Letter writing, anyone?

I’m a History Channel fanatic. Not surprisingly since most of my novels have historical settings. Last night I was watching, what else, the History Channel, and a documentary on FDR. I had seen the doc before, but it was very well done and so interesting I didn’t mind watching it again. I’m glad I did, because it got me thinking about the lost art of letter writing. The doc mentions a lot of letter writing- FDR to Churchill, Churchill to FDR (these letters were actually copied by a spy who fortunately was found out before they were made public), Eleanor to FDR, FDR to his lovers. There was one distant cousin he was particularly close to who he confided in and wrote numerous letters to. She in turn not only wrote back, but kept a journal filled with about 1,000 pages of writing. Handwritten writing, to be exact. Nowdays we can’t fathom anyone handwriting that many pages, but it was common practice as little as thirty years ago.

With the advent of the computer and email, I think letter writing is a lost art. I’ll admit to eschewing handwritten letters for a quick email due to ease and efficiency, but I know I should take the time to sit down and write. I don’t even own any stationery anymore, unless you count the handmade cards I stamped with my scrapbooking stamps. Although I wouldn’t count those, since I’ve stamped the greetings on the cards!

Is letter writing going the way of the dodo bird and the wooly mammoth? In fifty years will there be any personal correspondence left, or will it all be in email/memo form ready to delete in an instant? Does anyone even use a diary anymore? I wonder…

happy writing!

kathy 

An Interview with: Zelda Piskosz

Special thanks to Zelda for taking the time to visit with Author Insight. Please visit www.avalonbooks.com for more information about Zelda’s novels. 

What prompted you to become a writer?

I always liked telling stories, now I just put them down on paper.

How long have you been writing and in what genres do you write? 

I wrote my first story in 1^st grade. I still remember the title, Susie the Butterfly. I have been published in professional nursing journals

and magazines. I started writing romance about twenty years ago. My passion was historical romance back then.

When did you have your first sale?

Six years ago I sold my first contemporary romance, Brooklyn Ballerina to Avalon Books..

What is the most challenging aspect of being a writer?

Finding the time to write has always been a challenge for me.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a writer?

 

Reader comments are always fun to get.

 

Tell us about your latest project.

 

I’m working on the 2^nd book in my Love by Chocolate series. The stories revolve around the people who pass through a chocolate shop in

 

Brooklyn, NY.

 

What projects do you have coming out in the future?

 

The first book in my Love by Chocolate series. Chocolate Secrets, is scheduled to be released in April 2008.

 

What refreshes you creatively?

 

Reading newspapers and magazines is a great source of ideas. The idea for Brooklyn Ballerina came from a newspaper article about an ex-marine who helped save his daughter’s ballet school. The idea for Chocolate Secrets came from a magazine blurb about a secret chocolate recipe in France.

 

 What do you wish you knew then that you know now?

 

I tend to be a seat of the pants writer, but attending workshops  and networking with other writers has taught me to set goals and schedule my writing time.

 

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

 

Write, Write, Write. Don’t give up because you only get better and learn by each experience. And never, never take rejection personally.

 

 

 

Writing is a business

Now that school is officially out, I’m ready to tend my neglected blog. Today’s post has to do with treating writing as a business. Whether you’re a freelance writer, novelist, employed as a full-time writer, or merely a dabbler, its important to understand that in order to be successful both financially and artistically you must treat writing as a job and a business. Recently I attended a terrific writing conference where featured speaker Stephanie Bond discussed this very topic. She’s a romance novelist with a business background and has managed to meld both the creative and business aspects of writing into a very successful career. She advocates writing a business plan, something I’ve done in the past. I recommend visiting her site for information on how to create a plan tailored to a novelist’s career.

For freelance writers, here’s a short blog post listing five important principles for writing success. These can be applied to all types of writers as well.

Once you’ve evaluated your career goals, set up your office, and written your business plan, the next and most crucial step you should take is making a commitment to following your plan and reaching your goals. This is where many writers, myself included, either lose sight of what they want to acheive, or completely fall off the wagon. Without committment not only will your efforts at establishing your writing career be a colossal waste of time, you’ll also become easily distracted or discouraged. To avoid this, commit to yourself, to your goals, and to your career.

Happy writing!

kathy