The TopNotch Writer
Empowering the Christian Writer for the Kingdom of God
Volume 1 ~ Issue 1 . . . . . . . . . . . March 2008
Published by TopNotch Communications Group, LLC
MaryAnn Diorio, Ph.D., CLC, Principal
Copyright 2008. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome to the inaugural issue of The TopNotch Writer! We are delighted that you have found us. I hope that, after reading through this first issue of The TopNotch Writer, you will decide to join us as a free subscriber.
Each month, we will be bringing you inspiring and informative articles, tips, and resources to help you become the best writer you can be. We will focus on what we call The ABCs of Writing: Attitude, Business, and Craft. (Check out Dr. MaryAnn's informative e-book entitled The ABCs of TopNotch Writing on the right side of this page).
Attitude is the foundation of success. We will learn how our attitude affects our writing either positively or negatively. We will explore ways to get rid of self-defeating thinking, and, in so doing, achieve greater and greater writing success.
As creative people, we tend to shy away from the Business side of writing. But if we want to succeed as writers, we have to take care of business. Whether we like it or not, we are business owners. Once we learn to think and operate as business owners, we will have taken a major step toward writing success.
Last, but certainly not least, we will talk about Craft. Learning to write is a process, and we will discuss that process and provide you with proven techniques for learning how to write well according to your God-given bent.
So there it is in a nutshell. Please tell your writer friends about The TopNotch Writer, and please encourage them to sign up for their own free subscription.
Our mission is to help you fulfill God's call on your life to write for Him. Together we will make an impact for God's Kingdom and bless the heart of our Heavenly Father.
Welcome aboard! :)
Dr. MaryAnn
ATTITUDE
The Attitude of a TopNotch Writer
by MaryAnn Diorio, Ph.D.
Attitude is learned behavior. It is a response to a situation based not on the situation itself but on how we perceive the situation.
For instance, two people can be cut off in traffic. One will respond by spewing a few choice words at the culprit, while another will respond by praying for him. In both cases, the situation was the same, but the response to it was different.
As applied to our writing, attitude will often be the deciding factor between whether we succeed or whether we fail.
Attitudes are easy to spot in others but usually difficult to spot in ourselves. Here are a few questions to ask ourselves to determine whether we have a positive or a negative attitude about our writing:
1) Do I get depressed when I receive a rejection?
2) Do I doubt my ability to write?
3) Am I jealous of the success of other writers?
4) Do I really want to write or do I want to have written?
5) Am I willing to pay the price for writing success?
Your answers to the above questions will reveal your attitude. If your answers were less than positive, take heart. Attitudes can be changed. Next time, we'll explore ways to do so.
Meanwhile, remember: It is not what happens to us that matters; it is how we respond to what happens to us that matters.
BUSINESS
Taking Care of Your Writing Business
by MaryAnn Diorio, Ph.D.
Right-brained people, like writers, generally dislike left-brained activities, like the details of running a business. But if you want to succeed as a writer, you will need to take care of business.
Here are a few tips to gear you up:
1) Shift your paradigm regarding the business side of writing. Instead of bucking the business details, learn to view them as ways to help make your writing life easier and more productive.
2) Treat your writing as you would a day job. In other words, treat it with the same seriousness and sense of responsibility with which you would treat a regular job. Get to work at a specific time each day. Work a certain number of hours each day. Dress the part if that helps you.
3) Hire an accountant and, if necessary, a lawyer to ensure that you are meeting all tax and legal requirements.
Unless you write for free, your writing is a business as well as a ministry. Realize that the better you take care of your writing business, the better your writing business will take care of you.
CRAFT
Talent Is Not Enough
by MaryAnn Diorio, Ph.D.
A writer is born with talent, but that talent must be nurtured through the process of learning the craft.
A craft is defined as an occupation requiring special skill or ability. While talent comes from God, craft comes from study.
As writers, we already possess a modicum of talent. But we must now take that talent and learn how to make it effective. In other words, we have to learn how to structure articles and stories, how to create memorable characters, how to write in various genres.
Craft involves application and discipline. By learning craft, we are obeying our Lord's command to "study to show ourselves approved" (2 Timothy 2:15). Approved by whom? By editors, by readers, and most of all, by God Himself.
FEATURE ARTICLE
Analyzing a Magazine Article
by MaryAnn Diorio, Ph.D.
Are you tired of getting rejection after rejection for articles you submit to magazines? If so, listen up (or read up :).
You can greatly reduce your number of rejections by following a simple process called "magazine analysis".
What is magazine analysis? Simply put, it is studying the magazine for which you wish to write an article before you write the article. Most professional writers do not write the article upfront and then choose a magazine to which to sell it. They choose a magazine, study its needs, and then, if they like the magazine, they write an article to meet those needs.
