The things I’ve learned…

Before I begin tonight’s article, I wanted to tell you something that I have been struggling with… Living, Breathing, Writing on Kindle has been my “baby” now since May of 2009, but this will be the last installment of my Kindle Blog. The new Kindles no longer support the blog format and Kindle blogs are not available on the computer — in effect new technology has killed off the possibility of this blog reaching the masses. I’m sad, but I believe my time is better spent on other writing avenues. The good news though is that ALL of the LBW articles [from the beginning] are available on a website which I will gladly share with you; all you have to do is send an email to ChelleCordero@gmail.com with a brief review (as a subscriber) of my Kindle Blog Living, Breathing, Writing. My publisher and I will use a few of these reviews to publicize my current and future books about writing (60+ Days to Live, Breathe, & Write). Make sure you put LBW in the subject line, include your brief review with your name as it should appear under a review, and be sure to include your email address so I can send you the link to ALL 729 LBW articles. (And if you want to, please feel free to post your review on the Amazon site for Living, Breathing, Writing.)

I always liked to write. I would write “scripts” for my favorite TV shows, poems, fantasy stories, and more. I also found a way to embellish every story about things I did in my everyday life to make it sound more exciting and interesting. Because I was so vocal about my love of writing I found that I had SOME people who were supportive, some that used it as a way to hurt me, and others who were very blasé and even applauded my every word even when they hadn’t bothered to read anything I wrote. Of course the discouragement hurt, angered and annoyed me, but I never let it make me stop. Then meaningless praise, though often very well intentioned, didn’t help to educate me or encourage my striving to be better. The support was wonderful because it bolstered me whenever I came across a bump in the road and yes, there were many of those.

I had to decide what I wanted to accomplish with my writing. Did I want to write whether anyone else read it or not? Did I just want to make money doing something I love? Or did I want to experience the thrill of knowing people were reading my words? I guess it really was all three although making money at writing is not an easy task. Of course almost all of us have to make money somehow so if I could… I absolutely love seeing reviews of one of my books or a letter to the editor of a publication my writing appears in about the subject matter in my article. Of course seeing my byline is a thrill that is hard to describe (even for a writer). In the end I have two writing personas, one is as a creative fiction writer writing Passion and Suspense and the other is as a journalist with various periodicals. To be perfectly honest, the journalist things pays me more. Now some people do make a decent wage writing but very few are self-supporting without some kind of a hook (such as employment with a newspaper or magazine for example). It is hard work, but it is work you love, right?

As a writer people are going to want to take advantage of you, it’s not anything against you it’s just everyone having to look out for themselves. There was this newspaper I did a lot of articles for, the editor I worked with was terrific (we’re still friends to this day), but the simple fact was she was working under a budget and had to economize where she could. I was lucky, she tried to offer me the best pay scale, but not all editors will do that. So you have to be relatively firm when you set your prices and you have to stick with it; that doesn’t mean you can’t find room to compromise (for instance you are offered a package deal, six articles in a week or so…). Unless you have a really well-established name, the editors are not going to come looking for you but they probably would be happy to hear from you with a query and a proposal (Dear Sir, The town of ABC is rich in history and the centennial celebration is a time to show some ABC pride. I would like to write an article featuring the town square’s rich legacy and its important role in the settling of our town…).

When you are querying, whether it’s an article or full length book, be sure to follow the rules and guidelines for submissions. The editor at the receiving end will be gauging how easy you would be to work with, if you can’t be bothered to follow the guidelines the editor would figure that you would argue every editorial decision made. Having an online presence (FaceBook, Twitter, Google+, etc.) is not just wasted time, it helps to get your name out there when it’s done well and lets potential editors see you are serious about your craft. Remember to keep your public presence very professional and centered on the image you need to portray. Remember that you can keep a FB timeline private (friends only) and have a Page (always public) for your writer “stuff”.

