How To Succeed As  A Writer

Avril Harper

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

LET'S START AT THE VERY BEGINNING

WHAT PROBLEMS HAUNT THE BEGINNING WRITER?

IDEAS AND WHERE TO GET THEM

READERS' LETTERS AND FILLERS

ARTICLES - THE LARGEST MARKET OF ALL

SHORT STORIES

NOVELS

NON-FICTION BOOKS

POETRY

PLAYS

SUBMITTING ARTICLES AND SHORT STORIES....

USEFUL INFORMATION, RECOMMENDED READING,

WRITERS' MAGAZINES, ADDRESSES, ETC

INTRODUCTION

Have you heard that little voice inside of you?  The one that tells you, year in year out, about the book - your book, waiting to come out.  For many people, the little voice will never be heard above a whisper, and a potentially good and satisfying writing career will fail to ever see the light of day. But the little voice will keep on, and on, and on.

That little voice is the one to listen to. If you feel the need to write, you owe it to yourself to come out of your shell, and write. If it isn't so much an ambition to write for the satisfaction of committing words to paper, as a need to earn your living from your efforts, then again you will accomplish nothing by ignoring that encouraging little soul inside of you.

Inertia is the prime reason for the world being robbed of another brilliant writer - that and the fear of failure.   And even though so many of us know about that book we owe it to the world to create, for the vast majority the dream will never materialise. The dreamer, and the reading population, will be so much the poorer.

Now, I'll let you into a secret. Until that word 'Introduction' at the top of this page was actually typed, I spent days - no weeks, anguishing over whether I could actually come up with enough essential information to fill a book of the type you now are reading. In addition I doubted my ability to write it adequately, for I do not profess to be one of the more brilliant writers of our times. My subsequent research, with batteries recharged from the mere placing of that word 'Introduction' on the page confronting me, convinced me that not only had I sufficient information to fill this particular book, but rather I had so much as to necessitate my selecting only those pieces of utmost importance.

To allow you the benefit of my remaining research material, I will do what most writers do, and draw your attention to the many highly specialised books on the market, most of them written by experts in the field concerned.  I must sadly content myself with imparting sufficient information to convince you that you most certainly do have a future in writing, and to point you in the direction for success.

Inertia, as we've already discovered, can often be overcome by committing that first word to paper, thereby starting the momentum that will gather speed as you discover more things to say, and better ways to say them, until your work is finished and ready for flight.

Fear of failure can be defeated before you have time to say: 'rejection slip'. Rejection, despite what they say, is not something the beginning writer must learn to accept. There are ways to minimise rejection, even to eliminate it completely, the secret lying primarily in not setting your sights too highly as you learn your craft.  Write for the lower paying, lesser known markets, and you won't face opposition from writers with many years' experience to their credit.  Market study is of paramount importance to writers at all levels of creative ability. Without it, even those who regularly earn fat cheques from glossy magazines, will find their income drying up quicker than a prune basking in the heat of the desert.

Give every piece your best.  Never hope it is saleable - know it is. And know in advance of writing it, to which market it is aimed.  Analyse that market, and tailor your

work towards fitting its exact requirements. This is market study - perhaps the most important part of the writing business.

The market for freelance writers is huge and always ready to receive talented newcomers, particularly those who keep constantly up-to-date with editorial trends, whilst maintaining an ongoing vigil of the changing world around them. Ideas are everywhere, waiting for you to bring them to the eyes of the reader. You owe it to yourself to read on!

Quotes

'Don't sit around thinking about what you might like to write someday - just do it.  Right now'.  Bob Greene, American writer and novelist.

'There is no such thing as genius; anyone can write if they approach the craft with an open heart and a dedication to the task.  Even the greatest writers of our time have to keep at it and at it, and if they don't, their work will fall short',  E. Stacy Creamer, Editor and short story writer.

LET'S START AT THE VERY BEGINNING

The beginning writer's world is fraught with difficulties and obstacles which he must overcome before he is ever to make a place for himself within it.  Right?  Sorry - Wrong!

These problems he envisages are entirely of his own making, and perhaps result from the glamorous image accorded to the successful writer, as he or she sits autographing piles of new blockbuster novels in a prestigious city centre bookshop, or is interviewed on breakfast time T.V. about his or her wonderful new play, the one that had viewers telephoning in by their thousands to congratulate its creator.  Now here I must admit that very few writers will find themselves at the receiving end of such adulation; an even greater number would cease writing today, or else adopt an untraceable pseudonym if the chance were ever so much as to flicker on the horizon. Some writers you see, work happily away, in the privacy of their own homes or libraries, never wanting fame, certainly never courting it, but all the while carving for themselves careers offering personal fulfilment, and often highly attractive financial rewards.

In the very early days, the writer owes it to himself not to dedicate his efforts to one form of writing, at the risk of missing out on the very many other writing categories that might prove more challenging, more financially rewarding, and at this stage in his career, a more likely proposition for his longed-for break into print.

None of us know at the beginning of our writing career just where our talents lie, unless of course only one category of writing interests us, in which case it is likely that the writing is more important than the prospect of financial reward.

