I recently joined a group of women writers who are starting a mentoring program for teenage girls. We plan to meet a couple of times a month with girls who are interested in writing and support them in their exploration of the possibilities that writing holds. We’ll do exercises, discuss each others’ works, practice reading our own writing, and just spend time writing together.

I was hesitant to join at first. Who am I, after all, to be a mentor? I’m not a big-wig in the writing industry. I haven’t written any bestsellers yet. I’m just me. But eventually I decided to participate in this group because I wanted to encourage young writers to follow their hearts, practice their craft and explore their abilities. When I was a teenager, my creativity wasn’t exactly encouraged. It wasn’t discouraged, either, but I was gently guided away from my creative pursuits and toward skills that would make me money in the future. At 13, instead of putting effort and time into writing, which I really enjoyed, I put away my journals and started preparing for college and medical school beyond that. This wasn’t a bad thing in itself–I was good at science and math and enjoyed those things, too–but following my guidance counselor’s lead caused me to put away any dreams of a creative life. It was a decade before they finally resurfaced. Because of this, I want to help young women find their dreams and hold onto them, make them real.

Becoming a mentor has made me think about my own mentors. Yes, I have mentors, too. Some are my friends. Some I’ve never met. Some aren’t even writers. I have a business mentor, a financial mentor, a group of peer mentors that help me polish my work and pursue my dreams, and plenty of fellow writers who have done something I want to do or who have a skill I want to learn. They may not know they’re my mentors, but when I’m around them, I glean as much as I can from them. Mentoring can happen anywhere, at any time, by anyone.

You don’t have to be part of a group to be a mentor, and the person you mentor doesn’t have to be a teenage writer. Do you know someone who’s just starting out in the writing business or someone who writes for fun? Why not send him an email and offer to chat over coffee about your experiences as writers? Or maybe you know someone who’s looking for the support of a writing community. Give her a call and set up a meeting. If you write, if you read, if you have learned anything about the process, business or experience of writing, then you have plenty to offer.

If you’re thinking about mentoring, here are a few things to remember:

• Anyone can mentor. You don’t have to be uber-successful, prize-winning or rich. You only have to love what you do and do what you love. There is always someone out there with less experience or knowledge that could use a hand up, some motivation or a little encouragement.
• Mentoring doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Although commitment to the person you’re mentoring is important, you don’t have to dedicate hours each day or entire days each week to provide effective support. Be consistent, but don’t overstretch yourself. Mentoring should be fun, not a chore. Maybe your mentoring occurs spontaneously and only on occasion, or maybe you meet regularly for dinner. Whatever the case, make your time together productive and it won’t matter if you spend and hour together or a full day.
• You might get something out of it, too. It feels good to know you’re helping someone else reach her dreams. And providing encouragement for others can inspire your own writing. Besides, you never know what good stories, ideas or opportunities might come out of your conversations.
• Mentoring doesn’t have to be one-on-one. You might not live near the person you’re mentoring, or your schedules just might not click, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be her mentor. You can provide encouragement over the phone or by email. Or you might start a website where you can provide support to multiple writers at once through encouraging and informative articles. And if you know of several people looking for mentors, you could start a workshop or mentoring group where you can support one another at whatever writing stage you’re at.

Are you a mentor to other writers? Do you have any mentors? What does your mentor-”mentee” relationship look like? Do you think mentoring is beneficial to your writing career?

My monthly critique group had a discussion recently about our writing habits and one of the things I discovered was that people still write with pens—on paper. I don’t just mean taking notes, either, which I do regularly in my trusty notebook. I mean they actually write out full drafts of a piece. When I write, it’s almost exclusively using the computer. I was flabbergasted. And then I started to wonder…do they know something I don’t?

There have been times when a great idea has come to me or an inspiration has hit, and because a computer wasn’t readily accessible, I simply jotted a few notes and let it go. When I finally got to a computer the mood, inspiration or idea just didn’t seem to click and I lost whatever it was I had. If only I had sat down and written out my thoughts completely when they came to me, I might not have lost the momentum or meaning.

