Rebecca Barlow Jordan

                             Writing Tips

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR WRITERS

 1.      Thou shalt honor the Lord in all your writing.

 2.      Thou shalt not form negative or idle opinions without hearing the other side.

 3.      Thou shalt not write in vain, for persistence pays.

 4.      Remember to make your writing fun, inspiring, and edifying to others.

 5.      Honor time as a gift, that you may write productively all your life.

6.      Thou shalt not kill enthusiasm with writer's block.

 7.      Thou shalt not take another's quote without giving credit.

 8.      Thou shalt not steal another's ideas.

 9.      Thou shalt not fabricate or exaggerate the truth and call it "writer's license” (unless you’re writing humor, of course).

 10.     Thou shalt not covet another's name or fame.

 -Rebecca Barlow Jordan

Rebecca’s Writing Rules of Disorder

·        Break all the rules—at least once.

·        Think about the subjects you know. Then write about something you don’t know.

·        Write—and they will buy it. (They sure won’t if you don’t.)

·        Follow all the rules—at least once.

·        Let your best friends and family read your stuff. Then do the opposite of what they say.

·        Go ahead and give up. Then try again tomorrow.

·        Never take an editor’s word as the last word (regarding rejection, that is).

·        Instead of selling 50 percent of what you write, sell 100 percent of what you don’t write. (Query, query, query.)

·        Never trust anything mechanical.

·        Flattering the editors will get you nowhere. Good manuscripts might make it to their desk.*

-Rebecca Barlow Jordan

 

“There is no limit to what God can do with a man, providing he will not touch the glory.”

                                    -Author Unknown (from my grandmother’s Bible)

 *from “Stretchin’ My Wings,” Courage for the Chicken Hearted, Honor Books, 1998, All Rights Reserved

Besides being a best-selling author, Rebecca has been a successful greeting card writer for over twenty years. She has written for over 15 companies and has taught workshops at writer’s conferences. If you would like to know more about writing greeting cards or gift products, order Rebecca’s tape, “Writing Greeting Cards that Sell,” or “Writing for the Gift Market.” (See Rebecca’s Books).

 Get Started with Greeting Cards

Here’s a simple exercise to get your creative juices flowing. Complete the following phrases with as many responses as you can think of:

 1.      A day like today_____________________________________________

2.      Being with you______________________________________________

3.      Love is_____________________________________________________

4.      Wishing you a _______________________________________________

For a free copy of Rebecca’s article,     “Eight Steps to Writing Greeting Cards That Sell,” send a SASE with two first class stamps to:

Rebecca Barlow Jordan

P. O. Box 8323

Greenville, TX  75404-8323

 Or

e-mail me at rebeccaj@pulse.net, and I will send the article to you as a Word attachment.

 

Click Here for a Sample of Rebecca’s Greeting Cards

 

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