If You’re a Woman Writing a Male Character Avoid these Bad Writing Tips. As a male reader and writer I have been seeing some really bad advice pop up regularly about writing characters in general and specifically about writing males.
If you want to know how to write a book with no experience, this post shows you exactly how to get started writing. Yes, even without a degree.
If You’re a Woman Writing a Male Character Avoid these Bad Writing Tips. As a male reader and writer I have been seeing some really bad advice pop up regularly about writing characters in general and specifically about writing males.
Writing your next book starts HERE
Writing Tips | Find Your Next Favorite Book | Prompt Library | Shop The eBooks Sharing Your Work Doesn’t Have To Be Scary I’m going to talk about a bunch of different things today, including taking…
Have you ever had the vibes of your story figured out but no plot? This post gives you an easy process to find out what actually happens in yor novel
With the right tools and information, anyone can write a book. Here I answer some of the most searched questions about becoming an author.
How to come up with story ideas when you don't know what to write about? Get this free workbook and start writing your story today.
If you want to have a significant improvement in your writing and learn from successful, published authors, then, you need to learn how to read like a writer. Learn how in this article!
✏️ Become a better writer in just 30 days with this writing challenge! You get unique prompts every day and you learn new writing skills quickly and easily. You can stop reading writing tips and start to actually use them. ✏️ The challenge has been designed by a published author and creative writing teacher. The writing exercises have been carefully chosen to teach you almost everything you need to know about writing well. ✏️ Suitable for beginner writers who want to learn how to write fiction but also for more advanced writers who want to hone their skills. ✏️ If you don't have a printer, you can find the writing challenge without the workbook here: https://writerlifestyle.etsy.com/listing/1252771680 ✏️ WHAT YOU WILL GET: - 30 Day Writing Challenge PDF - Writing challenge workbook PDF ✏️ You might also like Outline Your Novel in 30 Days: https://writerlifestyle.etsy.com/listing/1433909679 ----------------------------------- ✏️✏️ Have any questions? Hit the message seller button and I will be happy to help! ✏️ See the rest of our printables for writers, readers and book clubs https://www.etsy.com/shop/writerlifestyle/ ✏️ Join our community and receive exclusive discounts and free resources for writers: https://bit.ly/31P7rRf ----------------------------------- This DIGITAL PRODUCT is an INSTANT DOWNLOAD. Nothing physical will be shipped to you. You will need to print it out yourself or take it to a print store. You can open the file with anything that can open PDF files, usually your browser is enough. If you have any issues accessing your files, let us know. You can find your download link when you click "Purchases and reviews" in your Etsy account. This does not work in the mobile app, and you need to click the download link in the receipt email you received from Etsy. Digital products cannot be returned or refunded.
10 Toxic Bad Relationship Habits That Will Leave Your Fictional Character Single. Bad habits make writers think about what goes on in a character's mind.
Need some advice on how to write a narrative in second person? This post is for you!
In this episode, I discuss a common character mistake I see in client manuscripts. I share why this is a mistake and give you an example of how to fix it.
We all need a little encouragement from time to time. I don't know about you, but never do my writing doubts hit harder than when I'm trying to pursue a big goal or I'm working under pressure — two things you're likely experiencing now that we're a few days into National Novel Writing Month. But
Writing believable characters can be tough, but these tips will help you create strong characters. It all starts with backstory, gang.
