What if you're discouraged?

banner by Rhonda Patton

What if you're an author who's feeling discouraged? Maybe you're struggling to finish (or even start) a story?  What if you don't have any ideas for a story? Has marketing been a challenge? Your story was rejected? Here are some suggestions:

• Let's say you're looking for an idea for a great story. Did you have funny or memorable experiences as a child? Did you have a relative you always made you laugh or who gave you amazing advice? You can use these things as a basis for a story. Start writing and see where it takes you. Remember, starting is often the hardest part.
• In my view, marketing is the biggest challenge. Try engaging more people on your twitter or Facebook network. Be as helpful as you can with them. Retweet for them, or post reviews for them. They'll generally appreciate your efforts. If you wrote a children's picture book, contact the local library about doing a reading. Find ways to get people talking about your book.
• If your story or article was rejected, try re-editing it. How is the grammar and spelling? Did you miss typos? Are the tenses consistent? Have you included enough conflict to keep the reader turning pages? If you find any of these problems and remedy them, you'd be surprised the difference it can make in your story.r
• Read your story aloud. How does it sound to you? Do you hear overused  words like that, I guess, maybe, somewhat, rather, very? If you find them, delete them. You'll be glad you did.

I hope these suggestions help encourage you to persevere. In my opinion, perseverance plays a big part on the road to success.

copyright; 2017: Deanie Humphrys-Dunne