Resource Articles

Feel free to submit an essay or article about your writing life by sending it in the body of an email to: info@markhamvillagewriters.com

***

Risk Taking for Writers — A Talk by Barbara Kyle

PWAC (Professional Writers Association of Canada) Seminar, March 9, 2004
Who Do You Think You Are?
All of you who’ve come here tonight have taken a shocking risk: you dare to think of yourselves as writers. That may be the biggest hurdle – the psychological one. Denigrating artistic endeavour is a tradition in Canada. Remember Alice Munro’s story collection titled: Who Do You Think You Are? It’s a reference to small-town Ontario pique at any young person who presumes to elevate their standards and dares to excel: “Just who do you think you are?” Well, you here tonight don’t just think you’re writers, you know you’re writers. So, congratulations for taking on such a big risk and overcoming it.
Writing a Novel? You Must Be Crazy
Is writing a novel a risk? Definitely. In fact, it’s a risk minefield. Let me enumerate the explosives. Some are in plain view, some lurk well buried.
1. You’ll be making a huge investment in time. It will take you at least a year of writing, likely far longer, to create a marketable novel. (My first novel took three years.) Even after a publisher buys your novel, another nine months or so will go by before it’s actually printed and on the shelves. (That’s the approximate length of time a novel is “in production” with your publisher.) This can feel upsettingly endless. And, if you’re taking time off from a paying job in order to write a novel, this year or longer spent on the project is a truly major investment. It is the biggest risk.
2. You risk elevating your hopes and dreams. You want your book to be successful, to reach a large readership, and to sell well. The longer you spend writing the novel, the more intensely you dream of these things. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t.
3. You risk alienating loved ones. People around you, even those who love you, won’t ever really understand why the silly book is taking so long to write. Or that when you’re staring out a window for an hour, you’re working. They really won’t get it. And it won’t help matters if you protest to your spouse or partner about needing peace and quiet to do “your art.” These people have more tangible jobs, and they work hard at them too. If you love them, you’ll keep that in mind. It’s a delicate balancing act.
4. You risk being an object of pity from friends and acquaintances. At parties, new acquaintances will ask with a kind of bored skepticism: “You write? Oh really? Would I have read any of your books?” And this can go on for years.
5. You risk questioning your own judgement about taking the risk of writing a novel. You’re going to hit some very low points. Writing a novel is like running a marathon: it takes stamina to get to the end. And once you do, you must then push on with the nerve-wracking but necessary effort to get it published. That will most likely include several rejections. All of this will tax your stores of resilience and determination.
Yin & Yang–However, like so much in our world, there’s a yin & yang principle at play: Big risk, big reward. The rewards of writing a novel are substantial. Let me enumerate them:
1. Seeing your first book published and on book store shelves
2. Seeing all your following books published
3. The money. There’s no joy like signing a contract for a nice juicy advance. Revise that: there’s no joy like seeing the royalty cheques that follow
4. You get to do work that you love
5. You get to tell the world what bugs you about the human condition, what breaks your heart about it, and what thrills you about it
6. An office at home: Your morning commute is a half-minute stroll down the hall, coffee mug in hand
7. When they ask at parties “Would I have read any of your books?” you get to say with a smile, “If not, go check them out at any Indigo.”
Think Big
