writing
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Last month, I had the privilege of giving writing workshops at Westpark Elementary School. I always enjoy giving workshops, but this was a particularly thrilling experience.
Why, you may ask? Because….wait for it….
I WENT TO WESTPARK SCHOOL!
That’s right, many years ago, a Goomie-bracelet-wearing (remember those??) fresh faced little Lydia spent 7 years of her life there. It was and is such a huge part of my life. So I was so excited to return and relive that part of my childhood. Here I am below in a class photo, with my “Cindy Lauper hair” and all. (And yes, I may have been obsessed with her.)
Hard Work DOES Pay Off!
On a theoretical level, we know that hard work pays off. But sometimes, in our eager rush to succeed, we forget one thing:
PATIENCE!
The truth is that things may not line up the way we want, when we want. (If only life were that easy!) All we can do is a have a dream, work hard at it, continue to persevere and believe, and then release it to the Universe. I guarantee you that the dream will eventually manifest, but it may not be on your preferred time table.
As writers, we have certain frustrations. A few months ago, I found myself working extremely hard one particular day. I slugged out promotional email after promotional email. I painstakingly edited two of my books. I agonized over the right wording for my monthly Newsletter. I researched agents and publishers until two o’clock in the morning. When I finally closed my bleary eyes, this thought jumped into my head:
Yeah, I worked hard today. Really hard. But what do I have to show for it? Read the rest of this entry »
The Editing Merry-go-Round
Ahh….editing. For many writers, editing is a big challenge, one that is often accompanied by profuse sweating and anxiety. I, like many other writers, find it much easier to write than to edit. However, if you’re serious about your work and you don’t have an unlimited budget for a professional editor for each manuscript, you’ll need to pick up some trusted revising skills.
Here are some tricks that have helped me:
1. Walk away!
Believe me, I’ve been stumped in my writing many a time. I have literally bumped my head against the computer screen because I couldn’t find the right word or the best ending. But it’s remarkable what can happen when you simply walk away and allow the manuscript to breathe for a while. When you come back to it, I guarantee you’ll see your manuscript through fresh eyes, and you’ll pick up on things you didn’t see before. Suddenly, you have new inspiration.
2. Read it out loud!
This one seems obvious, but I admit I never used to do this. I would just read my book in my head, without ever listening to how the words rolled off the page. But that’s not giving it a fair trial. You won’t know how your manuscript sounds to others until you read the manuscript out loud yourself. You’ll have a clearer view of what works and what doesn’t. Read the rest of this entry »
Keeping the Magic Alive in our Children
Kids grow up fast. At first they’re cooing in diapers and the next thing you know, they’re telling you they’re “pre-tween” and too cool for certain things. When they’re young, they’re filled with wonder and innocence. They buy into the magic without question. But somewhere along the line, they stop believing. They may even block their own imagination and creativity as they grow up.
Here are some easy ways to cultivate and keep magic alive with your children: Read the rest of this entry »
Top 10 Tips on How to Get Published!
Many emerging writers often ask me what the trick to getting published is. But the trick is that there is no “trick.” It goes without saying that writing professionally is a labour of love and takes incredible amounts of dedication, patience and perseverance. Here are my top 10 tips that can help:
1. Write, write, write!
The trick to writing well is to KEEP WRITING! You need to spend time writing every single day. You may put in more hours on some days than on others, but the idea is to keep going. The gems emerge here and there, so the more pages you write, the more gems you’ll find.
2. Edit, edit, edit!
So you managed to get the first draft out, great. Now what? Time to edit! Editing is actually very difficult. You need to be able to look at your work objectively and ruthlessly chop what’s not working. I heard a great quote at a writing conference I attended: that you usually end up scrapping the first few chapters of your book entirely! Those pages are really just for you to situate yourself with your story. Read the rest of this entry »
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Lydia Lukidis 