Beat the Block with a Journal

Written by Mridu Khullar


Continued from page 1

The day I started writing in my journal, wasrepparttar day my month-long block finally came to an end. And as I wrote, I found my mind racing faster than my fingers could type. Soon, I was writing not only about my day, but also my holidays, my last semester andrepparttar 128616 last timerepparttar 128617 family went on a holiday together. Incidents kept springing to my mind and I was caught inrepparttar 128618 adrenalin rush. I was writing!

I had needed a spark for my creativity, andrepparttar 128619 journal had done just that. It had made given merepparttar 128620 push that I needed to start, and once I was writing,repparttar 128621 ideas andrepparttar 128622 words came to me like they had never left my side.

Journals giverepparttar 128623 writerrepparttar 128624 three things she needs most: Practice, Motivation and Ideas.

Now, everyday before I begin writing my articles or stories, I simply pen down a page in my journal. If I don’t feel like writing on paper, I’ve maintained a journal on my computer too. Not only do I get a jumpstart on my day, I also feel more energized and ready to write pages and pages of prose.

Journals can also be a great storehouse of ideas. When you think that you’ve suddenly become unresponsive torepparttar 128625 ideas around you or can’t find a character to fit into your stories, peek into your journal, and you’ll find something priceless there. The trip torepparttar 128626 lake last summer orrepparttar 128627 fight with your neighbor might just become incidents in your next best seller.

Journals are not necessarily diaries in which you record your personal thoughts and feelings. They can be lists of goals, pet care tips, or simply freewriting that you do everyday before you get to work. They needn’t even be focused on one topic – you can introduce random thoughts whenever and wherever you like. In writing a journal, there are no rules; you simply write what you want.

As of writing this, I maintain four journals to suit my different moods. I don’t write in all of them everyday, but do try to write in at least one each day. On days that I don’t have too much work to do, I spark my creativity by writing in all four. Who knew, that a journal would become my best friend?



Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html


Getting Started in Column Writing

Written by Mridu Khullar


Continued from page 1

If you decide to delve intorepparttar world of column writing, your best bet would be to start with a regional daily or weekly newspaper. Not only will this market be easier to break into, but will give you a lot of exposure. Columns for cooking, astrology, inspiration and living inrepparttar 128614 city run frequently in newspapers and arerepparttar 128615 best places for starting off. However, try to avoid topics that have been done to death. Put a unique and interesting spin to a topic, and you’re bound to getrepparttar 128616 editor’s interest.

Websites too are now beginning to open up to columns. Just like their print counterparts, Websites, e-zines and even online versions of print magazines ask for original material on a weekly or monthly basis. The biggest advantage of writing online isrepparttar 128617 short acceptance and publication period.

The best way to query an editor about writing a column is by sending clips of your work and your column topic. Ifrepparttar 128618 editor likes your query, you’ll be asked to send in an article, and you’ll soon be on your way to publishing glory. Keep in mind though, that column writing is not like writing an article—it’s not *your* convenience and *your* time constraints that matter. The only thingrepparttar 128619 editor wants from you is a good quality article each week, submitted on time. Do that, and you’ll have a regular income from at least one source.



Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html


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