There’s a lot of work and emotion that goes into putting a book into the world. After all, it comes off the back of years of writing, self-doubt, triumphs, rejections, and elation. There are expectations too, your own and from others, but like the meticulous planning of your novel that went out the window with …
Continue reading Things To Accept When You Put A Book Into The World
When you start out in the writing community, you’re learning, and part of that process is seeing those before you rise. Just as you’re entering the query trenches, there are others being lifted out of them with agent representation and publishing deals, and you wait patiently for the day that person will be you. Before …
You may know it when you start, it might pop up when outlining, or you could have no clue until you’re writing the last chapter, but every book needs an ending, and every writer needs to work out the best kind to use. Luckily for us, there are plenty of options to choose from, such …
It’s often said that no one can be a harsher critic of a writer’s work than the writer themself. Not only are we the first readers, judges, and fans of our work, but we’re also the ones that tell ourselves that it sucks. Most of the time that’s right after we’ve typed “The End” and …
Continue reading 3 Essential Reminders For When (You Think) Your Manuscript Sucks
Just as procrastination, brilliant ideas, and crippling self-doubt are part of being a writer, the type of writer you are also contributes to the crafting of your words. For instance, if you’ve wondered why other writers seem to get things done and you’re struggling to write an opening paragraph, the perfectionist in you could be …
Continue reading What To Do When Your Writer-Type Stops You From Writing
Yes, that’s right, we’ve reached December again! That magical time when the weeks fly by in a flurry of to-do lists, gift buying, and trying to finish the goals we wanted to achieve this year before next year’s new ones kick in. It’s a frantic time, especially for writers on deadlines or those fresh off …
Continue reading More Holiday Gifts For The Writer In Your Life
Recently, I received some feedback from beta readers after sending them what seemed like the millionth version of my latest WIP. Already up to draft 9, I was hoping this was the one where I’d ironed out the problems raised in the previous round of feedback. I had not. The issues were still there, and …
Continue reading What To Do When You’ve Made A Mess Of Your MS
If you read last week’s blog post, you’ll know we looked at some common writing gremlins, such as overwriting, multiple gestures, extra staging, etc (check out the full post here). When the post went live, a few readers commented on underwriting being one of their gremlins. As a chronic overwriter, underwriting hadn’t occurred to me, …
While you might not be a writer of action-based books, chances are if there’s any type of conflict in your novel, you may have to write an action scene. I did, after starting my YA series, Blackbirch. For a book about teens with magickal abilities, there ended up being a few scenes that required me …
K.M. Allan 