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Grist for the Muse #17 -- February 2005	mich-@wilson.us
	Feb 01, 2005 13:20 PST

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Grist for the Muse #17 – February 2005
The monthly creative writing resource that gets you writing and keeps you
writing

It is never too late to be who you might have been.
--George Eliot
Musings
One of my students said to me last month that she loved my column last month
because it “made me seem human.” And I had to laugh. If she only knew how
human I am…
One of the things I’ve thought a lot about this month is my driven need for
information to the point of total information overload. How I have to find
every resource, print every page off of a website, and get every book out of
the library that is even remotely connected with a particular problem I’m
exploring at the moment. (At this moment it is time management and trivia
about famous writers.) I find websites, get books out of the library,
photocopy magazine articles on the topic, and in the end I lose the pages
somewhere, forget that I have them, or end up in huge piles in my stackable
desk trays that are “organized.”
My favorites bookmark list is huge and filled with sites that I visited
once, said to myself, “wow, this is cool,” bookmarked it, fully intending to
take a closer look at it soon, and forgetting why I did it in the first
place.
I subscribe to five monthly magazines: The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Wired,
Esquire, Reader’s Digest and one weekly: Newsweek. I’m lucky if I even
manage to flip through them all in the average month.
I also subscribe to many monthly, weekly and sporadic e-newsletters to gain
more knowledge about the business side of writing, and so I can improve
Grist for the Muse by seeing how other newsletters work. Many of these stay
in my inbox for weeks unread, until they are overwhelming the more critical
email that comes into the box. Then, not wanting to waste any of the
valuable info that might be contained within these unopened messages, I mass
print them to be skimmed through at a later time and delete them all out of
my inbox. (Yes, I am that guy at the office who has to print EVERYTHING, to
read it… may they plant a forest in my honor upon my passing to make up for
all of those trees I kill during my lifetime.)
I have not one, not two, but THREE, full-sized four drawer filing cabinets
to store my current and future information needs, these have been in the
process of getting these organized into alphabetical order for close to TWO
YEARS now. I can never find something when I need it, and many of the
articles, story ideas, and information I store in them has NEVER BEEN READ
AT ALL.
I’ve bought 87 books in the past year and only read 13 of them. The rest of
the 97 books that I’ve read last year have been borrowed from the library.
Does this get in the way of my writing? Absolutely. Does it ever stop me
completely? No. I just write on with that sense that I’m forgetting
something in the back of my head, and that nagging sense of guilt that goes
along with having old magazines that you mean to read piled up next to your
bed, the need to buy a fourth full-sized bookshelf to accommodate your
ever-expanding collection, and the frustration that comes with trying to
find those student information forms that you collected at last month’s
Fiction Writers Group to send them invitations to sign up for Grist for the
Muse. I know in my heart that I am my own worst enemy, but I wouldn’t have
it any other way.
--Michael

BUY FLASH WRITING AT LOCAL AUTHORS NIGHT AT BARNES & NOBLE @ EASTON TOWN
CENTER ON FEB 15th

Join me and many other writers for Local Authors’ Night at the Barnes &
Noble at Easton Town Center on Tuesday, February 15th at 7pm. Copies of
Flash Writing will be available for purchase and signing. Pick up your copy,
or just stop by to say “Hi!”
Or you can get your signed copy online by ordering it www.flashwriting.com
<http://www.flashwriting.com/>

Sign up for the Write(Now) Newsletter

Nita Sweeney’s wonderful monthly newsletter lists events of interest to
writers in the Central Ohio area, including book signings, writing classes,
writer’s groups, writer’s conferences, poetry readings, and more. To
subscribe click on this link: http://www.nitasweeney.com/id4.html
<http://www.nitasweeney.com/id4.html>

Writing Exercises

1. 1. I hate February, sorry for those of you who love it, but it
is cold and I’m sick of the cold and short days, and dreary gray sky. Write
about things that you hate. Be passionate and specific. Or, if you are
fictionally inclined, write a story about something (or someone) you hate.
2. 2. Write about snow-days. How did they make you feel as a
child? How do they make you feel now? What are the similarities and
differences?

