Viewing entries in
writing
It’s impossible to achieve writing success without making a few (or many) mistakes in the process. Mistakes are a necessary part of improving your writing. However, many new writers will often make the same mistakes repeatedly when starting out. With that in mind, here are some common mistakes made by new (and experienced) writers. Read on to see if they apply to you!
Ask a reader why they like a story and they are likely to mention the characters. Your reader must care about your characters. If you have boring characters, it doesn’t matter how engaging your story or how eloquently written, your readers will lose interest. Characters bring your story to life. And, it’s not just your characters themselves that make the story engaging, it’s the change they undergo throughout the story. This is the character arc.
One of the questions writers are asked the most is ‘where do you get your ideas from?’ Generally, this question is met with a shrug of the shoulders, a rolling of the eyes or a flippant reply. Many authors find it difficult to articulate where their ideas come from because they arrive in such a variety of ways. The truth is story ideas are all around us, we just have to be open to the possibility of them.
Many writers struggle with the middle. It’s at this point that your story is likely to wander off as you wrestle the two ends of your tale together. You may find yourself suffering from writer’s block as your characters reach a lull in the action or you’re simply unsure of what comes next. Luckily, this is a problem that has many solutions! In this article, we’ll look at what you can do to avoid a sagging middle.
Many writers, whether complete beginners or seasoned authors, struggle with the question: “Should I use story structure to guide my writing?”
With story structure, you have a clear set of plot points and story beats to work towards—and for some writers, that is unacceptably restrictive. So the question becomes—how can you use story structure, without giving in to a formula?
Nailing your plot can be problematic. It sounds straight-forward. After all, it’s just the telling of your story. The difficulty, however, is telling that story in such a way that the reader is enticed by the characters and compelled to find out what happens. That’s where plot questions come in. These 5 questions will help you plan out your story so you avoid common writing pitfalls and begin writing with a clear outline.
The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has seen an abrupt and significant change in our daily lives. For a large proportion of us, this means self-isolation and more time at home. As this new reality sets in you may find yourself with more time on your hands. For some, it’s the perfect time to finally write that novel. The one you are always saying you’ll write someday. So, how can you maximize your writing productivity during quarantine without losing your sanity? Here are my top tips to make the most of your newfound time.
All compelling stories begin with strong fictional characters. Plot is vital but it’s well-developed characters that make the events in your plot matter. Characters drive your story, creating conflicts and resolutions as they overcome obstacles and pursue their goals. They are the lens through which the reader experiences your story. Creating characters that become more than cardboard cut-outs, that breathe real life into your story can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are some key questions you can ask to ensure that your characters are well developed.
James Patterson and John Grisham swear by it. Stephen King and Margaret Atwood are dead set against it. Outlining is not for every writer, nor is there one right way to outline your novel. As with all things writing, the trick is to find what works for you. To get you started, here are six tried and tested ways to outline a novel.
‘Your writing room should be private, a place where you go to dream.’ – Stephen King
Where do you normally write? While your salary and lifestyle might not allow for an idyllic remote writing retreat that doesn’t mean that you can’t make your writing space a productive sanctuary.
With just hours to go until thousands of writers around the globe pick up pens, dust off their laptops and attempt to write a 50,000-word novel in the space of 30 days, you might find feeling more than a little unprepared. This article, my slightly-stressed out future novelist friends, is for you! There is no time to waste so let’s have a look at how you can pull together a last-minute plan to get you across the NaNoWriMo finish line.
Some writing days are going to more productive than others. On some days the words will flow, on others it’s like trying to cut down a tree with a herring. If you don’t make your word count for a day don’t beat yourself up. On some days you'll inevitably struggle to write anything down, the plot will seem to be falling apart and writing anything will feel like a chore. Every writer has days like these. Days when we feel like giving up. Here’s how to continue to love your writing, even on days when nothing seems to be working.
As a writer, you know how satisfying to have a flash of creative inspiration and feel that you just can’t type the words fast enough. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen every day. The reality is that you’re going to have days when you don’t feel motivated to write at all. Learning to say motivated is a valuable skill for any writer to learn. After all, if you waited around to feel 100% motivated before you write anything then your book may never get written. So let’s look at what you can do to stay inspired to write.
Think you don’t have time to write? Think again. The truth is even the busiest person can find time to write, be it as little as ten minutes a day. Many famous authors including Anne Rice, Toni Morrison and Harper Lee wrote their books while holding down full-time jobs and many authors continue to write while juggling family commitments. The truth is we all have the same amount of time in a day and it’s up to us what we do with it. Here are six ways authors fit writing into their lives.
Whether your goal is to release more books, complete NaNoWriMo or get that first draft down before the idea evaporates, almost every writer would love to write faster. To make writing a viable career, you need to produce quality books regularly. And while a well-written book can take time, there are some habits that can help you speed up the process, without losing any of the quality.
It happens to almost every writer at some point and many successful authors have suffered the frustrating inertia of writer’s block. Yet it's very existence continues to be highly contested, with many authors arguing that writer's block is simply an excuse for not writing. Others say it's another name for paralyzing self-doubt and anxiety. Regardless of how you define it, how do you start writing again when you have come to a standstill? We look at some of the best strategies around to get you moving again.
Struggling to make progress with your writing? Lacking motivation or find yourself procrastinating rather than doing the work? Sticking with writing goals can be challenging. Especially given that writers are often working in isolation with self-imposed goals and schedules. In this post, we look at 7 simple strategies to hit those writing goals.
In need of some mid-year writing motivation? We’ve made a bunch of free downloadable backgrounds to keep you writing. Just one glance at your phone and you’ll know that you need to put it down and pick up that pen!
You started out strong, full-of-inspiration, ready to do-this-thing. Yet now you find yourself marooned in the middle of Camp Nanowrimo, having serious doubts about your novel. Do not, I repeat, do not give up now. You have done an amazing job to get this far. Today I’m turning to our author interviews for the best advice on how to beat back those self-doubt demons and power the rest of the way through, even when you think your writing stinks.
The most important part of being a writer is writing. Yet so many would-be authors tell themselves ‘I will get around to writing the book eventually’. The good news is that rewiring your brain and changing your habits is possible. The first step of putting fingers to keyboard is recognizing what is holding you back.
