Why people write

Well. Quite. Like asking why women gossip. Or men brag. Or children lie.

So if it is as pointless as a circle to write this article, why write? Why, indeed. I went to bed with this question churning in my mind like a stomach with a bad attack of indigestion. After four hours of sleeplessly tossing and turning, optimist that I am, even I had to acknowledge that this wouldn’t go away without further investigation.

So for the past several days, I have been exploiting my not-so-considerable brainpower to mull over this point. What is it that makes a person itch to record his thoughts permanently? Why...

Read the full article in the February 2013 issue of FellowScript


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1030 words
Humour/Nonfiction
Canada publication

When publication goes bad

When an email message popped into my Inbox with the promising subject line of “Your submission has been accepted”, I clicked on it immediately, eager to devour the details. The first thing I saw was, “We loved your story!” Delighted, I read on. “We definately would like to publish this peace. Please find attached teh contract and sign and return it at your earliest convinience.”

After getting over my dismay at the unpardonable spelling mistakes, I began to have serious doubts about whether I wanted to go ahead with this particular publication at all. If the editor couldn’t be bothered to run...

Read the full article in the February 2013 issue of Writing Magazine

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2900 words
Nonfiction
UK publication

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Words from the Wise

"It's a good article, and the interviews are excellent."

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

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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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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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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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

The confession

When the series of bomb blasts rocked the railways that week, Suresh remembered the three men. Their expressions, their gestures, their words suddenly took on a different meaning. Hadn’t he curiously run into them again and again at different stations? Didn’t they always seem agitated, as though something they were planning had gone wrong? Or perhaps, because something was about to begin.

Conscientiously doing his duty, old Suresh was bent almost double as he stumbled along the platform, mechanically stroking his threadbare broom in front of him. He had a long peppery beard and wild...

Read the full story in the December 2012 issue of Writing Tomorrow

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3060 words
Fiction
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"Thanks so much for... such a wonderful, heart-wrenching story. I'd love to run The Confession for December. Fantastic ending! I think your new ending is absolutely brilliant...one of your strengths is describing the scene, and you did it fantastically. I hope you think so too. I love the "bereft of his beloved broom." Really sticks with us and brings us back to that moment we first met Suresh. ...This will be a great piece for you to add to your online/print collection. You've got a great, well-crafted story here! It's been a privilege to work on your piece."

Miranda Kopp-Filek

Editor

Writing Tomorrow

"Our editors enjoyed your piece; we feel it demonstrates considerable merit and skill."

Michelle Chitts

Editorial Intern

Griffith Review

"Some good images here"

Chris Heavener

Editor

Annalemma

"It's a distressing story told well"

Sandra Costich

Editor

American Scholar

"You have a knack for description."

Michael Latza

Editor

Willow Review

"You write with clarity, confidence, and a style that draws a reader into the unfolding tale wanting more of what you have to deliver. As soon as Suresh is introduced, the magic begins. (It) is a good story."

Gabrielle DePlancher

Editor

Total Quality Reading

7 Simple tips to maximize your earnings

If only we didn’t have to pay tax! Now that would maximise my meagre earnings as a writer by as much as 20% – a significant growth indeed. Luckily for us, though, there are some simple ways in which we can ensure that we are squeezing as much value out of the dollar as the law of the land will allow. 

1. Stay away from non-paying markets Bit obvious, really. It’s a lose-lose situation for you and a win-win situation for them, so why should you even bother with markets that cannot compensate you for your work? Forget the ‘for the love of literature’ and ‘amass glory and prestige’ rubbish. If you wanted...

Read the full article in the October 2012 issue of Freelance Writer's Report

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1055 words
Nonfiction
US publication