Quick Topics

* * Fuzzy
* * Breaks bread
* * Bathroom humor
* * Black and white
* * Caught
* * Dumped
* * Campus
* * Dark days
* * Gigantic
* * Hooking up
* * Splash
* * Mayhem

Story Starters

* * When you walk to the deli…
* * It’s in your glass…
* * What do you think?
* * What I ate today…
* * How she got started…
* * Tell me a story…

Shameless Self Promotion

Barnes & Noble at Easton Town Center— Fiction Writer’s Group

February 10, 2005 - 7:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction Writers
Group: SPEED WRITING JUMPSTART – FOR FICTION
Been putting off starting that novel or story? Been waiting for the perfect
moment of inspiration? Look no further. You’ve heard of speed dating haven’t
you? Well, this is similar. I give you a first line or situation and you
write for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes are up, we do it again with a
completely new topic. This session is guaranteed to get you writing!
The Fiction Writers Group is a facilitated writing group that meets at
Barnes & Noble at Easton Town Center on the SECOND Thursday of each month at
7:00pm and is hosted by writer and teacher Michael Wilson. A book will be
given away to one lucky attendee. This event is free of charge!

Creative Writing Classes at Upper Arlington Lifelong Learning
IF YOU THINK IT, YOU CAN WRITE IT (AKA: Creative Thinking for Creative
Writers)
Tap into your mind to generate interesting and unusual writing ideas,
prevent writer’s block and think creatively through all stages of a writing
project. Through discussion, writing exercises and fun activities, explore
the creative process by utilizing brainstorming, mind mapping and including
play and humor in your work. Experience this class to expand your
imagination and make writing easier and a lot more fun. A workbook is
included in the registration fee. The class schedule includes a one-hour
lunch break.
CLASS #: 441896
TIME: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Saturday
DATE: February 12
LOCATION: Lower Level Conference Room, UA Municipal Services Center, 3600
Tremont Road
COST: $45.00(R), $49.50(NR)
DEADLINE: February 7

WRITING FLASH FICTION
Writing Flash Fiction is an eight-hour workshop where you learn to craft
stories that are under 1,000 words long. This class teaches you how to
generate ideas, write the draft of a story, and polish and shape it for
publication. The goal is to have a flash fiction story ready for publication
by the end of the course. The class features lots of in-class writing using
selected topics generated by the group and is fun, self-contained and
motivating. The class textbook, Flash Writing: How to Write, Revise and
Publish Stories Less Than 1,000 Words Long (ISBN 1589396375), can be
purchased at the class for $14.95.
CLASS #:441891
TIME:7:00-9:00 PM, Wednesday
DATE:February 16 – March 9, 4 sessions
LOCATION: Council Committee Room, UA Municipal Services Center, 3600 Tremont
Road
COST: $45.00(R), $49.50(NR)
DEADLINE: February 9

There are three ways to register for classes at UA Lifelong Learning:

* * Register online using your MASTERCARD or VISA, click the
following link: https://parks.uaoh.net/VSIWEBTRAC.HTML
* * Fill out a registration form here:
http://www.ua-ohio.net/parksrec/lifelong/registration.pdf and mail it to or
drop it off (with a check or money order) at Lifelong Learning & Leisure,
3600 Tremont Road, Upper Arlington, OH 43221
* * Call (614) 583-5333 between 9:30am and 3:30pm weekdays
to register using your VISA or MASTERCARD

ASK THE MUSE

Agents want a one page query, but some ideas (this is a science book) seem
absurd without some explanation. What happens if you send a 1 ½ or 2 page
query? Will it be ignored?
In general, the rule is if you can't sell the idea in a page, no agent is
going to buy the book, but then again, there are always exceptions. Some
agents I've spoken with don't mind longer queries.
The query letter is not designed to explain what the book is about, but to
sell the ideas behind the book. Queries should focus on the following: What
it is you are writing about. How it is different from the other (simillar)
books out there in the market (who is your target audience), and why you are
the person to write this book (how are you qualified to write it).
Before querying, you might consider working up a draft book proposal, just
so you know what kind of info agents and editors are going to be looking
for. If they are interested in your query, the first thing they ask for is a
book proposal. A book that I can highly recommend for this is How to Write a
Book Proposal (3rd edition) by Michael Larson. Writers Digest Books, 2003.
And for queries I really like Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript by
Cynthia Laufenberg. Writer's Digest Books, 2003, and How to Write Attention
Grabbing Query Letters by John Wood, Writers Digest Books, 2000.

