Posts Tagged ‘writing’

Freelancing for Newbies

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

by Carl Turner

Freelance writing has been a fantasy of mine for many years. When I was a lot younger than I am now, I did not have the time or the income to pursue freelance writing full time. If you are a new writer or an unknown writer, attempting to write for a living as your only source of income it will probably not succeed unless you do not mind not eating and not paying the bills.

This does not mean that you cannot make a good living freelance writing. It just means that you should not quit your day job before you make a name for yourself and figure out a couple things like your niche market and your particular style or your voice. (more…)

7 Rules for Backgrounds

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

by Al Kalar

He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. -Ernest Hemingway

In one short sentence, Hemingway wrote the background for The Old Man and the Sea. The sentence tells the reader who, where, and what the story is about.

In times past, it was not unusual for the author to devote and entire chapter (or more) to tell the background scenery and information for the story. Modern readers won’t stand for that. (more…)