Six months ago, I started this blog! Since then, by far my most popular post has been one of the very first: 10 podcasts to make you a better writer. As I said in the original post, I'm pretty obsessed with podcasts, so in the months since then I've discovered some more podcasts that I've found helpful as a writer. So, in celebration of my six month blogiversary, I decided to post a part two! psst--stick around to the end of the post for a special giveaway! The Well-Storied Podcast is part of Kristen Kieffer's Well-Storied platform that every writer should be familiar with. The weekly podcast reinforces the blog post, featuring in-depth discussions of topics like character arcs, structuring a book series, writing voice, and more. Kristen is smart, talented, and generally wonderful, so her podcast is definitely a valuable resource for writers. Run time: 15 to 20 minutes While this podcast isn't strictly focused on fiction, Writing Class Radio is still educational no matter what genre you write. The hosts, Andrea Askowitz and Allison Langer, share creative nonfiction essays from the writing class they lead and offer critiques. The pair have great chemistry, and the edits they suggest somehow always work for that specific essay, while also being applicable to whatever you're writing as well. Run time: 15 to 20 minutes If there's one thing every writer can stand to improve in, it's grammar. Enter Grammar Girl. Her website is my go-to resource for any grammar questions, and so I was thrilled to learn she has a podcast. Host Mignon Fogarty is delightful and packs a ton of useful and interesting tips into a short span, making it the perfect way to improve your grammar and writing one episode at a time. Run time: 10 to 15 minutes Listening to other writers further along in their journey is one of the most helpful things for learning writers, and Home Row offers just that. The writers are a mix of fiction and non-fiction, and host J.A. Medders is an excellent interview, digging into their careers and discovering helpful lessons they've learned. Run time: 30 to 45 minutes I only recently started listening to the podcast, but already Mom Writes is becoming a favorite. A part of the book coaching program Author Accelerator, the podcast features three hosts: Abby Mathews and Melanie Parish are writers, Jennie Nash is a book coach, and all three are moms. Season one covers the Abby and Melanie working on their first draft with the help and advice of Jennie. Interviews with other writer moms (and dads!) are sprinkled in, and each episode is chock full of great advice for writers. Run time: 30 to 45 minutes What are your favorite podcasts for writers? Have you listened to any of these? Let me know in the comments! Now for the giveaway! I'm also celebrating six months on my bookstagram, so head over there for the chance to win two free books!
How to Write your Character Hitting Rock Bottom. When creating problems for our beloved characters we sometimes are afraid to put them through hard times.
How to Write your Character Hitting Rock Bottom. When creating problems for our beloved characters we sometimes are afraid to put them through hard times.
Madeline Miller is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Song of Achilles and Circe. So, when I had the chance to attend a virtual author talk with her hosted by my local bookstore, I jumped at it! Miller was down to earth and friendly, and had so much to share about her writing methods and how she goes about creating stories based on ancient myths. I’ve gathered a few of the gems she shared to help you in your writing too. Give stories time to stew Miller shared that she had been fascinated with the myth of Circe since she was thirteen! When she studied Classics, she began considering writing a longer paper on the myth, and then it wasn’t until after she finished her first novel, Song of Achilles, that she realized Circe was meant to be her next novel. With both her novels, though, it took her five years of “wandering in the wilderness,” as she put it, trying to figure out the voice of the character and waiting for the novel to click. So if it feels like your story isn’t working, give it time--just because it’s not easy doesn’t mean it isn’t the right story for you. It’s normal to want to give up every now and then Unsurprisingly, there were points during those five years that Miller wanted to give up on the book. She said that with both novels, when she hit that moment, she took a break and shifted to a different project. Then when she came back to the “junk” she’d been working on for the past five years, everything suddenly clicked. If you’re hitting a wall with your project, it’s okay to step away from it. Just be sure to come back, because you never know what your subconscious might have worked out while you were away. Do your research--even for fantasy Even though Miller was recreating an ancient myth about a goddess witch, she still relied heavily on research. Her process involved researching as she went and reading a lot of scholars fighting about the text, but whatever your method looks like, don’t underestimate the value of research. Miller said that maybe one percent of her research actually ends up in the book, but it’s still a crucial piece of getting into her character’s world. Circe may be made up, but Miller wanted to know what animals and plants are actually on islands in Greece. What does that snake actually look like? Even if it doesn’t end up in the book, it’s important to have in your head--the more real your imaginary world is to you, the more real it will feel to readers. Find your character’s voice If you’ve read either of Miller’s stories, you know that one of the most memorable pieces is how real the characters feel--how the voice of the story really seems like it’s how that person would talk (at least, that’s what stood out to me). Speaking about the process of finding this voice, Miller admitted it was mostly trial and error. She recommended reading your writing out loud and feeling out the words to see if it fits. Some other things to consider: What length of sentence do they use? Are they more contemplative, or action-oriented? What is their metaphorical language? This last piece was really interesting to me. Based on our life experiences, we all have different go-to comparisons that we make. What is your character’s background, and how would that influence the metaphors they make? For Circe, she grew up around animals and plants, so drawing her descriptive language from the natural world makes sense. You don’t have to be a plotter or a pantser Writers like to identify as either someone who outlines thoroughly beforehand (a plotter) or someone who writes by the seat of their pants (a pantser). But in reality, it’s more of a spectrum rather than one or the other. Miller falls closer to the pantser side, but still has some structure starting out. With Circe, she knew the ending, and had four plot points that she wanted to happen during the story. Other than that, she let the characters lead her through the story. Keep showing up for the work Writing isn’t always easy. In fact, with some projects, it’s rarely easy. Miller spends five years wrestling with a project before it really starts flowing--she knows that writing is hard. But she also describes writing as a mysterious process, especially when you’re in the messy middle of it. That’s why the ancients talked about the Muses; sometimes being creative feels like waiting around for some unidentifiable force outside yourself to decide to show up and help you out. But even when things get hard, Miller encourages writers to “Keep showing up for the work. Keep writing.” The Muse will show up eventually. Have you read either of Madeline Miller's books? Are they on your TBR? Let me know in the comments! If you liked this post, pin it to share it and save it for later!
