creative writing 101

#AuthorLife: Tell Me How to Show

This post was part of the author toolbox blog hop, created and hosted by Raimey Gallant. It has gone on hiatus, but there are still plenty of great posts in Raimey’s archives to help you out! Do you know how to tell, at a glance, that you’re dealing with a new, inexperienced author? Telling. When the writing is chock-a-block full of telling, it’s a gargantuan, neon clue blaring out: This author is still learning. This author is hacking out the…

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What I Thought Author Life Would Be Like vs. What it’s Actually Like

What I thought it would be like: Writing retreats full of discourse, stimulating discussions, plotting, and lots of other authors. What it’s actually like: #You’reTooPoor #SillyAuthor #RetreatsAreForBestSellers What I thought it would be like: Ideas lining up, falling neatly into their places, everything is flowing and glorious and ticking along like pure, perfect, writing clockwork. What it’s actually like: EVER HEARD OF SLEEPING, Ideas? GIVE ME A BREAK. What I thought it would be like: Editing, DONE. Polishing? This baby…

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Author Life: Tiptoe Through the AHHH TOO MANY BUTTERFLIES GET THEM OFF OF ME

I’m going to take a leap of faith and generalize something because this has been bothering me lately and I want it out in the world to bother you, too. Although in any other context generalizing is a BAD IDEA and I should never ever do it…in this one case I think it’s less a stereotype and more of a sterling truth. Authors/Writers live a life stuffed full of imaginings. I feel like this is true of all of us.…

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When I Said I Wanted Critique: Feel That Author Pain

The stages of accepting constructive criticism, as told through gifs. We all can agree that beta reading is crucial to the success of a story. Having other eyeballs touch your story, pre-publication, is one of the necessary steps a book goes through. Whether it’s a kind friend who volunteers, a writing group, or a professional editor — the link goes to a good post by author D.E. Haggerty on why she uses editors vs. beta readers — you will be…

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An Incendiary Inciting Incident for Your Author Toolbox

This is an Author Toolbox post. The toolbox is a free, monthly, open sharing of information between authors here on the Wild Wild Interwebs. Topics cover everything from writing basics to editing, querying, marketing, and publishing. There are over forty of us now, blogging away like helpful little bees. Come join in! After months and months of agonizing and writing and editing and changing and freaking out and writing some more, my newest book is done. Finished. FIN. Clocking in…

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What I Thought Author Life Would Be Like vs. What it’s Actually Like

What I thought it would be like: Writing retreats full of discourse, stimulating discussions, plotting, and lots of other authors. What it’s actually like: What I thought it would be like: Ideas lining up, falling neatly into their places, everything is flowing and glorious and ticking along like pure, perfect, writing clockwork. What it’s actually like: EVER HEARD OF SLEEPING, Ideas? Yeah, I didn’t think so. What I thought it would be like: Editing, DONE. Polishing? This baby is shining.…

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The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is in The Zone

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group meets (online) on the first Wednesday of every month. During these especially scary days, it’s nice to know you’ve got a group like this at your back. If you haven’t already, come join! The awesome co-hosts for the April 1 posting of the IWSG are Diane Burton, JH Moncrieff, Anna @ Emaginette, Karen @ Reprobate Typewriter (Hi!), Erika Beebe, and Lisa Buie-Collard! April 1 question: Do you have any rituals that you use when you need help getting into the ZONE? Care to…

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