In my new life as a retired person, I have found myself compelled to write. As I have sought ways to develop my writing skills, I have sought the advice of a few seasoned writers. One recommendation I heard and read several places was to join a local writer’s group.

Today I went to a meeting of the Richmond Writer’s Club. I’m so very glad that I did. The speaker, David H. Morgan was excellent.

I learned a lot. I wasn’t the only newbie. More than half of the people in the room were there for the first time. I will spend the next few days sharing what I learned.

The biggest idea today was that there are three questions a writer must answer, preferably before they begin writing their book, but definitely before they submit a query letter to an agent, or write the blurb for their book: Not being able to do so often leads to rejection.

1. Why this book?
2. Why now?
3. Why by this author (what makes YOU the one to write this?)

Speaker bio from Richmond Writer’s website:

“A 40-year veteran of the publishing industry, David has worked as a Senior Fiction Editor for a New York-based literary agent, a free-lance acquisitions editor/editorial consultant (i.e., “book doctor”) developing writers and manuscripts for top literary agents, a literary agent, a publishers’ sales rep (Doubleday, Farrar Strauss and Giroux, Rizzoli, City Lights, Garden Way, Rodale Press, among others), a book buyer in retail book stores, and the Director of Promotion and Marketing and editorial consultant for a regional press.”