There are going to be a lot of rejections, bad reviews and even more “no response” days. Don’t let it throw you, don’t let it stop you. Your second piece/book will help to promote your first and it goes on from there. And as a dear fellow writer friend once said to me, “Do you like every book on the shelves of your local bookstore? Not everyone is going to like your book, that doesn’t mean it’s bad.” Make friends with other writers, share experiences, new industry highlights — but don’t let someone else’s frustration get to you. Listen to every one’s advice but learn to filter through what really is helpful. Money is no guarantee so if it is possible to combine your money-making-income-source with your writing do so, at least until you have a steady income or a reliable fallback-nest-egg going on. Finally, say this to yourself out loud, WRITING IS MY JOB, I AM WORKING WHEN I WRITE, and don’t let anyone else guilt you into extra tasks (household, etc) because they think you are just playing on the computer (or typewriter).

You are good enough and you have things to say that others want to hear. So KEEP WRITING!

Writing exercise:  Rewrite this post in your own words.

Writing Prompt:  Describe your ideal writing “office”.

Writing Challenge:  Write a fictional story based on your life. Use facts and settings but create an event that may not have happened or write it having happened another way. Write up to 20-thousand words if you can.

Re-Post: Writing teasers

Typing “The End” to your manuscript is a major milestone – now all you have to do is promote your book.

Start by reducing your 65-thousand words (or so) into three paragraphs. WHAT?  It’s called a blurb. Start by picking the highlights of your story, preferably without including any spoilers, and summarize it. Practice writing this summary a few times until you know it sounds captivating. This is the beginning of a blurb which will be used to sell your book to a publisher, as a description on an online book retailer website or a back-cover summary.

The blurb has to be as interesting as your story, it has to make the reader want to read your book. A prospective publisher will use this sample of your work to see that you know how to write before they will take the time to read a few hundred pages of a manuscript  If the blurb is used as a description on an online site or on the back cover of a print book, readers will gauge how interested they are in what you have to say before they make an investment of money or time. The blurb is a tease and should leave the reader wanting to know more.

If you can, take the time to read the blurbs for other books that you’ve read. How much of the story is actually included in those blurbs? Did any of those other blurbs form a question such as “What would you do it…?” even if the actual question wasn’t asked. Did you feel that the blurb was misleading or did it give you a fairly accurate idea of the book’s content?  Study the styles or formats these other authors used, did you like one more than the other?  How did the blurb leave you wanting to know the outcome of the story.

Briefly introduce the main players of your story; in a romance genre, include the attraction and tension between the two characters. Are there any peculiarities to any of the major characters? What is the main conflict or hurdle that the characters need to overcome? How does the antagonist fit into the story? If the setting is relevant, for instance a war-time romance during the Civil War, make reference to it – if the setting is crucial to the storyline, open your blurb with it. The second paragraph should concentrate on the plot. The third paragraph should being your reader on the uphill climb to the climax and should leave the reader wanting. This is just a rough step-by-step, make it work for you.

Don’t worry if your first, or second, attempt to write this teaser is longer than two or three paragraphs.  Write what you feel is necessary and then “redline” your writing and cut words out. If it isn’t vital, cut.

Some publishers or online markets will demand even shorter blurbs. Prepare a one-paragraph blurb before hand before you are pressured into it. And finally practice a few “Tweets” (140-characters or less) promoting the story such as “How far would you go to protect the one you love? How much would you be willing to give up?” Questions are easy and work well as tag lines, but direct sentences can also work. “He’s a man who lost everything and now he is determined to get it back – at any cost.”

If you prepare three-paragraph, one-paragraph and one-sentence blurbs, teasers and tag-lines now, you can easily use them without delay.


Writing exercise:  Practice writing “Tweets” for every TV show you watched tonight; or the last three movies you went out to see.  Make sure that each “Tweet” can stand independently.

Writing Prompt:  Finish these sentences – 1) If that were me, I would_____. 2) Yesterday I thought _____. 3) Tomorrow I plan to _____. 4) I will never (do) _____ again. 5) I would have preferred if you _____.

