Where is the sense in these desperate dreams...
I'm Alice, a dissolute British librarian.
This is a personal blog, and I tend to post a lot of random and completely unrelated things, including horror movies, various fandoms, art, writers, nature, and creepy things.
I ship Dean/Castiel and write lots of fanfiction about them.
I have bipolar 2 disorder, and I am trying to raise awareness of mental health.
Sarah Waters - On Writing
1 Read like mad. But try to do it analytically – which can be hard, because the better and more compelling a novel is, the less conscious you will be of its devices. It’s worth trying to figure those devices out, however: they might come in useful in your own work. I find watching films also instructive. Nearly every modern Hollywood blockbuster is hopelessly long and baggy. Trying to visualise the much better films they would have been with a few radical cuts is a great exercise in the art of story-telling. Which leads me on to …2 Cut like crazy. Less is more. I’ve often read manuscripts – including my own – where I’ve got to the beginning of, say, chapter two and have thought: “This is where the novel should actually start.” A huge amount of information about character and backstory can be conveyed through small detail. The emotional attachment you feel to a scene or a chapter will fade as you move on to other stories. Be business-like about it. In fact …
3 Treat writing as a job. Be disciplined. Lots of writers get a bit OCD-ish about this. Graham Greene famously wrote 500 words a day. Jean Plaidy managed 5,000 before lunch, then spent the afternoon answering fan mail. My minimum is 1,000 words a day – which is sometimes easy to achieve, and is sometimes, frankly, like shitting a brick, but I will make myself stay at my desk until I’ve got there, because I know that by doing that I am inching the book forward. Those 1,000 words might well be rubbish – they often are. But then, it is always easier to return to rubbish words at a later date and make them better.
4 Writing fiction is not “self-expression” or “therapy”. Novels are for readers, and writing them means the crafty, patient, selfless construction of effects. I think of my novels as being something like fairground rides: my job is to strap the reader into their car at the start of chapter one, then trundle and whizz them through scenes and surprises, on a carefully planned route, and at a finely engineered pace.
5 Respect your characters, even the minor ones. In art, as in life, everyone is the hero of their own particular story; it is worth thinking about what your minor characters’ stories are, even though they may intersect only slightly with your protagonist’s. At the same time …
6 Don’t overcrowd the narrative. Characters should be individualised, but functional – like figures in a painting. Think of Hieronymus Bosch’s Christ Mocked, in which a patiently suffering Jesus is closely surrounded by four threatening men. Each of the characters is unique, and yet each represents a type; and collectively they form a narrative that is all the more powerful for being so tightly and so economically constructed. On a similar theme …
7 Don’t overwrite. Avoid the redundant phrases, the distracting adjectives, the unnecessary adverbs. Beginners, especially, seem to think that writing fiction needs a special kind of flowery prose, completely unlike any sort of language one might encounter in day-to-day life. This is a misapprehension about how the effects of fiction are produced, and can be dispelled by obeying Rule 1. To read some of the work of Colm Tóibín or Cormac McCarthy, for example, is to discover how a deliberately limited vocabulary can produce an astonishing emotional punch.
8 Pace is crucial. Fine writing isn’t enough. Writing students can be great at producing a single page of well-crafted prose; what they sometimes lack is the ability to take the reader on a journey, with all the changes of terrain, speed and mood that a long journey involves. Again, I find that looking at films can help. Most novels will want to move close, linger, move back, move on, in pretty cinematic ways.
9 Don’t panic. Midway through writing a novel, I have regularly experienced moments of bowel-curdling terror, as I contemplate the drivel on the screen before me and see beyond it, in quick succession, the derisive reviews, the friends’ embarrassment, the failing career, the dwindling income, the repossessed house, the divorce . . . Working doggedly on through crises like these, however, has always got me there in the end. Leaving the desk for a while can help. Talking the problem through can help me recall what I was trying to achieve before I got stuck. Going for a long walk almost always gets me thinking about my manuscript in a slightly new way. And if all else fails, there’s prayer. St Francis de Sales, the patron saint of writers, has often helped me out in a crisis. If you want to spread your net more widely, you could try appealing to Calliope, the muse of epic poetry, too.
