Creative Writing For Dummies Cheat Sheet Rewriting and editing helps to tighten up your work. But it can be difficult – what to chop and when to stop may not be clear, and you may change your mind more than once during the process. Ask yourself whether you need to take out: Unnecessary information and explanation. Passages of dialogue that go on too long. Clunky descriptions that give too much detail. You may need to add or expand: Something you know but have forgotten to tell the reader; perhaps the age of the main character. You may need to move: Dramatic sections to make a stronger opening. In your final edit: Check for grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes. The Egg Author's Note: The Egg is also available in the following languages: The Egg By: Andy Weir You were on your way home when you died. It was a car accident. And that’s when you met me. “What… what happened?” “You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. “There was a… a truck and it was skidding…” “Yup,” I said. “I… I died?” “Yup. You looked around. “More or less,” I said. “Are you god?” “Yup,” I replied. “My kids… my wife,” you said. “What about them?” “Will they be all right?” “That’s what I like to see,” I said. You looked at me with fascination. “Don’t worry,” I said. “Oh,” you said. “Neither,” I said. “Ah,” you said. “All religions are right in their own way,” I said. You followed along as we strode through the void. “Nowhere in particular,” I said. “So what’s the point, then?” “Not so!” I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. “You’ve been in a human for the last 48 years, so you haven’t stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness. “Oh lots. “Wait, what?” “Sure. “Just me?
Writer’s Digest - Writing Prompts Write a scene that includes a character speaking a different language, speaking in a thick accent, or otherwise speaking in a way that is unintelligibe to the other characters. (Note: You don't necessarily need to know the language the character is speaking—be creative with it!) Describe a character's reaction to something without explaining what it is. See if your fellow prompt responders can guess what it is. Write a story or a scene about one character playing a prank on another. Writing Prompt: Write a story that involves confusion over homonyms (words that have the same spelling but different meanings) or homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently). For World Storytelling Day, share the best story you've ever heard or told by word of mouth, or have a fictional character recount their favorite story. You're making your way down a cobbled street when a stocky, red-bearded man beckons you into an alley. Consider your handwriting, or a character's handwriting.
31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing How to find inspiration By Leo Babauta You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. - Jack London No matter how much you love writing, there will always be days when you need inspiration from one muse or another. In fact, I would argue that inspiration is not just a desirable thing, it’s an integral part of the writing process. Every writer needs to find inspiration in order to produce inspired writing. I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite ways of finding inspiration — some of them obvious, some of them less so. Blogs. “For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” - Vincent van Gogh If you liked this article, please share it by clicking on the share bar below. Photo courtesy of Seedling-Chaos The (nearly) Ultimate Guide to Better Writing Fill out the form below and get your copy immediately!
Gothic Conventions: Setting/Themes/Character/ Gothic Conventions: Setting/Themes/Character/ crallbri: *waves* I was talking with kaithos the other day when the idea to make this post occurred. So, for anyone interested in exploring themes and conventions appropriate for the gothic Ravenloft setting, here we go :) This should help with the writing of fiction as well as providing good ideas to use during game play. Feel free to contribute. "Goth" is a term that was applied to various Germanic tribes who ransacked southern Europe from 376-410 CE. The Gothic movement in literature, like Romanticism, is viewed as a reaction to Enlightenment rationalism, a return to the primitive. Gothic texts characteristically deal with difficult-to-express issues and anxieties. crallbri Kaithos: To stick with Crallbri’s ideas for this thread I would like to include a few ideas about what I think the Ravenloft setting is all about. Here is a link to a Gothic Cinema site. Kai :) crallbri: The Uncanny. Navigation
Traveling Lightly Through Life | zen habits ‘A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.’ ~Lao Tzu Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Francine Jay of Miss Minimalist. I’m often asked what inspired me to become a minimalist. The answer: I fell in love with traveling lightly. After over-packing on a few trips—and suffering the misery of lugging around a heavy suitcase—I vowed never to check a bag again. The experience was exhilarating! I began to edit the contents of my home with the same fervor as I had my suitcase. Lighten your load Excess possessions are like excess luggage: they can tie us down, get in the way, and drain our sense of energy and adventure. Conversely, the less stuff we have to worry about, the more nimble we become—and the better able to embrace new opportunities and experiences. To regain our freedom, we simply need to lighten our loads. Start with a clean slate. Question every item. Set limits. Use modules. Think versatility. Digitize. Live on the edge. Lighten your step
A Simple Novel Outline – 9 questions for 25 chapters « H.E. Roulo 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
WRITER'S TOOLBOX: 35 Best Tools for Writing Online terms & themes The gothic is a genre or style of literature that keeps showing up throughout Western literature—from images of hell to the novels of Stephen King—though it goes by various names like "horror," "terror," the grotesque or macabre, and it has many diverse features or elements that may or may not appear in this or that text: haunted houses / castles / woods mazes, labyrinths closed doors & secret passages / rooms light and dark interplay with shades of gray or blood-red colors fair & dark ladies twinning, doubling, & doppelgangers repressed fears & desires; memory of past crime or sin death & decay bad-boy Byronic heroes blood as visual spectacle and genealogy / ethnicity spectral or grotesque figures, lurid symbols creepy or startling sounds, screams in the night, groans from unknown rooms Elements of the gothic make a long list, and so do its literary genres: gothic novels or romances, horror films, thrillers, mysteries, film noir “goth” fashion and gothic rock or metal music
Ab Exercise STOP! Don’t do another crunch ab exercise. You have alternatives Abs are the most sought after body part. We want beautiful abs with no fat on top! While many of us stick to basic crunches and sit-ups, I am going to show you something new. Below are some ab exercises that I love to do. Take your time as you learn each ab exercise. What’s Your Favorite Ab Exercise? Plank Pose Start- Start in an upper push-up position. Go For It- Stay in this position as long as possible. Tips and Techniques- – Remember to breathe! – Pull your belly button into your spine. – If you feel this ab exercise in your lower back, lift your derriere up into the air a bit. – When you cannot hold on for another second, come down to all fours (hands and knees). – Plank Pose and Child’s Pose are two of many yoga poses that I use in my trainings. – This is my favorite ab exercise of all time. Leg Lowering Start- Begin by laying on your back. – Inhale as you lower your legs to the ground. Reverse Crunch Bicycle Ball Crunch
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