Writers in the middle of a first draft like:

The next chapter drops tomorrow…

Fantasy lovers, rejoice! The next chapter of Demon Age: Will of Shadows launches tomorrow.

How far would you go to save your skin?

Spending some time with my main #WIP tonight, a novel about the story of Anne Boleyn. Working on the particularly trying epic of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. He sacrificed his prized possessions in order to save his skin from King Henry VIII. Spoiler: it didn’t work.

How far would you go to save your skin? Would you give up your most prized possessions? Do any of your characters do anything crazy to try and save their own skin?

Throwing that query / proposal out there like:

Rereading that last scene you wrote:

Draft One: I mean, you showed up, and that’s all that really matters. Being the underwriter that I am, I usually don’t even finish my first drafts. This is half because I work my way into corners, and half because I don’t actually know where the story is going. There’s no plot or character development to speak of, but the good thing about this one is at least you see that before you keep going.

Draft Two: This one’s all about seeing where the first draft went wrong and changing it so that this time, you actually reach the end. You still have the wrong villain, and nothing makes sense, but it makes slightly more sense than the first draft. You see your mistakes, but you still keep going. Why do you keep going?

Draft Three: “Hey, I can fix that!” No, you can’t. “There’s so much from Draft Two I can reuse!” Haha, no. No you can’t. This is the one that fools you. You think you know what all the issues are, and you think you know how to fix them. You also think that this is the shit. And then you reread it a couple of times and it’s not the shit, it’s just shit. This is usually where my writing most closely resembles the idea I had in my head.

Draft Four: Okay, so maybe the idea in your head didn’t exactly fit the criteria for a good novel. You cut up draft three, you rewrite and Frankenstein the scenes around. You mean some authors only go through three drafts? Sounds fake. You wish that you wrote it this way in the first place. Doubt sets in. It’s been there for a while, but during this draft it really seeps into your bones. Maybe this story just isn’t good enough to make it through all these rounds of revision? 

Draft Five: Draft five comes long after you thought you’d just give up already. You think you see where your plot issues are, finally. Finally, you think you know how to fix it. And you set off again to sail over uncertain waters, only this time your developed characters and strong worldbuilding is by your side. 

…To be updated once I make it past draft five. 

yourlocalwriterblog:

Some genres shy away from antagonists that take the form of a person or physical being. Adult contemporary especially tends to focus on internal antagonism. Side antagonists can be found in all types of stories, though, and they don’t all have to be a person. It’s good to mix it up and keep it interesting!

Here are examples of metaphorical antagonists:

• Self-doubt
  
• Mental illness
  
• Grief
• Impulsive/risky behavior
• Nature/Weather/Natural disasters
• Physical illness
• Poverty, Bills, and Debt
• Insecurity
• Family legacy
• Laws, Rules, and Protocol
• Monotony 
• Soul-crushing job
• School
• Loveless relationship
• Aloneness/Isolation
• Lack of resources
• Night time (or day time)

Feel free to add more!

A Guide to Slashing Word Count

A while back, I posted a compilation of advice that I’d received from other writers before trying to cut down my 120,000 word YA fantasy manuscript. Six months later, it’s at 100,000 – a far more acceptable number. It was a brutal task, but a necessary one and I’m here to share the key strategies that helped me cut the big chunks:

• Cut Characters – Big cast? Remove subplot-only bois and mains who either don’t influence the plot or whose role could be carried out by another.
• Cut Scenes – If they don’t directly advance the plot, cut completely. If they serve some purpose, try merging scenes to reduce intro/outro/location content. One long scene is shorter than two short scenes.
• Reduce Locations – Within a chapter, visit as few locations as possible to avoid extra descriptions. This is also relevant across the book, as you won’t need to go into detail about a location more than once.
• Cut Pre Scene and Post Scene – This can either be by starting the scene later (getting straight to the point) and ending it earlier or condensing the pre and post scene content. As a rule of thumb, a pre-scene should be 500 max.
• Have Clear Motivations – If your characters’ motivations are too complex, explaining/showing them will take up too much space. Nuance can grow over time.
• Get to the Heart of Your Story – Carrying on from the last point, maybe try writing a pitch and synopsis so that you better understand what’s at the heart of your story, that way you can whittle down anything outside of that with the brutality needed for reducing word count.

