Do you dream of becoming a writer but find yourself questioning your own ability to write? You night just need a little inner encouragement. Begin by not comparing your writing to great authors. They spent years developing their skills and talents. Instead, read extremely trashy works by hack authors or in a genre that youContinue reading “Writing Inspiration: Read Trashy Writing”
Category Archives: Getting Started
Writing Inspiration: Be in Right Mindset
Part of motivating yourself to do anything is to be in the right mindset. Before sitting down to write today, tell yourself the following: “I am writing for my own pleasure. The more I write, the better I will get at it. If my writing today is horrible, that doesn’t matter; it soon will getContinue reading “Writing Inspiration: Be in Right Mindset”
Writing Affirmation: A Real Writer Doesn’t Quit
The moment you write – even if not a published author – you are a writer. The moment you stop, you cease to be one. And by “stop” I don’t mean pause for the day so you can sleep, cook or shower. I mean when you give up on writing, thinking you’ll never master theContinue reading “Writing Affirmation: A Real Writer Doesn’t Quit”
4 Great Tips on Outlining Your Story
After you come up with a story idea, try outlining it before jumping into writing the first draft. Outlining forces you to think about and plan out your story so that you don’t later suffer writing block or find yourself with a mess that needs a major revision. Here are four great tops for outliningContinue reading “4 Great Tips on Outlining Your Story”
Should You Switch to Creative Writing Software?
For many writers, the software program Microsoft Word often feels like a glorified typewriter. Its complex page functions, lack of vertical justification, confusing Track Changes, and many other issues often are a source of great frustration when writing books. If that sounds like your reaction when using MS Word, then creative writing software might be theContinue reading “Should You Switch to Creative Writing Software?”
Five Great Quotations about What is a Writer
“The standard personality type for a writer is a shy megalomaniac.” – John Lanchester “Authors were shy, unsociable creatures, atoning for their lack of social aptitude by inventing their own companions and conversations.” – Agatha Christie “We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again.” – Kelly Marcel & Sue Smith “By his very profession, a seriousContinue reading “Five Great Quotations about What is a Writer”
Writing Inspiration: Take a Risk
Risk often means mistakes will be made. If you knew exactly what to do and simply had to follow the steps to certain success, there would be no risk. Maybe what you’re writing is too safe, given your skills and interests. To grow as a writer, try a plot or a literary device you’ve never usedContinue reading “Writing Inspiration: Take a Risk”
Last Step in Writing: Place Book in Final Form
Generally when putting together a book or any other publication, writers follow a process that typically includes brainstorming (coming up with the story idea), outlining, writing a first draft, and revising. The final step in this process is final form, or formatting the manuscript. This step usually was only done once the text had reached the exact version that the writer wanted. The manuscript thenContinue reading “Last Step in Writing: Place Book in Final Form”
The ‘Thinking Step’ when Writing Your Book
If you’re putting your pen to paper or fingers to keyboard for the first time on a story, you really aren’t starting at all. You probably “started” writing the piece some time before – in your head. That “thinking step” is known in the writing process as brainstorming. It is where you come up with the idea forContinue reading “The ‘Thinking Step’ when Writing Your Book”
How to Come Up with a Great Pen Name
Should you decide that you want to use a pen name, the question then arises as to what you pseudonym should be. You’ll probably want to brainstorm several names then think about which one sounds best before going with it. After all, this name will be on your book’s cover, Amazon.com page, and a dozen (ifContinue reading “How to Come Up with a Great Pen Name”