With the momcafé summer writing contest underway, I’ve been thinking back to the days of when I used to write for fun – postcards while on vacation, notes to friends in school yearbooks and of course, emotional entries in my diary when I was a teenager. While I don’t consider myself an author, I have spent my professional career writing a variety of communications – emails, media releases, biographies, newsletters, speeches, etc. Then, when my son was born, I wrote thank-you cards for gifts, baby announcements and of course, the memorable baby journal.

I think it’s important to give kudos to everyone who is participating in the summer writing contest! And, kudos to everyone who is reading the entries and posting insightful comments! Writing is a talent that many people can enjoy, both authors and readers alike.

We all have reasons to write or not write, but it takes a lot of courage, time and inspiration to draft something that you want to get published. Like some writers, I’ve struggled through bouts of writers block and procrastination, especially when I’ve been asked to write something that I’m not particularly interested in or inspired by. However, I personally find that if I make a commitment to sit down and write an uninterrupted draft (without editing as I write or taking breaks to surf the internet, take phone calls or finish another task I’ve been putting off), I can get at least something legible on paper. Then, I can tear it to pieces and edit it into something that resembles a piece of literature.

At the launch event of the momcafé summer writing contest, I was inspired by the group of renowned authors who launched the contest and shared a number of excellent writing tips that helped them get published.

Tip #1– Danielle LaPorte, Co-author of Style Statement: Live By Your Own Design, with Carrie McCarthy, and creators of The Daily Q&A, an interactive newsletter for inspired living. www.carrieanddanielle.com

“All communication begins with intention.
Ask yourself *why* you write? To discover, to be seen, to heal, to unify?
Drilling down into your motivation and intentions helps clear the path to your best sentences and most brilliant insights.”

This is a great tip to help writers become focused. I think that your reasons for writing can change with whatever you’re feeling. Some days I’m writing to discover and find an answer to a long-standing question, other days it’s to unify people. It’s fabulous when I can figure out my intentions before I begin putting words on the paper.

Tip #2 – Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears

"Are you motivated by the carrot or the stick? If the thought of small luxuries helps get you to the computer keyboard, spend some time coming up with incremental rewards for your hard work -- perhaps a little gift to yourself for each completed draft. On the other hand, if you're more likely to exercise discipline when under the gun (like me), promise yourself you'll forego something you crave if you *don't* meet your goals; for example, you might decide to skip your daily walk on the beach for a week, unless you complete your assignment on time. You'd be surprised how motivated you get when you've invented your own devious and personalized punishment/reward system."

I think I’m like Lauren and I’m motivated by the stick when it comes to writing. The craving I normally forego is sleep. There are times when I need to make myself sit at the computer late at night to write instead of going to bed or I’ll set my alarm clock an hour earlier so that I can get my writing done. Perhaps it’s not the healthiest punishment but it works for me as these are the times when the house is at its quietest and there are minimal interruptions.

Tip #3 – Eve Lazarus

"Don't be afraid of rejection. It's not personal and it's all part of the writing process whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional. If one editor rejects your piece it doesn't mean that it isn't perfect for another editor."

I can completely relate to Eve’s writing tip as throughout my career, I’ve had written drafts completely torn apart by colleagues, bosses and clients. Then, after hours of edits and constructive feedback, and I’ve finally distributed a media release, it gets rejected all over again by different editors. As you know, writing is extremely subjective and not everyone is going to agree with what you write. However, every piece of writing should get some feedback, whether positive or constructive.

Are there any writing tips that have helped you? Post your tips to this blog before August 31 for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to Kidsbooks. And, take a moment to read the entries to the summer writing contest, provide some feedback to the authors and submit your own entry. It’s all about reading and writing this summer….