Re-post: It's Coming to That Time of Year

Getting the year’s paperwork together for the “Tax Man” causes anxiety for everyone — for the creative freelancer it can seem brutal. In many other aspects of our job we use the creative side of our brains, but at tax prep time we have to make a sudden shift from right to left brain (imagine the screech of a speeding train’s brakes before it goes into reverse!) The organization and mathematical aptitude required seems to go against the writer’s natural nature.

[according to The Thinking Business http://www.thethinkingbusiness.com/ and other sources: The right brain is the creative brain and is responsible for rhythm, spatial awareness, color, imagination, daydreaming, holistic awareness and dimension ~and~ The left brain is the logical brain responsible for words, logic, numbers, analysis, lists, linearity and sequence.]

So down to the nitty-gritty boring stuff…

Hopefully you’ve been keeping your records all year long so it won’t take much to pull it all together, then again there are those of us who live by procrastination, avoidance and denial. The first item on your paperwork should be your income; the income could be listed by client, quarter, or a running list from all year but most importantly, include ALL of your income even if you don’t receive a 1099 tax form. Next you want to list your expenses that went into being a self-employed freelancer; it is super important to have a record of ALL deductions, deductions are those items you can literally DEDUCT from your income total for the purpose of paying taxes.

So what kind of expenses can be deducted? List promotional items like business cards, advertisements, rent for your business; business insurance (including a car your use primarily for business); new purchases and repairs for business equipment such as computers, printers, cameras; office supplies and furniture; and the cost of business related travel expenses and dining. Make sure you have actual receipts for each expense. If you are using a professional tax preparer he/she will be able to guide you using the latest IRS rules; when deciding on an accountant to use, ASK how familiar he/she is with SELF-EMPLOYMENT taxes.

Most tax advisors will recommend that you pay quarterly taxes; this is based on an estimate of your income as well as previous years. Workers who are paid on W-2s have deductions taken from each paycheck, however freelancers collect their earnings without any taxes being deducted. The quarterly tax schedule is designed to help avoid that huge crush to pay all the taxes you owe all at once. Most freelancers MUST pay quarterly taxes (approximately 15 to 16 percent of total income) or pay penalties.

Finally, prepare a decent and efficient filing system; as a freelancer you will need to keep your financial records for at least six years, receipts not just bank statements, in case you have to face the DREADED audit.

*Updates to this article originally written in 2010:  

If you are a freelancer, the minimum you need to file a tax return is $400.

Tax Deductible Expenses for Freelance Writers (not paid on W-2)

Freelancers & Tax Cuts and the Job Act of 2017 

Writing exercise: You’ve been called in for an audit; the problem is you can’t seem to locate all of your records — we are assuming you didn’t cheat on your taxes. Write up the “excuse” you plan to use to convince the auditor so you won’t get fined or penalized

Writing Prompt: Pick ten items that you really can’t claim as deductions BUT would like to — explain why they should be authorized deductions. (for example, is your pet cat REALLY a guard cat for the business?)

Challenge Assignment: Using a standard ledger or Excel document, list your income and expenses for the past year. (you can find samples of author record keeping online)

Just Plain Talk

You can certainly be proud if your use of vocabulary would earn you a top SAT score (adult or not, those tests can be rough), but you don’t need to impress your readers with a litany of multi-syllabic words when you are writing fiction, especially dialogue. What you do need to do is make each written conversation fit each individual character; the author (you) should not be speaking for your characters.

Unless your character is an egocentric snob, he/she would probably talk WITH other characters, not at them, and with a way that would keep those listening at ease. If your speaking character is well-educated then it could be plausible to expect correct grammar, the correct use of terms, and clear communication that seems appropriate for the character’s (book) audience. And just because your character is a high school dropout doesn’t mean that he sounds stupid, he just might not have some of the technical lingo that comes with an advanced higher education.

Dialogue needs to sound as if it is really coming FROM YOUR CHARACTER’S MOUTH!

Consider using a different pattern of speech only when you are placing your setting in a different time period, country, or if the speech pattern is specific to a unique character trait such as someone who doesn’t speak the language well, has a speech impediment or is trying to show off by using fancy words.

