Step into a cozy realm of writerly inspiration this 'Author Aesthetic' blog. Immerse yourself in moody vibes and aesthetic imagery, fueling your fantasy fiction journey. Unleash your creativity in this dreamy writing corner curated for authors seeking a perfect blend of ambiance and imagination. Exp
The balance of life as an artist and writer living and working in Wales: or, how to ignore housework.
Just like every other demographic has a meme that captures them, writers do, too. Here are 20 memes that capture what it means to be a writer.
This downloadable digital art print depicts an antique typewriter with the phrase, "it's a good day to write." Perfect for writers and authors! Great way to spruce up your writing area! INSTANT DOWNLOAD - Minutes after purchasing, an email will be sent to the email address associated with your Etsy account with a link to view and download your files (Make sure to check spam/junk mail if you don’t receive it). - You can also find your files under the “Purchase and Reviews” section in your Etsy account. SIZING - This is a 4:5 ratio file so it can be used to print: 16”x20” | 12”x15” | 8”x10” | 4”x5” PRINTING - If printing at home, using a card stock or art paper will produce the best results. - Print at a local professional print shop. - Upload to an online print shop such as Staples, Office Depot, Walmart, etc. - Colors may vary from printer to printer. Returns & Cancellations: - As this is a digital product, I do not offer refunds or cancellations. Please let me know if you have any other further questions or concerns!! :)
Are you a creative writer? Check out what you might be doing wrong and improve your craft!
Here's some encouragement to help you through National Novel Writing Month. Remember, even your favorite writers were once in your position.
Celestial symbolism in writing refers to the use of celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars as symbols to convey deeper meanings in a literary work. Celestial symbolism has been used in literature for centuries. It can add depth and meaning to your work by conveying abstract ideas and emotions through concrete images. Symbolism helps to create a mood or atmosphere, and to reinforce themes and motifs throughout a text. The same symbol can represent a variety of things in literature depending on the context and the author's intent, which is why some examples may have more than one association.
Even if you're writing with no experience, this novel writing course turns your story idea into a full novel you can share with everyone.
Today, let's take a quick look at five ways writers sometimes unwittingly try to fake their way past the hard parts of good storytelling.
We’ve all been there. Someone asks us what we do, and we panic. We have a day job, but our heart is really invested in what we do AFTER the hours of nine to five. Someone asks how our writing is going, and we say “Oh, you know,” without giving any concrete information. We refer
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'May Your Bare Ass Always Be Shining' - Eleanor Roosevelt Writes To Gypsy Rose Lee
Salman Rushdie on what the books “Slaughterhouse-Five,” by Kurt Vonnegut, “Catch-22,” by Joseph Heller, and others tell us about the nature of war and humanity.
How do you know if you’re a good enough writer to pen a bestselling book? Book editor and author of THE BOOK YOU WERE BORN TO WRITE, Kelly Notaras, gives 3 clues for assessing if you're a gifted writer.
"Writing is 10% typing and 90% staring at your computer trying to find a better way to describe someone eating a piece of toast."