That in itself is an admirable philosophy, but we seek here to analyse the path to earning a living from writing, and we must always keep that aim in mind. To accomplish our goal we must not tie ourselves down to any category, even one that offers hours, perhaps years of enjoyment, but with no financial incentive at our labours' end.

There are very many areas open to the beginning freelance writer, and so initial fears of being blocked by the professionals who supposedly hog the scene, should be silenced here and now.  There simply aren't sufficient so-called professionals to fulfil the requirements of each and every category, and remember too, that even professionals were once beginners.

Were they privileged to more inside information than you?  Did they work for years, gathering rejection slips, and not a bean to show for their efforts? Was each and every one of them just that little bit more talented or educated than you are. I doubt it! But I bet the vast majority didn't restrict their efforts to one writing project, and I'm sure too that the really successful ones in terms of the speed with which they broke into print, and subsequently maintained the flow of acceptances, prepared for themselves a strategy that minimised or alleviated potential rejections. 

Later we'll look at strategies for success, and I hope too to dispel a great many myths, like the one about writers papering their walls with rejection slips, and the common misconception that a great skill with words is a pre-requisite for a financially rewarding career.  I hope too to prove to some extent that writer's block either doesn't truly exist, or else that it's nothing more than an excuse to take a well-deserved break in an otherwise punishing schedule.

Let us first of all consider a few of the many avenues open to the writer, that must surely convince even a hardened cynic that there's more to the wordsmith's world than short stories and articles:

Advertising copy, articles, audiovisual scripts, books (fiction and non-fiction), brochures (for products, holiday firms and many other services), children's books, columns in magazines and newspapers, comedy, educational and training literature, feature articles, articles and columns in local and county magazines and periodicals, ghost writing, greetings cards, crosswords and other puzzles, readers' letters, fillers, handbooks for specific organisations, newsletters, poetry, press releases, public relations material, sales letters, short stories, biographies, speeches, sports commentating, teaching other would-be writers, business and self-improvement manuals, writing up material for correspondence courses, journalism, trade journals, radio and television, comic strips, travel writing, plays, and of course: ETC, ETC, ETC!

Now if you can find sufficient 'professionals' to supply the amount of material that lot requires, then you're a better man than I am!  It is worthwhile considering what constitutes a 'professional'.  Is it someone trained in his field or fields of writing; perhaps someone who never gets a rejection slip; how about someone who writes from dawn to dusk? I think it's unlikely you'll ever come up with an adequate description of this creature much revered by the beginning writer. I would even venture to suggest that such a species doesn't in fact exist.

He or she will doubtlessly have broken into print, and will have discovered where his talents lie in the writing world.  He or she will almost certainly not seek to make a living in those areas which offer no intrinsic satisfaction, since a lack of interest in a chosen subject almost always reveals itself in one's manuscripts, robbing them of the freshness and enthusiasm which are required if you are to present the reader with something which will lead him to read your work to the very end, hopefully leave him wanting more.  If the writer is insufficiently interested in the topic concerned, you can bet your bottom dollar the reader will find the piece similarly boring, if that is, you can find an editor to consider printing the manuscript in the first place.

'Stick to writing what you know' is a very good piece of advice, even if the world and its uncle drum it into you at every possible opportunity.  But I would qualify the maxim a little, and suggest that certainly developing writers should write about what they know; it adds a touch of sparkle and a freshness to one's work. But I would add to it: 'or write about what you would enjoy getting to know, or could get to know without those demons, 'Stress' and 'Hassle' raising their ugly heads'.

The beginning writer with no knowledge of how to get to the coast without a map and compass, should not of course offer a personally researched analysis of the wonders of the deep, or seek to photograph the burial sites of ancient wrecks if in addition to his problems, the art of swimming has long since proved beyond his capabilities.

But we all like Christmas, don't we? And even though we might know absolutely nothing about the origins of the many traditions behind this most enjoyable festive occasion, I'm sure few of us would shrink from putting in the necessary research, to prepare an article for a glossy magazine, offering a nice fat fee for the privilege of printing our findings. As we start our careers in writing, dealing with what we already know, lessens the time we need spend undertaking research and leaves more opportunity for practising the mechanics of actually putting words to paper.

So now we know that the market for our work is almost without bounds, and we hopefully realise that in the beginning we should seek to deal with topics that at least hold some degree of interest for us, let us now look at a few of the other problems seemingly confronting the writer at the threshold of his career.  I say 'seemingly' because I hope in the course of this manual to dismiss most of those 'problems' as nothing more than teething troubles, with pain greatly exaggerated simply because of a lack of some co-ordinated strategy for success.

WHAT PROBLEMS HAUNT THE BEGINNING WRITER?

First and foremost, must be the fear of failing. None of us wants to find our efforts subsequently receive nothing but an avalanche of rejection slips.  So why do editors send rejection slips?  Is it because your writing is poor? Not always! Is it because there is no room for you in their organisation?  Almost certainly not, unless of course you've sent your work to a market which doesn't consider unsolicited freelance contributions, in which case the fault lies entirely with your market study, or lack of it! Is it because no-one wants a beginner? Well hardly!