This is a list of over 20, carefully curated free writing ebooks that won't fail to get you writing.
So this does not have a very fun answer. Every time I think about it I wanna throw a book at someone. But I know it's the one and...
There’s nothing more nebulous than trying to produce a decent outline for your novel. With dozens of outlining methods to choose from, all of which seem to work well for some writers but not for others, defining the outlining process that works best for you and your stories can be more than a litt
Ever since she realised the power of her imagination, she had been doing this: thinking something up, and travelling forward in time to find it. Today it was a new novel by her favourite author. She hadn’t asked him to write it — in fact, she hadn’t mentioned her desire to anyone. She had simply…
Camp NaNoWriMo 2020 came in the middle of a global pandemic. Luckily, I'm safe and sound at home, so today I'm sharing hwo I've stayed productive.
In every author’s dream, we have hours upon hours to idle away in a coffee shop, writing and reading and daydreaming about characters. In reality, however, many of us have day jobs, school, family to take care of, or a dozen other responsibilities that demand our time and attention. This leaves us with precious little time to spend on writing. I started working full-time almost exactly a year ago, and even before that I’ve always had to fit in writing around a busy life—I wrote the draft of my first book during my last semester of grad school while working two jobs. So I’ve learned to write in short chunks of time, rather than waiting for the ideal day of having a full afternoon to work. I thought I would share a few tips I’ve learned that have helped me take advantage of those small writing sprints. Shift your mindset This sounds easy, but it’s the most important part. Instead of thinking, “I only have fifteen minutes to write,” shift your perspective to say, “I get to write for a full fifteen minutes!” So much of writing is a mind game—it’s all about how you frame things and your attitude going into it. While it’s tempting to complain (even just internally) about not having enough time to write, that ultimately won’t change anything! But being grateful for any time you have to write can change things, as it lets you focus on your work and your creativity instead of being distracted wishing for a better situation. Always keep your document open I know that I’ll enjoy writing once I get started, but sometimes getting started feels impossible. So I’ve learned that I have to remove all possible barriers to writing—including barriers as small as “starting up Scrivener and waiting for my project to load.” So, if my computer is on, I always have my current WIP open, even if I don’t plan to work on it soon. That way, when I do snag ten minutes to write, I can dive right in. I don’t waste a second waiting for my project to load and, more importantly, I don’t have a chance to wander off into Twitter “just for a few minutes” while I wait for Scrivener to open. Have a way to write on the go It seems like most of the small amounts of downtime tend to happen when we’re out and about—in line at the pharmacy, waiting for our Starbucks order, sitting in our cars outside an event because we didn’t want to be late but we overestimated so now we’re super early and need to wait until it’s a socially acceptable type of early to walk in (just me?). Instead of scrolling through social media, start thinking of those pockets of time as writing time! Use Google Docs or another program that can sync between your computer and phone so that you can easily pull up your WIP and squeeze in a few sentences. If you can’t sync your full document, have a Google doc or even an email draft that you jot a few notes in when you finish a writing session. Then refer to this when you have a chance to write from your phone to reminder yourself where you left off. Have you tried any of these methods? What works for you when writing in short amounts of time? Let me know in the comments! [jetpack_subscription_form show_subscribers_total=false button_on_newline=false custom_font_size=16 custom_border_radius=0 custom_border_weight=1 custom_padding=15 custom_spacing=10 submit_button_classes= email_field_classes= show_only_email_and_button=true]
