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
When in doubt, scrapbook.
America is not the whole world. Now I have nothing against Americans or even America as a whole but you have to admit, there are a lot of stories that make it a not so safe place for anyone who does not bleed red and blue. I am not saying all Americans are like this
Common writing errors include SPAG, tense, POV and narration trouble, issues with argument, dialogue and more. Read tips to fix easy mistakes.
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.
The balance of life as an artist and writer living and working in Wales: or, how to ignore housework.
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.
I asked my Instagram followers,“What are some signs of amateurish writing, in your opinion?” Here are the results!
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!! :)
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
"Writing is 10% typing and 90% staring at your computer trying to find a better way to describe someone eating a piece of toast."
Have you made these common beginner writer mistakes? Here's how to eliminate them from your writing so you can write better stories.
I asked my audience which things would make them quit a novel.
Here's some encouragement to help you through National Novel Writing Month. Remember, even your favorite writers were once in your position.
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
Visit the post for more.
Genius, captured on camera.
Suggested reading: What Is A Plot? – A Writer’s Resource
Fiction University is a site dedicated to helping writers and authors improve their writing craft and their publishing careers.
A Case of the Writes is a blog dedicated to helping aspiring writers develop their voice and finish their stories. Bi-weekly posts detail writing tips and tricks.
The best creative writing exercises help you practise your writing skills in a fun way. Check out these writing exercises and writing prompts for adults.
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.
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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.
Memes are the best medicine.
You need to market yourself as a writer if you want to make a living writing! The goal here is to help you become an authentic marketer.
Writers need apps to increase productivity and organization when on the go. This is a top 5 list of writing apps that every writer should use
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…
Because mistakes are the portals of discovery.
Use some expert help from top professionals in any academic field! Hire a Writer => https://bit.ly/click_me_for_help <= We take pride in our solid team of professional academic writers available 24/7 to serve your requests. 👌 6 Reasons to Try a Single-Point Rubric | Edutopia For example, a holistic rubric might describe an A essay using the following criteria: “The essay has a clear, creative thesis statement and a consistent overall argument. The essay is 2–3 pages long, demonstrates correct MLA formatting and grammar, and provides a complete works cited page.” Then it would list the ...
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.
If you've ever asked yourself, "Am I a good writer?" then this post is for you. These 7 things tell the good writers from the bad.
John Green, author of beloved YA novels such as The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, once described writing as “a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. While amusing, the quote points to an overwhelming belief that writing is something you do alone, without anyone else. In some ways this is true, and it’s part of the beauty of writing: you get to create your own world and your own characters, and then make them into real, live ink-filled things. But writing is far from a solitary pursuit. Of course you have editors and agents and publishers as the process gets farther along, but even before that, it’s important to have a community built up around you. A writing and editing group Okay, this is probably the most obvious one. It’s important to have a group of other writers you can meet with regularly, preferably in person. I found one through the website Meet Up, and spend every other Saturday morning writing with them and discussing our writing. The other writers vary widely in genre, stage of the process, writing style, and just about every other aspect of writing, but all are welcome, and we all learn from each other. I suggest using Meet Up to find a group, or checking at your local library to see if they host a group. If you can’t find one that exists, then make one! You can create a group on Meet Up, or talk to people at school, church, work—wherever you think there might be other people interested in meeting regularly, and just go for it. Critique partner and confidant This may grow out of the writing group, but you need somebody who is your trusted “writing person.” If you’re a Grey’s Anatomy fan, you know that your “person” is who you’d call if you murdered somebody and needed help hiding the body. Your “writing person” is who you call when you might as well have murdered your story with the terrible draft you just wrote, or you want to murder your story because nothing seems to be working…you get the idea. They won’t let you get away with bad writing, but they’ll be gentle about it. They’re a writer also, and you help each other by swapping drafts and editing, by bouncing ideas off each other, and by encouraging each other when the going gets tough. It can take a while to build up to this, but it’s worth it. Online community This is wide ranging, and depends on your level of internet interaction. For some people this means Twitter and other social media, and I definitely use that. It’s encouraging to follow other authors who are farther along in the process than me, and know that it can be done. I also pay to be a part of the Young Writers’ Workshop, for writers under 30. In addition to lessons, workshops, and interviews with published authors, there’s a community website that’s a little like Facebook, but only for members. We ask questions, get edits, share quotes, and make friends. It’s honestly one of the best things that’s happened for my writing life in a long time. The internet means you’re no longer limited to your geographical area in terms of finding a group, and that’s a wonderful thing. Reach out to people, discover new perspectives, and get inspired. Your mentor Having a mentor is incredibly important, but also a little scary. They should be someone who is farther along in the writing process than you, and can help you when you have questions, whether it’s about crafting your story or the publishing process. For this reason, they should also ideally be writing in a genre similar to what you write. Again, the internet is a wonderful thing, so they don’t necessarily need to live near you. They just have to be willing to communicate regularly, maybe via email, phone, or Skype, so you can ask questions and get their feedback. Your circle of friends and family Finally, the non-writers in your community: friends and family. Bless these people, who are willing to put up with you stopping mid-sentence to write down a thought for a new story and staying up at weird hours because you got into the groove of writing and you can’t stop or it’ll never come back. They put up with a lot from you, so never ever think they’re not a crucial part of your community. If your spouse, parents, or other significant person in your life doesn’t support your writing career, that needs to change. It’s important to sit down with them and discuss why you are truly passionate about writing, and why you want to make a career out of it. If you’re new to it, it may take some time to show you are actually dedicated to sticking with it, but it will happen. We need these people around to encourage us when we’re convinced we’re the worst, keep us grounded when we’re full of ourselves, and eventually to pop the champagne when we sign our first book contract! Never underestimate those people, and when you can manage to take your head out of the clouds long enough, be sure to thank them a million times for supporting you. Building a community takes time, so don’t expect it to happen overnight. Take advantage of the resources around you to find people you work well with. You could write a book just by locking yourself away until it’s finished, but I promise you it’s a lot harder, and a lot less fun. As writers, your book feels like your baby, and so it follows that it takes a village to raise it. Where did you find your community? How has it affected your writing life? Let me know in the comments! [caption id=attachment_409 align=aligncenter width=461] If you liked this post, pin it to share and save for later![/caption]
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.
Are you a creative writer? Check out what you might be doing wrong and improve your craft!
Want to write a book but don't know where to start? Learn how to start writing a book for beginners with these tips to kickstart your book-writing journey.