So far, I’ve referred to negative risks. But there’s one major risk I would advise you to consider, and it’s a positive one. It’s this: Think big. Specifically, take the risk of submitting your work in New York.
New York City is the center of the English-speaking book publishing universe. The market the U.S. publishing industry reaches is colossal. The market the Canadian industry reaches is very small. There is no “mass market” in Canada. Therefore, there’s no large body of popular fiction published here. Instead, Canadian publishers focus on literary fiction. But literary fiction doesn’t sell well. A handful of authors like Atwood and Ondaatje and Yann Martel notwithstanding, literary fiction does not sell well. Popular fiction sells hugely – that’s why it’s called popular – but it is published almost exclusively by U.S. companies. So, if you’re going to invest all your time and heart in writing a novel, do you want to sell five thousand copies in Canada, or fifty thousand copies in the U.S. and Canada. (American publishers consider Canada virtually part of their domestic market.) The author gets only about 10% of retail: for a $30 book you get $3. So, using the above sales numbers, it’s a choice between $15,000 and $150,000. Which is why my advice is: aim for the top – submit your work in New York.
Unfortunately, many beginning Canadian writers never think beyond Toronto. Some feel intimidated by the U.S. Some, I suspect, stay out to punish George W. Bush. (A tactic with limited effect.) Some believe it’s simply impossible to break into the U.S. This isn’t so. American publishers are looking for good, marketable books, and they don’t care if the author lives in Timmins or Timbuktu or on the moon. All that matters to them is what’s on the page.
There’s a second positive risk about writing a novel that I’d advise. It’s the risk of taking your work seriously. By that I don’t mean thinking of your writing as brilliant. It probably isn’t. Yet. The point is, it can be made to be brilliant, but only if you take the job seriously and don’t underestimate the work involved. That requires a major commitment. Ironically, your loved ones, over time, will eventually come to respect this. People do, in general, respect commitment. (Though I still recommend that you don’t go around moaning about your “art.”)
Let’s Be Realistic
I believe it helps to put the risk in perspective – that is, in the context of a “real world” situation. Don’t think of what you’re doing as an “artistic” endeavour. Rather, think like an entrepreneur who’s starting a business. A restaurant, say. Very risky. And it’s obvious that a major capital expenditure is necessary. But once the risks are laid out, understood, and accepted, then one goes about creating the best damn restaurant in town.
The best way to look risk in the eye and live with it is this: Keep your expectations low and your standards high. The key is to examine the risk realistically. Know you goal and ask yourself: Is writing a novel worth it? Is it worth the hardships I’ve listed: the huge investment of time, and the concurrent loss of income; the strain on loved ones; the elevation of your hopes that may never be fulfilled? If the answer is yes, then go out and write the best damn novel in town.
About Barbara Kyle
Barbara Kyle is the author of the Tudor era novels The Queen’s Lady (2008) and The King’s Daughter (2009) which have sold internationally. Publishers Weekly praised the latter for its “complex, fast-paced plot mixing history with vibrant characters.” Her next novel in this series, The Queen’s Captive, will be published by Kensington Books in August 2010. Previously, Barbara won acclaim for her contemporary novels Beyond Recall (a Literary Guild Selection), After Shock and The Experiment under her pen name ‘Stephen Kyle’. Before becoming an author Barbara enjoyed a twenty-year acting career on stage, TV and film in Canada and the U.S. She and her husband live for six months of every year aboard their sailboat, a 46-foot ketch, on Lake Ontario. Visit  Barbara’s website at http://www.barbarakyle.com to learn more about her books and workshops, and to sign up for her newsletter.
***

