itself. People will return again and again to a writer who knows how to connect with his readers in this manner. Good writing is stylish, and stylish writers are successful.

The exciting thing is that you can accomplish writing style by many different means. The usage of good grammar, how you apply different writing techniques, and plenty of practice all help you create your own unique voice. These are all qualities a stylish writer applies to his writing.

Every Monday I am going to post on the topic of "Stylish Writing." It may be a post about something as simple as common word usage errors, punctuation, or maybe it will be a little more complicated. Whether simple or complex, it is guaranteed to be good information to help you (and me) to become a better writer.

Deep down inside, don't we all want others to read and enjoy our writing? Hope to see you Monday!

Excused Not to Write?

Chances are if you are reading my blog, you are a writer in some capacity. You may be a freelance writer trying to make a living, or perhaps writing is one of your favorite hobbies and you are literally aching to give it a real whirl and see what you are really made of. Regardless, of why you write, it is important to stay on track.

For me it's far too easy to let life get in the way of my writing. Please allow me to translate this last sentence in more understandable terms: I make excuses. OK, so maybe it's more like procrastination. When I sit down at my computer to write, I subconsciously find reasons not to write. First I check my email, then read articles from the various newsletters I receive, I read my favorite blogs, and one thing leads to another. By the time I'm "ready" to write, my time is up. I have to go tend to another responsibility.

So what do you do to get past this? Well, if you succumb to this same type of behavior, you may first begin by comforting yourself with this thought: Some of the most successful writers are also great procrastinators. So don't be too hard on yourself, but beware that it doesn't become destructive to your writing goals. I've tried a few ideas that might also be helpful to you.

Number one, give yourself an allotted amount of playtime to check your email, read your favorite blogs, or surf the internet. Set a timer and when it goes off, then so does the internet (unless you are using it for research or it directly pertains to your writing). This really works, I've tried it.

Set deadlines for yourself. This is very advisable when you are getting paid to write. You don't want to disappoint a client and lose a good reputation or potential work in the future. But even if you don't have to turn something in by a certain date, making yourself believe you do, helps get the job done.

Finally, try to do your writing at the same time every day. My time is in the afternoon when my children are asleep and my husband is at work. I don't have a ton of time to write at this stage in my life, so I think about what it is I want or need to accomplish and focus my mind on that goal.

God has given us a great gift and talent. As I get back into the swing of writing again, I must also remind myself that a busy life is not an excuse not to write, and procrastination is not productive. Determination and focus, will however help me meet my writing goals, and the same goes for you!

Until next time take care and stay focused!

Back to the Grind

It's definitely time--time for me to return to writing, that is. Over the last couple of weeks my desire to get back to writing has been renewed. Don't get me wrong, I have been enjoying Baby Amara very much. She is a delightful little baby and every day brings something new and cute. My favorite is the sweet gummy grins she now showers me with on a daily basis, but I digress!

Writing is a part of who I am and something that I have been passionate about since I was very young. It gives me value as a human being--other than being a wife and mother. It defines me and gives me self worth.

So how do I get back to it after taking such an extended period of time off? For me, the time off was personal. I had a baby and my mind was preoccupied with baby things, but lots of people take time off from writing for lots of different reasons. So here are four tips that may be helpful for anyone trying to get back to it.

(1) Write every day. What? I'm just getting back into it again, what do you mean write every day, you ask. Don't let this scare you. You can still ease back into it, but do something every day. A great way to do this is by journaling (which has many of its own benefits anyway). Getting yourself into the habit of writing will help you find greater success as you get more serious about it again.

(2) Look for inspiration around you. An inspired person is a motivated writer, and inspiration is literally everywhere! Perhaps it's in a favorite blog, the words of a cherished poem, or maybe it's in the wildlife that surrounds you. Find your own source of inspiration and draw from it.

(3) Set some realistic goals. For me, I want to focus on building up a client base again, so I need to think about how to do that. For example, spending a predetermined amount of time per week marketing myself will be one of my goals. Applying for X amount of jobs a week will be another. What do you desire to achieve from your writing, and how are you going to go about that are a couple questions you might want to ask yourself, then set your goals accordingly. This is a very productive suggestion for anyone--whether just starting out, or for an old pro who needs a new perspective on what he's doing.

(4) Don't be too hard on yourself. I'm going to have to try to remind myself of this one. Having a new baby in the house can be very tiring some days. I'm going to have to be honest with you, sometimes an afternoon nap will look much more tempting than spending an afternoon writing. So as long as you can maintain your focus (and if you have clients, keep your work a priority) then don't beat yourself up if you have some days that aren't real productive. Remember that probably one of the reasons you chose to be a freelance writer was for the flexibility in your schedule.

