Warnings/side effects:
1. Writers may begin talking to characters.
2. Stories are purchased.
3. May trigger series ideas.
Probiotics receive a lot of credit for keeping the human body healthy and in good working order. Claims for long life, fewer wrinkles, and mental alertness are just a few. But what about probiotics for the professional writer, those good-for-you additives that benefit our stories?
Writer probiotics aren’t taken in pill form, a liquid, or a gel to keep our readers happy and satisfied. You won’t find them in a food or a supplement; they are steps you can take as a healthy preventive against a manuscript falling into the weak and sickly zone and dying before it reaches a retailer’s bookshelf. Use of writer probiotics can result in a story that works from beginning to end without a trip to the book doctor . . . or a book casket called “delete”.
Instructions are as follows:
1. Learn the craft. We writers must take time daily to educate ourselves with the latest trends and review new techniques. Spend the time to be an expert. Polish all skills on a regular basis.
2. Participate in other writer groups. A pro gives to others with no thought of receiving. Writerly kindness will return to you in unpredictable ways.
3. Attend writer conferences, in-person and virtual.
4. Engage and participate in social media—a must for writer success. We have something to say and others are eager to read it. Social media isn’t about us; it’s about the reader. Discover their needs and see if we can help them in some area of their lives.
5. Read. Read. Read. Study the wording on every piece we encounter. The length isn’t important, but the way each word packs a punch is. Pro writers read in their genre, the how-to books and blog posts, the best sellers, and then repeat.
6. Nurture our bodies by eating properly and exercising regularly. Sugary drinks and snacks that don’t fuel the brain and dull the mind.
Daily doses of the above will help enhance our writer strengths, reduce our weaknesses, and result in readers loving our stories.
Probiotics for the professional writer can help prevent:
1. Irritable agents, editors, and readers.
2. Inflammatory comments from those who critique with a harsh tongue (or pen).
3. Infectious diseases that center around self-pity and failure.
Can minimize impact of:
1. Rejections that sting.
2. Reluctancy to write. Often called the “give-up syndrome”.
3. Requested revisions.
Warnings/side effects:
1. Writers may begin talking to characters.
2. Stories are purchased.
3. May trigger series ideas.
Probiotics for the professional writer enable the story’s immune system to create strong and powerful entertainment that lives on in the hearts of readers and writers.
What’s your favorite probiotic for writers?
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers.
DiAnn is passionate about helping other writers be successful and speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston. DiAnn is very active online and loves to connect with readers on social media and at www.diannmills.com.