What is a Ghostwriter? By Gary McLaren

Do you believe in ghosts? They are mostly unseen. Unnoticeable. And believe it or not they are moving behind the scenes in the publishing industry. If you’re lucky you might catch a fleeting glimpse. They are officially called ‘ghostwriters’.
A ghostwriter is a writer who writes on an assigned topic under someone else’s name, with their consent. They often write books completely from scratch but sometimes their work involves rewriting or polishing an existing work. Most books by famous personalities are actually written by ghostwriters. When you see an autobiography or memoir from a politician, businessperson, or celebrity, chances are that it has been written by a ghostwriter. Here are a few examples:
The autobiography, Ronald Reagan: An American Life, was ghosted by Robert Lindsey. Learning to Sing, the autobiography of American Idol star, Clay Aiken, was written with ghostwriter, Allison Glock. The autobiographies of Doris Day and Sophia Loren were written by A.E. Hotchner.
So how popular is ghostwriting? Statistics are hard to come by since many people don’t want to reveal that their book is ghosted. Some industry estimates suggest that up to fifty percent of all non-fiction books are ghostwritten. A client may decide to hire a ghostwriter because the client does not have any writing talent or because they are too busy. Ghostwriters, for their part, are usually well-established writers already and are selected on that basis.
What do ghostwriters write? Ghostwriters are hired to write many types of documents, from autobiographies for famous personalities to e-books for Internet marketing gurus, and even letters for politicians. They also write fiction. Sometimes a series of books is written by several ghostwriters under one name, as with the stories of Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys. Ghostwriters also continue to write novels under the name of popular authors who have died, as in the case of Robert Ludlum.
Is ghostwriting ethical? Although ghostwriting is a widely accepted practice within the publishing industry, some people outside of the industry complain that ghostwriting is deceptive, but that is not necessarily true. Consider for a moment the ghostwriting process. The client is the author of the work in that they are the person who is really behind the content. It is the client’s ideas, the client’s stories and experiences. It is the client’s words recorded on hours of interview tapes. The ghostwriter is a professional consultant providing expertise in the area of bringing together all the information, organizing it and writing it up in a way that will produce a marketable and readable masterpiece.
What skills does a ghostwriter need? A ghostwriter must be a good writer. He or she should also have good interviewing skills, since they will spend many hours and days interviewing clients. They should have the ability to ask good questions that will draw out the best aspects of a story. Another skill — which may need to be developed — is the ability to maintain the client’s voice so that the book reads like the client, not the ghostwriter.
How is a ghostwriter paid? Ghostwriters usually charge a flat fee for their work. Sometimes they will reduce their ghostwriting fee in return for a percentage (perhaps 25-50%) of the royalties, or in rare cases, they may waive their fee in return for a percentage of royalties. The advantage of a flat fee is that a ghostwriter knows exactly how much he or she will be paid. The risk of relying on royalties is that even if the book is well-written, the ghostwriter has no control over the book’s marketing and promotion.
Does a ghostwriter get any credit? More often than not, the public never knows that a book was ghostwritten. Sometimes ghostwriters are even legally bound to not reveal that they have ghosted a particular book. Occasionally ghostwriters will receive some credit. The writer’s name may appear on the cover as a co-author or it might read “as told to Jenny Ghost.” Another way to thank the ghostwriter is under the acknowledgements, for example, “…and thanks to Joe Ghoul without whom this book would never have been completed.”
Are you thinking of becoming a ghostwriter? It could be an excellent career move. You’ve probably heard it said that everyone has a book inside them. Well, the fact of the matter is that not everyone has the time or the skills to write it. As long as there is a story to be told, ghostwriters will be in demand.

About Gary McLaren
Gary is the editor of Worldwide Freelance Writer, a leading source of information for freelance writers http://www.worldwidefreelance.com. If you would like more information on starting a ghostwriting business, check out http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/i/58.htm

