Lately I find myself saying, “One day my book will be on that shelf” whenever I pass by the isle that holds all the literary material at a store. I know the hard work it will take to see that come true but I also know that which route to publishing I take plays a part.
Are you trying to edit one novel while writing another? This is what many writers find themselves having to do. Maybe you recently finished a novel, during NaNo perhaps. Or you wrote one awhile back and shelved it. Regardless, unless you edit that manuscript several times over it won’t be ready for prime time.
In January I started a new series project. This time I did it right. During my writing career I’ve morphed from a complete pantser (one who dives in with no set plan) to an assisted pantser (one who must have significant sign posts to complete the story journey safely). With my first series, The Kyn Kronicles,
I recently had the opportunity to do a beta read on a novel and provide a critique. The experience was both sad and depressing. Everything was off—pacing, character development, and conflict. Keeping all those ponies in harness pulling their weight and working together is complicated. But this is your job as a novelist.
I’m kinda cheating this month. I won’t be sharing much advice, although I hope it may give you some food for thought… 🙂 I suppose what I’m doing, is thinking out loud about a little writing conundrum I’m pondering; hoping you might chip in with your thoughts.
Ask me about a favorite book – and I’ll describe the heroine.
How are your writing resolutions going so far? Have you been meeting your writing goals? I’ve been working at it and succeeding to a certain extent but according to astrologers the planet Mercury has been retrograde since early January, scrambling communication, causing glitches in technology, delays for travelers and generally making it an uphill battle to get into an organized, efficient routine for making good on all those New Year’s resolutions.
Did you ever play Truth or Dare when you were young? It was probably thrilling, testing boundaries and building trust among your friends. As you said and did wilder and wilder things, your relationships grew stronger and the world opened up to new possibilities. Yet we grow out of Truth or Dare eventually, finding the dares childish, the truths too painful to admit. We learn to guard ourselves too deeply, developing layers of protection.
It’s great to be here at the Writer’s Fun Zone. Thanks for the invite! Today, I’d like to share a few tips on ergonomics from my recent non-fiction release, Overcome Your Sedentary Lifestyle (A Practical Guide to Improving Health, Fitness, and Well-being for Desk Dwellers and Couch Potatoes).
This year, I challenged myself and my students to “go digital” in terms of writing submission, feedback and reflection. Every one of my 98 students created a digital writing portfolio folder in their Google Apps for Education (GAFE) account; they then shared the folder with me and provided me editing rights.
When I first got the idea to write my novel it sounded fun and I couldn’t wait sit down at my laptop and start writing. It is still fun and exciting to me but I never imagined how difficult it would be to fit in writing along with working two jobs, spending time with my family and keeping my house clean!
Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Raina Schell as she shares with us “Getting into the Head of Your Antagonists.”
Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Jami Gray as she shares with us “To Conference, or not to Conference, That is the Question.”
Happy New Year! Time for resolutions and goal setting. Time for me to freak out. I’ve always hated the words goal and resolution. Oh, I had them – the same every year: lose weight, save money, get out of debt. But I never thought about the plans, the schedules, the hard work it took to achieve those goals, so I bailed and failed and told myself that it was better not to have goals so I could save myself from anxiety and disappointment.
Subscribe here to get notified each time we publish a post.
Welcome to the Writer’s Fun Zone, a blog for creative writers by Beth Barany, fiction writing teacher and novelist.
Articles by creative writers like you.
Check out the How To Write The Future podcast.
Subscribe to Writer's Fun Zone blog for resources, inspiration, and free resources:
Get these goodies:BONUS
As a bonus, you will also be subscribed to the CreativitySparks (tm) newsletter, full of tips and tools for novelists building a successful career. (Sent 1-2 times per week) By Beth Barany, Editor and Publisher of the Writer's Fun Zone, and a Creativity Coaching for Writers, and a novelist herself.
Beth Barany helps authors get their books completed and out into the world, into the hands of their readers.
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.
She walks the talk, as her clients like to say. She is the author of the 2012 award-winning young adult fantasy novel Henrietta The Dragon Slayer, as well as the author of the bestselling nonfiction books for authors and aspiring authors.
Ready to finish your book but not sure how?
Hire Beth to help you or take a class at Barany School of Fiction. Or join her Group Coaching Program.
Still have questions? Email Beth.
Recent Comments