MUSE REVIEWS

Write More, Sell More by Robert Bly. Writers Digest Books, 245 pages.
Hardcover; 1998; ISBN: 0-89879-816-7.
Robert Bly is the ultra-prolific guru of business copywriting, specifically
in the realm of direct mail (You know, the piles and piles of junk mail you
get each year? Someone has to write it.). He claims to earn a six-figure
income every year, and I have no doubt about it. This book discusses the
strategies and shortcuts that Bly uses to earn his income. He addresses the
work habits, organizational techniques, and strategies to help you write
faster, and make good money. He also covers some of the writing projects
that you might not have thought of that are great for earning good income.
Projects such as annual reports, sales letters, short articles, and little
books, can help you make a lot of money with little effort.
I am a big fan of many of Bly’s books. The Copywriters Handbook and Secrets
of a Freelance Writer and the Elements of Copywriting are all on my
permanent writing library bookshelf, and this book has a lot of information
covering grounds that he hasn’t covered in these books (well maybe he did
cover some of these things in Secrets of a Freelance Writer and if you’ve
read Selling Your Services, well you’ll find a bit more overlap). Primarily
detailed information about marketing yourself, outsourcing tasks that are
time wasters, and working with clients. In many places I wish that Mr. Bly
would have dug into more details about the information he presents, and I
feel that the book could be a little better organized between the two worlds
of freelance writing: corporate writing and writing for publication. These
two subjects seem to be interwoven in ways that are a bit confusing for
someone new to the freelancing game. Still the book has a lot of good
information, and shouldn’t be overlooked.
Rating: *** (Buy Used)
About Ratings: ***** -- Well Worth it at Full Retail Price; **** — Buy on
Sale/Discounted;
*** — Buy Used; ** — Borrow It from the Library; * — Waste of a Good Tree

**********************************************************************
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OR – If you do not want to join Topica, send an email to
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that I am added to your address book or your “safe” list.

SUGGESTIONS or COMMENTS: Please feel free to e-mail me with ideas,
suggestions, questions, or smart alecky remarks. I love to get feedback, and
I do give all comments serious consideration. Send them to
gri-@flashwriting.com
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SUBMISSIONS: Do you have an event you want to promote? Do you want to see
yourself in print? Send me a short article or writing exercise ideas. I can’
t pay you anything yet, but maybe someday soon. Please send an e-mail with
date, time, place, cost and contact information to gri-@flashwriting.com
with SUBMISSION in the subject line. Editor reserves the right to revise
submissions.

ABOUT THE EDITOR: Michael Wilson has been teaching creative writing classes
and facilitating writer’s groups for over 7 years and was an award-winning
Contributing Editor for The Writer’s Block at Suite101.com. He has a BA
(with Honors) in English from Ohio University, and has been a featured guest
speaker at the Thurber House, the Maumee Valley Writer’s Conference and the
Columbus Writer’s Conference. He is also the publisher and editor of Grist
for the Muse a free monthly creative writing e-newsletter. His first book:
Flash Writing: How to Write, Revise and Publish Stories Less Than 1000 Words
Long, was published in October 2004. You can get additional information
about him at www.flashwriting.com <http://www.flashwriting.com/> .

Copyright 2005 Michael L. Wilson. All rights reserved.

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<div class=Section1>

<h1 style='margin-right:140.25pt'>Grist for the Muse #17 – February
2005 
The monthly creative writing resource
that gets you writing and keeps you writing<o:p></o:p></h1>

 <o:p></o:p>

<tt>It is never too late to be who you might
have been.</tt> 
<tt>--George
Eliot</tt><o:p></o:p>

<div style='mso-element:para-border-div'>

Musings<o:p></o:p>

One of my students
said to me last month that she loved my column last month because it “made me
seem human.” And I had to laugh. If she only knew how human I am… <o:p></o:p>

One of the things I’ve
thought a lot about this month is my driven need for information to the point
of total information overload. How I have to find every resource, print every
page off of a website, and get every book out of the library that is even
remotely connected with a particular problem I’m exploring at the moment.
(At this moment it is time management and trivia about famous writers.) I find
websites, get books out of the library, photocopy magazine articles on the
topic, and in the end I lose the pages somewhere, forget that I have them, or
end up in huge piles in my stackable desk trays that are “organized.” <o:p></o:p>

My favorites bookmark
list is huge and filled with sites that I visited once, said to myself, “wow,
this is cool,” bookmarked it, fully intending to take a closer look at it soon,
and forgetting why I did it in the first place. <o:p></o:p>

