Basically, whoever writer you come across with will tell you that the common ailment of most writers is laziness or cowardliness. How to avoid it?

1. Always carry a pen and a paper-Though there are some who are also enterprising enough to use anything available at hand whenever an idea strikes unexpectedly in most unlikely places. Be it a chocolate wrapper, ticket, tissues or napkin. Even so, most writers still takes it for granted thinking they’ll still remember the germ of that idea once they sat behind their desk. What they haven’t thought is that, once outside their home a lot of distractions could occur enough to make them forget that idea.

2. Avoid distractions-Actually even a ringing phone inside your home could easily distract, especially if you don’t have an answering machine. Temptation is very high to pick up the phone just to satisfy your curiosity or pull the cord off the hook.

3. Keep references-There are writers who thinks because they already published their work no longer consult dictionary, books of synonyms and antonyms; no longer uses references. Thinking they already possess the knowledge to write without bothering to check their proper grammar usage.

4. Double-check errors-Some writers live it all up to the editors to find their errors. Remember editors are much busier than writers. Imagine the stack of file they have to go through, read, choose from and edit. It takes a lot of time, effort and patience from the editors’ part.

5. Expand your research-some writers would readily admit that they are lazy to go out to the library. Some writers mostly rely in the internet thinking to have an easier access for their research but they forgot one thing; information in the internet is not that extensive compared to doing your own research from the libraries or gathering data and facts in the field.

6. Prevent redundancy-Some writers could become dull and boring, monotonous because they lingered in only one field of writing. Probably that field paved the way for their writing career. But that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck in there forever. Do explore the other aspects or fields of writing.

7. Get organize-make a file for your research, have separate folders for working drafts and final revisions and for editing. This is to avoid confusions and to set your priorities straight. Make a schedule of work to help you meet deadlines.

8. Poor judgment-writers should be aware of the themes magazines’ follow. Writers should have calendar of events for the entire year to keep abreast of the current mode of writing be it feature article, short story or essay that the magazine needs.

9. Evade from envy and jealousy-Some writers spent their time on dwelling on their envy and jealousy with their fellow writers comparing their work and payments. Wasting precious time that should meant for writing or enhancing and polishing their talent in the writing field they have chosen or trying another field of writing.

10. Be consistent-Once a writer started to write, he should continue. He shouldn’t stop in just one piece or article printed and be satisfied with it. Know the principle of the more you practice, the more you learn. The more opportunities will surely come your way, if you are really faithful to your writings.

11. Persevere-Try and try and be patience in learning every details that may caught the editors’ eye. A writer should not be that complacent in his skills in writing. Or give-up once his articles gets rejected. Instead he should learn to re-assess his mistakes in his articles. And to learn from his mistakes so as not repeat the same mistake over and over again.

12. No small or big-writers can be very choosy, only after a well-known magazine and big pay not perceiving that sometimes a popularity of a magazine is not based on the number of its readers but based who’s on the cover and not the contents alonebut based on the number of its readers. They also missed the chance of having a training ground.

13. Don’t be afraid to try-What’s the use of trying another field of writing or another slant anyway when one magazine already expects that same manner of writing from them? Presuming too much without any future perspective or enough enthusiasm to write will go you nowhere.

14. Be open to comments-Some writers becomes egoistic that they no longer accept criticisms, when in fact it could help them, especially if it’s constructive. Granted, all your articles written were all published or you have tried other mediums of writing and successful in it still it doesn’t mean you can’t commit mistakes. In fact, you should more conscious and open to criticisms to improve your writing and calibrate it to the higher plane.

15. Strike while the iron is still hot-Writers’ have the tendency to let an idea sleep in their scratch paper and not develop it while the inspiration is still there. One writing workshop I attended, hadd thea speaker who said that, “ it’s better to strike while the iron is still hot.”

True don’t let that one fantastic idea just slipped away, you never know, it might be the beginning or the seeds in the making of a masterpiece.

There are still a lot of things writers have to watch out for,; their moods, temperament, the economic climate and so on. Actually the lists is endless, but this just a reminder for the writers to prevent their talent from decaying and keep going. *****