We're all beginners at some stage and if we let the fear of rejection get too strong a hold on us, then 'beginners' are what we will stay.  Remember too, though the newcomer views the professional as an almost God-like being, they are like the rest of us, mere mortals, and sadly the day will come when their names will no longer appear in the publications they seem to have patronised for so long.  Without beginners who would fill the subsequent gaps?

'But I don't have time to write' - the claim of many an apprehensive frustrated writer.  'Then get up an hour earlier, or put the telly off an hour earlier, or use your dinner break, etc, etc...'  There's no answer to that excuse is there?  With the exception of certain stages in our lives when time is at a premium, perhaps when looking after very young children, or taking examinations, or starting a business, we almost always can make a little time in which to fulfil our ambition of a life time - to become a published writer!

'But I don't know where to start!' Great! Then you'll have no pre-conceived notions as to what lies in store, no worries to deter you from picking up your pen or plugging in the typewriter this minute. So let me just say, writing is one of the most rewarding of careers, and yes the first few months will need to be spent reading, studying, learning, and above all practising for that career.  After that induction period you'll wonder why on earth you didn't make the move years ago.

'I'm afraid no-one will like my work'. By this you mean you're afraid of the dreaded rejection slip, and you too have heard those stories of would-be writers papering their living rooms with the pesky things.  No-one was ever overjoyed to receive a rejection slip, unless of course they'd received a better offer for their work elsewhere.   Anyone who repeatedly finds themselves at the receiving end of such rejections must be doing something wrong, and that something can be corrected. Please don't let me convince you that your work will never be rejected; almost no-one can achieve such excellence.  But a strategy can be devised for minimising the chance that your work will prove unsuitable.

The methods for safeguarding against rejection include:

· Prepare a list of potential markets for every piece of work, arranged in your descending order of priority for publication.  If the first market rejects it, send it to market number two, and so on.

· Start your writing career by submitting to the lower paying and lesser known markets, which the majority of experienced writers will long since have abandoned.

· Write about what your know, or what you will enjoy getting to know.  Make yourself an authority on your chosen subject, and the relevant markets will be clamouring for your work. BUT writing about what you know is, in itself, insufficient for any sustained degree of success. You must also present your facts or opinions in an interesting manner.

· Always make your work a little DIFFERENT.  Even a subject almost worked to death by your contemporaries can gain new life if presented from a different angle.  Always look for the less obvious facts on the topic concerned.

· When you've 'finished' your work, don't send it off hoping it is of an acceptable standard, know it is.

· Think and behave like a writer, and a professional one at that.  Read as much as you can on the subject of writing.   Read the work of other writers. Present your work in a professional manner. And above all stop thinking of yourself as an amateur; if you can't convince yourself you are a professional writer, you'll stand no chance of convincing an editor.

· When you get your 'foot in the door' with a particular magazine or publisher, keep the relationship alive and submit work at regular intervals, always making reference to past dealings.

· Wherever possible undertake solicited work.  For this you query the editor or publisher in advance of preparing your article, story or whatever. You can save yourself a lot of time and disappointment if you subsequently find he or she does not as yet require what it is you propose.

Quotes

'Dabble. I've published everything from op-ed to verse to colouring books to fantasy to non-fiction.  If you keep doing the same things forever.........you may miss your area of greatest talent'.  Mary Lou Carney, Authoress.

'Don't forget that a magazine or book publisher wants to publish books and stories: that's what he's in business for.  And if he can discover a new talent, he is happier than

anything else can make him.  They do not reject manuscripts they can accept'.  John Steinbeck, Pulitzer Prize winner.

IDEAS AND WHERE TO GET THEM

In this section I hope to prove that writer's block does not truly exist.  I use the term in this instance to cover that period when you simply don't know what to write about, now that one piece of work in winging its way to an editor.

In its other definition, writer's block is that affliction which strikes you mid-manuscript and you are totally unable to find words and ideas that allow you to continue.  This type is usually easily resolved, and often means you are trying too hard, or else your brain is overworked, or perhaps more simply you have other things on your mind. For me this particular type of problem occurs mid-afternoon, the reason being that I find the early mornings my best time for writing.  I'm never stuck for words in the hours before the children arise!

Try writing at different times of the day and you might find your creative powers greatly rejuvenated. Otherwise put your work away until other problems are resolved, or to give yourself the opportunity to mull the situation over in your mind without that blank page in the typewriter to torment you.  Words often come when you're least expecting them, and most likely in the middle of washing the dishes, when your hands are too wet to allow you to make a note on that writing pad you keep constantly at your side.

But on to the other type of block, the one that taunts you with the possibility that the manuscript you've just posted might in all probability be your last. There simply aren't enough subjects for you to write about are there? Aren't there? Well if that is truly the case you could well be in the wrong profession here, for ideas are all around you, and an observant writer should actually find himself, not wondering what to write next, but how to find time to write about all of the things he has recorded in his pocket book.

An ideas book is an absolute necessity.  I have mine divided into sections for all of the types of writing I feel comfortable with.  I don't like writing short stories so I have no section for the recording of ideas for such.  I do like writing articles, fillers and business reports, so I allocate a third of my book to each.  Every time an idea strikes me as potentially suitable for either a piece in itself, or else for inclusion in some other piece, I make a note of it. If I don't make a note, that idea is usually lost to me for ever.