Hi y'all! Today I'm excited to bring you a post written by Lucia Tang, a contributor at Reedsy. She talks about different methods to decide which idea to pursue for your next writing project. I'll be starting a new series following along as I start writing a new novel, so I thought this would be a great foundation as I dive deeper into the book writing process! Some writers are lucky: each idea emerges fully formed inside their heads. They’ll close their eyes and see the shape of it, shimmering in the air. All they have to do is follow, like sailors tracking a guiding constellation. And at the end of their writing journey, they’ll have a manuscript. But maybe your writing process isn’t such a well-charted voyage — it’s a much dicier expedition, like flailing around in waters unknown. Maybe you want to write a book, but you don’t know what kind of book to work on. Fiction or nonfiction? Short story collection or full-length novel? What genre are we talking, and does genre even matter? I mean, Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Fifty Shades of Grey are technically both romance novels, right? If your brain buzzes with these kinds of questions every time you sit down to write, you won’t get much more than a keyboard smash of frustration. But don’t worry. Try out the following four methods of nailing down what kind of book you should work on, and you’ll be able to move onto the fun part — writing. The fanfic method: Think about what you like to read — and watch, and listen to E.L. James made her fortune with repurposed Twilight fanfic, turning sparkly vampire Edward Cullen into billionaire bondage enthusiast Christian Grey. You could borrow her approach, playing with someone else’s universe and filing off the serial numbers so you won’t get sued. But this method isn’t really about that. It is about writing as a fan in a more general way, with an eye to the kind of stories that get you excited. Writing a book means making a temporary home in a certain textual universe: it helps to settle down somewhere you like. So think about the stories you tend to consume, and reflect on what draws you to them. Maybe you’re addicted to mysteries because cracking them alongside the sleuth feeds the puzzle-solving part of your brain. Or maybe you keep picking up romance novels for your commute because you find their over-the-top love scenes totally hilarious. Don’t limit yourself to books, either. Think about your favorite podcasts, the TV shows you binge, even the kind of music that fills up your Spotify playlists. Look for inspiration across all media, and you’ll get a nuanced, three-dimensional sense of your own tastes. That way, you can develop an idea for a book that you’d love to read — and hopefully, to write. The resume method: Consider your strengths — and weaknesses — as a writer This approach is a little more mechanical, but it’ll help you treat writing like a job — useful if you want to turn “author” into your full-time gig someday. Think about your strengths and weaknesses as a writer: not just on the level of craft, but in terms of your temperament. Say you get bored easily. You download a new exercise app every week, and you’ve Duolingo-ed eight different languages — but only up to lesson four. If that sounds like you, you probably shouldn’t tackle a novel right way. Instead, start with a short story. Maybe even write one for a contest, if you need a little external motivation to keep you typing away at your desk. Polish off a few of those, and you’ll have a short story collection. If your world-building skills are scanty but your dialogue rings true, you’re better suited to literary fiction than to fantasy. If you feel anxious when you plot out a story but find yourself revisiting an incident from your own past again and again, take that as a sign to try writing a memoir. Whatever your niche, tap into it early to determine your book’s path. The hatemail method: Respond to a book that bugged you In some ways, this one’s the opposite of the fanfic method. But the end result is the same — a book that you, the writer, would love to read. Just to be clear, you shouldn’t actually pen a novel-length screen about some author you hate (although something of that nature might be both highly cathartic and widely appreciated on certain corners of the internet). Instead, just think of a book that makes your blood boil. Everything it gets wrong? You’ll make sure that you do it right. Say you’re an occasional romance reader who likes the idea of following two strangers as they fall enough. But every time you dip into the genre, you see nothing but troubling relationship dynamics, one-note supporting characters, and bizarrely unrealistic treatments of the protagonists’ jobs. Try writing the romance you wish existed. It’s fully within your power to sketch out an affirming relationship between equals. You can give them quirky and dynamic friends — and nemeses. You can even make sure your heroine’s hotshop job as a corporate lawyer leaves her realistically busy, frazzled, and saddled with student debt. The Costco method: Try a little bit of everything before you commit Say you’ve run through the mental list of your all-time favorite stories, weighed your writerly skills and deficiencies, and even hate-read some truly terrible prose. But you still have no idea what you should write. Or, you’ve got too many ideas, and no way to choose between them. Enter the Costco method. Named for the grand cathedral of the free sample, this strategy is all about trying before you buy. There’s no reason you have to