I also wondered if creativity was hiding in a medium I wasn’t using. Was there magic in putting pen or pencil to paper? Could a crayon be what I need to bring my characters to life? Or was I better off sticking with the keyboard, a medium I was used to, comfortable with?

To see what I was missing, I decided to do a little experiment. My trusty notebook would no longer be solely for jotting down a couple of words or sentences as a prompt for later development. Instead, when an idea hits and it’s possible—clearly I can’t do this while driving—I’ll use my notebook and pen to flesh it out as much as I can. That might mean just a few sentences, but it might also mean a full first draft.

Write Out Loud Exercise #3 - Mixing Up Your Medium

If you typically write using one medium like I do, this week’s challenge is to try something new. Find a pen and notebook and start that story draft. Pull out that sketch pad and doodle your ideas. Sit down at the desk and open your word processing program. Whatever your usual writing medium, try something new. Get creative; don’t limit yourself to the usual culprits. Chalk, crayons, napkins, and t-shirts are all fair game.

You can stretch yourself by avoiding your usual medium and using only alternative writing utensils this week. You can write a little something in a different medium every day. Or you can set aside a specific day or time for mixing it up.

I’d love to hear how this little experiment goes for you. Did you enjoy it? Did you find it inspired you or left you wishing you were working with the usual medium? If you tried more than one medium, which one worked best for you? Leave a comment letting me know what you tried, and what worked (or didn’t work) for you, or post something on your own blog and link it back here. And whatever you choose to write with, just remember to Write Out Loud.

The official winner of the Write Out Loud Writer’s Pack Giveaway is commenter #111, Nicole!

The winning commenter was drawn using Random.org. Thanks to all the commenters and I hope you’ll come back regularly to visit. I have a lot of great information and exercises planned for this site and am looking forward to sharing it with all of you.

Congratulations, Nicole! I hope your new writer’s pack gives you everything you need to get you writing out loud.

*Note: If Nicole does not respond to my email by 8AM on Tuesday, I will pick a new winner.

A few weeks ago, Joanna at Confident Writing put out a request for guest bloggers, looking for people interested in blogging about writing with freedom. Since this topic had been on my mind–my own inner critic had been louder than usual, keeping me from taking certain writing chances–I decided to email her and see if she still needed posts. She very kindly accepted my “application,” and if you want to know how adding a little more structure to your writing routine can help free your writing you can check out my guest post.

I’d love to know what you think and how how you free your creativity, so please leave a comment while you’re there. And don’t forget to take a look around at all the great content from Joanna.

If you’re anything like me, you have your favorite writing styles and you tend to stick to them. I like to write essays. To me, there’s nothing more exciting than writing about settings, experiences and emotion. I would not, however, consider myself a poet, and fiction is something I’ve only just begun playing at. So when I get stuck, when I’m feeling uninspired, sometimes it helps to venture into the unknown a bit. Instead of working on the essay I’ve been struggling with, I’ll grab a notebook and pen and try my hand at a freestyle poem. Or I’ll take a topic, word or scene and play it out in a fictitious story just to see where it takes me.

The next time you’re feeling bound up in your own writing style, try something new. Take the essay topic you’re writing about, the short story theme you’re working on or the poem you just can’t finish and turn it into something new—your essay can become a short story; your poem can become an essay; a scene from your fiction can become a poem. You can also simply set aside the current work and try the exercise below. You never know what might come out of it. Your short story turned poem might lead you to some dialog or setting that you hadn’t considered. The poem turned essay might open your mind to a deeper theme or symbolic connection. Wherever it leads you, have fun experimenting with new techniques and styles. Stretching your writing can only improve your ability. Enjoy a little change of style.