Now, go forth and kill your darlings!

Then come back for part 2 where I’ll be talking about the line-level (micro) cuts that really do add up!

Slashing Your Word Count

A guide for over-writers. 

So there I was, sitting in front of my 120,000 word YA Fantasy manuscript having a breakdown. Why? you ask. Well, because I want to be traditionally published and no one will buy a YA debut that long. 

Why not? This answer would a post on its own. Or a 24 minute video. Luckily Alexa Donne has already done that work and you can watch it here. 

Now I’m going to summarise all the advice I was given that had lead to me doing a brutally cut down draft in two sections, the big cuts, macro level, and the small cuts, micro level. 

Micro Level Cuts

1. Reduce each description by 1 or 2 words - @coffee_loving_artist
2. Reduce dialogue. Single spoken words can carry more emotional weight than elongated lines. 
3. Cut down on dialogue and action tags. If it’s clear who is speaking, don’t use anything! - @parisandherbooks
4. Cut repeated sentences. It’s not as dramatic as you think it is. 
5. Simplify convoluted sentences - @jade_d_brown
6. Cut words like very, quite, sort of, kind of, it was, there was, that, now, then, suddenly and any crutch words you have - @just.a_simple_writer
7. Change passive language - @laurenkayzles

Macro Level Cuts

1. Chop off the beginning and the end of long scenes. 
2. Cut info dumps
3. Never get lost in internal monologue. Keep it to a small para at most. 
4. Cut fluff scenes - @teen_writing_101 & @cakeyboy 
5. It doesn’t take 1000 words to make a small point – condense it!!
6. Cut unnecessary dialogue or chit chat 
7. Merge scenes that feel repetitive 
8. Cut the prologue 
9. Cut the epilogue 
10. (Remember that those can go back in after your book has been bought) 
11. If you’re desperate, delete a POV - @thewritingfirebird
12. Ask your Beta’s which subplots/characters could go - @howwhyandsowhat 

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A Guide to Writer Lingo - Drafts

When I was new to the writing community I was confused about what to expect from each draft. When is draft 1complete? Where’s the line between draft 2, 3, 4+? How much editing goes into each one? Does each draft serve a different purpose? Now I’ve been here for a while and on my 3rd draft, I’m ready to answer those questions. 

There are no set rules on drafting.

Everyone’s drafting process is different. Some people move onto draft 2 before even writing an ending to draft 1. Some people like to do a draft 0. Some people call their outline draft 1. What I’m writing below is what I’ve seen to be the most common meanings.

• Beat Sheet - This is written before the outline and follows the Save the Cat! plot structure. It breaks the story down into key plot points, spread out across three acts. 
• Outline -  This can be a written document, a spreadsheet, revision cards on a wall, or not exist at all (shout out to the pansters). This is where the main plot is laid out from start to end, including subplots, and divided into chapters. 
• 0th Draft - Also called a dirty draft, some authors use this name to take the pressure off while drafting. If you struggle to accept that your first draft won’t be as good as you want it to be, it might be worth doing a messy 0th draft that no one but you will ever read. 
• 1st Draft - By the end of the first draft, a book should have every chapter written at least once. The wording might not be perfect, subplots might need consolidating, plot twists might need foreshadowing and clarity might be required on a number of things. Most people share their 1st draft with a critique partner, a first reader or an alpha reader, but personally, I like to ensure contingency in my 2nd draft and then share that.
• 2nd, 3rd, 4th+ Draft - This is where the waters get muddy because every writer does these very differently. I create a new draft every time I do a round of edits from start to finish, chronologically through my book. I also start a new draft on each round of beta reader feedback, but really there are no real rules about drafts 2+ and you can divide them as you see fit.

Which draft do I submit to agents/publishers? 