I subscribe to five
monthly magazines: The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Wired, Esquire,
Reader’s Digest and one weekly: Newsweek. I’m lucky if I even manage to
flip through them all in the average month.<o:p></o:p>

I also subscribe to
many monthly, weekly and sporadic e-newsletters to gain more knowledge about
the business side of writing, and so I can improve Grist for the Muse by seeing how other newsletters
work. Many of these stay in my inbox for weeks unread, until they are
overwhelming the more critical email that comes into the box. Then, not wanting
to waste any of the valuable info that might be contained within these unopened
messages, I mass print them to be skimmed through at a later time and delete
them all out of my inbox. (Yes, I am that guy at the office who has to print
EVERYTHING, to read it… may they plant a forest in my honor upon my passing to
make up for all of those trees I kill during my lifetime.) <o:p></o:p>

I have not one, not
two, but THREE, full-sized four drawer filing cabinets to store my current and
future information needs, these have been in the process of getting these
organized into alphabetical order for close to TWO YEARS now. I can never find
something when I need it, and many of the articles, story ideas, and
information I store in them has NEVER BEEN READ AT ALL.<o:p></o:p>

I’ve bought 87 books
in the past year and only read 13 of them. The rest of the 97 books that I’ve
read last year have been borrowed from the library.<o:p></o:p>

Does this get in the
way of my writing? Absolutely. Does it ever stop me completely? No. I just
write on with that sense that I’m forgetting something in the back of my head,
and that nagging sense of guilt that goes along with having old magazines that
you mean to read piled up next to your bed, the need to buy a fourth full-sized
bookshelf to accommodate your ever-expanding collection, and the frustration
that comes with trying to find those student information forms that you
collected at last month’s Fiction Writers Group to send them invitations to
sign up for Grist for the Muse. I
know in my heart that I am my own worst enemy, but I wouldn’t have it any other
way.<o:p></o:p>

--Michael<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

</div>

<h1 style='margin-right:140.25pt'>BUY FLASH WRITING AT LOCAL AUTHORS NIGHT AT
BARNES & NOBLE @ EASTON <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">TOWN CENTER</st1:City>
<st1:State w:st="on">ON</st1:State></st1:place> FEB 15th<o:p></o:p></h1>

<div style='mso-element:para-border-div'>

Join me and many other
writers for Local Authors’ Night at the Barnes & Noble at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Easton</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Town</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
on Tuesday, February 15th at 7pm. Copies of Flash Writing will be
available for purchase and signing. Pick up your copy, or just stop by to say
“Hi!”<o:p></o:p>

Or you can get your
signed copy online by ordering it <a href="http://www.flashwriting.com/"
target="_blank">www.flashwriting.com</a> <o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

</div>

<h3 style='margin-right:140.25pt'>Sign up for the Write(Now)
Newsletter<o:p></o:p></h3>

<div style='mso-element:para-border-div'>

Nita
Sweeney’s wonderful monthly newsletter lists events of interest to writers in
the <st1:place w:st="on">Central Ohio</st1:place> area, including book
signings, writing classes, writer’s groups, writer’s conferences, poetry
readings, and more. To subscribe click on this link: <a
href="http://www.nitasweeney.com/id4.html" target="_blank">http://www.nitasweeney.com/id4.html</a>
<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

</div>

 <o:p></o:p>

<h1 style='margin-right:140.25pt'>Writing Exercises<o:p></o:p></h1>

<![if !supportLists]>1. <![endif]>1. I hate February, sorry for those of you who love it, but it is
cold and I’m sick of the cold and short days, and dreary gray sky. Write
about things that you hate. Be passionate and specific. Or, if you are
fictionally inclined, write a story about something (or someone) you hate.<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>2. <![endif]>2. Write about snow-days. How did they make you feel as a child? How
do they make you feel now? What are the similarities and differences?<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

<h2 style='margin-right:140.25pt'>Quick Topics<o:p></o:p></h2>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Fuzzy<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Breaks bread<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Bathroom humor<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Black and white<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Caught<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Dumped<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Campus<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Dark days<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Gigantic<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Hooking up<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Splash<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Mayhem<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

<h2 style='margin-right:140.25pt'>Story Starters<o:p></o:p></h2>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
When you walk to the deli…<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
It’s in your glass…<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
What do you think?<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
What I ate today…<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
How she got started…<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Tell me a story…<o:p></o:p>