pick an idea and immediately grind out several hundred pages. You can take a few of them out for a spin, in a low-stress, low-stakes way. A full-length manuscript is about 80,000 words long. You don’t know exactly what yours should be about, but you’ve got a few contenders. So write 200 words for each of those ideas. They don’t have to be the first 200 — beginning a story can be stressful, and this exercise is about keeping it low-key. But you also shouldn’t take them from a scene you’re dying to write. Try to pick a fairly basic bread-and-butter passage, something you know will have to be in the manuscript if you follow it through to the end. Each 200-word chunk is only 1/400 of a whole manuscript. It won’t take you very long, but it will give you a foretaste of the other 399. Once you figure out which project you should see through to the end, you can reward yourself — write the fun parts first! Lucia Tang is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the world’s best editors, designers, and marketers. Reedsy also provides tools to help authors write and format their books, as well as free courses and webinars on publishing. In Lucia's spare time, she enjoys drinking cold brew and planning her historical fantasy novel. Follow Reedsy on Twitter and Instagram. How do you decide what to write next? Do you have a method not mentioned here? Let me know in the comments! If you liked this post, pin it to share and save it for later! Featured image by Patrick Tomasso
In every author’s dream, we have hours upon hours to idle away in a coffee shop, writing and reading and daydreaming about characters. In reality, however, many of us have day jobs, school, family to take care of, or a dozen other responsibilities that demand our time and attention. This leaves us with precious little time to spend on writing. I started working full-time almost exactly a year ago, and even before that I’ve always had to fit in writing around a busy life—I wrote the draft of my first book during my last semester of grad school while working two jobs. So I’ve learned to write in short chunks of time, rather than waiting for the ideal day of having a full afternoon to work. I thought I would share a few tips I’ve learned that have helped me take advantage of those small writing sprints. Shift your mindset This sounds easy, but it’s the most important part. Instead of thinking, “I only have fifteen minutes to write,” shift your perspective to say, “I get to write for a full fifteen minutes!” So much of writing is a mind game—it’s all about how you frame things and your attitude going into it. While it’s tempting to complain (even just internally) about not having enough time to write, that ultimately won’t change anything! But being grateful for any time you have to write can change things, as it lets you focus on your work and your creativity instead of being distracted wishing for a better situation. Always keep your document open I know that I’ll enjoy writing once I get started, but sometimes getting started feels impossible. So I’ve learned that I have to remove all possible barriers to writing—including barriers as small as “starting up Scrivener and waiting for my project to load.” So, if my computer is on, I always have my current WIP open, even if I don’t plan to work on it soon. That way, when I do snag ten minutes to write, I can dive right in. I don’t waste a second waiting for my project to load and, more importantly, I don’t have a chance to wander off into Twitter “just for a few minutes” while I wait for Scrivener to open. Have a way to write on the go It seems like most of the small amounts of downtime tend to happen when we’re out and about—in line at the pharmacy, waiting for our Starbucks order, sitting in our cars outside an event because we didn’t want to be late but we overestimated so now we’re super early and need to wait until it’s a socially acceptable type of early to walk in (just me?). Instead of scrolling through social media, start thinking of those pockets of time as writing time! Use Google Docs or another program that can sync between your computer and phone so that you can easily pull up your WIP and squeeze in a few sentences. If you can’t sync your full document, have a Google doc or even an email draft that you jot a few notes in when you finish a writing session. Then refer to this when you have a chance to write from your phone to reminder yourself where you left off. Have you tried any of these methods? What works for you when writing in short amounts of time? Let me know in the comments! [jetpack_subscription_form show_subscribers_total=false button_on_newline=false custom_font_size=16 custom_border_radius=0 custom_border_weight=1 custom_padding=15 custom_spacing=10 submit_button_classes= email_field_classes= show_only_email_and_button=true]