I also keep magazine cuttings which I feel can provide me with information for a similar article. I always supplement these cuttings with original research, usually in the library.

My reasons for additional research are twofold, the first being that I want my work to be original and to have a different angle to the work of others, and secondly, I have very often found the 'facts' stated in some articles to be totally inaccurate. Rely on published articles too heavily and you risk not only being the one whose errors come to the editor's attention, but also the possibility that he or she will in future view your work with suspicion, if he or she feels inclined to view it at all!

To repeat myself, I emphasise that ideas are all around you.   If you never did another piece of research, I venture to suggest that research called 'Living' would provide sufficient data for a lifetime's writing.  Incidentally, a useful book on how to use life's experiences for your work is 'How to Write and Sell your Personal Experiences' by Lois Duncan. In 21 chapters, the writer shows many, many markets she has contributed to, in the vast majority of cases without the need for any research at all.

Already published articles or books on the subject you wish to cover can be pulled together, added to, and the resulting article far from being plagiarised, will be your own work.  Of course, as a writer, you will always use your own words, or else you are guilty of plagiarism, or copying the work of others. Articles pulled together in this way should always be checked for accuracy of the facts they contain.  I have lost count of the inaccuracies I've discovered in even the bigger magazines.  Supplement the articles with additional research from your own experience, from other books on the subject, by interviewing appropriate authorities, and the result is your piece.

It is essential that you begin a cuttings file of newspaper and article pieces that strike you as having potential for your own future work. A story in the local newspaper might provide the plot for a short story, novel, or play.  A play on television might set you thinking of a plot for your next novel.

Story writers might find inspiration from reading the brief description or plot on the dustjacket of a published novel, or the write-up a magazine editor gives of something they have published. There is no copyright on plots and so you can use any plot that takes your fancy, as long of course, as the resulting story is your own.

In 'The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations', Polti suggests that all plots fall within set boundaries which he analyses in great detail.  He makes mention of some of the World's greatest novels and identifies their places within the overall structure of his own invaluable research.

Many writers, myself included, obtain great satisfaction and inspiration from the writing of articles, fillers, and so on, set around various anniversaries, seasonal celebrations, important dates, and so on.  So at Christmas, magazines are particularly interested in articles spiced with anecdotes and interesting facts concerning this most enjoyable of celebrations.  When the one hundredth anniversary of some eminent personality's birth is approaching, that is the time to get out all of the facts you can about that person, and write them up into a personality profile. Your profile can be offered to several markets, tailored each time to suit the individual style of the publication concerned.

November 5th - yes, Guy Fawkes night!  Halloween!  Mother's Day! Read magazines at the appropriate time of year and you will find dozens of articles, stories and fillers, about nothing else but those particular themes. The secret of acceptance is: Get in first!  Submit your manuscripts six months in advance of time if possible, and you might be the first to deliver the goods - always a good way of catching the editor's attention!

A good dictionary of dates can lead you in the direction of the oddest and little known happenings of years gone by. If the event is still of interest to the reading population, it's highly probable you could be the only writer to submit a piece on the subject. Look for these less well-known events, try to cover them from a different angle, and send individually prepared manuscripts to your chosen markets.

You should never be at a loss for ideas. Even everyday items and occurrences can be the starting point for a brilliant piece. Look around you. Do you have a car? Ask yourself the writer's watchwords:  Why?, When?, Who?, What?, Where?, How?, What if?.... If you haven't found material for a mass of articles or stories then I'd be more than surprised. When for instance, was the first car built, and where? Do you remember the famous Ford saying 'You can have it in any colour as long as it's black'?  What would Henry Ford think of some of the bizarre colours we see flying around on our roads today? What do the senior citizens of your village or town feel about the advent of the motor car - has it changed their lives much - if so, was it for the better?  For your short story, could a car bring together your hero and heroine? Is he a racing driver, or a mechanic?  Has she crashed her car?  Is she buying one? Is he the doctor who brings her back from near death after a car accident? Is he the car salesman she starts off disliking intensely, then finds to be not so overpowering once his sales patter is dropped? What 'Do you know facts' could you come up with to create fillers for all manner of publications? Have you seen an odd car number plate you could use as the subject for a reader's letter? And what about a photograph of the said vehicle to support your letter? Phew!  I'm absolutely exhausted, but not on the subject of cars - I could go on for a long time yet.

So you see, you never really should be stuck for an idea, especially if you maintain an interest in the world around you.

Shall we continue?

Quotes

"I'll never forget this idea" is the devil's whisper.  Catch everything that matters in your notebook',  Richard Bach, Writer and novelist.

'Translate the stuff of headlines into fictionalised yarns.  Any daily small-town newspaper in the U.S. has the stuffings of at least one smashing best-seller buried in its pages', Catherine Breslin, Novelist.

'Remember that there is a good deal of real life going on around you waiting to be transmuted into dramatic narrative, and that it is better to draw on this source than on what you hear and see in movies, on television shows, or in someone else's fiction. This way you present to the world what is truly unique in you', Stanley Ellin, Mystery writer.

