Ronnie Smith

May 21, 2024 | medium.com | Ronnie Smith

In the fabric of our nation, woven tight with threads of hope,We stand, a diverse people, hearts bound by a common rope. We seek to nurture love and care; in harmony, we strive,Yet whispers of our freedoms lost stir restless, still alive. The pulse of democracy beats strong in protest, speech, and vote,But shadows creep upon our rights, tightening around the throat. A tale unfolds in southern lands, where voices dared to rise,In peaceful march, in solemn chant, beneath indifferent skies.

Apr 4, 2024 | writersrelief.substack.com | Ronnie Smith

If you’re writing a novel under a pen name—and you’re querying a literary agent—there’s a right way and a wrong way to use your pen name in your query letter and on your manuscript pages. And if you’re writing poems, short stories, or essays under a pen name, there’s etiquette for submitting them under a nom de plume too. So here is Writer’s Relief’s best advice on how to use your pseudonym in your cover and query letters as you try to publish your book, poems, or short prose.

Apr 2, 2024 | writersrelief.substack.com | Ronnie Smith

If you want to fully immerse your readers in your short story, poem, memoir, or novel, it’s important to incorporate all five senses into your writing. The experts at Writer’s Relief note that too often writers focus on sight and ignore the other four senses. Yet, including all the sensory details in your writing can make a spring rainstorm seem more refreshing or approaching footsteps in a dark, moldy old mansion more ominous.

Feb 12, 2024 | writersrelief.substack.com | Ronnie Smith

The year 2024 officially ushers in the Year of the Dragon! It is said that those born under this fifth sign in the Chinese zodiac are destined for good fortune and greatness. While you can’t change the year you were born in (the most recent years of the dragon were 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, and 1964), you can approach your writing goals using some of the characteristics attributed to a feisty “dragon” personality to create your own good fortune.

Dec 28, 2023 | writersrelief.substack.com | Ronnie Smith

Maybe you’re unpublished, so you don’t consider yourself a “real writer.” Or perhaps you have had some publishing success, but you’re still convinced your writing isn’t great—and that you’ll soon be exposed as the fraud you think you are. Even well-known published authors can experience this creeping self-doubt. At Writer’s Relief, we know that doubting your abilities despite having proof otherwise is called impostor syndrome and it affects many writers.