Tag: write
Hundreds of Writing Tips? Yes, please.
Here are a few…
[found on writetodone.com; by Mary Jaksch]
- “Be open, curious, present, and engaged.
- Accept all forms of criticism and learn to grow from it.
- Live with passion.
- Say to everyone: “I’m a writer.”
- Recognize your fear and overcome it.
- Rethink what is ‘normal’.
- Check if your assumptions are right.
- Accept no excuses.
- Break out of your comfort zone.
- Approach writing with gratitude, not just with a ‘must do this’ attitude.
- Take risks – don’t be afraid to shock. You are not who you think you are.
- Always think of your readers.
- Learn to LOVE writing and reading.
- Write like you’re on your first date.
- Simply let things be what they are.
- Expose yourself to as many new experiences in a short amount of time as possible.
- Love your tools. As St. Bumpersticker says, “My fountain pen can write better than your honor student!”
- Embrace your shadow. Discover what traits and characteristics you don’t want to express.
- Write to agitate the mind and the nerves.”
To read the rest of these 201 great writing tips, click HERE.
[found on http://writetodone.com/how-to-be-a-writer]
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Learning To Write
[found on nicholassparks.com]
On Learning The Craft of Writing:
“Research
First, there are entire books written on this subject, and it’s important to realize that any information provided here will be in greatly abbreviated form. With that in mind, the first step would be to read a variety of books on the craft of writing. On Writing by Stephen King, The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White, Creating Fiction edited by Julie Checkoway, and A Dangerous Profession by Frederick Busch, are but a few that I would recommend. I also like Screenplay by Sid Field, which isn’t about novel writing, but has a lot of useful information. These titles are enough to get you started and there are countless other books on the topic that will help as well, for everything from creating characters to coming up with plots.
Read
Second, you must read, and read a lot. Did I say A LOT? I read over a hundred books a year and have done so since I was fifteen years old, and every book I’ve read has taught me something. I’ve learned that some authors are incredible at building suspense (see The Firm by John Grisham), I’ve read others that scare the jeepers out of me (see The Shining by Stephen King). Some authors can weave an incredible number of story lines into a single, coherent novel, with all parts coming together at the end that makes it impossible to stop turning the pages (see The Sum of all Fears by Tom Clancy), while other authors make me laugh out loud (seeBloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore). I’ve also learned that many, many authors fail when attempting to do these things. By reading a lot of novels in a variety of genres, and asking questions, it’s possible to learn how things are done—the mechanics of writing, so to speak—and which genres and authors excel in various areas.
Next, focus in on the genre you want to write, and read books in that genre. A LOT of books by a variety of authors. And read with questions in your mind. In a thriller, for instance, you might ask: how many characters were there? Too many or too few? How long was the novel? How many chapters were there? Was that too few, too many or just right? How did the author build suspense? Did the author come out of nowhere with a surprise? Or did the author drop hints earlier? If so, how many hints? Where in the novel did he put them? Was the suspenseful scene primarily narrative or dialogue? Or a combination of both? Did that work? Would it have been better another way? Where did the bad guys come in? In the beginning? The middle? When did they first meet the good guy? What happened? Did the reader know they were bad? Did they do something bad right off, or was it something that seemed good at the time?
Then, read another thriller and ask yourself those questions again. Then read another and another and another and ask those same questions. And keep reading your entire life and asking questions.
Little by little, you’ll learn the process.
Write
The final step is to write. You can’t be a writer if you don’t write, it’s just that simple. I wrote two complete novels and another book before I even attempted to write The Notebook. Those two novels are unpublished, but they taught me that I not only liked to write, but that I had it in me to finish a novel once I’d started it. Those lessons were important when I sat down to write The Notebook.
I write five or six days a week, usually a minimum of 2000 words, sometimes more. This section of the website, for instance, which took about four days to write, is about 20,000 words. When it’s finished, I’ll start writing something else. All people who regard writing as a profession write consistently. Those who regard it as a hobby usually don’t.
2000 words can take anywhere from three to eight hours. (I love those three-hour days, by the way, but my average is probably closer to five hours.) The actual time spent writing depends on a number of factors, including what I’m writing, whether the scene is difficult or easy, etc. No matter what, I try to maintain consistency in my work habits. And I’m always trying to improve, to try new things, to write a new story that is better than anything else I’ve written.”