<h1 style='margin-right:140.25pt'>Shameless Self
Promotion<o:p></o:p></h1>

<h2 style='margin-right:140.25pt'>Barnes & Noble at
Easton Town Center— Fiction Writer’s Group<o:p></o:p></h2>

February
10, 2005 - 7:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction Writers Group: SPEED
WRITING JUMPSTART – FOR FICTION<o:p></o:p>

Been
putting off starting that novel or story? Been waiting for the perfect moment
of inspiration? Look no further. You’ve heard of speed dating haven’t you? Well,
this is similar. I give you a first line or situation and you write for 5
minutes. When the 5 minutes are up, we do it again with a completely new topic.
This session is guaranteed to get you writing!<o:p></o:p>

The Fiction Writers
Group is a facilitated writing group that meets at Barnes & Noble at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Easton</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Town</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
on the SECOND Thursday of each month at 7:00pm and is hosted by writer and
teacher Michael Wilson. A book will be given away to one lucky attendee.
This event is free of charge!<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

Creative Writing Classes at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Upper
Arlington</st1:City></st1:place> Lifelong Learning<o:p></o:p>

IF
YOU THINK IT, YOU CAN WRITE IT (AKA: Creative Thinking for Creative Writers)<o:p></o:p>

Tap into your mind to
generate interesting and unusual writing ideas, prevent writer’s block and
think creatively through all stages of a writing project. Through discussion,
writing exercises and fun activities, explore the creative process by utilizing
brainstorming, mind mapping and including play and humor in your work.
Experience this class to expand your imagination and make writing easier and a
lot more fun. A workbook is included in the registration fee. The class
schedule includes a one-hour lunch break.<o:p></o:p>

CLASS #: 441896 
TIME: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Saturday 
DATE: February 12 
LOCATION: Lower Level Conference Room, UA <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Municipal</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Services</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,
<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">3600 Tremont Road</st1:address></st1:Street> 
COST: $45.00(R), $49.50(NR) 
DEADLINE: February 7 
 
WRITING
FLASH FICTION<o:p></o:p>

Writing Flash Fiction
is an eight-hour workshop where you learn to craft stories that are under 1,000
words long. This class teaches you how to generate ideas, write the draft of a
story, and polish and shape it for publication. The goal is to have a flash
fiction story ready for publication by the end of the course. The class
features lots of in-class writing using selected topics generated by the group
and is fun, self-contained and motivating. The class textbook, Flash Writing: How to Write, Revise and Publish
Stories Less Than 1,000 Words Long (ISBN 1589396375), can be
purchased at the class for $14.95.<o:p></o:p>

CLASS #:441891 
TIME:7:00-9:00 PM, Wednesday 
DATE:February 16 – March 9, 4 sessions 
LOCATION: Council Committee Room, UA <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Municipal</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Services</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,
<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">3600 Tremont Road</st1:address></st1:Street> 
COST: $45.00(R), $49.50(NR) 
DEADLINE: February 9<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

There
are three ways to register for classes at UA Lifelong Learning:<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>·
<![endif]>·
Register online using your MASTERCARD or VISA,
click the following link: <a href="https://parks.uaoh.net/VSIWEBTRAC.HTML"
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<h1 style='margin-right:140.25pt'> <o:p></o:p></h1>

<h1 style='margin-right:140.25pt'>ASK THE MUSE<o:p></o:p></h1>

Agents want a one page query, but some ideas (this is a
science book) seem absurd without some explanation. What happens if
you send a 1 ½ or 2 page query? Will it be ignored?<o:p></o:p>

In
general, the rule is if you can't sell the idea in a page, no agent is going to
buy the book, but then again, there are always exceptions. Some agents I've spoken
with don't mind longer queries. <o:p></o:p>

The
query letter is not designed to explain what the book is about, but to sell the
ideas behind the book. Queries should focus on the following: What it is you
are writing about. How it is different from the other (simillar) books out
there in the market (who is your target audience), and why you are the person
to write this book (how are you qualified to write it).<o:p></o:p>

