Comments on: writer’s (starting) block

By: Erin

Erin — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:33:03 +0000

Oops, posted this on the wrong entry, damn backwards blog!

Good Luck. Perhaps you can start with your travel blog put forth in book form? I don’t know, perhaps that’s the wrong idea. I think your blog is great and I really enjoy your viewpoints. So, I bet when you figure out where to begin, you’ll do great!

By: Avril

Avril — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 13:39:34 +0000

Go for it. You’re already a great writer.

By: k

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 22:00:34 +0000

Good decision!! Just go for it! You have the talent. Just do it! Stop worrying. Stop thinking about it so much. You’ve got what it takes. Believe in yourself.

By: Jen

Jen — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 14:49:11 +0000

just checked out that link, anglofille – it’s fab, thanks!

By: Jen

Jen — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 12:25:29 +0000

thanks for all the enthusiasm guys. it’s nice to know i’m not alone. it’s exciting, even if i am no further ahead today than i was yesterday. just to have decided to commit to it, is a big step.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 21:53:21 +0000

I’m so pleased!!!!

By: Amity

Amity — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 19:23:02 +0000

Hold on, correction. I quit my job today because I AM a writer.

The first step to success is to believe.

By: Amity

Amity — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 19:21:55 +0000

Well you know that I think you are a kick-ass writer. You can certainly do this, no doubt about it. You have skill, lots of determination and heart — you’re nearly there! All you need is your niche and your market, a few contacts, and you should be golden! What kind of writing and in what capacity are you looking into?

I quit my job today to try to be a writer so we’re in this boat together, baybeeeee.

By: Anglofille

Anglofille — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:59:00 +0000

ahhh, the wonderful world of writing. you are already a writer, given that you write this blog almost everyday! writing is a skill that must be continually practiced, so writing a blog is a good way to get that discipline. and you already “put yourself out there,” which is not easy to do. when i needed a break from blogging earlier this summer, *none* of my writer friends would take over my blog for just one week. they were too afraid.

for many years, i made a living as a professional freelance writer. i still freelance, but no longer rely on it for my main source of income. how you approach this really depends on what kind of writing you want to do and what your goals are.

without knowing any specifics, i recommend a writing workshop with a really good and reputable teacher. a good teacher will help you hone your craft, will help you see your strengths and where you need improvement. this will also help you get more comfortable receiving criticism on your work. i think your writing is strong and i’m not implying you need a workshop to learn the basics of writing, obviously. but a workshop is a good way to get feedback from a seasoned professional (not a friend or family member) and also, it will help you feel connected to a community of writers (if it’s a good workshop). also, when i was living in london, i found a great writíng magazine called Mslexia: http://www.mslexia.co.uk. i’d check that out too.

these are just my thoughts on writing and where to start!