Category: Writing Tips

Tips For Being a Writer

Writing Tips

by Anne-Laure Thiéblemont,  @LeFrenchBookThe_Collector_cover_2880_1800

I just wanted to write. How I dreamed of that when I had nothing but a day job. Yet, if I hadn’t had that job, how could I give my stories the same realism? What I do know is that writing means I lead a double life. It’s a job, it’s a craft, it demands do it regularly and alone. Here are some tips I have picked up from my life as both a reporter and a fiction writer.

– There is no writing without passion. If your drive comes from anywhere else—wanting to make a living or be recognized and admired—you had best do something else.

– Find the time—take it from your sleep, your vacation, your time with others, your family life. I recommend at least three hours a day.Continue reading

Pantsers, Outliners, Savor Readers and Fuel Readers: Writer Beware

Business of Writing, Writing Tips

by Barry Knister, @BarryKnisterDeep-North---Front-Cover-_Final_-_4-16-15__B_

“Pantser” and “Outliner” are terms used by writers to describe different approaches to writing novels. The CEO of the very good website you’re visiting, Elizabeth Spann Craig has written effectively in personal terms on the subject.

In over-simplified terms, pantsers write as inspiration dictates, by the seat of their pants, whereas outliners do advance planning in the form of outlines before they begin writing their work.

Outliners are often both envied and pitied by pantsers. Outliners strike pantsers as drudges, people better suited to accounting or shredding documents. To a committed pantser, the very idea of outlining drains all the joy of discovery from the act of creation by approaching the job of writing as just that. A job, work.

At the same time, pantsers often experience bouts of wistful regret about not outlining. They don’t impose order and system on what they do, thus leaving themselves at the mercy of inspiration, alcohol, controlled and not-so-controlled substances, the muse, metabolism, and shifts in barometric pressure.Continue reading

Twitterific Writing Links

Twitterific, Writing Tips

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engineBlog (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

When the Beginning Isn’t the Beginning:  http://ow.ly/PMD7I @aejonesauthor

How to Create Shareworthy Twitter Images and Visuals:  http://ow.ly/PMDoD @kevanlee

Tips On Writing And Productivity:  http://ow.ly/PMDfG @thecreativepenn

10 Writing Productivity Hacks:  http://ow.ly/PMDsD @nownovel            Continue reading

Writing a New Genre

Motivation and the Writing Life, Uncategorized, Writing Tips

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraigunnamed

After a really nice vacation to Alaska (where it wasn’t even close to the 100 degrees F we’ve had here in NC), I had a few things to deal with.  A lot of unpacking, a suitcase that decided to hang out in Dallas, TX, instead of following us home,  and a book to finish.

I’d hoped to finish the book during my vacation.  I did get a lot written, but it wasn’t quite finished.  I finally knocked out the last bit yesterday and then quickly cleaned it up to send it along to my freelance editor.

This book was an interesting project for me.  It was an attack book…one that forced me to write it.  It’s been bugging me for three years.  I’ve got several other things to work on right now, but I scheduled time to work on this one.

I’d no idea how difficult it would be to write.  I ran a couple of weeks over my self-imposed deadline.  I’m happy with the finished product, but…it was a bear to write. Continue reading

Twitterific Writing Links

Twitterific, Writing Tips

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engineBlog (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Tips for Novelizing True Events:  http://ow.ly/NOfdX  @kcraftwriter

Creating a Scene Outline for Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/NOeWF @JodieRennerEd

The exploitation of writers:  publishing contracts: http://ow.ly/Oh7o2 @Porter_Anderson @AuthorsGuild

Sources of Public Domain Lyrics:  http://ow.ly/NOfDN @HelenSedwick

5 Ranged Weapons That Can Replace Bows:  http://ow.ly/NOf3W @mythcreants by Mike Hernandez

How to Avoid Head-Hopping: http://ow.ly/NOeRT @JodieRennerEdContinue reading

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