Before
querying, you might consider working up a draft book proposal, just so you know
what kind of info agents and editors are going to be looking for. If they are
interested in your query, the first thing they ask for is a book proposal. A
book that I can highly recommend for this is How to Write a Book
Proposal (3rd edition) by Michael Larson. Writers Digest Books, 2003.
And for queries I really like Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript
by Cynthia Laufenberg. Writer's Digest Books, 2003, and How to Write
Attention Grabbing Query Letters by John Wood, Writers Digest Books,
2000.<o:p></o:p>

<h1 style='margin-right:140.25pt'>MUSE REVIEWS<o:p></o:p></h1>

Write More, Sell More by Robert Bly. Writers Digest Books, 245 pages. Hardcover;
1998; ISBN: 0-89879-816-7.<o:p></o:p>

Robert Bly is the
ultra-prolific guru of business copywriting, specifically in the realm of
direct mail (You know, the piles and piles of junk mail you get each
year? Someone has to write it.). He claims to earn a six-figure income
every year, and I have no doubt about it. This book discusses the strategies
and shortcuts that Bly uses to earn his income. He addresses the work habits,
organizational techniques, and strategies to help you write faster, and make
good money. He also covers some of the writing projects that you might not have
thought of that are great for earning good income. Projects such as annual
reports, sales letters, short articles, and little books, can help you make a
lot of money with little effort.<o:p></o:p>

I am a big fan of many
of Bly’s books. The Copywriters Handbook
and Secrets of a Freelance Writer
and the Elements of Copywriting
are all on my permanent writing library bookshelf, and this book has a lot of
information covering grounds that he hasn’t covered in these books (well maybe
he did cover some of these things in Secrets of a Freelance Writer and if
you’ve read Selling Your Services,
well you’ll find a bit more overlap). Primarily detailed information about
marketing yourself, outsourcing tasks that are time wasters, and working with
clients. In many places I wish that Mr. Bly would have dug into more details
about the information he presents, and I feel that the book could be a little better
organized between the two worlds of freelance writing: corporate writing and
writing for publication. These two subjects seem to be interwoven in ways that
are a bit confusing for someone new to the freelancing game. Still the book has
a lot of good information, and shouldn’t be overlooked. <o:p></o:p>

Rating:
*** (Buy Used)<o:p></o:p>

About
Ratings: ***** -- Well Worth it
at Full Retail Price; **** — Buy on Sale/Discounted; 
*** — Buy Used; ** — Borrow It from the Library; * — Waste of a
Good Tree<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

**********************************************************************<o:p></o:p>

<pre style='margin-right:140.25pt'>TO SUBSCRIBE: If someone you know would like to check out Grist for the Muse have and possibly subscribe to it, go to the web at this URL: <a
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style='margin-right:140.25pt'>Or SUBSCRIBE via email by sending a BLANK email to: <a
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style='margin-right:140.25pt'>OR – If you do not want to join Topica, send an email to gri-@flashwriting.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the header. Make sure that I am added to your address book or your “safe” list. <o:p></o:p></pre><pre
style='margin-right:140.25pt'> <o:p></o:p></pre><pre
style='margin-right:140.25pt'>SUGGESTIONS or COMMENTS: Please feel free to e-mail me with ideas, suggestions, questions, or smart alecky remarks. I love to get feedback, and I do give all comments serious consideration. Send them to gri-@flashwriting.com <o:p></o:p></pre><pre
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SUBMISSIONS: Do you have an event you want to promote? Do you want to see
yourself in print? Send me a short article or writing exercise ideas. I can’t
pay you anything yet, but maybe someday soon. Please send an e-mail with date,
time, place, cost and contact information to gri-@flashwriting.com with SUBMISSION in the subject line. Editor reserves the
right to revise submissions. 
<o:p></o:p>

ABOUT
THE EDITOR: Michael Wilson has been
teaching creative writing classes and facilitating writer’s groups for over 7
years and was an award-winning Contributing Editor for The Writer’s Block at
Suite101.com. He has a BA (with Honors) in English from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Ohio</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, and has been a
featured guest speaker at the Thurber House, the Maumee Valley Writer’s
Conference and the Columbus Writer’s Conference. He is also the publisher and
editor of Grist for the Muse a
free monthly creative writing e-newsletter. His first book: Flash Writing: How to Write, Revise and Publish
Stories Less Than 1000 Words Long, was published in October 2004.
You can get additional information about him at <a
href="http://www.flashwriting.com/" target="_blank">www.flashwriting.com</a>. <o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

Copyright 2005 Michael L. Wilson. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

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