READERS' LETTERS AND FILLERS

Readers' Letters and Fillers are ideal pieces with which to start your career in writing. A larger volume of work will quite naturally find you earning regular, albeit smaller sums, than might be the case with larger articles and stories. You will doubtlessly  also find it easier and quicker to break into print.  For me though, the biggest advantage of starting with letters and fillers is the opportunity to learn the process of stringing words together in as compact and interesting a fashion as possible, whilst at the same time not restricting oneself to any particular writing form.  None of us as starting writers, are fully aware as to what writing form our abilities are best suited, and this is something best learnt by the process of trial and error, which requires time that hopefully the writing of these smaller pieces will provide for us.  How nice then to earn a little something whilst we undertake this all-important decision-making process.

There are some writers who make their entire living from these small pieces, but I venture to suggest they are either exceptionally talented, highly prolific letter writers, or else don't seek to make a fortune for themselves. Smaller pieces will usually yield smaller rewards, the most obvious exceptions being such as the Readers' Digest, with its offer of £150 for some of the many letters and fillers it uses in each issue.

My own opinion is that letters and fillers should be viewed as the 'icing on the cake'; a lucrative avenue for the supplementing of your income from more traditional writing forms. Many a professional writer of articles, stories, even novels, takes an occasional sojourn into this field when his or her normal sources of income are a little dry, or during periods when they are unable for whatever reason to apply themselves to their normal field of work.

Letters and fillers mustn't be considered an easy option however, since the usual extensive market research must be undertaken before you even put pen to paper to create your manuscript.  Look at the very many publications to offer incentives for readers' letters.  Study them and you will find the type and standard of letters vary dramatically.  The length too will differ; some will accept only intelligent comments on world issues, whilst others have a penchant for anything that can be said in as few a number of words as possible, and if that offering were in rhyme, so much the better.  Some print a fair percentage of pieces devoted to the things kids' say and to other anecdotal family happenings. Most of the magazines for  career women are likely to run a mile from this type of letter, preferring instead contributions that speak of career advancement, opportunities open for women in a once male-dominated sector of the business world, and many other issues which the hard-working mother and housewife simply hasn't the time to consider.

A gardening magazine is almost certain to want nothing to do with accounts of your last holiday in Barbados, or a photo of that funny road sign along the way, unless of course the details have some bearing upon the gardeners' world.

Study the length and style of letters in your target magazine, and try to offer something similar in format, but different in content - different that is in the provision of a variation upon a favourite theme, not something completely unrelated to the magazine's general slant.

Your letter can be written neatly, or else typed.  Personally I prefer to handwrite my 'letters to the editor', primarily since they are eliciting letters from readers, some of whom will almost certainly also be freelance writers, but the editor will hardly want to convey the impression of professional wordsmiths being allowed to dominate the scene. Incidentally, it is generally accepted that you begin your letter 'Dear  Editor' as opposed to 'Dear Miss/Ms/Mr/Mrs, etc'.

Sometimes a letter supported by a photograph will greatly increase its chances of publication, as is often the case for those funny things kids say, and those heart-rending

pieces of readers winning through in the face of tremendous opposition, disability, or hardship. Sometimes a photograph in itself is sufficient to win you a place on the letters' page. Think of those silly signs we see dotted along the road and in the countryside, and the odd names some professional people have.  My local undertaker, for instance, Mr Death, being the subject of many an unkind jest, hastily made a minute amendment to his name. He is now Mr De'Ath - much more acceptable indeed, but think how useful would have been a photograph of his funeral parlour, tools of the trade in the window, and the original 'DEATH' signposted overhead.

Many magazines prefer to include comments on features in previous issues.  Of course you will have to read a magazine regularly to make any useful comment, but this is an avenue well worth exploring.  From the editors' point of view, this type of contribution shows that the writer has actually taken the trouble to read previous issues (not all letter writers actually do), and also allows them to ensure at least some of the rewards go to their dedicated readership.

Fillers are those pieces used to fill spaces in magazines and other publications when a main article, feature or story, falls short of a full page. Instead of an ugly gap, in goes an amusing anecdote, a readers' recipe, a joke, an amusing photo, a 'did you know that?' piece, a historical fact, a cartoon, puzzle or newspaper misprint, and so on.

Fillers are more suitable for typed submission, since they are an accepted string to the professional writer's bow.   Your manuscript should follow the normal letter format, with name and address in the top right-hand corner, and the date a few spaces below on the left.  A few spaces beneath the date, type in the name and address of the market to which you are making your submission. A few spaces further down type in what you are offering, e.g. anecdote, joke, silly place name etc. and indicate the number of words the actual piece contains.  Underneath that type in 'by', then below add your actual, or if you prefer, your pen name.  A few lines further down, now typing in double spacing, insert the text. Always leave wide margins for editorial notes, and indent the beginning of your paragraphs by five spaces, with an extra line between paragraphs, in much the same way as you would type a business letter.  When the text is complete type a line of dots and the word 'END' thus:

                 ......................END

The following list contains but a few of the many fillers magazines use. Again nothing will suffice for a comprehensive market study of the many markets to use fillers. Some for instance use jokes, others don't; some rely heavily on anecdotes, others prefer cartoons:

Misprints - simply cut out the appropriate piece with sufficient wording to illustrate its context, paste it onto a postcard with the source, add your name and address, and post it.

