Writing Advice From The Experts Part 3

Writing Advice From The Experts Part #3

You must be prepared to work always without applause. - Ernest Hemingway

Much of the wisdom available from established authors may be surprising in it’s honesty and straightforward nature. The reason this is likely true is the authors in question have had enough success that there is no need to candy coat the truths they have discovered in their experience. This is the final article in this series.

On Learning the Art of Writing

I learned to write by listening to people talk. I still feel that the best of my writing comes from having heard rather than having read. - Gayl Jones

You have to protect your writing time. You have to protect it to the death. - William Goldman

By writing much, one learns to write well. - Robert Southey

To produce a mighty work, you must choose a mighty theme. - Herman Melville

No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader. - Robert Frost

A writer's job is to imagine everything so personally that the fiction is as vivid as memories. - John Irving

Plot springs from character.... I've always sort of believed that these people inside me -- these characters -- know who they are and what they're about and what happens, and they need me to help get it down on paper because they don't type. - Anne Lamott

In your writing, be strong, defiant, forbearing. Have a point to make and write to it. Dare to say what you want most to say, and say it as plainly as you can. Whether or not you write well, write bravely. - Bill Stout

Whenever you write, whatever you write, never make the mistake of assuming the audience is any less intelligent than you are. - Rod Serling

If the stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. - Barry Lopez

Write about it by day, and dream about it by night. - E. B. White

Any writer overwhelmingly honest about pleasing himself is almost sure to please others. - Marianne Moore

On Humor

When in doubt have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand. - Raymond Chandler

The humorous story is told gravely; the teller does his best to conceal the fact that he even dimly suspects that there is anything funny about it. - Mark Twain

On Naming Your Work

A good title should be like a good metaphor. It should intrigue without being too baffling or too obvious. - Walker Percy

The title to a work of writing is like a house's front porch.... It should invite you to come on in. - Angela Giles Klocke

I hope you catch the sense that successful authors draw from the real stuff of life, keep things simple and well told. If you look closely, these authors keep a sense of humor about them and remain personable. These are admirable lessons to consider in your writing journey.

BONUS : Writing An A+ Resume For Teachers

When you think of a teacher, you think of someone who is very well educated and knows how to pretty much do everything. They know how to read well, draw well, deal with kids well, and deal with parents of kids even better. Most importantly they know how to write well. The idea that a teacher might have a problem writing cover letter is unthinkable. Lo and behold, you’re a teacher and you have no idea where to begin with your cover letter.

First, try not to panic. Essentially a cover letter for teachers serves the same purpose as a cover letter for someone applying to a job at American Express. It is there to get your foot in the door for that interview. A teacher’s cover letter just needs to have a little more flair than your average cover letter. Having an A+ cover is the key to getting your resume read. The cover letter won’t get you the job, but it gives your resume a chance to be read. Read on to get some points on writing an A+ cover letter.

Writing an A+ cover letter for a teacher is a little more challenging than writing a cover letter for any other job. These cover letters need to stand out a little more than the norm because of the stiff completion for teaching positions. Teaching positions are limited, so when one does open up it’s like the mall rush on black Friday. Most of the time a teaching position arises once a year like Christmas. Usually you will only get one shot at a job. These cover letters have to really prove you are better than all the rest and have a real passion for what you do.

So what makes up an A+ cover letter? First and foremost it has to be grammatically correct and have no spelling errors. While it’s a good idea for any cover letter to follow this, it is essential for a teacher’s cover letter to implement this. Second, make sure you are accurate on the name of the person whose attention the letter goes to and make sure you has the school’s name in there. Take it a step further and research that school. Include points about the school and say why you want to be employed there. This works wonders because it shows you have a real interest in the school.

To write an A+ cover letter for a teacher, another one of the biggest things that needs to come across in your cover letter is how skilled and capable you are at shaping young minds. This should be included because let’s face it; this is going to be your job. A teacher is one of the most important jobs out there. It’s also one of the toughest and your cover letter needs to reflect that you are up for that challenge. Your cover letter should also include how passionate you are about your work and what impact you are having on the future. An A+ resume can include your emotions. Especially how passionate you are about your career and how much it means to you.

Lastly, you have to have creativity. While with an everyday cover letter, you shouldn’t pay too much attention to fancy fonts, page styles etc etc. When it comes to a teacher’s cover letter these details can be the difference between your resume and the one after you. Your cover letter’s style should be adventurous, bold and even a tiny bit daring. Take the initiative of being creative. You want to grab their attention from the beginning and show you how creative you are. When it comes to a teacher’s cover letter, you can go that extra mile and be adventurous, be bold, but know where to draw the line. You do not need to have pictures of stars all over your cover letter to get noticed.

Lastly, please don’t forget that the whole point of the cover letter it to get your foot in the door. So don’t forget to give them an easy way to reach out to you. How can they bring you in for an interview if they have no way to get in touch with you? You can take it a step further and reach out to them. Offer to follow up with them in a few days and make sure you follow up. Again, you are taking the initiative and that is a key characteristic in teachers.

Being a teacher is such demanding yet fulfilling career. You can understand why schools are so picky. If you have a great resume, and the determination to be a great teacher, why risk having your resume passed over? Having an A+ cover letter is a surefire way to get your foot right into that door.