- Join a chapter and get involved. I’ve served as Corresponding Secretary, Web Mistress, Treasurer and contest judge for mine. Taking on these jobs helped me get a sense of the “big picture” of the business, and oddly enough, helped me in my regular work life too. Revamping the chapter website and mastering Dreamweaver provided to be useful experience for when we did the same thing at work. I took on the role of Web Mistress at my company in addition to my regular job, which subsequently led to a promotion as Manager of Corporate Communications! Serving as Treasurer taught me how to use Quicken. Being a contest judge was also surprisingly educational. It’s so much easier to spot mistakes in others’ work, but if I’m smart, I’ll take the advice I’m dispensing and apply it to my own manuscripts.
- Find a critique partner. Another great reason to join a chapter. A fresh set of eyes to read your work and some kind and constructive correction is invaluable before you send your book out into the world.
- Enter contests. Pick and choose the ones that will give you the most bang for your buck. Seeing as I write single title, I look for contests that will allow me to submit the maximum amount of pages, and for final round judges that I think would be a good match for my book. I’ve experienced good judges and bad judges, but have learned to separate the wheat from the chaff and make use of the constructive comments. Winning a few is a great lift too!
- Touch your story every day. Or the proverbial “keep your butt in the chair”. How often have we heard this advice? Maybe too often for it to really sink in anymore, but it’s true. I used to think that I couldn’t “get into” my story if I only had a few minutes. I’ve found now that if I try to write every day, I can jump back into my story world much faster. Even if I only have a half hour, I can still write a page or revise one, and I’ve done something constructive. Try not to let too much time pass between writing stints. Keep the pot simmering at a gentle boil. Don’t let it get stone cold so you have to start all over each time with familiarizing yourself with the plot and the characters.
- Take some classes. You can always get something out of a class that will spark an idea or improve your book. You can’t go wrong with the great Alicia Rasley. I’m sure there are other wonderful teachers out there, but she’s brilliant.
- Persevere. “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” - John Quincy Adams