Again, there are no hard-set rules on this. It is advised that you do not submit your first draft. You should have completed at least one round of edits and have had a few beta readers before submitting to agents as they want clean manuscripts without plot holes, contingency issues, and grammar mistakes. 

I hope this has helped and feel free to add to this below as drafts are hugely subjective!

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Now be honest with me, how many beautiful notebooks do you own? How many of them are empty right now? Yes, I know, you’re waiting for the perfect opportunity to use them. The perfect story. The time you won’t cross anything out. The time you won’t change a thing. Well that time won’t come and you’re wasting them. *Bops you on the head with a pretty notebook* 

The purpose of a writers journal is not to create artwork worthy of a museum, but to help your ideas flow. Sometimes when writing things down, you can even bounce ideas off yourself! It’s amazing! So stop holding back and give it a go. 

Here are my top tips on journaling: 

• Don’t worry about keeping it neat (as long as you can read it, it’s good)
• Use different notebooks for different things (Plotting, Research, World-building, History, Magic, Religion)
• Use headings so topics are easy to find
• 3am inspo? Write it down! No don’t get your phone out, you want to go to sleep after this. You can develop it in the morning. 
• SketchIf you’re struggling to visualise something in you WIP, sketch it even if you can’t draw. Remember, this is just for you.
• Solving plot holes? Use an idea dump. This is where you just vomit every idea you have to solve it onto the page and then work your way through each option. 
• Write ideas for made up names/words down. Stick every variation you’ve considered on the page and then you can try merging them or you can simply see which one looks best. Bonus points because you can look back on how you cam up with it. 

For editing journals specifically try:

• Make lists of things you still want to ‘show’
• Make lists of things you want to add
• Write down problems you find when reading through, then you get to cross them off when you solve them. 

I hope this was helpful. Leave any additions below!!!

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This is perhaps one of my favourite writing topics. Personally, I always try to leave each chapter on a small cliffhanger. Something that makes the reader want to read on when it’s 1am and they know they should put the book down. To do this effectively you have to know the difference between cliffhangers that raise the stakes and cliffhangers for shock factor. 

The Shock Factor Cliffhanger

We’ve all seen this before. The chapter/book is coming to end and in a last ditch attempt to keep you interested the writer adds a completely unrelated, highly shocking, plot disrupting event.

While the key to a keeping reader interested in a series is to leave them with questions, shock factor cliffhangers feel like a cheap trick that only leaves the reader unsatisfied.  

Does this mean you should avoid shock factor cliffhangers? NO! Just don’t rely on it being the only thing that keeps your reader tethered to your story. 

Take The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, because that was a shock factor cliffhanger and half, but there were other stories left unfinished, other characters we were worried about, other questions we had that demanded answers. Which brings me onto the next kind of cliffhanger. 

The Stake Raising Cliffhanger

A far more subtle form of cliffhanger (and the kind I try to leave at the end of almost every chapter) is one that raises the stakes of the story. It proves a point to each chapter, which helps you as the writer to decide which chapters are needed and which are not. 

This can be anything, small or large. They find a key piece of information, realisation dawns on the protagonist, one of their friends are in danger, they are in danger, they discover something that puts the whole plot at risk, but save the big ones for your catalyst, your midpoint and your all is lost plot points. 

The purpose of these cliffhangers if to leave your reader with unanswered questions, seeking answers they cannot wait till morning to discover, questions that will make them buy the next book! 

What’s the conclusion here? 

Cliffhangers are not about the shock factor, the drama factor, the danger factor. They are about one very simple thing. Questions.

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We’ve all been there. Staring at our planning document with a long list of characters who are like our children. We love every single one of them, but what about the reader? Will they get confused? Will they be able to keep track? Will they care about any of your characters if they don’t get enough page time? 

If these questions have plagued you, it might be time to think about who gets the chop. To help with the dilemma, I have put together a list of questions to ask yourself.

1. What does each character bring to the story thematically?
2. List what each character does to advance the plot?
3. Could any of these things easily be done by another character?
4. Do they all have distinctive personalities? 
5. Do they all have distinctive mannerisms/speech/appearances?