Madeline Miller is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Song of Achilles and Circe. So, when I had the chance to attend a virtual author talk with her hosted by my local bookstore, I jumped at it! Miller was down to earth and friendly, and had so much to share about her writing methods and how she goes about creating stories based on ancient myths. I’ve gathered a few of the gems she shared to help you in your writing too. Give stories time to stew Miller shared that she had been fascinated with the myth of Circe since she was thirteen! When she studied Classics, she began considering writing a longer paper on the myth, and then it wasn’t until after she finished her first novel, Song of Achilles, that she realized Circe was meant to be her next novel. With both her novels, though, it took her five years of “wandering in the wilderness,” as she put it, trying to figure out the voice of the character and waiting for the novel to click. So if it feels like your story isn’t working, give it time--just because it’s not easy doesn’t mean it isn’t the right story for you. It’s normal to want to give up every now and then Unsurprisingly, there were points during those five years that Miller wanted to give up on the book. She said that with both novels, when she hit that moment, she took a break and shifted to a different project. Then when she came back to the “junk” she’d been working on for the past five years, everything suddenly clicked. If you’re hitting a wall with your project, it’s okay to step away from it. Just be sure to come back, because you never know what your subconscious might have worked out while you were away. Do your research--even for fantasy Even though Miller was recreating an ancient myth about a goddess witch, she still relied heavily on research. Her process involved researching as she went and reading a lot of scholars fighting about the text, but whatever your method looks like, don’t underestimate the value of research. Miller said that maybe one percent of her research actually ends up in the book, but it’s still a crucial piece of getting into her character’s world. Circe may be made up, but Miller wanted to know what animals and plants are actually on islands in Greece. What does that snake actually look like? Even if it doesn’t end up in the book, it’s important to have in your head--the more real your imaginary world is to you, the more real it will feel to readers. Find your character’s voice If you’ve read either of Miller’s stories, you know that one of the most memorable pieces is how real the characters feel--how the voice of the story really seems like it’s how that person would talk (at least, that’s what stood out to me). Speaking about the process of finding this voice, Miller admitted it was mostly trial and error. She recommended reading your writing out loud and feeling out the words to see if it fits. Some other things to consider: What length of sentence do they use? Are they more contemplative, or action-oriented? What is their metaphorical language? This last piece was really interesting to me. Based on our life experiences, we all have different go-to comparisons that we make. What is your character’s background, and how would that influence the metaphors they make? For Circe, she grew up around animals and plants, so drawing her descriptive language from the natural world makes sense. You don’t have to be a plotter or a pantser Writers like to identify as either someone who outlines thoroughly beforehand (a plotter) or someone who writes by the seat of their pants (a pantser). But in reality, it’s more of a spectrum rather than one or the other. Miller falls closer to the pantser side, but still has some structure starting out. With Circe, she knew the ending, and had four plot points that she wanted to happen during the story. Other than that, she let the characters lead her through the story. Keep showing up for the work Writing isn’t always easy. In fact, with some projects, it’s rarely easy. Miller spends five years wrestling with a project before it really starts flowing--she knows that writing is hard. But she also describes writing as a mysterious process, especially when you’re in the messy middle of it. That’s why the ancients talked about the Muses; sometimes being creative feels like waiting around for some unidentifiable force outside yourself to decide to show up and help you out. But even when things get hard, Miller encourages writers to “Keep showing up for the work. Keep writing.” The Muse will show up eventually. Have you read either of Madeline Miller's books? Are they on your TBR? Let me know in the comments! If you liked this post, pin it to share it and save it for later!
Have you ever rewritten the same pages over and over again? Are you afraid to share your work with others? You might be falling prey to this common writing myth that holds writers back...
Why is it that writing a romance isn't ever romantic? Why are love stories written so wrong? This is how your write a romance that's ACTUALLY romantic.