10 Talent trumps all. If you’re a really great writer, none of these rules need apply. If James Baldwin had felt the need to whip up the pace a bit, he could never have achieved the extended lyrical intensity of Giovanni’s Room. Without “overwritten” prose, we would have none of the linguistic exuberance of a Dickens or an Angela Carter. If everyone was economical with their characters, there would be no Wolf Hall … For the rest of us, however, rules remain important. And, crucially, only by understanding what they’re for and how they work can you begin to experiment with breaking them.
This advice first appeared in The Guardian
Great advice from a Real Live Published Author!
An Abundance of Ways from Marelisa Fábrega of Abundance Blog
- Stop second-guessing yourself.
- Experiment with different media: music, photography, writing or drawing.
- Read one page of the dictionary every day and write down any words that catch your attention.
- Show up even if you’re not feeling creative.
- Immerse yourself in the task at hand: do your research, read everything you can about your subject, attend seminars, ask experts for their input, and so on.
- Be curious about everything.
- Exercise during your lunch break.
- Go to the playground. Play hopscotch, jump rope, climb on the swings, and climb on the jungle gyms.
- Awaken your sense of wonder. Take yourself on some small festive adventure.
- Think of something routine you do on a daily basis and find a way to give it a little more pizzazz.
- Let your body contribute to your creative process by blaring the music and dancing around the room.
- Surround yourself with inspirational props, whether it’s books on creativity, images you find inspiring, or creativity quotes.
Daily writing tip #28 from Frank Delaney.
Illustrations by Donna Mehalko
Writer’s block, how to overcome it: write something substantial every morning, and while doing so forget entirely the impression you’re creating. That is, overcome ego.
PAUL FUSSELL
My brothers and sisters of short attention span but great creativity, I know your feels. But if I can finish a book and half of its sequel, then anyone can.
- Turn off the TV, shut your Youtube tab and - gasp - close Tumblr. Eliminate as many distractions as possible. Yes, it’s painful and the urge to click refresh is just so strong, but you can do it. I believe in you.
- Have a writing playlist ready. iTunes, Pandora, Trntbl, Spotify, whatever works for you. I have a playlist on my iTunes, phone and iPod waiting for me, so whenever inspiration strikes I don’t waste time trying to find the ~perfect song. Just pick one and go.
- Make a list of everything you want to accomplish. If you’re working on a big project, say a book or a multi-chapter fic, it’s really helpful to make a list of what all needs to get done. And make yourself do it. Hold yourself accountable.
- Draw your plot up in advance, not right before. Confession time. I’ve started at least five books that fizzled out after a few chapters because I had absolutely no idea where I was going. Now, I have to draw up my entire plot, including foreshadowing and back story, on big posters. They’re taped to my closet door, so I can consult them whenever I feel like I’m getting off track. This keeps you from going off on a tangent, and gives you a goal to reach: the final chapter.
- Turn it into a game. I like games. Tell yourself, I’m going to write ten pages before I finish listening to this entire album. Or I’m going to write three pages, paint my toenails, then do three more. Anything to make it a challenge works. Along with your plot and accomplishment list, you’re going to finish what you’re working on in no time.
- Give yourself breaks. No one can resist the power of the internet forever. Every ten or fifteen minutes, do a quick check of your sites. Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Pintrest and my phone all take about three minutes to check. This includes answering messages. Once you’ve seen that the modern world hasn’t ended in your absence, return to work.
- Multitask. I write some of my best stuff when I’m supposed to be doing something else entirely. Class is a particularly creative time. If you know you’re more than likely going to get an idea, split your page in half, drawing a vertical line right now the middle. One side is for notes and the other side is for your story. Take a bullet point down, write a sentence. Two bullet points, another sentence. Scrub, rinse and repeat until class is up, then rush off to finish your brilliant masterpiece.