Keep your narrative simple as well. Don’t rely on the narrative to describe a character’s emotions – his/her speech and actions should suffice. Be very stingy in using adjectives and adverbs – hurriedly, anxiously, nervously, angrily, happily – are all words that are better assumed by a character’s actions; besides too often these extra words are usually seen as an attempt to have a higher word count. Instead of: “More tea?” She poured the hot water nervously. Use: “More tea?” Her hand shook as she poured the hot water.

If you say that a character is shouting, it is redundant to say ‘shouting loudly’; the same thing applies to whispering quietly, creeping slowly, and other such combinations. If you feel that using an adjective is absolutely necessary, be careful with your placement; use ‘She said nervously’ and not ‘Nervously she said’. Don’t duplicate words in the same sentence such as ‘Nervously she said nervously…’ Always read your words aloud when self-editing and listen to what you’re saying – it should sound normal and flow smoothly.

Adding unnecessary words to your writing can also make your words seem less potent. Sentences like ‘She started to laugh’ have less impact than ‘She laughed’, likewise ‘He had come to the saloon’ versus ‘He came to the saloon’ (He came is a stronger version and makes more impact). Reduce repetitive words – you probably don’t have to keep repeating that your character is doing something like breathing (if it fits and sounds right, then use it) but there is no need to keep finding a different word to say the same thing such as inhaling,  gasping, panting, etc.

Most people use contractions in their everyday speech. It is okay for your character to say “I don’t want” instead of “I do not want”. At the same time be careful that you are using correct contractions and don’t rely just on the sound. A very common mistake is to say “could OF” instead of the correct “could’ve” (for could HAVE). Try not to use slang “contractions” unless that is characteristic of the way your character really talks (like ya know, gonna, gimme, ain’t).

Using a thesaurus and dictionary while you are writing may be helpful,
but the end result shouldn’t sound like it.

Writing exercise: Write a few paragraphs about any subject. Now see if you can re-write each paragraph with no more than one to two sentences (not endless run-on sentences, please). Include all of the pertinent information by cutting out unnecessary descriptive terms and redundancy. Although your final words may sound dry because you are so limited, it is a good way to learn to tighten your thoughts.

Writing prompt: Make a list of the first 10 words you can think of (actions, objects, or emotions) – now look up each word in a thesaurus (or use your word processor’s thesaurus function) and notice how many words you would feel natural replacing the original word with – how many do you think you would never use in normal speech?

Challenge Assignment: You are going to write a scene between 4 to 8 people at a dinner table. Decide WHO these dinner companions are and write a 2 to 3 sentence description (include something about their backgrounds) for each character. Your assignment? Write 2 to 3 pages of DIALOGUE ONLY, use no description of the character(s), no mentions of actions, and no narrative about the scene or setting. When you are finished read this “script” and decide if you really let the individual character’s voice tell who and what he/she is.

re-post: But I have a boring life

This is a common lament that I’ve heard from many new writers when they hear the expression “Write what you know”. Here’s a fact, most people don’t live interesting lives as far as the masses are concerned.  If you are breathing then you have something to write about from your own life though. You are only using “the things you know” as a springboard for your imagination. Your ideas can come from even the most mundane tasks… even the incredibly boring stuff.

I hate housework (just ask my husband). There is nothing exciting or tantalizing about dusting, but imagine this — you are diligently wiping the dust and fingerprints off of the glass coffee table and inexplicably the fingerprints are reappearing, new ones, and there is no one there to own up to it… or is there? Just use your imagination and what a story you could have. Here’s another one: You are doing laundry and your shirt has a difficult stain on it, but imagine this — the stain is evidence of a crime and you really have to wash it out or you could be facing prison time, or worse. Use your imagination and play “what if” about any UN-interesting event and you could create a very interesting story.

 Fiction is simply made up bits and pieces of random life events. I recently told someone, start with just a “handful” of something real and let it go from there. Try writing about the day you had yesterday, but be sure to change something significant, maybe you weren’t at your desk when the phone rang and it was your boss asking you to bring in an important file, maybe he would have gotten angry, maybe he would have fired you. Think of all of the possibilities, just like drawing a flow chart, and when some possibility intrigues you, follow it. The last time you read a good story, did you ever think, “wow, if only he had done…”? Rewrite a chapter following that possibility and you’ll see how easily you can write a very different story.

