Words I Never Want to See in Your Novel. Please. Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers. Twain's Rules of Writing. 1. A tale shall accomplish something and arrive somewhere. 2. The episodes of a tale shall be necessary parts of the tale, and shall help develop it. 3.
The personages in a tale shall be alive, except in the case of corpses, and that always the reader shall be able to tell the corpses from the others. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. An author should 12. More on WritingHome. 25 Things Every Writer Should Know. An alternate title for this post might be, “Things I Think About Writing,” which is to say, these are random snidbits (snippets + tidbits) of beliefs I hold about what it takes to be a writer. I hesitate to say that any of this is exactly Zen (oh how often we as a culture misuse the term “Zen” — like, “Whoa, that tapestry is so cool, it’s really Zen“), but it certainly favors a sharper, shorter style than the blathering wordsplosions I tend to rely on in my day-to-day writing posts.
Anyway. Peruse these. Absorb them into your body. Let your colonic flora digest them and feed them through your bloodstream to the little goblin-man that pilots you. Feel free to disagree with any of these; these are not immutable laws. Buckle up. 1. The Internet is 55% porn, and 45% writers. 2. A lot of writers try to skip over the basics and leap fully-formed out of their own head-wombs. 3. 4. I have been writing professionally for a lucky-despite-the-number 13 years. 5. Luck matters. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. A Simple Novel Outline - 9 questions for 25 chapters & H.E. Roulo - StumbleUpon.
Just as every tree is different but still recognizably a tree, every story is different but contains elements that make it a story. By defining those before you begin you clarify the scope of your work, identify your themes, and create the story you meant to write. At Norwescon 2011 I sat in on a session called Outline Your Novel in 90-minutes led by Mark Teppo. I’ll give you the brief, readable, synthesized version. Answer 9 questions and create 25 chapter titles and you’re there.
Here are the 9 questions to create a novel: 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.) Now, with those 9 questions answered to your satisfaction, try to fill in a 25 chapter, 75,000 word outline. Chapters 7-18 are the middle of your book. Chapters 19-25 depict the heroic act to victory. Wasn’t that easy? Okay, sure, the work isn’t done yet. Using the idea that there are 25 chapters, I outlined my current work in progress. I hope that was helpful.
Tell me what works for you. Related 6 Steps to Masterful Writing Critiques. 11 Goal Hacks: How to Achieve Anything — PsyBlog - StumbleUpon. Goal-setting research on fantasising, visualisation, goal commitment, procrastination, the dark side of goal-setting and more… We’re all familiar with the nuts and bolts of goal-setting. We should set specific, challenging goals, use rewards, record progress and make public commitments (if you’re not familiar with these then check out this article on how to reach life goals). So how come we still fail? This psychological research suggests why and what mindsets should help us reach our goals. 1. Stop fantasising The biggest enemy of any goal is excessive positive fantasising. 2. The reason we don’t achieve our goals is lack of commitment. One powerful psychological technique to increase commitment is mental contrasting. 3.
You can use the Zeigarnik effect to drag you on towards your goal. What the Zeigarnik effect teaches is that one weapon for beating procrastination is starting somewhere…anywhere. 4. 5. When we miss our target, we can fall foul of the what-the-hell-effect. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Ten Steps for Boosting Your Creativity. Mindmap. 42 Essential 3rd Act Twists. How fiction can change reality - Jessica Wise. How to Read a Book was first written in 1940.
It elaborates on ways to effectively read books from several different genres. It was revised in the 1970's to include a list of the top books you should read. Take a look to see how many of the books on the list you have read. An article on how to become an author. Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States of America, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. What makes a hero? - Matthew Winkler. The Hero Archetype in Literature, Religion, and Popular Culture: (along with a useful PowerPoint presentation teachers can download at this URL: )Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (users embark on their own hero's journey): American Masters Lesson from PBS for Teachers on George Lucas, the Power of Myth, and the Hero's Journey: an interactive approach to the Hero's Journey: of course, information about Joseph Campbell's works on the subject, on the Joseph Campbell Foundation site:The Hero With A Thousand Faces Hero's Journey (semi-biographical film):
Twenty Rules of Thumb for Creativity. Twenty Rules of Thumb for Creativity 1. The best way to get great ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away. 2. Create ideas that are fifteen minutes ahead of their time...not light-years ahead. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. If you have some other rules of thumb for creativity, Send them to me e-mail Return to Tools Page here.
How To Lead A Creative Life [Infographic] | Fast Company. [Close Window] By Jason Feifer Our complete guide to making your inner genius your greatest on-the-job asset. Back to article >> Infographic by Pop Chart Lab. Creative Gibberish. Divergent thinking – more than a mere tool – is a technique very commonly used on creative activities because it allows us to expand our brains a little bit, by looking for new opportunities and ways of getting things done. So, from the problem – or whatever triggers your creativity – to the solution, instead of taking obvious steps and walking on a straight line, you force yourself to see different aspects of the situation, using unusual points of view, no matter how abstract of absurd they seem at the first place.
This can be done by allowing everyone to think more freely while working on the task, gathering ideas that have the slightest relation to the problem itself rather than looking straight for a practical solution. Though it might sound like a waste of time, many corporations have found appealing answers to their problems by using such method. Another misconception around the divergent thinking is that the creative process should be all about it. Geek vs. Nerd: The Infographic. Perfecting Your First Page: 3 Tasks or Exercises. Delacroix, Faust Trying to Seduce Margarete (detail) Over the weekend, I was a speaker at the Missouri Writers Guild conference (a terrific group of people and an impeccably run event). One of my sessions focused on evaluating the first page of your novel or memoir manuscript. Here are 3 of the best exercises or tasks you might undertake when thinking about your first page and how you can improve it before sending it to agents or editors.