Recent and upcoming published work, including articles, poetry, devotions, and drama
When I heard that Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, was visiting Denver, I actually gasped out loud. The Book Thief has been influential in my writing and reading life in more ways than I can name. Suffice it to say that I have about a million favorite books, but when forced to choose just one, I say The Book Thief. The characters don't let you go, the plot is so original, and to say the writing style is beautiful is an understatement. So of course I jumped at the chance to hear Zusak speak, and to get my copy of The Book Thief, as well as his new book, Bridge of Clay, signed. Zusak was a funny and charming speaker, and warm and welcoming when I met him in the signing line. I wish I could have just recorded the whole talk and posted it for you, but here are six things he said that stood out to me the most. Know the backstory Zusak said that the way he is able to tell if he'll be able to turn an idea into a novel is how much backstory comes to him. When you're planning your book, knowing the background of the characters is incredibly important. Even if most of it doesn't end up in the book, pieces of it will, and that's what will give your characters life and make the story memorable to readers. The more your characters seem like real people you know, not just one-sided figures you write about, the more they'll come alive in the reader's mind. Having a deep backstory is the best way to accomplish this. Incorporate details Zusak used this simple metaphor to convey the importance of details: Once he was at an airport, and forgot his jacket in the security line. When he returned to claim it, the guard asked him what it looked like. He didn't just describe the color, but also the logo, and how there was a piece of folded-up paper in the pocket. With these precise details, the guard had no trouble believing he was telling the truth and the jacket was his. Likewise, when we incorporate specific, unique details into our stories, the reader is able to believe that we are telling the truth, even while knowing it's fiction. Details are what make your story jump off the page and lodge itself in the reader's mind. They're what make a reader stop and think, Yes! That's exactly how that feels/sounds/looks. How did they know?! If you don't feel something, neither will the reader Robert Frost once said, No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader. Zusak modeled this when writing both The Book Thief and Bridge of Clay. During the Q&A session after his talk, a young reader asked him if he cried when writing the end of The Book Thief. He confessed that he had ugly cried as he wrote the ending--like many of us as we read it--and had actually cried even harder when writing the end of Bridge of Clay (causing many of us in the audience to groan with grim but eager anticipation). If you have laid out the backstory of your characters and incorporated details that bring them to life, you as the writer will end up caring deeply about them, so that whatever you feel when writing their fate, the readers will also feel. Keep writing, no matter what During the Q&A session, someone asked him who had encouraged him to keep writing when he was young. With a laugh, he responded, Absolutely no one. He spoke of how he had never won a contest, never had a short story published, how his parents and his English teachers never thought he would publish a book--but something in him knew that's what he wanted to do, so he kept trying. When I met him in the signing line, I mentioned how I was a writer and The Book Thief had been so inspirational to me. To my delight, he asked about my writing, and when I said I was writing an adult contemporary fiction novel and had just sent it to people to read, he reminded me that even if I got negative feedback, I was still a writer and I needed to just keep writing. It is easy to be discouraged when we don't get glowing responses to our work, but imagine if Markus Zusak had listened to those around him and given up. Know that you are a writer, and so you must keep writing. Write the book only you can write This might have been my favorite thing Zusak said all night. He doesn't try to write books that are better than other writers or that win all the awards; his focus is on trying to write stories that only he is capable of writing. No matter how you feel about The Book Thief or Bridge of Clay, I know that they're books only I could write, he said. Don't compare how good your book is to other books or other writers. Focus on the story that only you can write. Writing takes a bit of luck Throughout his talk, Zusak mentioned several instances of luck that contributed to his success. Not just in terms of finding an agent or publishing, but in the actual writing of his stories. Before writing The Book Thief, he was visiting a school and leading an activity in which students choose a color and write from its perspective. He ended up writing from Death's perspective, and thought, Hey, maybe I should use this in that book I'm planning set in Nazi Germany. He also had another page-long piece about a girl in modern-day Sydney stealing a book and had the same thought of incorporating it into the Holocaust story he was planning. Of course, these two ideas are crucial to making The Book Thief into what it is. Likewise, with Bridge of Clay, when he first came up with the idea for the book, he chose the character name 'Clayton' at random. It was only later in the process of planning and writing that he shortened it to Clay, and realized it fit perfectly with the idea of building a bridge. Writing takes a lot of skill, and you have to know how to use those strokes of inspiration in your stories, but it's also helpful to know that a bit of luck is always involved. A huge thanks to Markus Zusak, both for his incredible stories and for a wonderful evening. Denver's Tattered Cover bookstore also has my undying love for bringing amazing authors to visit. To buy Zusak's newest book, Bridge of Clay, click here. You can also read more about Zusak and his books on his website. (FYI–This post includes affiliate links. I promise to never recommend anything that I haven’t loved and think you should try!) Have you read The Book Thief or any of Markus Zusak's books? What's your favorite? Who is the author you would most love to meet? Who is someone you've already met and loved? Let me know in the comments!
For your practice writing sessions: 365 creative writing prompts, one for each day of the year.
Adopting a unique writing style can give you confidence, help you stand out, and more. Here’s some insight into how to develop your writing style and why it’s important.
When in doubt, scrapbook.
Struggling to achieve your goals and build good writing habits? Here's how you can work on creating an intentional writer life.
You are what you eat. If you're a writer, you may want to consider a few things about what stories you consume and how you consume them.