Writing Journal Worksheet – Blank Page Blueprint (PDF) Welcome to a new year of writing worksheets! This year we’re focusing on experimenting, practicing and having fun in our writing journals. These worksheets can be printed A4, US Letter or shrunk 50% to print A5. The A4 size will also fold nicely in a regular-sized traveler’s…
These ten author myths are dangerous to believe. Writers who believe them are allowing these myths to keep them from moving forward in their writing careers. 1. It's going to be easy. Life isn't easy. Why should anything else be? Just kidding. But, seriously, writing isn't easy. And having a writing career is definitely not easy. "Anything in life worth having is worth working for." - Andrew Carnegie On the other hand... "Find something you love to do, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life." - Ray Bradbury So, depending on your perspective on work, this may or may not be a solid myth. However, it bears repeating, that you still have to work hard to achieve success. How much you enjoy that work is up to you. 2. Being a writer is a solitary job. Yes, writing is a very solitary act. But the best writers are surrounded by others. Being a writer doesn't have to be a solitary job. In fact, it shouldn't be. Yes, you sit at your desk and type on a keyboard for hours on end. Or, you take a notebook wherever you go, constantly writing down observations and working on the stories in your head. That? It must be solitary. But the rest of it? Not so much. You can instantly connect with other writers online. They'll help you and encourage you and keep you going. Don't be solitary ALL the time. 3. You should write every day. Some writers really believe this. Write every day. That's all fine and good if it works for you, but it doesn't work for every writer. At the other end of the spectrum, some writers only write when the Muse strikes. The best thing is to find your own personal balance. Jane Yolen says it best: "Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up." - Jane Yolen But even exercising the writing muscle every day doesn't mean that you're writing or revising heavily on your one novel, story, or book. Even athletes take rest days. Let journal and letter writing be your rest days. 4. Writer's block doesn't exist. Some say it does. Some say it doesn't. Some say writer's block only exists if you don't know how to get through it. And that once you do know how to get through it, then it doesn't exist anymore. Well, that's one way to look at it. Let me just say that writer's block really does exist. In its most simplistic definition, it actually applies to ALL professions, all fields of interest, all walks of life, not just writers, though we probably face it more often than anyone else. NOUN: The condition where one is unable to think through a problem. Not knowing how to proceed. The feeling of being stuck. Basically, it's a blockage. You just have to get your brain thinking again and your thoughts flowing again. How? Go for a walk! Trust me, it works. Though you might have to do it multiple times before you finally see a breakthrough. 5. If you're good, you'll make it. Hate to break it to you, but those who make it are usually better than good. Do you think Michael Jordan "made" it because he was good? No! He made it because he was awesome! Yes, being good is part of it. But your book has to be good too. Ever hear the phrase, "It's all about the book"? Yep! It's all about a great book being so well written that an editor can't put it down. However, in order to "make" it, there's a lot more to it than writing. You have to be able to sell. You have to be able to sell your manuscript to someone who thinks the book will sell. You also have to be able to sell the book. It's called marketing. You can't be good at marketing either. You have to be good and relentless. 6. Editors will fix all your grammar mistakes. Um... see #5. You do have to be good to begin with. Editors are bombarded with manuscripts. They don't even see half of them. Assistants and editors alike will not wade through paragraphs full of grammar mistakes. Automatic rejection. What an editor will do is make your book better. They will push you. They will help you tighten your work. What an editor does is magical. Books are a collaborative effort and editors are word wizards. So wield your mighty magic wand of a pen and fix all your grammar mistakes. 7. Once you're published, your books will sell like hotcakes. Not so much. Remember #5? You actually have to market your books. They won't sell themselves. Books sit on shelves until someone buys them. The point of writing a book is to have people read it. And people won't be reading your books if they aren't selling. Just because you're published now doesn't mean you're successful. Yes, it's an awesome, amazing, wonderful, thrilling accomplishment that most writers never reach. So, congratulations on this success! On the flip side, you can do better. So, don't stop now. Keep going! There are things authors can do to increase their fan base, their reach, and ultimately their sales. Social media only goes so far. But you do have to DO something to make people think about hotcakes when they see your name. Then maybe your books will sell like hotcakes. When they do, be sure to offer people syrup. And a napkin. 