Tag Archives: Writing

10 Ways to Stop Feeling Like a Failure as a Writer

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sad-woman-looking-at-the-sunset

Failure hurts, doesn’t it? It can be brutal, humiliating, and demoralizing. From the giddy heights of your initial creative rush, the long hours wrestling to keep your labor of love alive, to landing smack on your face on releasing it into a world that frankly, doesn’t give a damn. That’s one heck of a fall.

But we’ve all felt like failures at one point in our lives. And the pain that it brings can be enough for us to slam the brakes on ever trying to be a writer again. Those writers who succeed understand that to stop feeling like a failure and dare again, you need to re-examine your idea of what failure as a writer actually is and what it means to you.

Because before you can start to feel like a successful writer, you must stop feeling like a failed one. Here’s how:

Via http://writetodone.com/10-ways-to-stop-feeling-like-a-failure-as-a-writer/

The Devil is in the Detail in Fiction Writing

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So over the last couple of weeks, I have been straining my old eyes to complete a couple of final reads, looking for those small annoying faults, like misplaced commas, errant formatting, typos and silly repetition. Due to the good work done in the editing stage, there were not a lot of faults, so I was very pleased that the end of the process was near.

Until that is, a glaring error hit me in the face about halfway through what I thought was going to be my final read. This is the kind of problem that usually hits first draft fiction writing…

Via http://www.justpublishingadvice.com/the-devil-is-in-the-detail-in-fiction-writing

Stephen King: The Writer’s Voice

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stephen-king

Across a long and prolific career, Stephen King’s works can be shown to evolve alongside the author. This special feature discusses how a writer’s voice in their work is tied to the writer’s personal experience and explores the risk of literary influence by examining specific entries in King’s canon…

Via http://writersedit.com/stephen-king-writers-voice/

25 Things to Know About Writing the First Chapter of Your Novel

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chapter1

A reader walks into a bookstore. Spies an interesting book. What does she do? Picks it up. Flips to the first chapter. Or, if I can find the first chapter online somewhere, I’ll read it there. One way or another, I want to see that first chapter. Because that’s where you grab me by the balls or where you push me out the door. The first chapter is where you use me or lose me…

Via http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/05/29/25-things-to-know-about-writing-the-first-chapter/

3 Simple Tips on the ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ Mantra | Writer’s Edit

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dont-say-the-old-lady-screamed-bring-her-on-and-let-her-scream-mark-twain

The show, don’t tell mantra haunts every writer, no matter how long they’ve been around. But what does it mean? It’s the used and abused phrase thats truth is lost among endless repetitions.

While this quick guide isn’t the easy-peasy formula for fantastic writing (since that formula doesn’t exist), this is an exploration of a few ways to craft more compelling stories. Follow these steps to show more, tell less and inspire your readers always.

Via http://writersedit.com/3-simple-tips-on-the-show-dont-tell-mantra/

How To Love Book Marketing | The Creative Penn

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Marketing solutions pinned to a whiteboard

Joanna Penn teaches a lot of authors about book marketing and many start the workshops with dread, knowing they have to learn this stuff, but not really wanting to do it. Her aim is always to change their mindset to one of happily incorporating marketing into their daily lifestyle, and generally, by the end of the day, most authors are much happier! In today’s article, Bryan Cohen talks about his own marketing change of heart…

Via http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2014/03/09/love-book-marketing/

How to Write an Irresistible Love Triangle | A Writer’s Path

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Ah, the love triangle. For the romantically inclined, is there anything more enticing, more gut-wrenching? The passion, the torn desires, the often vastly different futures – it’s simply too much! *back of hand to forehead in fainting gesture!* Okay, I’ll stop. But in all seriousness, a well-written triangle can have your readers not only emotionally invested in the characters and their struggles, but also in you as the writer…

Via How to Write an Irresistible Love Triangle | A Writer’s Path

Writing Fundamentals: Plot Points

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What is a plot point? Like scenes and the four stages of a novel (inciting incident, rising action, climax, and ending), plot points are another structural element of your story which you’ll need to keep track of. For the writer, plot points are destinations. We write with the purpose of moving the characters towards the plot point. For the character, however, the plot point is a beginning…

via Writing Fundamentals: Plot Points | Truth, Fact, and Fiction