Writers are faced with the task of completing pieces of poetry and prose with not much to guide them but raw talent and an accurate inner compass for what is “finished” and what still needs work. So when that inner compass starts to waver, many writers doubt their talent instead of realigning the compass. The following list of self-sabotage scenarios and solutions will help you evaluate your inner struggle with clear eyes so you can cancel your pity party and get back on the writing horse.

Many poets begin their early years writing rhyming poetry, which is a great way to get a handle for the rhythmic nature of poetry, and it was certainly a valid form for many great poets: John Keats, Emily Dickinson, and Robert Frost are all respected poets who wrote rhyming poetry and wrote it well. But times have changed: For those of us trying to break into the world of contemporary poetry as published authors in this lifetime, rhyme isn’t always the best way to go—at least in the sense that many of us think of rhyme.

Read on for tips on how to spice up your style so that you AND the editors reviewing your poems will be pleased.

Writers don’t always make the right decision when choosing whether or not to mention self-published books in query letter bios. And while this isn’t a black-and-white issue, we’ve prepared some basic guidelines to help you make that decision. (Note: Keep in mind that the guidelines listed below are related to mentioning the existence of self-published books when querying a different, unpublished manuscript. If you are querying agents with a self-published book, there are different “best practices” to follow.)

The writing life is tough enough. With the pressures of deadlines, always needing new work to submit, and the occasional writer’s block, the last thing a serious writer needs is to feel guilty about his or her craft. This guilt can stem from a variety of places, like having to cancel plans with friends in order to finish your new story, or from not making enough money to make all that work seem worthwhile.

But all hope is not lost! Writer’s Relief has come up with five practical ways to help minimize your guilt complex and maximize your writing potential.

When approaching literary agents in hopes of securing representation, you’ll want to make sure the agent and/or agency is legitimate. Before you get talked into signing a contract, check out our previous 3 Major Red Flags post and then ask yourself these questions.

Beginner and veteran writers alike can be victimized by shady literary agents. If you don’t know what to look for, you can fall prey to an agent who is looking to make a quick buck. So, how can you tell if a literary agent is legitimate? We’ve got answers.

Submitting to anthologies (such as “Chicken Soup for the Soul”) is a great way for new writers to break into the industry and for established writers to keep their work circulating—and we’ve got tips for making effective anthology submissions.

The short story is an increasingly popular literary form in today’s market. But when short story writers find themselves surrounded by stacks of individual short stories, they might wonder, “Should I publish my stories as a collection?”

While there’s no guaranteed way to get a collection of short stories published, here are six realistic steps you can take to turn your stories into a book.

If you’re a poet, maintaining a poetic sensibility is important whether you have all the time in the world or no time at all. But that can be hard to do when your boss is screaming for the report that was due an hour ago, the kids need to be picked up from soccer practice, and Fido just left you a gift on the living room floor.

Here are some things you can do to stay in a poetic state of mind all day, every day.