8. You get fewer rejections after you're published. Again, not so much. Just because you're published doesn't mean that the writing life is any easier. It just means you're doing all the right things to reach that milestone. It certainly doesn't mean that rejections are going to happen less often. In fact, you may even get more! Remember, agents and editors get rejected all the time too. Agents get rejected by editors, and editors get rejected by marketing teams. YOU, however, understand this. Rejections are just a part of the business. "You ask me about tragic accidents? If I am on my tractor at my farm and it rolls over on me and kills me, that’s a tragic accident. If I die in a race car, that’s life. I died doing what I love." - Dale Earnhardt If a writer was to sum that up, it would go something like this. "You ask me about rejections? If I'm at the Yankee Stadium and I use the billboard to propose to my girlfriend and the camera captures her telling me NO, that's rejection. But if my book gets rejected - again, that's life. It's part of being a writer." In writing, each rejection is one step closer to a YES. Remember that. 9. You're going to get rich. Did you hear that? I'm going to get rich!!! No, not that. I meant did you hear that sound of laughter? Yeah, that... That's the sound of Shakespeare laughing you right off the stage. You're book will likely not get turned into a movie. Or sell a million copies. It's not impossible, for sure. But let's just say it's highly unlikely. Your book will not be an overnight success. But then again, it might. An author's first book is almost never an overnight success. "Successful people make money. It's not that people who make money become successful, but that successful people attract money. They bring success to what they do." - Wayne Dyer Seriously, most writers do not earn a living strictly from advances and royalties. It's likely that you're not going to be the exception. I know I'm not. However, most writers can earn a decent living once they add other gigs to their writing, whether it be teaching, coaching, editing, or something else. Don't quit your day job either, even after you sell a book or two. Most writers are not able to quit their day job to make a living from writing. BUT, success IS what you make of it, so don't focus on getting rich. Focus on what you DO, which hopefully is WRITING. 10. Mistakes are bad. The final myth is that mistakes are bad. If you believe this, then you're going to have a very long, hard road ahead of you. It's okay to make mistakes, so long as you learn from them. However, you don't have to make the same mistakes that others have made. You can learn from their mistakes so that you don't have to. You can make new ones. Learn from those. Most importantly, keep writing! 6 Surprising Mistakes That Make Writers Look Like Amateurs and How to Avoid Them >>> DOWNLOAD FREE TIPSHEET <<< Know any other myths? Your favorites? Funny ones? Which myth speaks to you the most? Share in the comments below! Keep on keepin' on...
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Try these tips to keep you from losing motivation when writing a book or at least help you work through it when you do.
Rachelle Rea Cobb is a freelance editor and the author of Write Well and the Steadfast Love series of three historical inspirational novels. Before her first book had even released, she met a man with the same name as her series’ hero. On one sunny Saturday in June 2016, she married him. Both homeschool grads, they live in their newlywed nest in a corner of the South where the air is slightly salty. Rachelle enjoys blogging, all the different kinds of Oreos, and pretending she’ll one day see the bottom of her to-read pile. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and on her blog. Ready for a quick exercise? Put pen to page (or fingers to keyboard) and picture your reader. That’s right, your reader. This can be anyone (your neighbor, your grandma, your professor), but ideally you’ll choose to picture the target reader of whatever you’re writing. If you write fantasy, perhaps you’ll picture a high school student who should be studying for an exam but chooses instead to de-stress for an hour by reading the next chapter in your book...and the next. If you write historical romance (like I do), perhaps you’ll picture a mom who just put the kids to bed and is settling onto the couch with a cookie and wants to know if everyone will make it out of the castle alive. If you’re like me, sometimes it’s hard to picture your reader, but this exercise—and pinpointing your target reader—boosts the power of your writing in three ways: You will write more clearly because you don’t want to confuse your reader. You will write more concisely because you don’t want to lose your reader in a rambling sentence. You will write more compellingly because you want to maintain your reader’s attention and enthusiasm for your story. After all, writing is communication, and the key to meaningful communication is respect for your reader. As a freelance editor, I help writers polish their pages until they shine and when I teach writers to respect their reader, it is often a lightbulb moment. As a writer, whatever stage your story is in, keep your reader at the forefront of your mind, because if you do, you will write differently. This is one of the reasons why I wrote my most recent book, Write Well, a short ebook designed to guide you through what you need to know about writing—so that you can get back to the real work, actual writing! Write Well focuses on the most important aspect of all writing: respecting the reader. You can also check out my free resource, 7 Quick Fixes for Common Writing Mistakes, available for download on my website. This printable can be kept handy at your desk for quick reminders. Thanks for allowing me to chat about a passion of mine (readers!) and my latest release today! Now, let’s write well! So what do you know about your target reader? Share in a comment the age, gender, life stage, etc.
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