***

Using the Correct Pronoun (Subject or Object) By Fran Santoro Hamilton

The misuse of subject and object pronouns continues to be one of the most frequent usage errors. Many people seem to think that subject pronouns, such as “I,” are superior to object pronouns, such as “me.” That is not the case. Each type of pronoun has its own job to do. Understanding the function of a pronoun in a sentence can help you use pronouns correctly.
Is the pronoun working as the subject of the sentence, telling who or what is performing the action or being described? Is it following a linking verb, probably a form of “to be” (“is,” “am,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “been,” “being”), and renaming the subject?
If the pronoun is working in one of these ways, you need a subject pronoun (sometimes called the nominative case): “I,” “you,” “he,” “she,” “it,” “we,” “they,” or “who”: He and I raked the leaves into a large pile. [subject with action verb]
The best forwards on the team are she and Shelley. [following a linking verb, renaming subject "forwards"] “You wish to speak with Fran? This is she.” [following a linking verb, renaming subject "this"]
There are three cases in which you would use object pronouns (“me,” “you,” “her,” “him,” “it,” “us,” “them,” or “whom”):
1. As the object of a preposition:
This will be a secret just between you and me.
[objects of the preposition "between"]
The package was for him and her. [objects of the preposition "for"]
2. As a direct object (answers the question “Subject Verb What or Whom?”):
The coach pulled them and us out of the game. ["Coach pulled whom?"]
Whom did you call? ["You did call whom?"]
3. As an indirect object (answers the question “To whom?” or “For whom?”
but the preposition is implied rather than stated).
A sentence with an indirect object will also have a direct object. The usual word order is S-V-IO-DO:
Dad gave Tim and me the chance to decide for ourselves.
["Dad gave chance (DO) to whom?"]
Grandma knit him and her sweaters.
["Grandma knit sweaters (DO) for whom?"]
Problems with pronoun choice most often occur after a linking verb or when
a compound is involved. To help you make the correct choice in compound situations, try each pronoun alone. In the last example above, you would probably have no question about the correct pronoun in this sentence: Grandma knit (he or him) a sweater. Because you use “him” alone,
you would also use “him” in the compound.
Notice that you would never combine a subject pronoun and an object pronoun in a compound, such as “him and I.” The two parts of the compound will have the same function. You need to decide what that function is and choose the appropriate pronouns.
Depending on the function, you would sometimes say “you and I”
and sometimes say “you and me”:
You and I should get together for lunch sometime. [subjects]
This story includes an important lesson for you and me. [objects of preposition]
You should *never*, however, say “between you and I,” since “between” requires an object pronoun. Identifying “always” and “never” situations
can help reduce time spent agonizing over the correct pronoun choice.

About Fran Santoro Hamilton
Fran Santoro Hamilton’s thirty-five years as teacher, writer, and editor have enabled her to distill the English language to its essentials. Fran is the author of Hands-On English, an English handbook that makes grammar visual, and she cosponsors The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration (www.thegrannieannie.org) which invites students in grades 4 through 8 to write a story from their family history and possibly become published authors. Fran provides many free resources, including an online writing course, at www.GrammarAndMore.com.

***

Making An Entrance By Barbara Kyle

First impressions are crucial. Your initial response when you meet a person gets imprinted in your mind and is hard to alter. This is equally true of a reader’s first impression of a fictional character. Their response to the protagonist, in particular, is supremely important.
Yet new writers often waste this opportunity, introducing their protagonist in idleness or outright passivity. Be smart — put the visceral impact of the first impression to work for you.
Lights, Camera, Action
Think of your story as a movie and your protagonist as the star, and give him or her a dynamic and meaningful entrance. Focus on two steps:
1. Determine the character’s defining quality.
2. Show that quality through action.
Action is the key. Description of a character tells the reader mere facts — it has little visceral effect. Showing the character’s defining quality through action produces an emotional response in the reader, leaving a deep and lasting effect.
Star Roles
Screenwriters do this very consciously. Watch any film that you like and notice how the scene in which the hero/heroine first appears on screen demonstrates their defining quality. In other words, it shows the character’s essence.
When actors first read a script this “essence in action” is the very thing they look for. (I know — I made my living as an actor for twenty years.) As a writer of fiction, you can use this screenwriting technique to good effect. Strive to write an entrance scene for your protagonist which, if your story were made into film, would attract an A-list actor to the role – a star.
How It’s Done
Here are some examples of the kind of dynamic entrance I mean:
1. Meredith Stephure’s splendid and moving historical novel, Civil Blood, opens with
Thomas de Chastelain, lawyer and loyalist, about to ride off to war, yet he takes a few minutes to deal with a small family crisis: his two bold young sons have trespassed on the neighbor’s property. We see Thomas take action, being strict but fair, and full of affection for his children. This is the essence of his character.
2. Ian McEwan’s brilliant novel, Atonement, opens with Briony Tallis, as a precocious child, obsessing about the play she has written, and orchestrating her cousins to take the roles in her fictional world. Her need to control people, and her obsession with storytelling, are the essence of her character.
3. Lee Gowan’s novel, Confession, shows Dwight Froese, a young janitor at an elementary school, breaking up a schoolyard fight between two boys by lifting the bully by the scuff of his shirt and calmly threatening him. Dwight’s action shows us a man who cares about justice but also has an aura of latent brutality.
4. My novel, The Queen’s Lady, set in Tudor England, opens with seven-year-old, Honor Larke, risking her life to try to find her servant friend amid a May Day riot. After seeing the mob viciously attack a foreigner, Honor’s curiosity and pity drive her to help the dying stranger. This is her essence, shown in action.
Timing The Entrance
The examples above are all of opening scenes, but your opening doesn’t have to feature the protagonist. You may want to kick start the story with some other event, for example, one featuring the antagonist. What’s important is that when you do bring your protagonist on stage, give them an entrance in which the action they take resonates on a meaningful, emotional level with your reader.
Whether your hero/heroine is a rogue, a lost soul, a killer, or a saint, their entrance is your chance to make them a star.

