Writing

On writing

Some of the most popular posts I’ve written about the process of writing are:

Contracting writing or editing.

I love writing. My years at the United Nations made me the Grand Mistress of report writing. We wrote daily, weekly, monthly and annual reports. A couple of years in the UN and you can write reports in your sleep. Because I cared so deeply about the people I was writing about, I wanted to be sure the people in Kabul or New York who read my reports were paying attention. So I taught myself to tell a good story in every report. People stay awake and keep reading for a good story.

Whether you are a cafe trying to stand out amongst the competition, a not-for-profit wanting to make your grant applications more compelling or an advocacy organisation (or government agency) wanting to make you policy concerns interesting to busy politicians, I would love to help you tell your story.

Contract writing and editing rate: $80 per hour plus direct expenses. Email me at marianne(at)marianne-elliott(dot)com to discuss your story.

Resources for writers:

Ready to make 2012 your year of becoming a published author? If I can do it you can too. Here are some of the resources I used and recommend.

Great guides to getting your book written and published:

With 400+ pages, 8+ hours of audio and video, and samples from 20+ book proposals that sold, this is a veritable Bible of book-writing prowess — a behind-the-scenes view into what grabs an agent’s attention, what captivates publishers, and the logic of treating your book like a business.

In this 45,000 word manual, you’ll learn exactly how the proposal process works, complete with stories and examples from three bestselling authors. You’ll hear interviews with agents, editors, and other insiders—what do they know that you need to know? Most important, you’ll learn what you can do every day to increase interest in your book’s potential.

NB: Chris and Danielle are among the very small handful of people for whose products I am an affiliate, because I’ve used their products myself and know how absolutely committed they both are to doing things right.

Agent advice sites and blogs

  • Guide to Literary Agents – Chuck Sambuchino is the patron saint of aspiring authors trying to find an agent. He’s also a very nice man.
  • Rachelle Gardener – has a great blog about what agents look for in a query and about the publishing industry more generally.
  • Janet Reid has her own great blog, and is also the host of Query Shark – where you too can have your query letter critiqued by the queen of queries

Writing courses


Bindu Wiles is one of the brave ones. Writer, seeker of truth, teacher and student. Her writing stops people in their tracks and her Diamond Cutter course offers a small (only six people) group an MFA-style six week writing course that will help you take “the raw material of your experience and craft it into a piece of art.”

Jennifer McGuiggan is the creator of Alchemy: The Art & Craft of Writing, a course to help you -

  • Learn practical writing techniques to give your stories deeper meaning.
  • Craft stories that connect with readers.
  • Discover tips and tricks to overcome your writing challenges.
  • Be motivated to keep writing through weekly nuggets of inspiration.

I had a great time talking to Jenna about the craft and challenges of editing in an interview which is part of this course. The next course begins April 4, 2011.

Sara Blackthorne is an independent freelance writer and editor. She provides writing consultations to women who are looking to move their writing projects from stagnant to stunning. She also offers writing workshops for women who are not looking for such intimate, one-on-one writing conversations, but still seek to go deeper into their personal narrative.

Writing sites and blogs

Alexis Grant has her own great writing blog and also hosts an online community of travel memoir writers

Rachael King, author of The Sound of Butterflies and Magpie Hall blogs about writing at The Sound of Butterflies

Helen Heath is a writer and new media maven, book marketer and copywriting whiz. If you need a guide to the world of social media who is as patient and approachable as she is savvy, then Helen is your woman.

Patti Digh, author of Life is a Verb, also has a wonderful blog and is one of my favorite people on Twitter

Karen Maezen Miller writes about the grace and beauty of an ordinary life in her books Momma Zen and Hand Wash Cold and her articles at her beautiful website are always on my must-read list

Jen Lee tells the kinds of stories that, I believe, can change us all and change the world and she runs writing retreats

For the best books I’ve found on writing, visit my Amazon store