If you’re struggling to answer these with a clear yes or no, it might be time to bin some characters. Bonus questions to consider are:

1. Is there potential to merge two characters into one? 
2. Does this character need a name, or are they just an extra?

Hope this helped!

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Me: Wow, my novel is going so well!

Writing tip: Your writing will be more engaging if you do this!

Me: Damn, that’s really helpful. I can make that change.

Writing tip: Every book needs a ___!

Me, sweating: I guess I could add that too.

Writing tip: Do you do ___ in your novel? Don’t!

Me, yelling: Yeah, sure, why don’t I just start from scratch cos my draft is TRASH.

Me: *Dramatically throws manuscript in the bin*

Me: *Fishes it out and lies on the floor hugging it as I cry*

Me, whispering: I’m so sorry. I love you really. 

Beautiful Arabic words and their significances

• Amal (أمل) Meaning: hope
• Al-fana (الفناء) Meaning: demise
• Al-sarab (السَّرَاب) Meaning: mirage
• Daweyt (داويت) Meaning: healed
• Firdaus (فردوس) Meaning: paradise
• Shawq (شوق) Meaning: longing
• Moutala’li’a (متلألئة) Meaning: sparkling
• Nour (نور) Meaning: light
• Oum (أم) Meaning: Mother or origin
• Eftinan (افتنان) Meaning: adoration
• Hethian (هذيان) Meaning: delirium
• Fosayfisa’ (فسيفساء) Meaning: mosaic
• Al-na’eem (النعيم) Meaning: bliss
• Yaqeen (يقين) Meaning: certainty
• Ejlal (إجلال) Meaning: honor
• Qamar (قمر) Meaning: Moon
• Yatajathaboon (يتجاذبون) Meaning: they are attracted
• Shams (شمس) Meaning: Sun

Free writing shit yeah!

Linky

So this project that will be dominating my blog for a bit…. what is it?

Until about mid-may, I’m going to be working on writing a short book for new and soon-to-be new writers to give them the starting place and orientation I wished I’d had when I was starting to write more seriously. It’s going to cover topics such as how to get into a project and keep going with it, how to become part of a writing community, and what to look for in writing advice at the earliest stages of the journey.

Once it’s completed, the final PDF will be available online for free.

Tag:

Currently the tag I am using is #new writer guide. You’ll see this on all sign-up opportunities to help, status updates on where I’m at, and on projects that I’m boosting as a thank you to participants.

How to help:

When they are open, I will have links next to the sign up for both the peer edit phase and the beta read phase below. Additionally, even if you’re not interested in being a part of the edit phases, please do not underestimate the value in sharing those sign ups - either by reblogging or crossposting.

Peer edit [NOT YET OPEN] (where fellow writers get to read the book or parts of it and let me know what I may be missing, spending too much time on, or maybe didn’t get quite right - as well as letting me know what’s working and doesn’t need to be changed)

Beta read [NOT YET OPEN] (where new or soon-to-be-new writers get to read the book or parts of it and let me know what’s confusing or needs to be expanded upon - as well as letting me know which parts are all set)

Boosting WIPs:

As a thank you to everyone who participates in either of the editing passes (as well as the now-closed “what advice would you give your past self” survey), there is an option to drop links to WIPs they’d like to have boosted.

Feeling rejuvenated on my project since beginning to actually write my story in the month or so.

Let me clarify— this story was conceptualized as a comic, only I ran into chronic hand pain once jumping in to drawing full force. 100% iPad tablet’s fault– and my thumb hyper-mobility. I had had problems with my non-dominant hands for years, from computer work and crafting hobbies, but it had never hurt to draw. I could draw for 8 hours straight, no problem. Upon upping the ante, I waited patiently (or not so patiently) for a new release for the iPad Pro. An expensive investment I was super excited for (and I’m not even into fancy tech). It was my go-to drawing tablet and it was great… for about 4 days. Then the pain started. (fyi the Apple Pencil is very non-ergonomically friendly) Many hand doctor visits and months later, at best I can manage my hand pain in daily life. Drawing hours on end, however, is something I will never be able to do anymore.

