My E post in the A-Z challenge is for eyestrain, something I know a lot about. And, I daresay, other writers do too. Eyestrain is actually a repetitive injury caused by straining one or more of the eye muscles. This happens through reading, writing, computer use, driving and any other activity which requires holding the eye muscles in one position for a long period. In addition, poor lighting, glare and poor vision can lead to eyestrain.
You can correct eyestrain through surgery, or you can soothe your eyes with eye-wetting drops. I have found yoga eye exercises a good way to deal with sore, burning eyes. These exercises help to relax and strengthen the eye muscles, while relieving tension. They also help to bring much-needed blood flow to the eyes. A good practice is to take breaks from your computer during the day, find a quiet spot and perform these exercises. Your eyes will feel cool and refreshed when you return to work.
If you are interested in learning these exercises, the following video may help:
In my day job as an occupational therapist, I come in close contact with many doctors, and while I have the greatest respect for the majority of them, I never relish the idea of making a visit to one of them. Worse yet, I dread the medications they prescribe. However, recently, a friend of mine recommended me to her doctor, and after seeing him, I came away with the impression that doctors aren’t so bad after all. In fact, my visit reinforced what I already knew – that doctors are necessary to my health and well being.
Which brings me to book doctors.
In this day and age when everyone, including Aunt Lucy, is writing a book, if yours is to be successful, you may need a check up from a book doctor. But before you see one, and make your first co-payment, know what to expect. Your ideal book doctor should be able to:
1. Give you an honest and professional evaluation of your project.
Like a “real” doctor, a book doctor will first evaluate the health of your book. He will look for things like viability or salability of your idea. Is it the kind of thing that will catch an agent’s or publisher’s eye? Is it well written? Does the story flow logically? Does it have a satisfying conclusion?
2. Begin treatment
Once the results of the evaluation come in, your doctor begins treatment. He may have to cut you open and remove some things that are not working. Oh, how you dread it! As a writer, you have labored over those parts for months, but they may be the reason you keep coming down with rejection after rejection. Once the treatment is finished, your book will pass all the tests and you may get the much-coveted contract.
3. Make recommendations
Now that your idea is working smoothly, your book doctor will recommend the right markets for you to submit your work. He will also prepare a winning proposal that will ensure your project doesn’t end up in the slush pile. Your project will live!
So if you have been putting off that visit to a book doctor, don’t hesitate. But don’t just close your eyes and pick one out from the yellow pages. Get a recommendation from a trusted friend or from your writer’s group, and then go with confidence. Your book will thank you.
Photo credit: sri_grafix from morguefile.comWriting contests benefit the seasoned as well as the beginning writer. To the seasoned writer, it can be a good way to keep your name before agents and judges and, of course, bring you some extra money. For the beginner, it can be a way to bring you some recognition, if you are a winner, as well as money. In addition to that, writing contests give writers the opportunity to practice their skill and to be disciplined. If you want to try your hand at writing contests, here are some things you should know:
Some contests charge a fee:
Fees may range from as little as $5.00 to over $100.00 depending on the contest. Decide what is right for you. If you cannot or don’t want to pay a fee, you can always enter a free contest.
Not all contests pay prize money
Some contests offer winners publication in a magazine or anthology and/or copies of their magazines. If this is okay for you and you’re just looking for a byline or a certificate, then go for it. However, beware of contests that ask you to purchase their anthology as a condition for being published.
Do your best
It goes without saying that if you’re entering a contest, you want to send in your very best work, therefore proofread your work carefully. Better yet, have a few people proofread it for you. If you are mailing your entry, your paper should be spotless. No coffee stains, or dog hairs.
Follow the guidelines to the letter.
Exceeding the word count can disqualify your entry. Mailing your entry when the rules state electronic submission only will send your entry to the trash can. As will submitting after the deadline has passed. Some contests may not accept simultaneous submissions. Some call for you to write your name and contact information on a cover page and not on your entry. Follow the guidelines. You do not want your hard work to go unnoticed.
Want to know more about entering writing contests? Check out the following sites:
http://www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/contests.htm;
Preditors and Editors
Writer Beware Blogs
Beware
As a writer you don’t expect a paycheck at the end of the week or month, unless you pursued and secured some writing assignments. Therefore, it is very unfair after you have worked diligently on those assignments you do not get paid for them, or you feel cheated by what you were paid.
Therefore, writers, beware of
1. Accepting an assignment for too little pay. This usually happens to writers who are just starting out. It happened to me. I was so anxious to get my foot in the door that I accepted a job from a bidding site and was paid next to nothing for my hard work.
2. Accepting an assignment with terms that are vague. Sometimes after you have completed the work, the client may say it is not what they wanted. You end up working twice for the same pay. Always ask for clarification if you don’t fully understand the guidelines.
3. Clients who try to get something for nothing. They give you an assignment, find fault with something minor, then refuse to pay. This also happened to me, but I stood my ground and was paid. Always have a clear contract that spells out your and the client’s obligations.
4. Scam artists. I saw this one on Writers Beware recently. The client says he has to pay by check because he doesn’t have a Paypal account. Then he sends you a bogus check for more than the amount and says it was written in error, therefore he wants you to send the surplus amount to him. Yes, you guessed it. You could end up paying him, instead of him paying you.
Beware!
Attitude
This is the first of my blog challenge posts. I chose this topic because I believe that as writers as long as we get our attitude down pat we’ll be headed for success. So, what kind of attitude should a writer have?
1. Have a daily habit. It doesn’t matter what you write about, you should write daily. It could be working on your novel, writing articles to submit to magazines or article directories, critiquing work from your critique group, or posting to your blog. Whatever it is, writing daily will help you hone your skills as a writer and help you get noticed by those who can advance your writing career.
2. Listening to the advice of others. If your attitude is that you know it all and you don’t need to listen to those who have been in the business longer than you, then you could be doomed to failure.
3. Believe in yourself. You may be a novice, but you need to believe in yourself. Believe that you have what it takes to succeed as a writer. Stop putting yourself down. Work at your craft with patience and diligence and you will succeed.
So there you have it. With this type of attitude you can join the ranks of great writers, who, most of them will tell you they still maintain this attitude even though they are now famous. Think about it.
