I want to make a list of the best writers of US, to introduce to Iranian readers. First I would like to know your idea, that who’s your most favorite literary writer. Thank you.
- ROYA R

Writers who desperately need to earn a living will have no other choice but to go on and write anything that will get in the bucks. But, comes the mental block, how will they go about writing about something that they are not even passionate about? How could a poet write about the technical aspects of a car? How could a literary writer do a news article on something as horrid as a vehicular accident?

Here are tips on how to be a flexible writer:

Research, research, research.

If a writer, especially one who is just starting out and still trying to learn the ropes of being flexible, gets assigned to write a topic that he or she knows nothing about, he or she will not go amiss with lots and lots of research. There are a lot of sites on the net that offers sample articles on just about any topic under the sun. Through research, the writer will be able to get an idea on where she or he has to do and what she or he still needs to look up to be able to come up with the facts needed in her or his article.

Read.

Aside from getting facts from the net for a story or an article, a writer will also do well by reading a lot of materials like newspapers, magazines, manuals or books that will help in constructing the pieces that she or he needs to come up with.

She was sitting inside a public transportation; then, all of the sudden, thoughts suddenly seem to swirl inside her head and she ached to be with a notepad and pen so she could write them all down. She finds a notepad and a pen, she is lucky and the thoughts became words. She does not find them, she gets upset as the thoughts she was nursing so tenderly like a baby dissipated like dust into the winds.

That is how writers go about in their daily lives. There are moments when they could think of nothing to write at all and times when they are bombarded with so many ideas that their hands could not keep up or the inks of their pens would run out, whatever comes first.

But there is always a question that bugs every writer, and that is, To write or not to write? When they are faced with the opportunity of writing about something that is not their forte, would they or would they rather not write about it?

Use the radio and TV as your eyes and ears.

A writer’s ears and eyes are also very important in coming up with a piece that she or he does not know much about. If she or he is told to write about current events, then she could use radio and television as sources of information as to what is happening around. From news reports or documentaries, she or he could get a lot of information for the piece she or he is working on.

Be always ready.

So as not to miss out on any tidbit of information, a writer must have a pen and notepad with her or him wherever she or he goes. A writer never knows when an occasion or happening presents itself that she or he could produce into an article that is worth a reader’s while.

Nothing is a waste for a writer.

When an idea presents itself to a writer, whether it be for money or for no reason at all, she or he jots it down. Writers never waste something that could get her or him writing. An idea, no matter how bad or juvenile, is an idea that could be worked on when the tough gets going.

So to write or not to write? If one is a real writer, one writes no matter what. Because when we get down to it, a writer is not just born but also made. With a lot of hard work and perseverance, a writer becomes outstanding when she or he could take on any topic and write something about it that will not only be just readable but a success.


- sunita

It comes along more frequently than not: The thought that you’re insane and should pursue a career that doesn’t stomp on your pride or demolish your ego. You have the hopes of fame and fortune to comfort you at times, but not often enough to keep doubt from gnawing at your mind.

Discouragement is a constant companion. You face rejections. You spend time, money and energy with no guarantee of financial gain (and if you’re published, you face rejections; spend time, money and energy with no guarantee of financial gain). You endure looks of healthy disdain from people when you reveal you’re a writer. If you’re a literary writer, you’re regarded with some awe; a genre author; however, is looked upon with the same reverence as a stripper.

At times like these, quitting seems like a sensible thing to do. I would encourage it, if you are constantly depressed and on the verge of madness. It isn’t worth your sanity and publishing isn’t an industry that is concerned with keeping you sane. Drinking may no longer be common among writers, but it certainly is a temptation.

If rejections make you want to bang your head against the wall, writing is painful and the thought of another damn story swimming in your head makes you nauseous – Stop. Now. If you can’t stop, there’s help. Here are five reasons to stay a writer:

You don’t have to submit your work. There’s no obligation for a writer to share their work with editors and critics (Emily Dickinson is a fine example) you can write for the pleasure of it. If you do wish to publicize your work, you can self-publish. However, you don’t need to be published to be a writer (I know I keep saying this, but I will continue to do so until I am believed). Validation is great, creation divine. Create, explore, indulge! Be free. Write.

For immortality. When you die, there is a distinct possibility that your unpublished works will be discovered, you’ll be proclaimed a genius, your books will be translated into many languages both live and dead, turned into a film every few decades and inspire legions of writers who are obscure and writing anyway. If you don’t write, there will be nothing to discover.

Revenge. Remember that teacher who bloodied your beloved essays with red marks? That scathing critique partner with ‘helpful advice?’ That insolent editor who didn’t even bother to send a form rejection, but scribbled ‘No thanks’ on your query? Well, write to show the bastards! Strong emotions are a great motivation to write. Write to prove them wrong.

We need stories. Naturally, literary snobs would beg to differ, thinking literature is being polluted by uneducated neophytes who have the audacity to write because they have the ability to type their names.

Fortunately, I find their opinions as necessary as Athletes’ foot. Therefore, I implore you to tell your tales in your voice. No copycats please. It doesn’t matter if your prose doesn’t ring like Jane Austen, echo like J. California Cooper, bellow like Mark Twain, sing like JK Rowling’s or linger like Anne Lamott’s. We need stories to survive. Help us.

You get to determine your success. Writing can afford you big and little successes. The poem that brought a smile to your friend’s face, the essay that saved the front page of the neighborhood newsletter, the short story that helped a lonely teenager through a hard time, the novel that opened someone’s mind to a new way of thinking.

Okay, so you may never hit the bestseller’s list, win a National Book Award or any award for that matter. Perhaps only the sky will know your gifts. You’re living a dream few people allow themselves to experience. They talk about writing–some very loudly–but few do it. The world bends to those who proclaim who they are without apology (okay it doesn’t actually bend, but it does bow a little).

Because you must. That’s reason enough for me. I don’t have a style or voice that many know and my work isn’t breaking any records. There are times I want to throw up my hands and say, “Enough! I quit!” And the world sighs with relief, and I sigh feeling in control of my future. I stand up from my desk determined never to return. Then a little voice says… “There was this woman who discovered she was married to the wrong man…”


- Dara Girard