Amusing sayings - often those from the lips of kids, and in the case of some magazines those odd things we adults say, you know the ones: 'we heard what they said but we knew what they meant'. Malapropisms are extremely effective here, as are those where the unfortunate and inappropriate use of a double meaning word or phrase changes the context of our statement to one of near ridicule.

Verse  Some magazines rely heavily on light verse, sometimes in the letters' page, sometimes as fillers in their own right. Some prefer humorous verse, some serious, some both.  Market study again is of paramount importance.

Anecdotes  These are usually amusing incidents in the course of our everyday lives. Silly things we see, odd names, people with the oddest of hobbies, ridiculous signs. In the 'ridiculous signs' category, I recently saw a sign at the edge of a cliff, stating that children are in danger of falling from such spots. The message itself is one of grave importance, but at the end of it, the sign stated: 'All children must be accompanied by adults' - right beside the stick diagram of a child falling from the cliff!

Stranger than Fiction  A lot of 'did you know?' pieces fall into this category, and the less well-known the fact, obviously the better.  For example, did you know that Catherine Cookson is reputed to have been told by a professional critic to take up another career - she would never make a writer?  OUCH!

Household Hints  These are used in almost every woman's magazine and often they are paid for quite handsomely. If the hint is one your granny taught you, and you've never come by it elsewhere, it could be just the one to submit.

Recipes Another favourite in the women's magazines, and the more unusual the better.  Those catering for particular groups are useful, for instance vegetarians, and those on sugar-free or milk-free diets.  Recipes peculiar to certain parts of the country or areas of the world are extremely useful, if only due to the fact they are unlikely to be in the minds of many of your writing colleagues.

Puzzles  Crosswords and other puzzles or brainteasers, are often included as a means of lightening even the most staid of publications. A good book on the subject of, amongst other things, fillers and crosswords is: 'How to Make Money out of Writing' by Graham R Stevenson, and published by the Gower Publishing Group.  This book offers many tips to make the life of the puzzle writer so much easier.

Jokes  Again, many magazines request jokes from readers.   Jokes of course can vary from the childish, to bluer than blue, and obviously the joke you send must be entirely appropriate to the readership of your target market.  Who would send a naughty pub joke to the kiddies' page of a magazine with a religious bias? Exaggerated, I know, but the wrong joke, however funny, to the wrong market, is doomed to failure.

Cartoons Most markets will accept cartoons from freelance sources although this is not always obvious. Strangely, the contributor need not possess great skill with a drawing implement to make his or her mark. If the basic idea and the caption are right on course, the rest will follow through. Editors will make arrangements for the drawing to be retouched or else completely re-done by a staff artist.

Seasonal Pieces  Christmas, Bonfire Night, Halloween, Mothers' Day, and holidays present great opportunities for the filler writer. 'Did You Know That?' pieces, Strange Incidents, and Traditions relating to the season concerned, are much in demand as the appropriate time of year nears.  Always submit your pieces well in advance - six months in advance if possible.

Anniversary Pieces Similar to seasonal pieces, the filler writer here submits items relating to things that have happened on particular dates in years gone by.  For instance, you might write of the 100th anniversary of the birth or death of a famous celebrity. 'Firsts' are a favourite with filler writers, as incidentally are 'Records', such as those that might inform us of the world's tallest, or fattest, man, or the Siamese twins who each fathered more children than most men could ever hope to.  The Guinness books of Records and Answers are a boon to filler writers of this type.

You really could go on writing letters and fillers for ever, but only a short step away is the more lucrative field of article writing.  Read on!

ARTICLES - THE LARGEST MARKET OF ALL

As this chapter's title hopefully implies, the market for articles is greater than for any of the other traditional writing forms, for instance short stories, novels, books of non-fiction, and therefore really is one the new writer should investigate.

You might argue the market for Readers' Letters is larger, and I for one would not dispute it, but these smaller pieces are not universally accepted as true writing forms, and will not always provide the writer with a steady living.  There are many people who will disagree vehemently on both counts, and I recognise that some people do seem to devote their entire writing lives, and profitably so, to creating letters and fillers. They will no doubt argue their work no less a part of the writing world than the article, short story or novel.  The debate is one your must judge for yourself.  Certainly there is the chance of an income for the more prolific and proficient letter writer, and trying your hand at letters and fillers is an excellent way to learn your craft, as well as to supplement your income from other writing sources.

Look through the many publications on newsagents' stands and you will find the proportion of short stories to articles is for the most part, extremely low. Some publications carry one story, some two or three, whilst some provide no opportunities at all for the story writer.

The beginning writer is consequently advised to concentrate his efforts on the writing of articles, where his chances of breaking into print are greatly increased. He or she is further advised to aim his work towards the lower paying and lesser known publications where success is easier to achieve. This is good advice, and though the new writer will have to put in more hours for less reward than contemporaries of many years standing, there is no finer way to establish a track record for yourself as you grow in confidence and ability.

There are very many excellent books on the subject of article writing, and I suggest your read as many as time and opportunity allow. Those I find particularly useful are listed at the end of this manual.