Despite the knowledge that someone knows exactly where you live, there are people who seem to think that horrible, annoying or just deeply petty behavior is acceptable. Even stranger, in the 21st century, it has never been easier to document insufferable behavior, including legally permissible evidence like videos and pictures.
Suggested reading: 3 Essential Exercises For Writing Endings
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Struggling through a first draft of a story or novel? Here are some of the best tips and quotes on first drafts from writers who have been there.
When life hands us situations that hurt, we sometimes want to push it away, hide it in a closet. It's too hard to bring it forth and try to deal with the misfortune. There are so many events in our life that create deep wounds and leave scars--the death of a spouse, losing a child, being in a terrible accident, losing a home to fire or a tornado, a difficult romance and break-up. The list could go on and on. I believe that writing about whatever happened has benefits. It is cathartic for the writer and can be a help to readers who have gone through a similar situation. You're a double winner if you aid both yourself and those readers who have been through something similar. It's definitely not easy to write about a tragedy in your life. It cannot always be done immediately after the event. For me, it took almost 30 years before I could write about the loss of two infants born three years apart. I wanted to but the time was not right for me to do that. When I finally was able to write about those two difficult times in my life, and my husband's, it seemed that a dam opened and I wrote one story after another. Did it help me? I think it finally brought the peace I had sought and not found all those earlier years. It also made me feel good that I brought something to others who had gone through a similar tragedy. I would not advise waiting such a long time to write, however. Hemingway's advice in our poster today is pretty direct but also wise. When you're writing about something that has hurt you deeply, it's best to address it head first. Some writers will tip-toe around whatever happened and perhaps infer but not really explain. That's not fair to you or your readers. If you decide to write about that deep hurt, do it the way the quote says--write hard and clear. Give the facts of what occurred but also reach into your mind for your feelings, your attitude, the way you dealt with it. This kind of writing is filled with emotion and should be. For you, the writer, it can be a blessed release. Occasionally, what you write will surprise you. You're not aware of some the buried thoughts you have. There are writers who can't or won't write about a hard time they experienced because they feel it is too personal to share with others. That's showing the difference in people and personalities. If you can't write about a hard time to share with others, do it for yourself. Write the story and how it affected you and put it away in a drawer or a safe deposit box or a computer file--somewhere that is just for you to see and read. There's nothing wrong in not sharing with others. The main thing is that writing about whatever hurt you will be of some help to you. If nothing else, you can realize exactly how the situation did affect you or how it may have changed you, Whether you write about tragedies in your life for yourself only or for others, as well, do write. It can't hurt and it certainly might help.
Travel introvert - after 8 years on the road, here are my thoughts about what it really is like to travel as an introvert.
If there is a writer in your life, you have my sympathy. I wanted to get that out of the way first thing. I feel sorry for MG having to put up with me, with late or no dinners, with unfolded laundr…
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13 Must-Have Mobile Apps for Writers. Writing has changed since the days of typewriter and correction fluid (remember the little bottle of white-out with the brush, remember how strong it smelled, how fast it dried, how fun it was?). Pen and paper have been replaced in many fields by smartphones, mo
“I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that I can later build sandcastles.”-Shannon Hale Here is one of my favorite wri…
I'm A Writer And I Live In Imagination To Survive In Reality
Suggested reading: What Is A Plot? – A Writer’s Resource
New writers have to handle a lot when they write their first novel. While you are writing, keep these 10 tips in mind to try to avoid or fix in your manuscript.
Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to be a writer, if you want it badly enough, or if you’re truly meant to be one? Below follows a list of 10 signs that you are meant to be a writer. Check out how many of them apply to you.
Common writing errors include SPAG, tense, POV and narration trouble, issues with argument, dialogue and more. Read tips to fix easy mistakes.
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Make a major difference in your life.
Yesterday, I shared my long range plans for assessment and the weekly schedule for my blended workshop. Today, we’re going to get into the nitty-gritty. (I will also be mailing out a lesson plan as part of my Five Days of Workshop Freebies, so be sure to sign up for the mailing list.)Every Monday, I will be […]
When reading the work of literary heroes like Jane Austen, or modern-day masters like Sally Rooney, it can be hard to imagine that they began with an empty page (or screen). It's strange to think that Victor Hugo turned a pen and parchment into the beautiful tale of The Hunback of Notre Dame. Or
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