So good luck with your new or renewed endeavors, and wish me luck with mine!

Have a wonderful day!

Amara Sophia

Ok. So I need to get out my little brag book of pictures! Having a baby is just too much fun not to share! Hope you all enjoy these pictures as much as I do!







I hope and pray that your April has been as lovely as ours has been so far. It was actually 73 degrees here yesterday--a treat to enjoy after the cold and very snowy winter we had! Yuck! I am so happy better weather is on the way for good!

Take care everyone and I will be back to posting soon--and it will be writing posts, I promise!

It's a...GIRL!

After months of waiting and wondering, we finally delivered a beautiful healthy baby girl! Our precious little bundle of joy, Amara Sophia Vella, came to join us March 21, on Good Friday, at 6:07AM. She weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces, and was 21 inches long. As of this past Monday morning, she has already gained back more than her birth weight and was weighing in at 8 pounds 2 ounces. A reminder of just how quickly babies grow. As my friend Betsy says, "Babies don't keep!"

So far little Amara has been a complete joy! She sleeps for three hour stretches at night, and is pretty content during the day -- although she does enjoy being held and snuggled. Of course, I have no problem with that because since she is our last baby I plan to hold and snuggle her as much as possible!

So there you have it, the latest edition to our family, and the new light of our lives! Talk to you soon!

Important Matters

Hello to all, and thank you for all of your kind words and support throughout the last month. I am now eight months pregnant and still feeling pretty good - although I am feeling more and more eager to deliver this baby. I wouldn't wish it too soon, though. Despite all the discomforts I am now experiencing, every moment will be well worth the healthy beautiful baby we get to hold in the end.

I continue to do some writing - a few press releases and some articles here and there. I have found that at this stage, I am enjoying the slower writing pace. It gives me time to prepare for the baby, but yet keeps me writing here and there, which also helps to pass the time.

But what I want to write about right now, I think is so much more important than how I am feeling, or what I am doing with my time until baby comes. I want to write about Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC).

My good friend, Betsy, has a blog. Perhaps some of you have checked it out, maybe not. Regardless of that, I have found a blog through hers that has moved me to tears. The blog is called Toddler Planet. It is about one woman's struggle with Inflammatory Breast Cancer. I have visited Susan's site from time to time, and always leave inspired - inspired by her strength, courage, determination, and her goal to inform others of what IBC is and how to detect it.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer is not the typical breast cancer that we, as women, get educated about at our yearly gynecological visits (if you don't get a yearly exam, then you should seriously make the time to do so!). IBC is the most aggressive form of breast cancer there is and it is not detectable by a mammogram. IBC presents as sheets of cancer (or nests, as doctors refer to it)rather than lumps. What's worse is that doctors often mistake it for bug bites, or infections and try treating it with antibiotics. It is so aggressive that early detection is important for successful treatments. IBC knows no age boundaries. You can be a victim at 16 or at 76.

Here are a couple links that provide wonderful information about what it is, and how to detect it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEP5zY9rRao&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llBNfFaT0mw&feature=related

I am glad I stumbled upon Susan's site because I had never even heard of this condition, which is also known as "The Silent Killer." This lack of information seems to be the recurrent theme of all the victims who have had and are suffering from this disease. If you are reading this post please take a moment to view the videos I linked to. Women, inform yourselves and girlfriends. Men, inform your wives, mothers, and all the women you care about. Maybe you will save a life. Maybe it will be your own.

Hey, and if you have a spare moment, and are in need of some inspiration, stop by Toddler Planet and see what an amazing woman Susan is!

Seven Months Pregnant

Well, here I am seven months pregnant. I cannot tell a lie though, these were taken three weeks ago! The Christmas decorations have been taken down, and I have done some growing since then - which is easy to do even when you are not pregnant during the holidays! I laugh though, I'm not worried about pounds gained right now. I am more concerned with growing a healthy baby.

Some creative avenues I have been involved in (other than making a baby) are baking, sewing, cross stitch, and knitting. More leisurely activities have been reading, watching movies with my girls, and even playing out in the snow with them. In fact, we even built a snowman today (an activity I haven't participated in since childhood). What fun! We were downright silly, and had so much fun - I literally laughed until I cried! Making memories is a blast!



I have truly been enjoying the nesting phase of my pregnancy, but even to my own surprise, I haven't entirely given up my writing. I am still doing occasional press release projects, editing, and writing for some clients. They have been so good to me and I just can't seem to completely give up this element of my life.

My New Year's writing goals are to do some more creative writing and work on projects that would bring me more personal satisfaction. How about you? What are you working on now, and in what ways would your writing bring you the most joy in the coming year?

I miss you all, and will post again soon!