Many writers' magazines carry pieces on the craft of article writing, mostly written by highly experienced writers, notably Gordon Wells and John Hines, both of whom have also written books on the subject.  I personally try never to miss out on anything they write.

Articles take many forms, including:

· Informative

· How-To-Do-It

· Self-Help

· Controversial

· Art of Living

· Personality Profile

· Personal Experience

· Nostalgia

· Humour

This summary is not however, conclusive. A great deal of overlap can occur between the different types. A personality profile can be serious or humorous, and a nostalgia piece can often come entirely from the personal experiences of its author.

The various basic article forms are discussed in great detail in the best book I ever read on the subject of article writing.  In 'Article Techniques That Sell', Louise Boggess analyses each type, and presents her findings in an easy to read manner. She writes with great authority. She also offers the best advice I have ever come by on how to develop one's article, in a manner that will maintain the reader's interest from beginning to end. It's a brilliant book, so full of information that at first it left me hopelessly confused, and completely disheartened.  So I read it again, and found it made a little more sense.  On the third reading everything fell completely into place. I have read many other books and articles since, but nothing compares with Boggess on the techniques of article writing.  A MUST for the aspiring article writer.

Considering the many types of article on our magazine and newspaper stands, it is perhaps stating the obvious to suggest that your market study must be at least as thorough as the research you put into gathering the facts for your article itself.

Try the wrong market with an otherwise brilliant, well-structured article, containing newly unearthed details, and you'll unfortunately get what you deserve. Yes. A rejection slip!

Before we go any further with the actual writing of an article, we must consider what market research is all about, and decide for ourselves just why such importance is accorded to it.  Gordon Wells is, for me, the foremost authority on market research. With a fine tooth comb he unpicks the articles in his target publication to such a degree, that at first I thought he was mad.  My first few rejection slips convinced me otherwise of the reasons for his almost terrier-like tearing apart of an article, as he discovers for himself what sentence and paragraph lengths a market prefers, what style of writing predominates, what subjects they choose, and on what level the writer generally relates to the reader.  His book 'The Craft of Writing Articles' is another essential tool for those less experienced than Mr Wells.

For advice on gathering facts and information, and deciding upon the appropriateness of such for the article existing as yet only in your mind's eye, John Hines is the man to read.  In 'The Way to Write Magazine Articles' he lets us in on a method of collecting and recording data which he calls 'Non-Linear Thought Patterns'. He and his wife, another successful writer of articles, use this diagrammatical method, which enables them to see their collected information at a glance, usually on one page, and allows them to decide which are the most salient points, and whether in fact they have sufficient data for further articles.  Highly recommended!

Because space is so limited, I have pulled together those pieces of advice I consider of most use to the writer in the early stages of his development. Nothing will beat reading the many excellent books available, as you undergo the vitally important challenge of improving and refining your article writing abilities, essential for your entry into the higher paying markets.

When considering how an article is put together, there are many who would suggest it has three components only: a beginning, a middle, and an end. This in itself is an adequate breakdown, but I would venture to suggest that it can be expanded upon. I say this purely as a result of the Boggess' book to which I am so heavily indebted, and as such I make no apologies for now going into a little extra detail of the shape of an article as seen through Boggess' eyes.

For Boggess the article is broken down into:

THE HOOK This is a device employed at the beginning of the article, intended to draw in the reader and make him or her want to keep on reading.  Boggess outlines many types of hook, each with its own particular characteristics and advantages.  The most startling or interesting fact to emerge from your research is usually the one to use here.

THE CAPSULE SENTENCE Here we sum up as briefly as possible, what it is we are going to tell or show the reader in the paragraphs that follow.  It is that part in which you convince the reader what follows will be of such interest, that setting aside the article is the very last thing he or she must do.

DEVELOPMENT  This is the main body of the article, in which you assemble, in a logical way, the points you wish to make.  Boggess, as do most authorities, suggests counting the number of development points in published articles in your target market. Five strong points, she says, work better than ten weak ones, so there's no advantage to be gained by throwing in all the facts at your disposal. Weaker facts, she suggests, should be eliminated, restated, or combined, until you have a number appropriate to that preferred by your target market. She also gives advice on the order in which to present your points.

Development points must not be presented as a mere catalogue of facts. They must make interesting reading, or else even the most startling of information can become boring to the reader and you will soon lose his interest, that is, if your manuscript ever gets past the critical eye of the editor.

Boggess goes into an elaborate discussion of other techniques by which to hold the reader's interest from beginning to end. She covers what are termed Transitions, Expansion Devices, methods of Overlapping the Breaks, and Erasing the Paragraphs.  Sounds confusing, and at first reading it most certainly is just that; on second and third

reading it becomes unbelievably simple and extremely useful.

CONCLUSION Here the writer sums up what has gone before as briefly and informatively as possible.

THE TWIST  This is a short statement or anecdote that emphasises the purpose of the article. Boggess suggests it encourages the reader:

· To Think

· To Act

· To Chuckle

· To Sob

The final paragraph should preferably be as startling as the hook, but if the most interesting or shocking fact has been used at the beginning of the article, then most authorities suggest reserving the second such fact for the end.