About Barbara Kyle
Barbara Kyle is the author of the Tudor-era novels The Queen’s Lady (2008) and The King’s Daughter (2009), praised by Publishers Weekly for its “complex and fast-paced plot, mixing history with vibrant characters.” Barbara won acclaim for her contemporary novels written under pen name ‘Stephen Kyle,’ including Beyond Recall (a Literary Guild Selection), After Shock and The Experiment. Barbara teaches creative writing courses for the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, along with her “Fiction Writer’s Boot Camp” at the Haliburton School of The Arts, and has presented workshops for many writers organizations. Her popular video workshops, “Writing Fiction That Sells,” are available online at http://www.barbarakyle.com/DVDs_Writing_Fiction_That_Sells_.page. Before becoming an author Barbara enjoyed a twenty-year acting career in television, film and stage productions in Canada and the U.S. Visit www.BarbaraKyle.com.

***

Where do story ideas come from? By Paul Lima

Many aspiring writers ask me: “Where do your ideas come from?” They read the articles or short stories on my web site (www.paullima.com) and they want to know how I develop story ideas. They know they want to write but they aren’t sure where to find ideas that will help them get started.
That’s a difficult question to answer because ideas come from so many places. For my fiction, ideas come from my memories, from incidents friends or relatives have been involved in, from overhearing snippets of conversation on the street or in restaurants. They come from reading newspaper articles or from asking simple “what if…” questions, such as “What if a teacher told his students to write first person fiction and then believed one of the stories he read?” The result of that “what if…” question became The Last Bang, and is on my website (www.paullima.com/cw).
Story ideas for my non-fiction come from chatting with entrepreneurs, reading media releases, reading a variety of publications and from walking my dog. In fact, you can read an article on how walking my dog helps me develop article ideas: Ideas, Inspiration and Dogs (www.paullima.com/articles/ww-1.html).
Since ideas are all around us, what is most important is what you do when an idea hits. Because if you don’t capture it, you just might lose it.
Here is what I suggest: Start a writer’s journal. You may want to use a notebook or a file on your computer. Whatever the case, it should be easily accessible, and it should be where you jot down notes, observations, actions and reactions and ideas. It can also be a place where you do any writing exercises that you read about.
In addition, it would be a place where you do your daily journaling. When I say “daily journal ling”, I am not talking about keeping a diary. I am talking about 10 to 20 minutes of free writing, writing without purpose or focus. Why should you do this? You will find that making writing part of your daily routine will improve your ability to write. It will also help you establish the discipline that is required if you are want to write a short stories, a novel, an autobiography or non-fiction articles.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it will help you almost unconsciously discover themes, images and ideas that you can use for writing stories and articles. I don’t know how else to say it, but if you spend 10 to 20 minutes each morning or evening engaged in free writing, themes, images, settings, characters, situations and ideas will appear. Over time, you may find that some of them appear repeatedly in your journal. These recurring themes may become the bones over which you layer the flesh of poetry, short stories, a novel, essays, letters to the editor, columns or articles.
It will be your job to recognize which ones you should use in your writing outside your journal. But that is part of what a writer does: find many possibilities and chose what to focus on. So go ahead and start a journal. See where it takes you. See what ideas it feeds you. Learn how to listen to your voice and how to discover your own ideas. Because no matter where they come from, they are not your ideas until you see them as such, and write them down.