What is the absolute latest moment in the manuscript you can begin your story, and still not leave out anything that’s critical to the story problem? Most manuscripts I read should really start somewhere between page 5 and page 30. Bonus tip: Highlight every adjective, adverb, and modifying phrase. If you enjoyed this advice, you can check out my basic slide presentation on evaluating your first page. Inspiring Picture Quotes. 36 Tips for Writing Just About Anything | Writing Tips. Basic tips for writing just about anything. There’s a lot more to writing than just typing words. Writing well takes years of study, practice, and experience. It requires diligence and attention to detail, study and dedication to the craft. Each project has a unique set of requirements and different types of writing have different rules.
For example, when we’re writing fiction, we have one set of concerns (character, plot, and theme, to name a few) and when we’re writing poetry, we have en entirely different set of issues to deal with. Basically, writers have to keep a lot of balls in the air. Tips for Writing With that in mind, here are 36 tips for writing just about anything.
Start with a plan. And that’s not all… This list might seem overwhelming, but it just covers the basics. But these tips for writing are a good start. Do you have any tips for writing to add to this list? About Melissa DonovanMelissa Donovan is a website designer and copywriter. Top 10 Sentence Slip-Ups. Good writing comes down to two totally different factors: solid prose and “it.” The latter is that special something that brings stories to life, infuses vibrancy into characters and themes, and just basically makes stories work. But an author who has been blessed with all the “it” in the world still won’t make it if he isn’t also able to convey the essence of his genius in well-ordered, properly structured sentences and paragraphs.
Creating correct sentences is a technical process that offers set guidelines for getting the structure right. Within those guidelines, we have the opportunity to flex our creative muscles in all kinds of unique ways (and even to occasionally burst the bounds of those guidelines if we have good reason for doing so). But in discovering how and where to flex in order to tap our prose potential without inappropriately bursting those bounds, we should first learn to spot the most prevalent sentence slips-ups and know when to eliminate them from our stories. 1.
Make Your Writing Stronger. We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master. ~Ernest Hemingway How strong is your writing? No matter how good you think it is, there’s always room for improvement. In most cases, plenty of room. (***By the way, have you seen this amazing online creative writing course, “Story Is a State of Mind,” created by Giller finalist Sarah Selecky? Want to strengthen your story, empower your performance, and beef up on the publishing business? Here are 23 sites (in no particular order) I look to for daily inspiration and advice: PS If you find this list useful, please share it on Twitter, Facebook or StumbleUpon – I’d really appreciate it! 4) Query Shark A query critique site you don’t want to miss. 5) Men with Pens Fantastic articles on copywriting and freelancing. 6) Ask Allison Writing and publishing Q&A by novelist Allison Winn Scotch. 10) Pub Rants Self-proclaimed “very nice literary agent,” Kristin Nelson, rants about writing and publishing.
Book Ideas for Young Writers. 10 Laws of Productivity. You might think that creatives as diverse as Internet entrepreneur Jack Dorsey, industrial design firm Studio 7.5, and bestselling Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami would have little in common. In fact, the tenets that guide how they – and exceptionally productive creatives across the board – make ideas happen are incredibly similar. Here are 10 laws of productivity we’ve consistently observed among serial idea executors: 1. Break the seal of hesitation. A bias toward action is the most common trait we’ve found across the hundreds of creative professionals and entrepreneurs we’ve interviewed.
While preparing properly as you start a new project is certainly valuable, it’s also easy to lose yourself in planning (and dreaming) indefinitely. We must challenge ourselves to take action sooner rather than later. 2. When our ideas are still in our head, we tend to think big, blue sky concepts. 3. Trial and error is an essential part of any creative’s life. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself.
60 insane cloud formations from around the world [PICs] Cloud varieties go way beyond the cumulus, stratus, and cirrus we learn about in elementary school. Check out these wild natural phenomena. STANDING IN A CORNFIELD IN INDIANA, I once saw a fat roll cloud (like #4 below) float directly over my head. It’s a 12-year-old memory that remains fresh. There was a moment of mild panic just as the cloud reached me — Is this what a tornado looks like right before it hits?
I thought. This is some freaky unnatural shit and I do not know how I’m supposed to react. I imagine a lot of these photographers having similar hesitations as they set up for the shots below. 23 incredible new technologies you’ll see by 2021. Behavior, Bird Identification Skills, Bird ID. 33 Ways To Stay Creative. Writing Meaningful Description. A Collection Of “The Best…” Lists On Writing. How to Stay Inspired (for Writers and Artists): 12 steps (with pictures) Fifty (50!) Tools which can help you in Writing - Stepcase Lifeh. Themes & Things To Keep In Mind When Writing Fantasy Stories and Adventures » Daily Encounter.
73 Ways to Become a Better Writer | Copyblogger - StumbleUpon. Strategy List: 35 Dimensions of Critical Thought. Tone/Attitude Words. Words I Never Want to See in Your Novel. Writers' Workshop | Characterisation. Howstuffworks "How Knights Work"
25 Things You Should Know About Character - StumbleUpon. 25 Virtues Writers Should Possess. How to Flesh out a Country or Region in Your Fantasy RPG World - The Thing About Sub-Plots. The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations. The 10 Types of Writers' Block (and How to Overcome Them) 5 Ways To Add Sparkle To Your Writing.
Write Fiction that Grabs Readers from Page One. The 4 Story Structures that Dominate Novels. How to Make Your Novel a Page Turner. An anti-hero of one’s own - Tim Adams. A Simple Novel Outline – 9 questions for 25 chapters « H.E. Roulo.