Write Out Loud Exercise #2 - Style Switcheroo

The exercise is simple. You can choose a topic you’ve been writing about in your usual style, or you can choose a completely new topic. (If you need a prompt, try one of the Feeless Free Writer prompts, this week’s Sunday Scribblings prompt, or any one of the words at First 50 Words. ) Then pick an unfamiliar technique—think poetry, essay, fiction, even dialog—and spend 30 minutes writing in this style. Whatever technique you choose, don’t worry about the details or about getting it “right.” Free write–no editing allowed–and just let yourself experiment with the new style.

If you post the exercise on your blog, don’t forget to leave a comment with a link to it. Let us know what your usual style/technique is and what styles you’re experimenting with. Whatever you’re writing, enjoy the process and Write Out Loud!

What’s your usual writing style and do you find that dabbling in new techniques helps you to write better?

I learned last week that this week is the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival. I’ve been thinking about doing a little giveaway here and over at Writing: My Life, so I figured now was as good a time as any.

Since this is a writing blog, I thought I’d give away a writing-themed prize. Here are the details:

What You Can Win
A writer’s pack, including a notebook, a Parker pen, and a recent copy of either The Writer or Writer’s Digest. Everything you need to start writing out loud.

How You Can Win
Simply leave a comment on this post mentioning why you’d like to receive the writer’s pack and, if you’re feeling brave, give us a taste of a writing project you’re working on right now. Only one comment per person, please. I’ll use random.org to choose the winner after the contest ends.

Who Can Win
You don’t have to have a blog to win. Anyone with a valid email address that has a mailing address in the U.S. or Canada (sorry Internationals!) is eligible. I’ll contact the winner via email for an address.

When the Carnival Ends
Comment by Friday, August 1st at 11:59PM ET to be entered in the drawing. Any comments received after this time will not be considered.

So that’s the deal. Welcome to Write Out Loud. Comment for a chance to win my giveaway, and while you’re here, take a look around. The blog is new, so the posts are few, but I hope you’ll make Write Out Loud a regular destination for writing exercises and information on the writing life.

Good luck!

If you’re interested in a local-eating themed giveaway, head over to Writing: My Life and leave a comment on the giveaway post there.

Cross-posted at Damsels in Success.

Despite the fact that I was in my mid-twenties by the time I started writing regularly, and despite the fact that I was almost thirty by the time I had my first official writing job, I think I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer. I loved writing anything and everything. And I loved reading—always thinking about how the story was formed, what the writer was imagining as she created a new world or learning as she reported on a recent event.

Unfortunately, despite my interest and aptitude for writing, I never believed that I was cut out to be a writer. When I started writing regularly, even publishing a few pieces in non-paying publications, I still rarely called myself a writer. I was a behavior therapist, a special education coordinator, a student, but never a writer. Eventually, I was hired to write professionally, but I continued to hesitate every time someone asked me, “What do you do?”

Over the last year or so, something has changed. During a recent walk in the park I met a woman that lives in my neighborhood and we walked together for several minutes, talking along the way. Only after the conversation was long over and I was home by myself did I realize that when she asked the Big Question, I answered, “I’m a writer.” There was no hesitation, no qualification, no embarrassment whatsoever. A simple answer: I am a writer. When, I wondered, had I begun to believe those words so completely?

Though I can’t prove it scientifically, I’d bet that the moment I began claiming that title as my own, the moment I began believing in my dream of becoming a full-time freelance writer and a novelist, was the moment I started seeing those dreams come true. When I recognized myself as a writer, I started looking for opportunities to write, and those opportunities always showed themselves. I’m not a full-time freelancer yet, and I’m still working on that manuscript, but I’m well on my way. That moment of bold proclamation in the park was just another step along the path I can now clearly see for myself. As soon as I started believing I was a writer, I became a writer. Even before I got my first freelance paycheck.

What is it that you’re hesitating to believe for yourself? What goals are you striving for? Whatever it is you want to be or do, start talking about it like it is already yours and see what a difference that belief makes in your ability get there. Try that new title on for size. Practice giving that acceptance speech. Take that freelance job. Believe in your dreams and begin to live them—even if it’s just in your imagination for now—and watch where they take you. The adventure is just beginning.