About Paul Lima
Paul Lima is a freelance writer and writing instructor. He is also the author of several books on business writing, the business of freelance writing, writing non-fiction books and creative writing. You can visit him online at www.paullima.com, www.paullima.com/books and www.paullima.com/blog.)

***

What Editors Want By Sandra Reed

As editor of The Markham Crier and The Cornell Crier Magazines, perhaps I can shed some light on what editors want from freelance writers.
Editors want:
1) Writers who understand the publication, its demographics and its readership. Don’t submit an article about wineries in France to a local community magazine (they run local content) and don’t send a political article to a beauty magazine. Editors don’t have time to waste and they know when a writer is just “throwing mud against the wall, hoping it will stick.” ALWAYS STUDY a few issues of the publication before submitting your query letter, and then you can explain why your submission is appropriate.
2) Reliable facts and information. Do your research and get the story straight. For reports, be sure to answer these questions: who, what, where, when, why and how. Be precise. Ambiguity is frustrating for editors as well as readers.
3) Respect for submission deadlines is extremely important. Don’t be late.
4) Original material or a unique perspective on something common. A new concept or idea or an old subject presented from a new angle (i.e., something the readers have not read in other publications).
5) An image or photo to accompany the article or story, including copyright and photographer information.
6) Tight writing. Omit redundant words or sentences. Space costs money.
7) Respect for word count limitations. Don’t submit a three-page article to a magazine that never runs more than half-page pieces. If available, follow guidelines for submissions to the T. They are NOT just suggestions.
8) Perfect spelling and grammar. Use spell check and have a friend proofread your article before you submit it, just to be sure.
9) Consideration for the editor’s time. Editors receive hundreds of emails, press releases and phone calls. Keep your correspondence and phone calls to a minimum. Send a query letter along with your bio and a short sample of your writing. If you get a positive response, submit your story or article a.s.a.p. in accordance with guidelines
10) Awareness of lead times. Preparing a magazine for publication is a long process.  Only novice writers submit a Mother’s Day story in May or a Father’s Day story in June. Time-sensitive or seasonal material should be submitted at least two months in advance.
11) Full disclosure of where your article has been submitted or previously published. Editors need original and exclusive material, not articles their readers have just read in another publication. If you care about your reputation, you won’t try double dipping!
12) Knowledge and understanding of the editorial and publishing process. Why not spend a day as an editor’s assistant and learn more about the editorial process? That knowledge will give you a real edge over other writers.
13) Permission to edit your submission. Editors need to accommodate space and set up specifications. Sometimes, it’s like trying to fit an elephant into a Volkswagon. Don’t tie an editor’s hands because you can’t stand having your masterpiece shortened or edited. Never demand a final proof.
14) Professionalism. Editors are serious about their work. Show them you are serious about your writing and ready to do whatever it takes to accommodate their needs.
15) Courtesy. Start building your reputation as a writer with good manners, ethics and standards. Editors are human too and we do notice such things. Remember, there’s a lot more to writing than just writing.
16) Collaboration. Editors want writers who care about the success of their publication and want to contribute something that will WOW the readers. Sadly, such writers are much less common than those who just want to get published.

About Sandra Reed
Sandra is Founder and Publisher of The Cornell Crier and The Markham Crier. For more information, visit www.cornellcrier.ca.

