You need more than talent and good ideas to be a writer. To persevere after constant rejections and keep pitching into the editorial abyss, you need personality traits that go beyond talent and creativity. I’ve rounded up a few qualities of successful writers - and they apply to freelancers, hobbyists, bloggers, or published authors.
First, I gotta throw in a quip from Anne [...]

Historical romance and fantasy novelist Mary Jo Putney spoke at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference in British Columbia. Here are some of her best tips on writing, editing, and publishing.
First, a tantalizing quip from Putney:
“When your book comes out, there will be errors in the text,” she says.
Okay, this may not seem like a brilliant [...]

To grab readers by the throat and keep them chained to your article, book, or poem, you need to write a great lead. Luckily, there are hundreds (maybe even thousands) of ways to hook readers with the first sentence…and here are some gripping ideas. 
But first, as usual, a writing quip for freelancers: 
“It’s important to try to [...]

When you send story ideas or book proposals, you don’t want to drown in the slush pile. New research reveals one way to get people to remember your writing - and it’s a tried-and-true literary technique. 
First, though, a quip for writers: 
“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: [...]

As a full-time freelance writer without a Journalism degree, I’ve learned things the hard way. Here are 8 lessons I’ve learned from writing for magazines. 
First, a quip for writers from Natalie Goldberg: 
“A student in a workshop walked up to me swinging his briefcase. “Hi, I’m an engineer. I make $46,000 a year. How long do [...]