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What's on your mind? Editor's Note, August 2003
Published: June 27, 2003 Readers have asked why we don't print more letters to the editor. Our answer is simple: We love getting and publishing letters, but the truth is we don't get that many. This is surprising to us, considering that our readers are writers.
Your letters help us know when we hit a chord--or they voice points of view not expressed in our articles.
If you want to share exasperating, exhilarating or instructive experiences related to one of our articles, we'd love to hear from you. Or, maybe you'd just like to sound off on an issue related to writing.
For example, in "Back on track", our winning Writers' exchange essayists describe some of the obstacles they've faced--from not being able to settle on their main character to struggling with plot lines to having to work up the nerve to call sources for an interview. In "A no-fret, no-sweat plan for getting it done," David Taylor tells how to conquer Monster Doubt and start writing.
What inner (or outer) writing demons have you faced down?
Andrea Campbell lists blunders crime writers sometimes make in "15 tips on writing crime fiction", a primer on criminal procedures. What's the silliest mistake you've ever read--or made--in a story? And Robert Bittner offers some tips on snagging an editor with good hooks. Send us your best hook and tell us where it ended up.
Write us a letter and share your tips for solving specific writing problems or your stories about the goofy things that can happen to writers. One of our favorite letters is a gem from Bernard Deremer of West Liberty, Ohio. It falls in the category of "never give up":
"I just received a reply to a query after a silence of 13 years. Editor: 'Send it in if you still have it.' I do and I did."
We think Bernard holds the record for the longest time between sending a query and hearing back from an editor. Can you top it?
We hope you'll send us your anecdotes, gripes and solutions to writing problems. Letters to the editor should be about 150 words long. We edit them for clarity and length. Just e-mail us (letters@writermag.com) or write: Letters, The Writer, 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612.
We look forward to hearing from you. |
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