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The May issue of The Writer Within Newsletter

THE WRITER WITHIN NEWSLETTER

 

Volume 10, Issue 2 #110             May 1, 2012

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A FREE newsletter for all writers. 

 

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The WWN is sent only to subscribers.  If you feel you received this newsletter in error, easy unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this message.  

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Index

 

Ø  From Shaunna’s Screen – May showers

 

Ø  Timely Tip for Success

 

Ø  What Do You Really Do?

 

Ø  E-book Sale announcement

 

Ø  Lucrative Links – Get featured today

 

  

 

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FROM SHAUNNA’S SCREEN

 

Hello!  It’s another gloomy day here.  I guess we had our good spring weather back in March.  Oh well, the rain is good, too.

 

Only one month left before school is out – time to dig in and get lots of writing done, in time for the hectic summer season.  My writing time shrinks in the summer, so piling up assignments now will help tide me through until Fall. Does anyone else have a similar experience?

 

Thanks so much for reading,

 

Shaunna 

shaunnawrites@msn.com  

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Featured E-book of the Month

 

On sale this month for only $9.99!

Low, low, low, price!

 

“Pump Up Your Prose” is available exclusively as a 161-page e-book for only $9.99 at http://shaunna67.tripod.com   BONUS: a free e-book “10 Money-saving Secrets for Every Writer.”  Start improving your prose instantly. 

 

Special sale price for a limited time only!

 

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TIMELY TIP FOR SUCCESS

 

"A creative person is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others."

                         ~Ayn Rand

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FEATURE

 

What do you Really Do?

By Shaunna Privratsky

 

The title is the number one response I receive when I tell someone I work fulltime from home.  Number two is, “What did you used to do?”  Working from home still has negative connotations in today’s hyper-busy, 24/7 society.  People commonly brag about sixty-hour workweeks and putting in extra time at the office.  It is no wonder that the typical home worker is viewed as lazy or less than productive.

 

The best defense is proving those negative vibes wrong.  No matter what career you are pursuing, choosing your home as your base of operations is a viable and rewarding decision.   

 

I did not entirely choose to stay at home.  My career as an author was taking off with many freelance assignments, columns, books, e-books, book signings and speaking engagements. Yet I still worked part time pursuing my first love; interior design.  Then my husband went in for surgery, suffered severe brain damage from a medical mistake, and wound up permanently disabled.

 

I gave up my part time job to care for him fulltime.  This allowed me to pursue my writing on a fulltime basis as well.  In between the daily duties of housework, cooking, caring for Wade and our two teens, I delve into my writing. 

 

Many people view writing as a hobby, or something fun to do when you have a spare moment.  Writing can be a profitable and satisfying career if you approach it like a business.  Although you use your imagination to create your work, you sell it to editors, hopefully creating a profit.  Sounds easy, right? 

 

The road to writing success can be rocky.  You must dodge the potholes of rejections, criticism, little or no compensation and unfair contracts.  Yet your family could be your biggest obstacle. 

 

The kids must be fed, the dishes lurk in the sink and dirty laundry multiplies like a freakish virus.  Not to mention housework, grocery shopping, hauling kids to the park, myriad sports and activities.  Add all the tasks that you simply must do and it is no wonder that you throw up your hands and wail, “I don’t have time to write!”

           

Time is the most universally sought-after commodity, yet it cannot be bought, sold, bribed, stretched or dodged.  It’s free, but we always seem to want or need more.  The key to time management is prioritizing.  You already do this unconsciously; now take it to another level.

 

List everything you do in a typical day.  Put a star by the tasks you must accomplish.  Then make another list, including the things you would like to do.  Compare your lists.  Are there pockets of time you could use for writing?  Do your kids typically take a forty-five minute nap at 1:15 pm?  Could you forgo an hour or two of TV time?  Is your writing more important than a completely spotless house?

 

It seems there is always something more urgent or someone whining “Are you ever going to get off the computer?”  I’ve discovered some timely tricks that work for me. 

 

I get up about an hour earlier than my family.  I love the early-morning hush in our household, cradling a delicious cup of coffee while I type fast and furiously with the other hand.  Mornings are my best writing time, when I transpose rough drafts, create new pieces and revel in the written word.  All too soon I hear a sleepy voice call, “Mom?” and I must put my work away for later.

 

During our hectic day, I jot down any ideas or fresh angles that pop into my head.  When I get a few minutes I enter them into my idea notebook.  Sometimes a great line, unique name or a fresh observation will clamor for my attention.

 

If I have a deadline, I’ll plant myself in front of the computer.  If my family whines, I shamelessly bribe them.  If they let me work, we’ll do something extra-special a little later.  So far they feel they’re getting the best of the bargain.

 

Other pockets of free time may unexpectedly open up if my children are invited to a birthday party or if they are playing at a friend’s house.  The key is to seize those moments and write your heart out.  The words may sizzle across the page like lightning, igniting the spark of creativity.  Other times the sentences must be carefully extracted from the granite encasing them.  The important thing is to write, to get that first draft down when the time is right.

 

At the end of the day, once my children are sleeping, I creep downstairs to the computer and work on queries, submissions, tracking and organization and research.  Getting the most important tasks done first helps speed up my work.  

 

Writing is my passion.  I have learned to prioritize the many areas of my life and writing has become a treasured part of my schedule.  My family is much more tolerant now that I have a growing number of published and paid articles and stories.  It’s surprising how much credibility you gain when you hold a check in your hand.

 

If you treat your writing as a hobby, you’ll never have enough time to write.  Give writing the importance of a job, devote time to the necessary tasks and use your enthusiasm as a shield against the demands of life. 

 

If you truly want to write, you’ll make the time.  Keep your family happy while you write and you’ll be well on your way to a productive and profitable career, working from home.  Now when someone asks what I do, I reply, “I am a writer.  Really.”      

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Shaunna Privratsky is a professional writer with a decade of writing under her belt.  She loves to read, snuggled up with her four kitties, when she is not busy with her two teens or disabled husband. She is gearing up for her busiest season of the year. Please visit The Writer Within at http://shaunna67.tripod.com and say hi.

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***Mother’s Day Gift Idea***

 

“The Silk Robe” is an excellent gift! This beautiful print booklet comes with an envelope for easy mailing.  Signed copies of the inspirational, true story The Silk Robe are on sale for only $4.99 at The Discount Diva  Show someone special how much you care.

 

FREE s&h   ************************************************************************

 

Want to save some money this year?  Then check out my dollar-stretching e-books at   The Discount Diva  http://shaunna67.tripod.com/id21.html

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LUCRATIVE LINKS

 

Attention Writers:

 

Reach hundreds of writers with your writing-related ad or links to your website, blog, or Facebook page.

 

 

$7 for a one-time ad

$29 for a year’s subscription  

 

Please click here for more information

 

http://shaunna67.tripod.com

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Copyright 2012

 

All rights are reserved and no portion of this newsletter may be reprinted without permission.  Please ask.

 

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