I first discovered the liberation of limiting myself around the same time the Six-Word Memoirs were spreading like wildfire around the internet. The moment I heard about them, something let loose in me. Six words? I thought. Now I can do that! And I did. Over and over again. It was the easiest writing I think I’ve ever done. They weren’t all good–most of them were really bad, actually–but it was fun and it flowed. I knew I had tapped into something, so I started trying a similar technique on other projects.

When I find that a blank page, filled with all the possibilities of what it could become, is a little too intimidating, I randomly pick a topic or project that I’m supposed to be working on, and then limit myself to writing no more than one paragraph about it. This generally works for me because once I start writing, I usually exceed a paragraph by several pages. And if I don’t, if I can’t get past that first paragraph, well that’s OK, because a paragraph is all I was supposed to write anyway. I can move on to another topic and try again, without feeling bad about not producing an entire essay or article.

You’d be amazed at how much more work I get done when I limit myself this way. By taking the pressure of producing out of the equation, I can get past my perfectionist fears and the overwhelming feeling of “have to,” and just write.

So when you’re feeling stuck, why not try setting some limits? You just might find the freedom you’ve been looking for.

Write Out Loud Exercise #1 - Words of Wisdom

Liz Strauss at Successful and Outstanding Blog(gers) invited her readers to do an exercise this week that I found almost perfect for this post: Write a piece of wisdom in 25 words.

While she suggests you start with a single sentence that encompasses some belief or wisdom, or just something that you “see too much or too little of,” and then edit the sentence until you create a 25-word poem containing your wise message, I’m going to suggest that you forgo the pressure of editing for the Write Out Loud version. Instead, your assignment is this:

Write a single sentence–however long or short you choose, but just ONE sentence–about a belief or lesson you’d like to share. It can be something you’ve been thinking of writing about, or something that comes to your mind in the moment. You can write about one belief/lesson or a whole slew of them. That’s up to you.

Once you’ve written your sentence(s), if you feel so led, you’re welcome to expand on the subject and go beyond your first thoughts. But remember to set that one-sentence limit before you start. You’ll get more out of it in the end. I promise.

Feel free to leave your sentence in the comments (that’s what writing out loud is all about, after all). Also, if you really want to Write Out Loud, why not join in on Liz’s project? Check out her post, write your 25 words of wisdom (or use one of the “wisdoms” you came up with here) and post it on your own blog, linking back to her.

I’ll do it if you do. Now get out there and Write Out Loud!

I’ve never registered anything with the U.S. Copyright Office. When I was in school, one of my professors told me that it wasn’t worth the money to register, as long as I kept timestamped electronic files of all my work. Since I was a poor student at the time, I gladly took his advice and never looked back. Besides, registration seemed too time consuming and complicated to me, so why bother?

Now I’m thinking twice. At a time when copyright law is being challenged regularly, particularly where digital content is concerned, copyrighting my work seems a bit more important. Thankfully, the U.S. Copyright Office is making an effort to make registering work a bit easier. If, like me, you’ve been holding back on submitting your work, now you can do it in just a few simple steps. Log into the eCO (Electronic Copyright Office), fill out an electronic form, pay up, upload your work, and submit. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

There are a few other benefits to registering your work using the electronic system, too. You’ll save $10 off the basic paper submission ($35 vs. $45). Once you’ve submitted your electronic copyright registration, you can track the status online. The Copyright Office also claims that your online registration will be processed faster than paper registration.

If you’re interested in more information on the process of registering your work with the U.S. Copyright Office, visit their website. You can also check out the eCO tips, FAQ and tutorial for more information on using the new electronic submission system.

Do you copyright your work regularly? What do you consider worthy of official registration with the Copyright Office? Have you used the eCO yet, and if so, how was the experience? Feel free to share in the comments.