We’re excited to bring you a special webinar this month, “Plan Your Novel: Essential Plot & Character Tips Webinar (& An overview of the “30-Day Challenge to Preparing Your Novel” June 2015 course)”. I...
You’ve probably heard utterances of “writing is a lonely job”. I’m here to tell you – it doesn’t have to be.
If you’ve read any of my previous posts you know I’ve talked about my experience creating hand-drawn graphic novels and the joys and challenges of undertaking such a project. I’ve discussed how my process has evolved since my first book, Uptowners, and how I’m trying something different and more collaborative for the upcoming sequel, Queensgate.
One of my screenwriting students came in one night with the first draft of his ensemble comedy. Now, those things – ensemble pieces – are notoriously hard to write whether you’re writing a script or a novel because there are so many characters you have to service.
Check out my interview with Kiala Givehand on the Generations Literary Journal Podcast! I give tons of writing tips, and I even read an excerpt from Henrietta The Dragon Slayer! Make sure you subscribe...
“Trevor’s only wanted to raise her girls and fight for her community nursing program. She didn’t have time to be distracted by the hot fireman she burned years ago by refusing his marriage proposal. If she could just remind herself of her desires each day, it wouldn’t be so hard working closely with him to help his father recover from a stroke.” Take Harte a novel by Carol Malone.
I’m working on a story in which my protagonist is on an unpaid leave from the CIA. The story concerns an unlikely adventure she engages in during this off time, and the way she handles it helps her to decide if the CIA is the right career choice for her. In a beta read, a friend pointed out that my character could face serious consequences—even prison—merely for making a phone call that wasn’t over a secure channel.
Spring has sprung! Well is has in my part of the world. J The daffodils are out, the days are a bit longer and summer’s coming. Traditionally this is a time when a lot of people do a clear out. It’s off to the Garden Centre or the DIY shop to spruce things up. For some it’s emptying out the cupboards and a splash of paint on a wall or two.
Many writers are not specifically or even self identified, scientists. Yet we write about science and technology anyway. Why? Because we use it technology, we depend on science and many of us watched Star Trek as kids. What else is there to know?
One day, maybe a year ago, I downloaded one such character. For the purpose of this blog I’ll name him Apollo, because that’s one persistent God, but the character could be anything or anyone. Apollo showed up one afternoon when I was quite literally doing something else entirely. In the spirit of full disclosure I was on Facebook and as often happens on Facebook I read something that annoyed me. But before I could process what I’d read Apollo was there, in my head and he was loud.
Things have been evolving as I work on my latest graphic novel, Queensgate. You may be able to tell if you’ve read my previous posts that I’m very hands-on when it comes to my work, as I’m sure are many of you folks out there! My graphic novels are so far based on my own screenplays; they’re completely hand-drawn, by me, and I’ve also experienced that extremely steep learning curve that comes from being self-published and having to market and promote one’s own work (though I understand that even if you’re not self-published that’s often the case).
A student came into the Writing Center where I tutor the other day with a complaint about his instructor (big surprise!). The student had been using his thesaurus to come up with another word for ‘people’ to go with ‘the Chinese’ and ended up with ‘civilians.’
As a modern day writer, you’ve learned when and where you write best. Rarely, I’m sure, does inspiration strike when you’re seated at your desk in front of your computer at 9:00am. More likely, you’re inspired while you’re out and about. In order to efficiently capture and save every new idea, detail, story line, etc., you need to download some new apps to your iPhone. The list below will help you research, brainstorm, write, and even publish your work whether you’re at home, at the office, or in the middle of daily errands. Check em out.
You can keep shouting these words, but if you’re talking to the wrong audience, you’re just wasting your efforts. Even if you lose your voice from shouting, nothing will come out of it. Yeah, that’s the truth about book marketing. The harsh reality that every self-publishing author has to face before they can sell copies of their work to the world.
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Creativity Coach for Writers, NLP Master Practitioner, and Master Teacher, Beth Barany has been there and knows how hard it can be to take your idea and turn it into a real book, that people will actually be interested, and even yearning, to read.
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