Lessons Learned from a Private Investigator

from FundsforWriters, Volume 16, Issue 14

I write mystery, so that means I'm reading and researching sites, blogs, and books by cops, agents, and private investigators to make my work more authentic. However, in reading a PI site (Diligentia Group), I found the following post about lessons learned over the years as an investigator. I wasn't three items into it before I saw these lessons could be applicable to writers. 

http://www.diligentiagroup.com/legal-investigation/17-lessons-i-learned-from-15-years-as-a-private-investigator/

1. Always be learning. Learn by doing and observing others.
2. Know thyself. Know your strengths and where you need help, and don't be shy about either.
3. Differentiate yourself. Don't be ordinary. Create a brand.
4. Authenticity. Being genuine and authentic is very attractive these days when the world is wrought with fake and "Buy my book."
5. Stick to your principles. Be honest and straightforward. Protect your reputation.
6. Be helpful. Good things happen when you lend a helping hand.
7. Don't be everything to everyone. Pick your genre, find your readership base, and avoid trying to write for every reader out there.
8. Do work you are proud of. If you write slow, so be it. If you write Christian, erotica, YA; whatever the style, voice and genre, own it.
9. You are never the smartest or dumbest person in the room. Ask questions. Learn more. Help others do the same.
10. Don't stop thinking of new ideas. You're in a creative environment, and change is happening all around you. Be constantly seeking ways to be unique.
11. Adapt. This industry changes fast. Roll with that change.
12. Embrace technology. Yes, that means learning ways to publish, brand, and network, whether you like it or not.
13. Follow the facts. Make decisions or form opinions based upon fact, not rumors, gossip, innuendos, or half-truths.
14. Be inspired. Be aware of the world around you.
15. Do great work. Don't shortchange the quality of your writing.
16. Be skeptical. Operate with a critical eye. Don't fall for the latest class, how-to, software, or book that claims to teach you the perfect way to [fill in the blank].
17. Persistence. Probably the most important of the list, persistence carries you through those times when you think you should not be writing.

Amazing the similarity, huh?

Thanks ~ Hope

C. Hope Clark is a freelance writing expert, author of the award-winning Carolina Slade Mystery Series,  and the Edisto Island Mystery Series, and editor of FundsforWriters.com, a weekly newsletter service that reaches 40,000+ writers. Learn more at her website chopeclark.com

5 reasons to attend a conference (even if your manuscript isn’t pitch ready)

In the long list of decisions a writer will face, the question of attending a writer’s conference will inevitably surface. And it is an important one to consider. Conferences can be expensive, but they are worth the investment in your career.

When I first started writing, I was told that novice writers should complete their manuscript (to make sure they have the stamina to finish) before investing in conferences. Because of that advice, as well as being reluctant to attend a conference alone, I kept putting it off. But recently I’ve learned that, if you wait, you miss out on so many things that can help you to reach the finish line.

Here’s my list of 5 reasons to attend a conference (even if your manuscript isn’t pitch ready).

The Shop Talk 

You get to talk about writing – and nothing else – all day, with people who get it. All other life obligations are put aside for those few days while you focus on what you love. While our non-writer friends and family members try to understand and encourage us, no one “gets it” like other writers. No one else understands the joy of putting words on the page or the frustration when the right words just won’t come.

Gaining a Community

Hanging out with like-minded people lends itself to building friendships not otherwise possible. You are likely to start new lifetime friendships with people who push you to keep going, commiserate with you at times, and believe in you, especially when you’re having a hard time believing in yourself. These friends are priceless to our writing.

Although few will admit it, the voyeur in all of us wants to get a peek behind the curtain and see how other writers do it. With your writer friends, you don’t even have to ask permission to peek, they will open the door and invite you inside.

You will talk with writers who are one step ahead of where you’re at, five steps ahead, ten steps (how many steps there are) and learn from them. You may even find your writing mentor or critique partner at a conference.

Networking

While similar to gaining a community of writer friends, this is directed more to the other side of the table – the editors, agents, and publishers. You will meet industry professionals who are there to share their experiences and expertise. Even if you don’t have a manuscript ready to pitch, many of these individuals are very willing to talk over ideas with you and give you advice to improve (and finish) your work.

Introduce yourself, shake hands with someone you bump into while waiting for the elevator because you never know how your paths will cross down the line. The agent you sit next to at lunch may end up being the agent who signs you.

Learning

Conferences are full of learning opportunities. Even classes in tracks other than the one you’re following can offer nuggets that will help you improve your craft. And improving craft is one of the biggest reasons to invest in a conference. 

Retreating

Attending a conference can be the perfect opportunity to relax, catch up on some reading, and reflect on why you spend so much of yourself on this thing called writing. Breaks in the conference schedule are the perfect time to go for a walk (or a run, if you’re one of those crazy people,) take time to release some stress and absorb some peace; renew your mind and refresh your spirit or grab some of your new friends and go dancing or sing karaoke. 

I was reluctant to attend my first conference alone. Thankfully, I had a friend assure me that I wouldn’t be alone, but would be sharing the experience with all the new writer friends I would meet. My friend was right.

Heather Eslick, a freelance writer and aspiring novelist, lives in Savannah, Georgia, with her husband, David, and three of their four boys still in the nest, who supply much of the fodder that goes into her writing.  You can find Heather on Facebook at www.facebook.com/heathereslick and follow her blog at www.heathermeslick.wordpress.com. 

Article photos from the Southeastern Writers Workshop 2014 & 2015. By My Write Platform

SWA Happy New Year wishes

Greetings!

We've flipped the calendar to 2015.  Have you started your writing goals? Checking them twice? Are they SMART-R goals? Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely, and Rewarding?

What other things could you consider including in your 2015 Writing Goals?

*Educational opportunities

*Training sessions

*Networking

*Contests Entries--maybe to become winners!

Through SWA you can have it all!

If you're a writer just starting out, a writer on the rise, or an author, SWA has something for you.

Please check out the website: http://southeasternwriters.org/http://southeasternwriters.org/
 

The Workshop dates are June 19-23, 2015, with the fiction mini-workshop running June 20-21 and the nonfiction mini-workshop on June 22-23.



Please meet the faculty:

Agent-in-Residence: Sorche Fairbank – Fairbank Literary Representation - http://www.fairbankliterary.com/

Publisher: Maria McGaha – Dancing with Bear - http://www.dancingwithbearpublishing.com/

Publisher: CreateSpace - https://www.createspace.com/

Novel: C. Hope Clark - http://chopeclark.com/

Nonfiction: Don Vaughn – http://www.donaldvaughan.net

Poetry & Flash Fiction: Chris Tusa - http://christophertusa.net/wp/

Young Adult: S.R. (Shelli) Johannes - http://www.srjohannes.com/

Columns: Darrell Huckaby - http://www.darrellhuckaby.net/

Memoir: Dana Wildesmith - http://www.danawildsmith.com/

"SWA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting writers across the southeast through access to education and training, peer support, and resources. Founded in 1975, our membership is comprised of a diverse group of writers from more than twelve Southern and Mid-Atlantic states who represent a variety of genres, styles, and levels of experience, but who are bound by a common passion for the written word."