So how does one go about doing a magazine analysis? It's really quite simple if you know what you're looking for. Here are some tips:
1) Send for a sample copy of the magazine, its writers' guidelines, the demographics (information on the people who read the magazine, such as age, education level, economic level, gender, etc.), and the editorial calendar. The editorial calendar is a projection of what the magazine will include in its issues for the following year. For instance, the editorial calendar will tell you that in September 2008, the magazine will be including material on helping your child adjust to his new school, dealing with an empty nest, or returning to the work force after your child starts school.
2) Study the cover of the magazine. What kinds of photos are on the cover? Are they photos of people, food, nature, animals, classic cars? Those photos are an indication of who reads that magazine and the types of articles the editor is looking for to fill its pages.
What about the title? What does it convey? To what audience is it targeted? And don't just go by the magazine's title. For example, don't send a personal experience article on your son's school hockey game to Sports Illustrated. Unless your son is an Olympic medalist, your chances of acceptance are virtually non-existent.
3) Study the masthead. The masthead is the list of names that represent the people who put the magazine together: the editor-in-chief, the managing editor, regular contributors, artistic editor, etc. This list is usually located on the first or second page of the magazine. Under the list of contributors, check to see if the names of the contributors are the same as the names of the editorial staff. If so, this means that most of the articles are written "in-house", in other words, by the magazine's staff.
If the contributors' names are different from the names of the staff, this means that the contributors are mostly freelance. This is good for you as a freelancer, so keep this magazine in mind as a market that may be easier to crack.
4) Study the kinds of ads and the number of ads. Most magazines are supported by paid advertising. The more ads, the better you will be paid--usually. The fewer ads, the less you will be paid--usually.
The kinds of ads will also tell you about the people who read the magazine. For instance, an ad for a Rolls Royce will tell you that the magazine is read by the affluent. An ad for anti-aging cream will tell you that the magazine is aimed toward women who are at least in their thirties, probably older.
5) Study the content. What kinds of articles does this magazine publish? Self-help articles? Humorous articles? Essays? Don't send an article on scrapbooking to a magazine that doesn't publish anything on arts and crafts. That's a sure formula for rejection.
6) Study the style of the articles. Is it conversational? Formal? Upbeat? Are the articles written in the first person? Second person? Third person? Does the editor like sidebars (a summary of points made in your article or a list of resources for the reader that pertain to your subject)? Call-outs (quotes taken out of your article and placed in text boxes for emphasis)?
7) Check the word count. Editors are pretty strict about their word count. The reason is that they have a limited number of pages to fill, and they usually have to cover several different topics in one issue. So adhere to the editor's word count requirement. Doing so will increase your chances of being placed on her "favorite authors" list.
If possible, read at least six back issues of the magazine, ideally twelve, to get a feel for what it's like. Most rejections result not from bad writing, but from failure to understand the magazine's character.
Bottom line, give the magazine what it needs, not what you think it needs.
BOOK REVIEW
by MaryAnn Diorio, Ph.D.
(In this section, we will feature outstanding books on writing.)
WALKING ON WATER: Reflections on Faith & Art
by Madeleine L'Engle
With the recent death of well-known and beloved author, Madeleine L'Engle, the writing world lost not only a magnificent writer, but also a remarkable woman.
Author of the Newbery Award-winning novel, A Wrinkle in Time, Miss L'Engle here reveals another side of her artistic soul. In this outstanding book, she invites us into her personal life as a writer, sharing with us her thoughts on art, faith, and the intimate connection between the two. She describes the art of writing as "incarnational", explaining that a work of art asks the writer to give it birth. It is the responsibility of the writer to do so.
Filled with real-life anecdotes, honest self-revelation, and pithy wisdom, WALKING ON WATER will encourage you, inspire you, and reveal to you your own writer's soul. In my opinion, this book is a must-read.
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UPCOMING CONFERENCES
CHRISTIAN
Mt. Hermon Christian Writers' Conference
March 14-18, 2008
Delaware Christian Writers' Conference
April 18-19, 2008
Colorado Christian Writers' Conference
May 14-17, 2008
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
June16-21, 2008
SECULAR
American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) Conference
April 11-13, 2008
Philadelphia Writers' Conference
June 6-8, 2008
RESOURCES
Writers' Organizations
CHRISTIAN
Christian Writers' Fellowship International
American Christian Fiction Writers
Christian Writers'Group International
SECULAR
American Screenwriters Association
FEATURED MARKET
The Secret Place
Kathleen Hayes, Editor
thesecretplace@abc-usa.org
www.judsonpress.com
COURSES FOR WRITERS
Internet
Correspondence
American Christian Writers (ACW)
MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW!
Nov. 15, 2008
I LOVE TO WRITE DAY!
For more info, go to
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH
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~William Wordsworth
THE TOPNOTCH WRITER is published monthly by TOPNOTCH COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, LLC, owned and operated by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. Articles in THE TOPNOTCH WRITER are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any way or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio.
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