- Whenever inspiration hits, run with it. You aren’t going to have that little spark of an idea for long, so don’t let it get away from you. Write it on your arm, text it to yourself or even ask a stranger for a piece of paper to write it down. Trust me, you’ll be so glad you did.
- When you hit a roadblock, don’t sweat it. Take a shower, put on some comfortable pajama pants and open up a good book. Read for awhile and maybe take a nap. When you’re feeling it again, the story will come back. You can’t force it, and don’t try to fight it.
Daily writing tip #9 from Frank Delaney.
Illustrations by Donna Mehalko
Three Words You Should Eliminate from Your Writing | Write to Done
((By James Chartrand))
Every good copywriter will tell you that you should write concisely. Eliminate every unnecessary word. Be bold with your choice of nouns and adjectives. Choose precise words, not common ones. Cut all the fluff, the clutter and the jargon.
And if you’re a copywriter, you probably follow this advice – or think you do.
To read this article in full, please click the above title link.
# outside link
# writing
# writing tips
# writing advice
# inspirational
# The Heart and Craft of Life Writing
The Heart and Craft of Life Writing: Write Like Nobody Will Read
((By Sharon Lippincott))
Dance like nobody’s watching,
Write like nobody will read.These words darted into my monkey mind as I gazed at Christmas lights, thinking back to high school days when folk dancing was a favorite activity. A motley mixture of adults and teenagers gathered each week at the Rec Hall for a medley of line and couples’ dances from many nations. College kids home forChristmas made holiday dances especially festive.
There were never any lessons – you just picked the dances up as you went, with occasional pointers from old-timers. Any athletic ability in our family went to my sister and brother. I was one of those kids always picked last for whatever team was forming in P.E., so, although I loved the music and the dancing, I was never a picture of grace. On some level I knew this, but put it out of mind. I was having fun. At least until the night Kelly gave me some startling advice.
“Quit trying to make like a ballerina,” she said with a sneer. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look?”
Ouch! Where’s the nearest hole? I fled to the ladies’ room to do battle with my Inner Critic.
Kelly was a couple of years older than I and home on break from college. She had studied ballet practically all her life, and she was good enough to turn pro. Undoubtedly watching my awkward attempts was painful for her, and tact had never been her strong suit. Perhaps she meant well, but her words stung.Fortunately she disappeared back to school, and I soon got over the humiliation and enjoyed dancing as much as ever, perhaps more.
I didn’t discount her message. After thinking it through, I did begin to relax into the music more, and seemed to move a bit more fluidly. If I was still a little awkward, so what? It didn’t seem to bother anyone but Kelly. We were there for the joy of dancing, not to put on a performance, and in general we were an accepting group.
Today as I recalled that horrific moment, I made the obvious connection to writing. There was a time when my writing was almost as awkward as my dancing. I have drafts of two short stories I wrote in 1978. They are utterly dreadful! I keep them as benchmarks for measuring progress. When I went to college I fell away from folk dancing, so I’ve had little opportunity to refine those skills. But I have continued writing for over thirty years now, and with lots of feedback, study and practice, I’ve made progress.
Today I often dance at home alone. I dance because I love to dance. I dance like nobody is watching, which is easy, because they aren’t. I write the same way. I write thousands of words nobody will ever see for every hundred I share. Maybe if I took up folk dancing again, I’d do better at it for all the private practice.
My advice for you: Forget the Kelly’s in life. Dance like nobody’s watching and write like nobody will read. If a Kelly wanders in, look for what you can learn and forget the rest.
A Book Inside - How to Write and Publish a Book: 12 Marketing Skills Every Writer Now Needs
In a world of blogs, tweets, website comments, and Facebook status updates, everyone is a writer. That is, they are in the sense that they are communicating through the written word. But you’re a writer: you know what a gerund is, and you would never mistake “it’s” with “its.” Of course, the proliferation of social media has only served to flood the market with content producers. If you want to make it as a writer, you will have to separate yourself from the crowd so your work can be appreciated. Here are 12 marketing skills to help you become the next Hemingway.
