Write, I Must Update — April 2021 Roundup
Editor picks, Reddit, Telegram and more
We’re six months in, and boy has it been eye-opening. Write, I Must is still a reasonably small, new publication. But you know what they say about audiences — dedicated ones are worth their weight in gold.
Whether you’ve been here since the start, or are just joining us, thank you for being a part of this publication’s launch.
Here’s the latest…
New: r/WriteIMust
That’s right. There is now a Write, I Must subreddit. Right now, anyone can join. As the community grows, we’ll determine if privatizing it makes sense.
Join r/WriteIMust, and be sure to introduce yourself there.
Telegram channel update
This was launched to help keep email inboxes cleaner and not require anyone to provide identifying information. The Write, I Must channel spotlights articles and inspiration and supports discussion. Expect to see posts 4–6 times per week.
Editor picks
Here’s what caught our — and readers’ — attention in April.
What do you do when you need to cut scenes or dialogue? How about old drafts lingering in the “to get to someday” pile?
Dr. Patricia Farrell explains how you can salvage words you need to eliminate from existing projects. She gives examples for editing a novel, but this process works for any type of content.
Shane Paul Neil says hanging onto “dead” drafts kills creativity:
…in writing, your darlings are really just dead weight. We drag them from project to project. We sift through them as a means of self-congratulation and self-flagellation. “I love what I wrote” collides with “I hate that I didn’t write anything.”
What say you?
Boost acceptance rates
Writing is a high-level task. And reading someone else’s work is easier than reviewing one’s own. Yet, editors are inundated with less than stellar submissions.
Want to increase your chances of acceptance? You’ll want to read why your Grammarly score, and its accompanying report, matters.
How do you manage versions of your work?
Could you benefit from multiple restore points in your work? Of course, you could. Enter version control. This handy feature lets you quickly revert to a previous version of your work. So, if you wake up one morning hating that you killed off a character or chopped a worthy paragraph days ago, Pierre DeBois has you covered.
Money — should writers talk about it?
Ramona Grigg says, “bragging about your bank account isn’t writing.” As an old-school writer, she has a point. Read her latest and chime in.
Over the next few months, Write, I Must will be actively pursuing quality content to help guide writers of all levels. If you have something fruitful to offer, you’re invited to apply as a contributor.