I was left feeling utterly heartbroken and depressed that my epically-long comic project was near impossible to achieve (adding greatly to my suicidality tbh). It’s been almost 2 years since I made this project my main artistic focus and more than a year since I had to stop drawing all together.

The characters largely left me and I’ve been waiting for the moment where I felt more in touch with them again. Actually, I thank small creators whose stories have gotten me into a writing mode to spark my desire to get in the driver’s seat again.

It’s been months where I’ve settled on the idea of doing a novel/comic hybrid. This will allow me to draw the sections I really want to, without completely destroying my hand, and to reach a conclusion to this long-ass story (approx. 1500 comic pages) sooner than the decade+ it would have taken to draw part-time.

I’ve always liked writing, though I only really did creative writing in school. I don’t read much either! I didn’t feel well-equipped to write a novel (or well, three) in the same way as a comic… Creating a comic has been a life goal, my passion, and it’s been a little bit of a learning curve to envision the story as anything else.

However, I’ve found something fun and interesting about writing as opposed to visual storytelling methods. In my head, honestly the story plays out like a movie– where I can also feel the character’s emotions. In sequential art, there was next to no internal dialogue from the characters. Everything was delivered through their dialogue and actions. In writing, I can and must consider delving into actually verbalizing their internal dialogue and omnipotent dissection of their character, which is a interesting challenge. I feel like I can play with multiple mediums and use them in the best ways..

Uncharted territory…Hope you’ll be along for the ride!

Thank you!! —Erin

Tone:

It’s important to establish your writing tone in the first chapter.

A brief definition of this is how you say what you say.

It’s also important to make sure your tone matches up with the genre you’re writing.

▪️Let’s take mystery-thrillerfor instance:

Example:

There was a knock at the door.

Danielle walked down the stairs to answer it.

But when she opened the door, she noticed that no one was there.

That was weird, she thought. 

Vs.

There was a knock at the door.

Danielle crept down the shadowed stairs and the floorboards creaked under her weight, spooking her.

When she made it to the bottom she put her hand on the cold knob and slowly opened the door.

No one was there.

This is scary, she thought.

Often times you can use“adjectives”to set your tones.

Example:

Use these adjectives to set a negative tone

▪️Angry

▪️Annoyed

▪️Hurt

▪️Sad

▪️Anxious

▪️Scary

▪️Sick

▪️Awful

▪️Insane

▪️Bad

▪️Black

▪️Embarrassed

▪️Envious

▪️Lazy

▪️Tense

▪️Blue

▪️Evil

▪️Lonely

▪️Fierce

▪️Mad

▪️Terrifying

▪️Foolish

▪️Mysterious

▪️Timid

▪️Tired

▪️Confused

▪️Frightened

▪️Troubled

▪️Crappy

▪️Nervous

▪️Upset

▪️Crazy

▪️Grieving

▪️Creepy

▪️Grumpy

▪️Weak

▪️Cruel

▪️Outrageous

▪️Weary

Show not tell “Happy”:

▪️Her cheeks glowed pink.

▪️He smiled, his brown eyes sparkling.

▪️She skipped across the room, humming a love song.

▪️He laid down with an amused smile on his face.

▪️Her hands clasped together and she squealed.

▪️She laughed, falling into the chair and holding her stomach.

▪️She jumped to her feet and cheered them on.

▪️She danced around her room, grinning wide.

▪️Her eyes teared with joy at the sight of her missing daughter.

▪️She wiggled her feet in the sheets, a soft sigh on her lips.

▪️Warm goosebumps broke out on her skin as she stared into his wonderful eyes.

▪️She waved her hands from side to side, twirling.

Notice that I’m not describing happy with “happy” synonyms: 

▪️She was ecstatic.

▪️She felt joyful.

▪️She looked cheery.

This is still telling and your readers won’t get the picture you’re trying to paint.

Example:

She felt so cheery and joyful. ✖️

Vs.

Her cheeks hurt from smiling as she skipped from the room, daydreaming and singing a love song. ✔️

Prospective:

Have your readers “walk in your character’s shoes”.