The ability to…
1…make friends with Twitter.
As a good writer, you already have the ability to write concise, interesting, and funny prose. That’s all Twitter is. It should be a breeze for you to build a following of people that includes literary agents and book editors that can assist you in getting the word out about your work, or offer you a deal if you don’t have one. Don’t use this as a chance to hit them over the head with your book; just demonstrate what a good writer you are and they will want to read it on their own.
2…network.
Recommending Twitter is really just a way of saying you need to be able to network. As aspiring author Julie Cantrell found, there are accomplished writers out there who are happy to give you advice on marketing your work. Email them, Facebook them, or add them on LinkedIn, just don’t be too pushy or stalker-ish.
3…create your own .com.
You could go the blog route, but you’ll look far more professional with your own website. Pick up a copy of Teach Yourself Dreamweaver and download a free, fully-functional trial version of the software from Adobe. Consider making large chunks of your writing available for free on your site, and don’t give in to the temptation to sell ads.
4…e-publish.
Giving your work away may not seem like a great marketing strategy, but even the pros do it, because it works. And for an unknown like you, it might just be the best way to get your work in front of people. E-publishing is one way to get your material into a professional, digital format that can be downloaded. Learn how to use Adobe Acrobat or similar software to have your work listed on the Kindle Library, for free or for royalties, if you prefer.
5…maximize web traffic.
There is an entire field of professionals who work at optimizing companies’ and individuals’ web traffic. Since you don’t have a personal SEO employee, you’ll need to learn how to maximize your visibility on search engines by using clear and accurate keywords in your site title, description, and body. The way to move to the top of the search list is to have lots of other sites linking to your page, so you’ll have to submit your stuff to various sites that deal with your topic and encourage them to link their readers to you.
6…speak in public.
Traditional media outlets like radio and TV are turning more and more towards the new class of internet writers and bloggers. If a major TV show or radio program comes calling wanting to interview you, you’ll need to be prepared to be beamed into millions of homes around the world. Do your homework and watch how other authors and writers handle different interviewers.
7…make videos.
Don’t wait for the TV cameras to come to you. Pick up an inexpensive camcorder or just use your laptop webcam. Shoot an introductory video of yourself for your site and your latest book project, or upload a highlight reel to YouTube of key points in your work. You don’t have to be Steven Spielberg, just keep it simple. Don’t zoom in and out, don’t use any lame screen wipes, and don’t sound like you’re reading from a script.
8…know the industry.
Even after they get a book deal, many authors are surprised to find the majority of the marketing depends on them. Know going in what kind of writing sells and can be marketed and you will save yourself a lot of time and effort in the long run. Keep up with what’s hot by reading Writer’s Market or Script.
9…brand yourself.
Establishing yourself and your writing as a brand involves knowing what your core strength is. It’s the one thing you know more about or write better than anyone else. Take Perez Hilton: he turned a love of celebrities and gossip into a website with millions of views each month. His name/pseudonym is now synonymous with the subject. Find what you’re passionate about and become laser-focused on that subject, and eventually you’ll be branded as a respected authority.
10…make a media kit.
Microsoft Publisher is all you need to make a professional press kit to send out to agents or publishing houses. Include in your materials the market research you’ve done to show how the writing can be profitable, and include the best bits of material from the work. You’ll have to find the right balance between providing enough pertinent info and overwhelming the audience with data.
11…be available.
If you really want to make a living by writing, you’re going to have to make it your top priority. Don’t be too busy to turn anything down: an interview for a blog or a neighborhood weekly, a “local authors” day at a small bookstore, or a speaking engagement across the country. It make not sound like a skill to be available, but being upbeat and on your game at all times requires work, plain and simple.
12…sell online.
Financially-speaking, the most important aspect of marketing is knowing how to sell your products. With all this attention you’ve drawn to your website, you have to know how to operate a digital store. Paypal is the industry standard for accepting payments, but you’ll also need to make arrangements to accept the major credit cards. To protect your customers, you’ll have to know how to use https.
