Love thy enemy (How your competitors can help you make money)

We all can do without competition. Be it for the time of that much sought after nanny for the children, that plum freelance assignment, or that exclusive house in the highly desirable and posh neighbourhood, competition can sour things up pretty rapidly and thoroughly. As professional writers, we are particularly vulnerable to competition, which comes not just from our contemporaries but also from those who are long dead and gone but have left their lasting mark in the annals of literature.

However, did you know that your competition can actually come to your aid? Other writers help us...

Read the full article in the January 2013 issue of Writing World

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Request to read the original article (and get a fun Debora cartoon) via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

1520 words
Nonfiction
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"That's definitely a good article... The article felt richer and more detailed. I particularly liked your example of coming up with the piece on titles -- it struck me as a great example of what one can do if one thinks creatively."

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

The last tanga

The musty smell hits me as soon as my foot steps over the threshold. The horse barn is no larger than my kitchen. Its floor is made up of irregular slabs of cool stone from indigenous quarries and worn smooth with years of being trod underfoot. Its walls are of an indistinct shape and colour, lined with old and thread-bare tapestry. Holes peep out shyly from between the swells and folds. The entire space is lit up with a single bulb bravely trying to throw its weak light to the ends of the room. Even so, several nooks and crannies still manage to elude its flickering yellow glow to remain concealed in...

Read the full article in the January 2013 issue of Equus

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

1000 words
Nonfiction/Real fiction
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"I just read some of your other stories online, which I enjoyed very much. Although we realize you don't have a lot of experience with horses, we would appreciate working with you again, should you have something in this vein."

Laurie Bonner

Senior Editor

Equus

"I very much like (this). I'm interested in it. It is a sophisticated piece of prose, beautifully and honestly written wtih vivid, detailed descriptions, and many wonderful lines. Some of my favourites are:

• There is a faint buzzing as a small swarm of bugs gather around under the bulb and attempt to put an end to their lives.
• A fresh bunch of lemon and chillies hangs from the doorway. This is our Indian version of the mistletoe, except that it is used to ward off spirits and keep out the evil eye.
• She is brown, with long tail hair cut into a stylish taper and long mane that is adorned with beads and plaits.
• Although she does not appear to be overly well-fed, her bearing is proud, as though she senses that this is her swan song.
• She will not get distracted by police whistles or shrill bicycle bells, nor will sharp motorcycle horns or shrieking ambulance sirens disturb her.
• Then she will be discovered lying dead in a ditch by the roadside, flies buzzing around her carcass, dogs sniffing and mooching about in packs.

It is an excellent piece. The qualities that make it outstanding... the keen eye for accurate and telling detail, the sense of honesty, and the attention to diction. (I like stories) that are more literary and have fresh and interesting details, like the ones I pointed to--especially that bit about the lemon and chillies hanging from the doorway--an Indian version of mistletoe. That was lovely! I looked at your articles on Writing World and I liked them a lot."

Pearl Luke

Editor

Page Forty-Seven

"I enjoyed reading your story"

Emily Trahair

Editor

Planet

Spice up your seasoning!

Devil’s Dung. Not exactly the most flattering epithet for something that is eaten with such relish in parts of the world. Stinking Gum? Not much better. Food Of The Gods. Ah, now that’s more like it.

My finger runs down the definition in the guide. Asafoetida i.e. Ferula assafoetida, family Apiaceae, it says, is a species of Ferula native to Iran. It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to two metres in height, with stout, hollow, somewhat succulent stems that are five to eight centimetres in diameter at the base of the plant. The leaves are thirty to forty centimetres long, tripinnate in...

Read the full article in the January 2013 issue of BackHome

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

800 words
Humour
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"It's a very nice and interesting piece. Though I've heard of the herb, I didn't know all about it. You write very nicely."

Nicola Ross

Editor

Alternatives Journal

"You are a wonderful writer."

Elaine Gillespie

Editor

Sandlapper

"It's very good, it's got more plot than many of the stories we get in other categories... very well done."

Geoffrey C Porter

Editor

Untied Shoelaces Of The Mind

"This is a lovely piece of writing"

Tim Kroenert

Assistant Editor

Eureka Street

"Charming article. Very nice."

Abigail Lewis

Editor

Whole Life Times

"It was well-written and an enjoyable read."

Jess Wallace

Editorial Assistant

New Zealand Woman’s Weekly

"It is charming and informative."

Colleen Leonardi

Assistant Editor

Edible Columbus

"I enjoyed it very much"

Steve Ott

Editor

Kitchen Garden

"It is very well written"

Acharya Arumuganathaswami

Managing Editor

Hinduism Today

"I enjoyed reading your essay"

Leslie C. Moore

Editor

Sasee

"Interesting article"

Janet Wallace

Editor

Canadian Organic Grower

"I... read your delightful story. It's very well written and has the kind of voice and energy I love to see in food publications... It would be so nice (for you to) share this... With your talent, (your blog) could become quite popular."

Cheryl Koehler

Editor

Edible East Bay

"This is a solid essay."

Frank Murtaugh

Managing Editor

Memphis

"It's well-written and interesting"

Jon Benedict

Editor

Edible Cleveland

"I enjoyed reading it"

Tara Swartzendruber

Editor

Edible Michiana