What am I Doing?

I said I wasn't going to try to teach anybody anything. So what am I doing linking to "how to" websites for book reviews, essays, and poetry?

Well, I'll tell you. I neglected my gift of writing for a long time. What I could have used years ago would have been some instruction and some direction to get started. Some short things I could work on. And some things, like the book reviews, that you might be able to write for your local or state newspaper and earn a few bucks, if you want to.

I thought that if there is anyone reading this blog who wants to write, but what with one thing and another (you know, "life") hasn't really done much or learned much about it and has forgotten everything learned in school--well, I just wanted to give such persons a jump start with some short things that you could jump right into.

What are your writing ambitions? Mine are to write mystery novels, perhaps with a medieval twist, or maybe a fantasy twist. I have lately been getting more and more interested in nonfiction, though. I may try to write more things in that direction. I would still like to have a nice little collection of poetry I have written, and I hope to improve my blog posts by improving my essay writing. I think it helps to have in mind what type of writing you would like to do, so that you can focus your efforts, but at the same time, be open to other types of writing that you might not have considered before. What about travel writing? What about reviews (of books, of movies, of restaurants) for your local or state newspapers? Are there articles you could write for a magazine focused on your favorite hobby?

Of course, you can just write for your own enjoyment, or write a blog (!), or write personal and family history. Writing is something you can take in any direction you want to.

When I link to this or that, it is just to give a starting point to those who might not have considered that type of writing, or who want to brush up on their skills. If you are like me, you enjoy reading pieces about writing anyway! Just have fun with it and feel free to post comments or tell me about links or books or magazines you have enjoyed.