FAQ

COMMENTS — Will you allow COMMENTS at some point? I’d like to know what your other followers have to say.

ANSWER — We appreciate feedback. We do care what you think. If you need to contact us send an email to aydeemorel at gmail dot com and put “writermanna” in the subject line. Thank you.

EDITING — I’d like to get a knowledgeable person to read what I have written. Can you suggest an editing service?

ANSWER — Do expect to pay for a professional editor and/or copyeditor. A friend can help but you get what you pay for. Talk to others in your local writing group to find someone in your area who can help with this. There are excellent services available online and you can check review comments to see which one might be right for you. If you start by hiring a copyeditor to go over a short piece as a way to try someone’s service, you can contain the costs as you learn what is involved.

GUEST POST — I want to contribute a post to this blog. How do I go about this?

ANSWER — We are delighted to view your submission. Keep your prospective contribution to between 500 – 700 words. Consider that the readers include those early in their writing careers. Maintain a positive and encouraging tone. Integrate your post with a compelling digital photo that has no copyright issues, and scaled about 300 x 260. Then send your guest post with a brief BIO (<150 words please) to aydeemorel at gmail dot com. We will try to respond within 30 days. Thank you for your patience. DISCOURAGED  -- I don't think I'm a good writer. I don't like what I've written. How do I get past my block? ANSWER -- We assume you want to write or you wouldn't be reading this. Why not work with what you already have? Take a piece that you think has some promise and rework it. Choose a few different words to express the idea. Add a bit of dialog. Keep at it, every day! Any skill takes study, practice, and perseverance. After a while you will turn around and realize that you have made progress. Find a beta reader who will give you encouraging feedback while offering constructive criticism -- many writers find this through participation in a writers group. CAN'T FIND THE MANNA -- My ideas have dried up. I can't think what to write about. What should I do? ANSWER -- As we say, "Manna is everywhere." If you're like us, you might make an excuse to not be creative, just because writing is work and you're feeling lazy that day.  Consider that ideas for writers can be anywhere, even inside your own head, and certainly in front of you. Much depends on your attitude. Try not to defeat yourself by being too much of a perfectionist. What if you write a story just for the enjoyment of the process, and don't worry about the outcome? You could do it just for the fun of it. Then through the rewrite process you can refine it later.