Writing Contests for All Ages!

Every year, I encourage my daughter to enter competitions in writing and other creative disciplines. Today, I am sharing a few links to some of my favorite sites. You will find contests for all ages. Enjoy, participate, and feel free to add some of your own!

Hoagies' Gifted Education Page: Here you will find a ton of academic and creative contests for gifted children. http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/contests.htm

Letters About Literature: This is a youth writing contest born out of a reading promotion program by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Letters About Literature is presented in partnership with Target. http://lettersaboutliterature.org/

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo): NaNoWriMo is a month-long challenge to complete a novel in 30 days which takes place every November. There is an adult and youth competition. http://www.nanowrimo.org/
http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/

Writer's Digest: On this webpage, you will find a variety of contests for adult authors in a variety of genres. http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/writing-competitions

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

Why Your Children Should Start Writing Now!

"You start to learn language from the day you are born. You learn to use language to express your feelings and communicate with others. During early speech and language development, you learn skills that are important to the development of literacy.

"Literacy is a person's ability to read and write. Reading and writing are important to help function in school, on the job, and in society.

"In school, children with communication disorders are more likely to struggle with literacy skills. They often perform poorly in school, have problems reading, and have difficulty understanding and expressing language.

"Adults may also have literacy problems. Some adults continue to struggle with reading and writing from childhood." American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/Literacy.htm)

As an avid homeschooler, the importance of helping my daughter become a strong reader and writer is not lost on me. These skills are vital for effective communication. I encourage my 11 year-old daughter to write daily in her journal, enter writing contests, read whatever interests her (and lots of it), and discuss her thoughts and feelings with me. Occasionally, she writes "pen-to-paper" letters to family members and designs birthday cards for her friends. She is better able to express herself creatively and make sense of her emotions. Reading and writing improve cognitive ability, problem-solving skills, and stretch the imagination.

In my humble opinion, the earlier you start the better. I also believe that the more you read, the better you will write. I suggest the following actions that parents can take to help their children read and write more:

1) Take your children to the library regularly.
2) Participate in summer reading programs.
3) Visit local bookstores.
4) Encourage them to keep a diary/journal.
5) Have them submit short stories or poetry to magazines for publication.
6) Sponsor a blog for them.
7) Help them start a youth book club.
8) Offer an incentive for independent reading.
9) Enter writing contests.
10)Help them self-publish their works.

Feel free to offer your suggestions!

Keep your pen to the paper!

Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

Writer's Tip of the Week!

"You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist."
~Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992)~

Authors recognize that rejection and waiting for rejection are necessary evils of the publishing game. It is all about numbers. Traditional publishers approach your literary masterpieces like an investment. Is this a marketable book? Will it sell? How involved will the author be in promotion? You may improve your odds of being published by sending your work to multiple publishers and agents. While your work may not be right for one, doesn't mean that it won't be for another.

Self-publishing is a process that eliminates the scrutiny and wait time. However, the author must be willing to invest at least as much time (and money) in marketing and promoting as it took to write the book. While I am exploring a variety of publishing methods, submitting my work, and experimenting with marketing techniques, it is important to keep writing. It certainly takes the focus away from worry and self-doubt while maintaining confidence and motivation. Staying focused and being persistent will pay off in the end.

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

Writers' Tip of the Week!

Here is an effective cure for writer's block!

"The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day when you are writing a novel you will never get stuck."

-ERNEST HEMINGWAY

New Blog Post!

This is an excerpt from my blog Journeys Fitness entitled, "What Are You Afraid Of?". Take a look!

"Fear has been instrumental in setting your course whether your parents are alive or dead. Whether you grew up happy or sad, wealthy or poor. Whether you know it or not. Fear has developed your likes and dislikes, picked your friends, and raised your children. Fear has limited your potential, excluded possibilities, and controlled your choices." Rhonda Britten, author of Fearless Living: Live Without Excuses and Love Without Regret

Fear is a very common reaction to the unknown. It arises in us all when we feel that our security and safety are threatened. The unknown is daunting. We fear the repercussions of our failures and the burden of success. We focus on what we may lose as opposed to what we stand to gain. Fear is often the result of trauma (conscious and unconscious). But, fear is necessary to our individual and collective survival. Fear is the signal of danger that elicits a physical reaction referred to as "fight or flight". It is how we manage our fight or flight response that will determine the life or death of a project, business venture, relationship, or even ourselves and others. (You've gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em...know when to walk away and know when to run!)

Read the entire post here:
http://www.journeysfit.blogspot.com

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember inspiration is everywhere...

New Release!

Making the Fast: How to Eat to Live During Ramadan is a helpful guide to planning for a successful fast. It addresses why Muslims fast during Ramadan, diet, nutrition, hydration, exercise, weight management, staying healthy, managing side effects and more! The paperback retails for $7.95. It is also available as a download for only $2.99!

Why I Write

As we await the arrival of my big brother's first child, I am reminded of the day I became a mother. That moment was the beginning of a new phase of my life. I haven't been the same since. It was much easier to document that day and the days that followed with a camera rather than a journal. (Those pictures are worth thousands of words.) Newborns certainly keep your hands full. As a mother, I look at life through different lenses. I attribute much of that new perspective to the wisdom of my loved ones-- and some really good books.

There is a certain responsibility that comes with the written word. It should serve to enlighten, inspire, inform, and improve all who choose to read it. What is written should invoke thought and start conversations. Used properly, words have the power to uplift one's spirit and spur creativity. Words can certainly change the way the world is viewed.

I write out of a desire to share what I have been blessed to learn. I write to explore new territory. I write because I am inspired by my daughter's curiosity and love of reading. Writing makes me a better listener and teaches me to be patient. I write because I read and I read because I write. My hope is that what I put on paper will solve a problem or improve quality of life--including my own.

If the world is made up of givers and takers, then I am a giver for sure. For me, writing is another way to help others live better lives. This is why I write.

Keep your pen to the paper! Inspiration is everywhere...

Welcome to Raychelle Writes!

Greetings, All!

I appreciate you dropping in to visit my page. I decided to start this blog for many reasons. Among them was the need to talk about writing without taking time away from it. Does that even make any sense?

I read recently that the main reason why books never get written is because aspiring authors spend more time talking about their soon-to-be-best-sellers rather than putting any of this supposed genius on paper. Chatter destroys creative momentum.

So, what you will see here are my insights, opinions, interesting articles, and work that I have already completed (and maybe published). I also want to hear from you. I look forward to navigating through the publishing world with everyone!

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...