The title you give your article can play an extremely significant part in its chances of acceptance.  A good title can attract the eye of a busy editor, and encourage him or her to read on, when the reverse might have been true had you presented even an excellent article with a mundane title.  The title you choose might not appear on the published article, but it still can be the one that gets it to be considered for publication in the first place.  Look at the titles in your target publication and fashion yours to suit. Does the editor seem to favour wacky titles, those perhaps resulting from a neat play on words, or do they instead go for straight-to-the-point titles?

Words, being your prime tool, must of course be chosen with care, but you should always write in as plain a fashion as possible.  Seek to impress the reader with a brilliant display of vocabulary that sends him running for his dictionary, and you may find you've lost him.  He wants to know what it is you have to say, not be bombarded with complicated words that rarely enter his everyday vocabulary.  But your choice of these everyday words is of paramount importance and you should seek the exact word to convey your message. A great book on the topic of word selection is Gary Provost's 'Make Every Word Count'. It is equally useful for fiction writers, and a book I heartily recommend you to have on your bookshelf.

In appropriate cases the inclusion of photos to illustrate your article can make all of the difference between rejection and publication.  You don't have to be a brilliant photographer, you don't even need to take the photos yourself, since many photographic libraries can provide the illustrations you require - though usually at a price. To save expense it is worthwhile learning how to take the photographs yourself, and I would point you towards the John Hines' book mentioned earlier, which includes an excellent chapter on the subject of photography.

A distinction must be made between unsolicited writing and solicited writing.  Basically unsolicited writing is that which is sent to a target market without that market's prior knowledge, and because you are not likely to be fully aware of the requirements of the editor concerned, you risk a rejection, not because your work is unsound, but simply because it doesn't fit into the editor's overall plan for future publications.  With solicited writing however, you query the editor in advance, informing him or her of what you have in mind for a particular article, requesting that he or she advises you as to whether the opportunity to inspect your manuscript would be welcome.

Solicited writing allows the editor to make comments he or she feels appropriate to the article you propose. The problem here for the beginning article writer, is the lack of a track record which would convince the editor of his ability to produce the article in a professional manner, and one appropriate to the publication concerned.  So what you lack in previous acceptances, you must make up for in the professionalism you put into your work.  You must of course, always give your work your best, but never more so than when you are starting out. First impressions count, and once you have made a successful sale, that editor will be more inclined to accept work from you, whether solicited or otherwise. Working to commission, that is solicited writing, will always have the advantage of saving you time in preparing work, which though extremely good, is not what your editor currently requires.  Wherever you can, approach an editor in advance.

Remember the market for articles is vast, and editors are forever on the lookout for new contributors.  Read as many books on the subject as you can. Don't seek to hit the big time in the early days; there's plenty of time for that when you have established a track record with which to impress the editors of those slick magazines and much-revered Fleet Street newspapers.

Strive for professionalism in everything you write, and success will come sooner than you think.

Quote

'Use killer leads (Hooks). They're hard to come up with but they'll set you apart from most of the slush that editors see'. John Wood, Editor.

SHORT STORIES

An exact definition of 'short' in the context of stories is almost impossible to give; in some publications several hundred words are the norm; in others several thousand words are required. Again it's all a question of careful market research.

Market study will also reveal the type of short story a publication favours; I know of one for instance where almost every story must be set in Scotland, and have a certain breed of heroine who possesses certain characteristics, as laid down in the magazine's notes for the guidance for contributors.  I'll leave it for you to discover which magazine it is, for the short story market being so small, there is no place for the writer who knocks out his story and then looks for someone to buy it.

Short stories must almost always be tailored for an individual market. Some allow promiscuity to enter the realms of their pages, some allow the odd naughty word, some allow slang, whilst others prefer their characters to be whiter than white, with equally commendable family backgrounds.  Some publications favour historical short stories, others want them set in modern times, with characters and events bang up to the minute. Market research, remember!

All short stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end; perhaps stating the obvious, but how you handle each section is of paramount importance to the success or otherwise of your work. The short story illustrates a moment in time, a moment of change, the essence of that change arising from some element of conflict, whether of a physical or emotional nature.   There must be a direct link between that conflict and the moment of change.

To illustrate this point of conflict and change a little, let's take a heroine, having spent her entire life in a small village, and being engaged to a local teacher, receives a once-in-a-lifetime offer to work in America.  She is tempted, so much so, she starts packing.  Her thoughts are racing, filled with visions of New York's bustling streets and life in a high-rise apartment block.  New York - the city that never sleeps! She can hardly wait. Sorting out her possessions she comes by her fiancé’s letters to her while he was away at college, and she remembers how she missed him then (CONFLICT).  Cases packed, her fiancée and family informed of her decision, a week or so later she is on her way to the airport. The CONFLICT is mounting as her thoughts run riot - New York or Him? She sees couples, hand in hand, as she passes through the villages and towns along the way.  She watches families playing in parks and standing in cinema queues. They're giggling and laughing.  Have they even heard of New York? (MOMENT OF CHANGE) Michael, her fiancée, wants marriage and a family, and at this point she realises she doesn't really know what it is she wants, but she's sure that whatever it is, Michael is an essential part of it.  She asks the taxi driver to turn around!

The basic design of the short story is as follows: