Chronicler Publishing has completed its move to new quarters in Edmonton, and I, as editor, am looking for new historical novels to publish. I, especially, want Canadian historical novels by Canadian writers, but they must be well written, well punctuated, with good grammar and syntax. I don't want to see half finished manuscript that do not follow standard guidelines for submissions.

If you want to be a writer, then you must write—you must write something every day.

            If possible, have an established time to write every day. Budget your time to make that period available even if it is only a few minutes. You will be surprised how much you can write in a short period of time. This writing should have a dual purpose: first, to improve your writing skills, and, second, to record your ideas.

            As well, a special writing place is also helpful. It should preferably be a spot where you are free from the distractions of daily living—a corner of a bedroom, living room, or even kitchen, but it should be your writing site. Of course, an office of your own would be a preferred location. It is surprising how the mind can develop creatively if given the chance.

            To write every day requires a plan; it requires a time; it requires a location; it requires a focus; and it requires a reason. The first two have already been dealt with, so what is a focus plan? A focus plan is a decision of what kind of writing one will do: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, articles, short stories, etc.

Here, the writer has to find his/her voice. Do not spend the writing time thinking about it; the important thing is to write and the voice will come.

            Of course, a focus requires a reason for writing. Is it for personal satisfaction and enjoyment only? On the other hand, is it for public consumption and financial augmentation? Perhaps both. Usually, though, one writes to share one’s thoughts and ideas with readers.

            What about ideas and topics? Without them, a writer is lost. In writing every day, the goal is to express whatever comes to mind—a memory, a gripe, a desire, a feeling, an incident, or grammatical exercise. It really does not matter; the important activity is the writing. Once started the words usually flow.

            So, write something every day.

Virgil, the great Roman poet, wrote “Practice and thought might gradually forge many an art.” From this we can assume that practice comes before thought, and so it is with present day writers.

What must be practiced? If one is to be a successful writer then one must be able to practice good grammar. In order to practice good grammar, a writer must know the rules of good grammar and therefore must study the rules of good grammar. Most editors reject quickly those writers who do not know how to construct a proper sentence with at least a subject and predicate.

Besides knowledge of a simple sentence, a writer must use compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. In order to perfect the ability to use these sentences, one must practice their use until it becomes second nature.

Once a writer—through practice—has mastered the sentence then it is time to work on the paragraph. Again, composing a unified, effective paragraph requires practice so that it has unity, coherence, rhythm and acceptable syntax.

English syntax can only be learned by practice, particularly the practice of reading. A “wannabe” writer must be a reader—one who reads voraciously and eclectically so that good syntax will come naturally. However, this reading must be done studiously with awareness of the writer’s style and composition, because syntax is the way in which one puts the words together. Now the writer must practice and develop his own style of syntax.

This brings us to the next practice: the use of the dictionary and thesaurus—not the dictionary and thesaurus that are found with most word processors. Although they are helpful, they are not as beneficial as a complete and unabridged dictionary or thesaurus. If a writer depends completely on the dictionary and thesaurus found with most word processors, one’s writing will be full of mistakes.

Finally, but not the least, is punctuation. Although most punctuation is a personal preference, there still are basic rules that should be learned and practiced.

In all case of grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and syntax, the writer must know the rules before he breaks them. Moreover, the only way to become proficient in their use is by continual practice.

Once the basics are acquired, then the writer can proceed to writing fiction or non-fiction in poetry, articles, essays, short stories, etc., again practicing until one has develop a personal voice or style.

As editor of Chronicler Publishing, I've been busy getting several books ready for publication. Our latest novel, soon to be released is Wheels of Fortune by Ian Watson is the humorous story of three middle aged men who decide to take a summer bicycle tour of norther Ontario that changed the fortunes of their lives forever.

Chronicler Publishing has just released and launched my latest historical novel, "The Wanderers," which is the sixth book in the series,The Marin Family Chronicles.
The Wanderers is the story of the three sons, Pierre, Jean, and Charles who wander about New France as they struggle to establish themselves in a world of conflict and uncertainty in the early 18th century in North America.
The Wanderers is available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Barnes and Noble, and many other online bookstores. It is also available from the publisher's bookstore at www.chroniclerpublishing.com.