It’s attractive to read about a worse situation than your own. Your annoying neighbor next door or your upcoming doctors’ appointment.

One way you can do this is by putting your characters in tough situations, allow the unimaginable to happen to them.

Ideas:

▪️A character loses leg/legs

▪️A character contracts a rare, uncuriable disease

▪️A character is forbidden to ever marry but is desperately in love

▪️A character watches someone close to them suffer and die

▪️A character accidentally kills someone they love

▪️A character’s life is threatened

▪️A character contracts a psychopathic stalker

▪️A character gets amnesia

▪️A character forgets how to speak

▪️A character that’s a millionaire suddenly goes bankrupt

▪️A character is blackmailed into committing crimes

▪️A character is sentenced to death for saving someone’s life

▪️A character loses their job and can’t find employment

▪️A character goes into a coma for five years and suddenly wakes up

▪️A character is cheated on repeatedly but fights for their partner regardless

▪️A character loses their beauty to a horrible accident

▪️A character goes to a mental ward but they’re perfectly sane and can’t prove it

Escapism:

1. seeking to escape from reality

2. seeking to escape from reality by form of books

▪️your readers want to escape from the worry and unpleasantness of life.

▪️keep this in mind and you’ll write great stories that your readers won’t be able to put down.

This is especially easy if you add suspenseto your book.

How to create suspense:

▪️start scenes and chapters with urgency

Example:

Molly woke up.

She yawned and stretched and moseyed into the kitchen to make her cereal.

She found her favorite kind (cinnamon toast crunch) and poured it into a bowl with milk.

Now, she sat down in front of the window to watch the morning birds pecking the ground.

Let’s say someone is about to break into Molly’s house and kidnap her. Well… your readers will probably never make it to find out because this scene started out with no promise and no urgency what so ever. It’s just a boring morning routine that no one wants to hear.

Let’s try it another way…

Molly woke up with a strange feeling in her gut.

The house was quiet and she remembered that her parents had left on vacation.

Maybe she was just nervous about being alone. Yeah, that was it.

She started breakfast but the feeling wouldn’t leave her so she decided to lock all the windows and bolt the front door.

But the strange feeling persisted.

Suddenly, she remembered that she had forgotten to lock the basement door.

She sat down her bowl of cereal and slowly headed down the dark stairs…

Synonyms for “Walk”:

▪️Theystrolled through the garden hand in hand.

▪️Shetramped through the mud, her legs aching.

▪️Hehiked up the hill.

▪️The cat awoke and moseyed to her food bowl.

▪️Heprowled around the corner as the girl neared.

▪️Hemarched around the school yard, feeling proud.

▪️Sheambled into the kitchen with a yawn.

▪️Hewandered through the hallways, staring down at th map.

▪️Shetrodslowlyacross the old bridge, watching her feet.

▪️Heproceeded on his way after stopping for a drink.

▪️The boys trooped into the locker room after a long game.

▪️The boy and girl sauntered down the road.

▪️Sheplodded toward the house, having finished her jog.

▪️Hepatrolled up and down the street.

▪️The dogs roamed the open meadows.

Describing Setting:

Don’t overload:

The bluebird was singing soft melodies and flapping its wings. The breeze was blowing sweet scents from the flowers that were red, blue, and purple. The sky was clear with only a few thin clouds. The tall dark trees were creaking and echoing against the woods. ✖️

Vs.

The rose-scented wind blew breezes against the forest. Bluebirds sprang into the air with songs of summer. ✔️

Writing Better Books:

▪️Use dialogue to move your story along

▪️write tension: your story should be full of struggle. Even after resolving one conflict, quickly introduce the next. This keeps things interesting for your reader.

▪️outline:I personally don’t use this method but everyone has what works for them. At least have a goal in mind and constantly ask the question “what if”.

If you are like me, ask these questions for each scene:

▪️write detail: don’t forget the senses, especially sound, sight, and smell.

▪️read other books and ask yourself why you like that book or what keeps you interested and try to learn from it.

▪️it’s okay to vary chapter length, it keeps things interesting.

