Once upon a time, the only thing a writer needed to take care of was the writing itself. In modern times, with the rise of social media and self-publishing, a writer needs to do more. I and the other talented wordsmiths in my #6amAusWriters Twitter group refer to this as "authoring." Sometimes when we check in …
Concentration is hard to come by at the best of times, but as we're currently experiencing the worst of times, it's downright rare. Time to write is just as scarce some days, with new Coronavirus world responsibilities taking priority. When you do get the chance to write, you might find that diving straight into work …
Happy New Year, everyone! It's time to get out of that magical land between Christmas and New Year when you're full of chocolate and cheese and don't know what day it is. 2020 brings the chance to start afresh, kick off some resolutions, and get back into the writing game. If, like me, you took …
Continue reading Getting Back On The Writing Track After The Holidays
Writing a book takes time. Even if you're a fast drafter and can put something together in a matter of weeks instead of months or years, working through the multiple drafts it takes to reach the final draft is still tough. You're so exhausted at the end, that the thought of starting again at a blank …
When you've been working on your manuscript for several years, you've read it more than a few times. In fact, you've probably read it so much you can quote whole paragraphs from it. It's a side effect of reading your words repeatedly, and the editing, rewriting, proofing—and let's just throw another edit in there because …
Continue reading Reading Your Book: Thoughts That Run Through Your Head
When you’re a writer who works full time and/or has tiny humans to care for, sitting down to write can be impossible. You can go days without ever getting near your computer, let alone time to scribble a note on your phone or a scrap of paper. When you hit a rut like this, it …
Continue reading Incidental Writing: How To Write When Life Keeps You From Your Keyboard
So, it happened. You gave your manuscript to someone to read, expecting accolades, messages of praise, or at the very least, confirmation the story and characters are good—and the feedback wasn't what you were expecting. In fact, it signaled that your MS is bad. Really. Bad. While this kind of feedback is enough to crush …
One thing I love about writing is the days when the words just flow. Every sentence you pen down comes out near perfect, first time. Every transition to the next paragraph is effortless, and the ideas and inspiration seem limitless. What started as a blank page is now pages upon pages of pure writing gold! …
Writing is one of those activities where, no matter if you do it full time or crammed into lunch breaks, there's a never-ending to-do list attached. You've got to fill in plot holes, plan character arcs, script whole conversations, research how to poison people without drawing the attention of authorities, and then find the time …
Continue reading A Non-Overwhelming Writing Routine To Gain Control Of Your Endless To-Do List