***

Want to communicate effectively? Use the Five ‘W’s to help you By Paul Lima

Whether you are writing or talking, communicating effectively is important. To demonstrate the point, I often tell the story of the golf course groundskeeper who hired a young trainee. The day the trainee showed up, the groundskeeper said, “See those bundles of sod on the truck? I want you to re-sod the areas that I’ve staked out around the 18 flags on the golf course. I’ll be back at the end of the day to check on your progress.”
With that, the groundskeeper went off to have a few beers with his buddies. When he returned, he found the greens were dirt-brown around the first hole. Same with holes two, three and four. He caught up with the trainee at hole five. “What the heck have you been doing?” the groundskeeper shouted. “You’ve placed the sod upside down!”
The trainee looked at the lump of sod in his hands and sputtered, “But… you didn’t tell me ‘green side up’!”
The point of the story? When you are communicating, you have to be as explicit as possible. While not all communications involves delegating, when you communicate with someone verbally or in writing you are most often asking the person to take action. If you are not explicit, you could end up with the opposite of what you wanted.
How do you figure out what to say or write if you want to communicate effectively? Start by answering the 5 Ws—who, what, where, when and why. Sometimes it also helps to answer a sixth W—hoW. Before you speak or write, think about and jot down answers to the following:
* Who? Who am I? Who am I talking to? This helps you determine the tone of your message.
* What? What do I want the person to do? What do I need done so I can do whatever I have to do? This clarifies what has to happen and who has to do it.
* Where? Where does the person I am communicating with have to do it or send it? If you don’t say where, it may not get there.
* When? When do you want the what done? Be specific. If you say ASAP you might mean by the end of the day; however, as soon as possible for the person you are communicating with might mean “in a couple of days.” If you want it done by Tuesday, say so.
* Why? Why do I, or why does the organization, need this done? In other words, communicate your purpose, even if you are the CEO communicating with a worker bee. If you want someone to get something done, give that person a reason why so they do it with an understanding of the purpose of their actions.
* How? Does the person you are communicating with know how to do what you want done? If you are not sure, ask. If you have to give instructions, be explicit—green side up! Ask the person you are communicating with to demonstrate understanding by giving you feedback. In other words, ask the person to repeat what you said to demonstrate that he or she has heard you.
Finally, if you need the person to let you know that he or she has done what you want, where and when you want it, ask to be kept informed. If you don’t ask, you may not hear back. And if you don’t hear back, you may not know when or if the job is done.
If you think going through this process will take too much time, ask yourself: What are the consequences of not getting done what I need done, when I need it done? How much time will it take me to correct a job that is not done well?
If there are no consequences to a job done poorly, or if you have time to fix a botched job, then there is no need to communicate effectively. However, if having a job done well—even if you are only asking someone to send you some information—and having it done on time is important, then communicate effectively using the five W’s.

About Paul Lima
Paul Lima is a freelance writer and writing instructor. He is also the author of several books on business writing, the business of freelance writing, writing non-fiction books and creative writing. You can visit him online at www.paullima.com, www.paullima.com/books and www.paullima.com/blog.)

***

Advice From The Heart By Donna Marrin

The best advice I ever received came from deep within my own heart.
Never give up.
I’ve nurtured a passion for writing since the first day my hand was able to grasp a pencil. As a teen, my English teacher made a few scathing remarks about my stories and, though my lack of aplomb echoed with ‘maybe he’s right,’ my heart roared
Never give up.
As a young adult, family and friends said my stuff was good, but grow up and
get a real job. My mind agreed, yet my heart bellowed defiantly
Never give up.
As an overwhelmed young mom, I packed away all my dreams in the attic,
my mind efficiently snuffing out my longing… ‘Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be?’
But my heart cried quietly
Never give up.
Once my baby bird had flown the nest, my mind taunted, “So? Now you have the time. Perhaps they were all right, and you just never had it in you.”
At long last, I followed my heart.
I organized a community writers’ group. I made a commitment to write on a regular basis. I summoned the courage to send out submissions.
I received my first real acceptance in the summer of 2000, with more to follow soon afterward. I am a woman possessed, basking in dreams that now drift within my reach. I’ve only just begun. And I have my heart to thank.
Never give up.

About Donna Marrin
Donna is the Founder and Moderator of the Markham Village Writers’ Group. To contact Donna, send an email to info@markhamvillagewriters.com

***