 Still don’t think you can create a story? Here are some things you can do: People watch from a distance and choose any two or more people engaged in conversation; write a possible dialogue based merely on physical gestures, clothing, facial expressions (remember to do this from a distance); Next time you check your mailbox take your junk mail seriously, respond to it (in writing), write a scenario where you hire the service, visit the store or buy the product — remember to play “what if” along the way, think of something that could go wrong with the deal and keep writing; or how about imagining the life that someone you lost touch with from high school has had. Fiction is based on life but it doesn’t have to be confined by that life.

Writing Exercise: Choose a regular and boring task you normally do. Think about each step, maybe there are things you don’t even notice. Start asking “what if”, what if it wasn’t the shampoo bottle you took into the shower, what if your car wouldn’t start when you had to handle that errand, what if you accidentally punched in an extra zero on the bank deposit slip and it was accepted… Set a timer and write for at least 30-minutes while you throw in a bunch of “what ifs”.

Writing Prompt: Make a list of ten events in your life where you wish the outcome had been different. Make a corresponding list of one thing for each event that would have changed something significant.

Challenge Assignment: Write a (fictional) short story about anything, the story should be at least 1000 words (more if you can). Rewrite the story changing the outcome by changing an event or character. Rewrite that story and again change something to change the ending.

Protecting Your Identity

In a world where we are bombarded with stories of identity theft and fraud it seems hard for a writer to maintain that “open book” life that many readers thrive on. It seems very counter-productive for an author, or journalist, to try being invisible and private since we need the exposure to build a fan-base.

Authors are asked to provide bios because, after all, it is important that our readers believe that we are reachable and real. How much of the information we include in our bios, and sometimes in our writing, is really necessary and safe? How can we remain safely reachable and still keep our personal identities personal?

If you are poo-pooing this concern, here are just a few “horror” stories that writers have shared (only one of them is mine): One author was actually stalked by a reader who didn’t want to wait for her next book; a writer (yes, me) had a newspaper column published without consent from her or her editor and without her byline; another author had his personal credit affected when someone used what they knew about the writer in applying for credit; and still another writer found that articles were being published under her name that were not written by her and had a serious lack of writing skill.

When you are providing an author bio keep the info ONLY about you as an author and not as a mom/dad, belly dancer, sixth grade drop-out, or recovering gambler, etc. The only time(s) you should include really personal info is when that is the subject of your writing or to give you credibility about the subject you are writing about. Unless you are writing something about the trials of suffering from a disease that you might have, there is no reason to post your medical history for others to see. Don’t share the common information that is used to authenticate your identity like the name of your first roommate, your social security number, phone number, the street you grew up on, or your father’s middle name.

On social media you should keep your writing personae and your personal life separate. On Facebook keep a personal timeline for mixing with your family, for any family pics you share, grumbles, political rants, or just sharing what is going on in your life — and be sure to mark your posts as view-able to “Friends Only”. Create a Facebook PAGE for “the writer”, all FB page posts are always public. Be honest but project the image you want as an author in the more public forum.

Many authors like to provide contact info for fans to reach them. Use a Post Office Box, mail box service or virtual business address instead of your actual home address (some use phony addresses but then mail bounces back to senders and ruins credibility); these options can cost a few dollars a month but often in the single digits. Use an email specifically for you as an author or provide a contact form on your blog or website. Never publicize your home phone number, there are virtual office numbers (for a fee) or free Google numbers that provide more anonymity, even a cell-phone number will help keep your location private.

Finally, periodically and frequently, use the internet search engines to find “you”. Searching, or Googling, yourself will help to keep you aware if someone is using your name or if your writings are being reprinted without permission. Also search for subjects you’ve written about (be as specific as possible) to find if your writing is being published under someone else’s byline. If you do find an infraction, send a Take-Down-Notice to the interloper and contact the site administrator if necessary.