▪️write hand gestures

▪️let your characters’ personalities speak through action.

▪️there doesn’t always have to be a moral

▪️delete “very” and be precise:

instead of “very good”say“excellent”.

▪️delay plot twist reveals, allow suspension to build

▪️avoid clichés

These are common clichés:

▪️show don’t tell

▪️captivate your readers from the start: pose a question:

Mary would never walk again. Why?

Peter’s heart was shattered.Why?

The day he came, my life drastically changed. Why? Who?

▪️use similes when appropriate

▪️don’t stress it, you’re doing great ☺️

Clarity:

She went all the way to the store by the way of a car in which she had just purchased. ✖️

Vs.

She went to the store in a car she had just purchased. ✔️

He very much loved the sounds that the cars made as they made their way passed his house at a very fast pace.✖️

Vs.

He loved the cars’ sounds as they quickly passed his house. ✔️

▪️Avoid run on sentences:

He bought a dog from the shelter because he wanted to give a homeless dog a nice new home and that made him feel like a good person. ✖️

Vs.

He bought a dog from the shelter because he wanted to give a homeless dog a nice new home. This made him feel like a good person.

▪️Cut out “was” when possible:

Courtney was smiling. ✖️

Vs.

Courtney smiled. ✔️

▪️Try using one sentace paragraphs:

She liked how the rain felt on her bare skin.

So, she chose to walk home, her feet crashing through puddles.

It took longer than it would have in a car.

But she didn’t regret it.

▪️Try shorter sentences:

Ann’s heart felt sad.

She didn’t know what had caused it.

All she knew was that she woke up one morning feeling sad.

▪️Be conside:

I like carrots. Carrots are better than broccoli.✖️

Vs.

I like carrots better than broccoli. ✔️

▪️Be Specific:

She ate a snack.✖️

Vs.

She ate peanut butter crackers. ✔️

She went out for entertainment.✖️

Vs.

She went to the theater.✔️

▪️Paint pictures:

The sun was yellow. The sky was blue.✖️

Vs.

The sky was a blanket of gold, fluttering through the pale blue. ✔️

▪️Express don’t impress:

Scintillating gold fulgrated across the sphere it was a quintessential evening.✖️

Vs.

Sparkling gold mixed through the navy sky. It was the perfect evening. ✔️

Best Writing Tip EVER:

• If it’s boring to you, it’s boring to your reader.

Otherbest writing Tips:

▪️Write what you love

▪️throw away guidelines (if you want to write about a character that passes out every five seconds for no reason, GO FOR IT)

▪️stop writing for other people

▪️stop worrying ☺️

▪️fall in love with your story, characters, and setting

▪️allow writing to be fun again

▪️don’t write for money, popularity, or anything other than YOU (you’re not an accountant, you’re a writer! But if money follows your passion, yay you!)

Questions to ask yourself:

If bores me, why am I writing it?

What do I love? Hobbies, places, food, subjects, events, eras, etc.

What do I not love? Don’t write it.

What do I know? Homeschooling, raising animals, career, art, cleaning houses. (You’d be surprised what others don’t know and how interested they would be to just read about a character that mops floors for a living )

Am I writing about a subject I’m unfamiliar with?

Do I love my book?

Does my book excite me?

Do I love my characters?

What books do I like to read?

Testimony:

Once upon a time, a writer that loved to write couldn’t write any more.

She tried everything in her power but ended up hating her book just as much as a runny nose and sore throat.

She wondered why this had happened to her.

She realized she had been writing for others, what she thought they wanted and liked.

But in reality, her stories were boring like watching rain out the window.

Especially to her.

So she decided to take a break from internet writing and wrote a private story for herself.

She quickly realized she had never lost her writing gift and she felt so happy that she finished an entire novel and published it.

Many people loved and commented on her book, telling her it was the best book she had ever written.

Now she realized that her own passions also interested others so she kept writing for herself. And others enjoyed it, too!

Now she writes for a living, it’s not boring, and she has fun everyday.

Theend.

