Revision Category
Join me for an Advanced Memoir Workshop this January!
Posted on October 28, 2014 Leave a Comment
Fellow writers! If you are working on a memoir-in-progress and want some feedback as well as some inspiration, please consider joining me for an Advanced Memoir Workshop this January in New Jersey. I know, the Jersey Shore in JANUARY?! Yes. The Stockton Seaview Inn is beautiful, spacious, and warm with terrific service and good food. […]
Words don’t bleed; cut them
Posted on October 27, 2014 Leave a Comment
Tap, tap, tap. Click, click. {Save as: My Brilliant Masterpiece in Progress}. Print. Hold. Beam. {Send to: Writing Group That Keeps Me in Check}. Wait. Fret. Wait. Phone notification: {re: My Brilliant Masterpiece in Progress.}. Open. Read. Frown. ——————————————————————— If this writing/sharing/response process rings true (and you know who you are), then you are a […]
Pay yourself first
Posted on October 24, 2014 Leave a Comment
When you work for yourself, it is vital to pay yourself first – with money. When the money comes in, it flows to you (to your savings account, your investment account, your retirement account) first. Before the bills claim anything, you must pay yourself first. Freelancers, take note. Pay yourself first even if it means […]
Resurrecting dead stories
Posted on October 10, 2014 1 Comment
If you’re like me, you have a story or two, or a series of poems, or a novel, or even a scholarly article that has been relegated to the dustbin of your productivity. These are the pieces that have been through the publisher or editor rounds at so many places you’ve lost count and received […]
Revision suggestions: When and how to say no
Posted on October 3, 2014 Leave a Comment
Defense and flexibility are both important in writing, especially with editors and, for academics, peer reviewers. Editors and peer reviewers are the gatekeepers. They hold the keys to our publishing potential, so many writers hesitate to question anything they say or protest even the most unreasonable request. They control what we want and the idea […]
Five journals said no. Now what?
Posted on September 26, 2014 Leave a Comment
Rejection is hard, especially after you worked on that piece for months and months. You spent all that time polishing and revising, seemingly to no avail. You dutifully submitted that piece to one journal at a time, waited for each to respond, received “thanks, but no thanks” emails, and repeated this process five (or more) […]
Taming the grammar beast
Posted on August 29, 2014 Leave a Comment
Writers and academics and linguists and regular folks argue incessantly about grammar – what IS proper grammar? Is it really necessary to follow stringent “standard American English” grammatical rules when writing? The myriad answers you receive to these questions can be frustrating, daunting, and confusing. Because there is no one answer. Here’s my take on […]
You’re not (revising) alone
Posted on August 22, 2014 Leave a Comment
The revision process for any writing is daunting, especially when done alone. So don’t remain alone! Join or create a writing group with two friends or colleagues. It doesn’t matter if you all prefer different genres and styles and subject matter. The important aspects of a writing group are support, encouragement, and revision suggestions. Last […]
Amanda Morris, Ph.D. 