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Australian Writers’ Centres

No Comments »23rd March, 2007; Category: Authors, General

Over the last two decades Writers’ Centres have been established throughout Australia. I am a long term member of the South Australian Writers’ Centre. I joined only a few years after it was established.

The South Australian Writers’ Centre was established in 1985. It was the first of its kind in Australia, providing resources and support for writers. Located in the heart of Adelaide, the SAWC is a non-profit organisation with over 1200 members.

The Centre acts as a resource centre for writers of all ages and experiences. We focus on writing activities and work with a wide range of organisations to promote and encourage writers and literature in society. We assist new and established writers on every aspect of writing, such as publishing, performing and presentation and have a vast range of useful reference books and a library with over 1600 books mainly donated by South Australian writers.

Since this centre opened other states have followed our example.

Links to Writers’ Centres in Australia:

I would have included the New South Wales site but the server was down when I tried to make the link.

Another useful site is the Australian Society of Authors. Some of the sites above have many other links to Australian organisations for writers and related activities. Some include links to author’s websites.

How to use your writing time productively

No Comments »22nd March, 2007; Category: Authors, The Writer's Life, Writing Hints

Many freelance writers and bloggers work for themselves. There are many benefits of course, independence being one of them. There are also some downsides; procrastination being just one of them. Using your time wisely and productively is essential.

Take Control of Your Time:

Kellie Campbell on the Writing World site has written an article called “Take Control of our Time!” In this article she outlines a number of effective strategies to help the writer better manage time and in doing so become far more productive.

She covers topics like:

  • Using lists and setting priorities
  • Learning to say no
  • Tackling one task at a time
  • Cluster tasks together
  • Knowing your energy cycle
  • Automating computer tasks
  • Keeping track of Projects
  • Relaxation

Links:

Plenty there to read and think about.

Good writing.

Be productive.

I wanted to be a procrastinator, and I might get around to it when I have more time.

The words writers choose

2 Comments »21st March, 2007; Category: Blogging, Blogs, Writing Hints

Words are powerful.

Words can persuade, encourage, horrify, incense, inflame, enrage, amuse, entertain, pacify, sadden, inform, offend or hurt. Hey – that’s quite a list – and to think that I didn’t use a thesaurus. Actually, there are probably several hundred more words I could have used, but you get the picture.

As writers we need to choose our words carefully. The wrongly chosen words can nullify – even destroy – the message we are trying to convey to the reader. Never hesitate to change the words you first thought of during the editing stage. Your writing will be more understandable, powerful and enduring for this attention to precision.

Confusing Words

Some words can be confusing. Some words can be misleading, or misunderstood. Some words have no meaning to some people. Three words that cause a great deal of confusion, puzzlement and downright blank stares from the general population are blog, blogger and blogging. Even my computer spell check does not like them!

When you say you write a blog, or are a blogger, or you spend your day blogging, most people think you are either demented or speaking another language – or both. The fact is, most people still have not heard of blogging.

A new approach

After reading an article by Chris Cree on his site Success Creeations I am going to change tack. Instead of trying to explain what a blog is, and getting blank looks, I am going to tell people that I write articles and stories for the internet. I will tell them that I’ve had over a thousand articles and stories published on my three web sites in the last twelve months, and I have had over forty thousand visitors so far this year. And I am getting a pay increase every month!

It is worth reading all of the article written by Chris – it’s called The Words We Choose to Use Make a Difference. Don’t forget to read the comments too as these add value to the article.

The Writer’s Toolbox

2 Comments »21st March, 2007; Category: Authors, The Writer's Life, Writing Hints

It is one thing to have a great idea for a story or a book or an article. Or even a blog post.

It is quite another thing to actually get that idea down paper – or at least on the computer screen (for all those paperless office gurus – where did they go, by the way?).

The Proper Tools

Without the proper tools to do the writing, you might as well be spitting in the wind for all the good it will do you. The tools of writing are the skills you need to get the words from your thoughts on to the screen or page. Skills can be taught. Skills can be practised. Skills can be developed.

Good Writing Resources

Today we have many wonderful and useful resources available to beginning writers to help them on their way, including:

  • Books about writing
  • Magazines dedicated to helping writers (see my links page)
  • Conferences for writers
  • Seminars and workshops for writers
  • Writers Centres (see the links page for Australian Writers Centres)
  • Blogs about writing (like this one – see also the links page)
  • Web sites about writing (just type “writing” into a search engine)

The Writer’s Toolbox

One very useful collection of writing tools called Fifty Writing Tools can be found on the bench of writer Roy Peter Clark.

At times, it helps to think of writing as carpentry. That way, writers and editors can work from a plan and use tools stored on their workbench. You can borrow a writing tool at any time. And here’s a secret: Unlike hammers, chisels, and rakes, writing tools never have to be returned. They can be cleaned, sharpened, and passed on.

Each of these tools is an article in its own right. Could I suggest you work through these articles one per day? In just over seven weeks you will have completed an online writing course and thorough grasp of the skills needed to be a better writer.

Writing Hint #25: Keep a Word Count

No Comments »20th March, 2007; Category: The Writer's Life, Writing Hints

Goals, if they are to be meaningful, need to be measurable.

One very useful hint I picked up early in my writing endeavours is to keep a record of my daily word count. I have set a goal for how many words I write each day and try to exceed that if I can. Last year it was 750 words per day and I achieved just over that. This year I have upped the goal significantly; I aim to average 1000 words per day. At this point in time I am just below 900 words per day and closing fast.

Why keep a word count?

Here are my reasons:

  1. Measurable: A daily word count is a measurable goal; I can see instantly if have reached my goal.
  2. Accountable: I keep a record chart listing words written each day which tells me instantly if I’ve been slacking off.
  3. Motivational: Setting goals like this motivates me to keep on writing. If I know that a novel needs another 50,000 words approximately, that should take me about seven weeks if I write at least a thousand words a day. Breaking down huge tasks into smaller day-sized chunks makes the task much less daunting.
  4. Personal: I am a self-confessed statistics-loving junkie.

Setting Your Goals: A Word of Warning

If you are new to the writing or blogging world, don’t set unattainable goals. I know I can achieve a thousand words a day because of many years of writing on demand. To the beginner, setting a small goal like 100 words a day may be sufficient. After a few weeks you might be able to set the bar higher, say 200 or 300 per day.

Set Small Realistic Goals:

  • Set small goals first.
  • Get into the habit of writing something every day to start with.
  • As you begin to achieve that small goal, increase the daily word count.
  • Keep on stretching yourself by raising the bar.
  • Remember to keep the goals realistic though; a goal of 1000 words in not achievable if you can only set aside a half hour per day.

Good writing.

Related articles:

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