To read more from Nicholas Sparks (including how to write query letters, and how to find agents, click HERE.
[found on http://nicholassparks.com/for-writers]
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Forget Me Not
“I want to do something splendid… Something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead… I think I shall write books.”
― Louisa May Alcott
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New Writer? Old Writer? 10 Things You Should Know.
[found on missourireview.com; by Michael]
“10 Things Emerging Writers Need To Learn
…You’re Talented, But Talented is Overrated. For better or worse, there is a sense of competition among writers. This happens naturally in the writing workshop environment. But it also happens long after the MFA degree is over. Thanks to social media, we see what other writers are doing all the time. Someone, somewhere, is publishing something new and wonderful. The writers achieving success are hard working. Being the most talented writer doesn’t necessarily translate into publishing success, which really comes from methodical and consistent work rather than raw talent.
Ignore the Clock. I’ve yet to meet the writer who was, in hindsight, happy with her/his first publication. In the rush to get things published, in whatever venue, it’s easy to forget publishing isn’t the ultimate goal. Publishing your best work is the goal. Anyone can publish. No one is waiting for your next great masterpiece. You might as well take the time to make your work the best it possibly can be.
Put Down The Phone. One of the biggest challenges for writers, a group of people (broadly) who are more introverted than most, is being social. Making it to readings, talks, and other community events, is an important step but you also need to be socially engaged. Hey, you already left your home to be out in public anyway, right? Take a moment to speak to the writer, the organizer, the other attendees. Believe me, this is not easy to do: I know I really struggle to say hello and shake hands too. But these small bits of engagement and consideration are not soon forgotten. Save the texting for another time.
Don’t Wait To Be Told What (or When) To Write. There comes a point where no one is going to tell what you should read, what you should write, and moreover, no one is going to point this out for you. Making time to write is not easy, but until we all get crowned with Guggenheims, we all need to carve out a few hours each week to focus on our writing. Protect this time with your life.”
To read more from MissouriReview, click HERE.
[found on http://www.missourireview.com/tmr-blog/2013/08/10-things-emerging-writers-need-to-learn]
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Want Your eBook to Sell? Read On.
[found on inboundpro.net; by hector cuevas]
“14 Invaluable Tips For Writing Ebooks That Sell
1. Lisa from Niche Website Success says:
“Take the time to survey your core audience to ensure your book meets their needs. We often assume we know what people want, but you never really know unless you ask.
Prior to writing my eBook, I used my email list to survey my subscribers. The feedback was invaluable and inspired much of the content in the book. Not to mention, it’s a great way to win over your readers. They ask. You deliver.”
2. Steve from Steve Aitchison says:
“Ask your audience what type of ebook they would like before writing one word of your ebook. I have made the mistake of writing an ebook, thinking, this is a great idea my readers will love this, only to find that they didn’t love it. The ONLY way to find out what type of ebook your readers will like is to ask them. You can do this in a blog post, an email to your subscribers, or use social media better yet ask them using all three.
Another thing is, make your ebook look fantastic. Presentation is everything and you want to give a professional looking ebook with a great cover. A lot of ebook creators write their book in a word document and turn it into a pdf without much thought for presentation. In this day and age of information overload, you need a great cover to catch the readers eye, a great title to capture their imagination, and a great presentation on the inside. It’s well worth spending a few hundred dollars to get a professional to design your ebook once you’ve written it.
One last thing, get someone to proof read your ebook. Again, I’ve made this mistake of not getting an ebook proof read only to find I get lots of emails pointing out errors in my book. If you don’t get it proof read it shows you’re not willing to invest that little extra to make it look and read great, and this will come across to the reader.””
To see more excellent advice from InBoundPro.net, click HERE.
[found on http://www.inboundpro.net/how-to-write-ebooks-that-sell]
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Need A Writing Prompt?