With the recession publishing is experiencing tough times like most other business, but the future does look bright because when money is scarce people look for less expensive forms of entertainment and books are just that.
Compare tp movies, hockey, baseball, or football, books are a real bargain so very likely the book industry will see an increase in sales if not a boom.

     The only way to become a writer is to write. That requires a great deal of self-control and dedication, not only writing when the urge is upon you but even when it is not. That requires seeing the words flow onto the blank page or blank screen.

     Force yourself to sit at your desk or in front of your computer screen and write something, anything until the ideas begin to flow, and flow they will. You will soon learn that what you write when the urge is not there will be as good as when the impulse is strong. Later, when you reread what you wrote, you will be unable to tell what was a struggle or what was an inspiration.

     Stay before the bare page or empty screen until it is full. One page is not impossible, and once that page is full, you will find that it is easy to fill two pages or more. Write as quickly as you can think. Do not disrupt the flow of ideas and sentences with concern about grammar, syntax, and other rules.

     This is not the time to rewrite. Write quickly, ignoring spelling and punctuation. That can be corrected with rewriting as is the use of the dictionary and thesaurus. The important action is to put words to paper or to screen, to explore your thoughts, to brainstorm, if necessary.

     More important is the development of self-control, of dedication, of persistence, and of a work habit. All productive writers have acquired this determination.

If a writer considers writing to be a task, he/she is doomed to failure. Since it cannot be a task, then what is it? It is a discipline. What does that mean?

A discipline means development, and that means preparation. So a writer must prepare to be a writer and that means study, study of the English language—its words, its structure, its syntax, and its style. That is the groundwork that a writer must follow all his/her life. This implies training.

Where does a writer obtain this training? From many sources—workshops, seminars, courses, reading, and connection with other writers. Every day becomes part of a writer’s training. Every moment adds to the writer’s store of information, ideas, topics, and themes.

Discipline means the cultivation of input, of broadening the writer’s outlook, of developing something to say, and of creating a way to say it. Without effort there can be no output—at least no yield that readers are willing to add to their store of thoughts and ideas.

Discipline means practice. A writer is not a writer until he or she puts words to paper or screen and this is the application of the training that preceded it. All of this implies a love of the art, and if that is not present, then it becomes a task, and writing can never succeed as a chore.

Discipline means exercise, which means action, which means the act of writing, of sitting before the blank page or screen and filling it. This is the time of labor, but it must be a labor of love, a desire, a need, an addiction, in fact, to expressing oneself. Of course, this action can take many forms—poetry, essays, short stories, articles, novels, and non-fiction books—but it must be treasured and desired for its own sake before it is presented to readers.

Without discipline, writing becomes nothing more that a job to be completed leaving the author unfulfilled and wanting.

            Many writers stare at the blank page or clean computer screen and wait for inspiration with a feeling of hopelessness. That white page or screen is always a struggle to fill, and it probably will always be for most writers.

            Writing is fatiguing work because it is the source of great stress, great concentration, great thought, and a great expenditure of energy—mental, emotional, and physical.

            Writing is stressful because it requires the writer to be aware that others will read what one writes and thus pass judgment on it. Writing is stressful when ideas and thoughts will not come to fill that blank page. Writing is stressful if the writer feels that he must write and yet cannot write. Writing is stressful because the writer is never sure of how effective the composition will be.

            Writing requires thought. The writer must think of many elements as he writes: grammar, syntax, topic, theme, punctuation, spelling, and all the other factors that are required for effective, useful, and favorable writing whether it is fiction or non-fiction. In addition, this rational process must happen simultaneously as words are put to paper or screen.

            Because thought requires concentration, and concentration requires effort, and effort requires discipline, the writer is under a great deal of pressure when he or she is working to express an idea in the most effective way. Writing is never easy although it may be easier at one time and not at another.

            With all these impediments to conquering the blank page or screen, what must a writer do? The writer must start writing one word at a time until the flow comes, and then the page or screen can be dominated—not easily—but it can be controlled. With its filling, the agony diminishes.