Writing Snacks:

Sitting down to write with a bag of chips or a slice of cake is… well, let’s face it. You’re probably going to eat too much. And yes, I have been very guilty of this.

Here’s an alternative:

▪️sliced veggies + dip

▪️yogurt(non-dairy is my fav)

▪️pretzels

▪️smoothie

▪️your favorite nuts (almonds!!!)

▪️juice

▪️sliced apples with nut butter

▪️dark chocolate

▪️popcorn

▪️dried fruit

▪️seed mixes

▪️hot tea

If your anything like me, you’ll sit down at your laptop for hours at a time working on your story… so it’s good to prepare your snacks in advance, so it’s an easy grab and go option.

How To Write Paragraphs:

To make interesting paragraphs you need an even balance of the following:

▪️Conjunctions:(But, and, etc.)

▪️Short sentences:She went to the store.

▪️Long sentences:She went to the store, hoping she could get the bread she wanted on sale.

Example:

What would happen?Lily had never been left alone before, because she had super bad anxiety. But this time, her mother felt it would be good for her.No. It was the worst mistake.

Vs.

Lily had terrible anxiety and didn’t want to be left alone. But this time her mother felt it would be good for her, so she left to the store. This was a bad idea and a horrible mistake.

Lily had terrible anxiety. She didn’t want to be left alone. Her mother felt it would be good for her. She left to the store. This was a bad idea. This was a horrible mistake.

Spice up your dialogue:

“I can’t,” she said.

Or you could say…

“I can’t,” she said, slowlyand moved away from him.

“Will you come?” He asked.

Or…(adj.)(Action)

“Will you come?” He asked, timidlywith his head down.

Balance your tags like this:

Tags: pink

Adjective: orange

Action: blue

“I’m tired,” Mia said with a yawnand crawled into bed.

Daniel lowered the book he was reading. “It’s too early for sleep.”

Two seconds later, Mia’s snores echoed through the room.

“Oh well.” Hechuckledand turned off the light.

Prompts:

She said, softly and looked down.

She said, timidly stepping away.

She said, robustly and met his eyes.

She said, angrily with a flushed face.

She said, quivering and fell to the ground.

He said, laughing and holding his stomach.

He said, stiffly and turned away.

He said, bitterly and his jaw flared.

Eye Color:

Baby blue

Cobolt blue

Slate blue

Blueberry colored

Sky blue

Misty blue

Ocean blue

Navy blue

Rich blue

Indigo blue

Electric blue

Powdery blue

Midnight blue

Royal blue

Diamond blue

✏️

Earth green

Sage green

Emerald green

Pine green

Jade green

Mint green

Meadow green

Grasshopper green

Basil green

Evergreen

Leaf green

Army green

Valley green

✏️

Oak brown

Chocolate brown

Charcoal colored

Beige

Caramel brown

Tan

Penny colored

Camel brown

Autumn colored

Desert brown

Acorn colored

Clay colored

Night colored

Leather brown

Dusty brown

Cocoa colored

Marble brown

Nut brown

Copper brown

Apple brown

Blazer brown

Cranberry brown

Rosy brown

Chestnut brown

✏️

Elephant gray

Fog gray

Metal gray

Silver

Ash colored

Slate gray

Charcoal gray

Dolphin gray

Cloud colored

Cinder gray

Smokey gray

Castle gray

Steel gray

Lilac gray

Tin gray

Whale gray

Ocean gray

Thundercloud gray

Shoreline gray

Rocky gray

Marble gray

Stone gray

How to Have Confidence in Your Writing:

▪️post your story online for feedback

▪️read everyday

▪️write everyday

▪️put your story aside and then come back later (this helps you see it more clearly)

▪️read writing tips

▪️download Grammarly (there’s a free version)

▪️try not to edit as you go (this slows you down and makes you question everything. It can be quite frustrating. So, it’s better to wait until the end of the book to edit.)

▪️keep in mind that no one writes a perfect first draft - they are going to suck.

▪️actuallyfinish a story. (This builds confidence like crazy. You’ll feel so accomplished.)

Word count: 13,140

How is yours going?