A Word to the Wise

Your Writing Attitude Is Showing

by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA

Have you ever wondered why some writers can face rejection with a smile while others cannot? Have you ever noticed that some writers deal with criticism graciously while others get all bent out of shape? Have you ever been amazed that some writers share their expertise freely while others are reluctant to help aspiring writers?

 

In each of these three instances, one common denominator stands out. Have you figured it out yet? It’s attitude. A writer’s attitude determines his responses toward other writers and toward editors, agents, and publishers.

 

Attitude is the way one looks at himself and at his world. For the writer, attitude is the way she looks at herself as a writer and the way she looks at her writing world.

 

Your attitude is usually quite obvious to those around you. When your attitude is upbeat, you make life easier for everyone, including yourself. But when your attitude is negative, you make life miserable for everyone, including yourself.

Contrary to popular opinion, attitude is not determined by what happens to us. Attitude is determined by our response to what happens to us.

When you get a rejection letter, do you mope or do you hope? Moping will get you nowhere; hoping will get you sending that query or article out one more time. That one more time may be the acceptance time.

When your critique group points out something that needs addressing in your story, do you take it to heart or do you tear them apart? That critique may be what gets your story published.

When a newbie writer asks you for help or advice, do you pour it forth or do you horde it? That newbie may be on the verge of quitting and needs a little boost to go on.

The wonderful news about attitude is that we can control it. We can decide the attitude we will take in every situation.

If you would like, please share how your attitude helped you or hurt you in your writing career. What advice would you give us for keeping a good attitude as we face the challenges of the writing life?

Adventure Story Writer - Matthew Horn

We all love to read about newer authors making their way around the block

Join me in getting to know Matthew Horn

 

Growing up in north-central Indiana, Matthew Horn learned the value of a good imagination at an early age. Bob Kane and Bill Finger's Batman, Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt, and Ian Fleming's James Bond were constant visitors to Matthew's imaginative world.

At the age of 14 Matthew began taking writing classes from none other than his own mother. Having a Master's in English, she wanted her children to  be able to communicate properly with the written word. Of course, Matthew hated this. However, nearly twenty years later the lessons learned combined with the imagination born from sheer boredom have cultivated a desire to share
his imaginings.

To better tell his adventure stories, Matthew began taking lessons in Martial Arts in 2011. Having achieved a Red Belt in Tae Kwan Do and having broken his nose during a sparring session, Matthew has a unique ability to combine his imagination with real-life experiences to tell stories in a way that are creative and adventurous, yet gritty and realistic.

In September of 2011 Brighton Publishing made Matthew's second book, The Good Fight, his first published novel. The sequel, Nothing Good is Free is now out in eBook and will be released by Brighton in paperback in March 2013. The final installment, The Price We Pay will ... be released during the summer of 2014.

You can contact Matthew Horn by clicking the "Email the Author" link from his homepage. (URL below).  Matthew looks forward to your contacts at both Facebook and Twitter as well.

 A little about Matthew's book

After the death of his mentor and vigilante, Jim, Jeff decides to wear the suit and fill Jim's shoes. He vows to walk a straighter line, fighting injustice. However, Jeff quickly begins to see how Jim's fight changed over the years. Jeff is fighting to keep his job and his girlfriend, while at the same time staying one step ahead of both the police and the mob. Jeff searches for pieces of Jim's history, trying to piece together Jim's life and understand what caused him to falter. Jeff risks his own life to discover what happened to his mentor before he loses his job, his love, or his own life.

Paraphrased (by SKC) Reviews:

"The Good Fight" ... was captivated by  action along with a love story...The plot thickens in this book and a character is added who completely changes the main character's storyline. The action gets more detailed and the love story more complex....A great sequel."

 ~Meredith Masterson

"...Excellent compelling portrait of the hero in a very real situation and a vivid setting...the sequel gives a rounder view of the action going forward and once again, the setting. I enjoyed every bit of the story and the characters...A fast...satisfying read."

~ Kathleen E

 

Check out Matthew's books on your Ereader, and visit Matthew R. Horn anytime 

at www.matthewrhorn.com