[found on dailywritingtips.com; by Simon Kewin]
“Where To Find Writing Prompts Online
The internet is a wonderful source of writing prompts. There are sites dedicated to providing them which a quick search will turn up. Examples include :
There are also numerous blogs that offer a regular writing prompt to inspire you and where you can, if you wish, post what you’ve written. Examples include :
There are also many other sites that can, inadvertently, provide a rich seam of material for writing prompts – for example news sites with their intriguing headlines or pictorial sites such as Flickr.com that give you access to a vast range of photographs that can prompt your writing.
If you’re on Twitter, there are users you can follow to receive a stream of prompts, for example :
Another idea is just to keep an eye on all the tweets being written by people all over the world, some of which can, inadvertently, be used as writing prompts.
How To Make Your Own Writing Prompts
You can find ideas for writing prompts of your own from all sorts of places : snatches of overheard conversation, headlines, signs, words picked from a book and so on. Get used to keeping an eye out for words and phrases that fire your imagination, jot them down and use them as writing prompts to spark your creativity. You never know where they might take you.”
For more great information on writing from DailyWritingTips, click HERE.
[found on http://www.dailywritingtips.com/writing-prompts-101]
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Finish Your Book…Already
[found on josephfinder.com; by Joseph Finder]
“1. Just write it. Fix it later. That means: don’t worry about word choice or grammar. Don’t worry about getting your facts right.
2. You do have time — if you really want to do it. You have a full-time job? A family? Carve out an hour or two early in the morning before the rest of the house gets up, or before you go to work. Or at night, if you’re not too wiped out to write. Try to make this a regular time slot — do it at the same time each day, for the same amount of time. Make it a habit. I know a number of writers who finally started making enough money from their writing to be able to quit their day jobs, only to discover that, as soon as they started writing full time, they suddenly became far less efficient. All that time stretching before them in the day — the two hours of writing per day they used to squeeze in here and there now took them eight hours. There’s something to be said for not having a lot of free time to write. It tends to make you more efficient.
3. Writing is a job. Treat it like one. I don’t work at home; I have an office, and I go there to write. If you don’t have an office, you should set aside a place that is just for you and your writing – the attic, the basement, a corner of the laundry room with a screen around it. If you treat your writing like work, your family and friends should do the same, and be more respectful of that writing time. No one thinks twice about interrupting a hobby, so make it clear that it’s not a hobby; it’s work. It’s your time.
4. Be ruthless in managing your time. This is the biggest problem most writers have. I have a big old hourglass on my desk for use on those days when I’m tempted to check my Facebook page. I upend it and don’t let myself get up until the sands of time have run out.
5. No e-mail! E-mail is truly our modern curse. It interrupts our attention span, fragments our concentration. Sign off. Do not let yourself check your e-mail or go online. Use an hourglass or a kitchen timer (if the ticking doesn’t drive you crazy) for 30 minutes or an hour, during which you may not do anything but write. In order to write you really need to get into the zone, and to get into the zone you need to be distraction-free. I love e-mail — but it’s the enemy!
6. Set interim goals. A full-length novel can be anywhere from 75,000 to 150,000 words, or even longer. If you think about having to write 75,000 words – 200 pages – you’ll freak yourself out. But if you write 1,000 words a day, you can finish the first draft of a novel in less than three months, even if you take some weekend days off.
7. Work toward a deadline. Everyone needs deadlines. Parkinson’s Law says that work expands to fill the time allotted; among my author friends, I know only one who regularly turns in manuscripts before they’re due (she was probably like that in school, too). The rest of us need deadlines. My publisher sets mine, but even before you’re published, you will find that your own life gives you natural deadlines: finish that draft before you leave for your next vacation, before you turn 40, before your next high school reunion.
8. Reward yourself. In The Fine Art of Feedback, I write about the challenges of getting and processing feedback – but while you’re writing, it’s not unusual for your brain to second-guess everything you’re doing. Override this by promising yourself rewards for getting work done. “When I hit 5,000 words, I’m going to the movies,” or even, “When I finish this paragraph, I can have another cup of coffee.” It worked in kindergarten and it works for me now.
Go to it, and good luck. Next time someone hears you’re writing a novel and tells you that they have a great idea for one, you can just smile and nod and think to yourself, Yeah, but I’m actually writing one . . .”
For more excellent information on writing from Joseph Finder, click HERE.
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