Writing Exercise: Write a 1 to 2 paragraph obituary notice about yourself as a private individual (not only as a writer).

Writing Prompt: (be prepared to rip this paper up when you are finished) Write down at least 10 items that you DO NOT WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO KNOW. Why not, what makes these things so important to keep secret?

Challenge Assignment: Write a full page bio about yourself AS AN AUTHOR/WRITER. When you are done read it over and redact (cross out) any “too personal” information, then re-write it.

Re-post: Resilience and Confidence

Talent isn’t enough if you REALLY WANT to be a published writer… yes, it helps A LOT, but —

Every successful writer has gotten rejection slips, been panned by an internet troll (okay, the internet is more recent than some of our writing icons), gotten a lousy review, known of a publisher or periodical that’s closed its doors, had to fight for an agreed-to payment, realized that his/her writing income wasn’t going to pay the month’s bills, got scammed by some not-so-reputable vanity press, or one of a myriad of other negatives. The SUCCESSFUL writer has been able to say “Been there. Done that. Move on.”

There are even a few would-be writers who have more creativity with words than some of our bestsellers, but they decided to hide their skill after the first rejection slip or negative interaction with the publishing industry. Some very talented people with great stories to tell give up before they even begin, they deny themselves fulfilling a dream and they deny the public access to their word-craft. Both sides lose. Writing is a very personal effort as well as being solitary, giving the time to dwell on fears and uncertainty, and everyone has them.

Successful writers (and some not yet successful but determined) have found ways to push the Negative Nellies into the closet and shut the door. You wouldn’t be the first, or last, writer to get a rejection — don’t take it personally. Most times all you’ll get is a form letter; various responses include: this isn’t a fit for us; we’ve recently covered this topic; we do not accept freelance submissions; or we do not accept unsolicited submissions. Honestly you should have researched the publisher/publication to know what style “fits”; checked at least recent editions for topics covered; and certainly if submission guidelines exist, find them and follow them. None of that will guarantee acceptance, but it will at least eliminate some of the obstacles AND may even impress a busy submissions editor.

As I said, don’t take rejection personally. There are a lot of legitimate reasons for rejection and often have nothing to do with your writing. A publisher may simply be overwhelmed with submissions. Or a robo-system automatically emails rejections when a submission editor is not manning the desk (vacation? Bathroom break? Office meeting?); this happened to me when I sent an email proposal and received an immediate rejection that was actually time stamped a full two minutes before the email was actually opened and read!

There are a few times when a rejection is personalized and sometimes includes constructive criticism, other times it’s personalized and outright nasty. Remember that the person who received your submission/query is human, sometimes fallible, sometimes arbitrary and sometimes obstinate. Take the time to CONSIDER any reason given, learn from it if applicable, and move on. Re-submit to someone else or consider self-publishing; if you choose self-pubbing make sure that your work is your best effort before going there. And know that even some of the greatest books were rejected even hundreds of times before becoming bestsellers.

There are some ways that you can improve both your confidence and your work: Read a lot, surround yourself with words; write a lot, you’re going to edit anyway so just write; talk with other writers, they will understand what you are going through; watch your health, take breaks, exercise, and make sure you get enough sleep; socialize with other human beings and include non-writers, family and interesting people; enjoy re-reading your own work; join a writing group, either in-person or online and learn about techniques, opportunities and other writing related events; and if you can, get involved in an informed critique group. There are many useful books on the market about writing, read a few. Start a blog where you post regularly and hopefully will receive feedback from readers.

The main thing you need to do is change your mindset, think of yourself as a WRITER and not a wannabe, and yes mantras in front of the mirror DO WORK, try it.

Writing Exercise: Set your timer for 30 minutes, choose a topic (any) and write, don’t stop until that timer goes off.

Writing Prompt: Make a list of the ten people you spend your most time with; next to each name list just one interesting thing about that person.

Challenge Assignment: Take a notebook and pen to a public place and people watch. Choose any ten strangers (be discreet) and CREATE a name and short profile about each; include things such as career, family, social background, family life, hobbies, etc. It doesn’t have to be accurate, but it does have to be believable.