Writerly Update
I’m sorry for the late post today, I had a late shift at work.
The last couple of days have flown by, partly because I’ve been working and also because I’ve been editing.
On Thu 6/23 one of my favorite Twitter events occurred, the #SFFpit.
The #SFFpit is basically a pitch party. It is where writers have the opportunity to pitch their Sci-fi/Fantasy novels directly to agents and publishers.
Last year I got one like from an agent, but I was still writing my first draft of “A Victorian Tale” and I couldn’t finish it in time for submission.
This year though I was very fortunate to have a publishing company to like my pitch for “A Victorian Tale.” Now with a completed manuscript I’m a bit more prepared for submission; but I do want to make sure the first 3 chapters are in tip-top shape before submitting them. So that is what I’ve been up to since Thursday, editing my first 3 chapters for submission.
This submission will be my first, and it’s terrifying; but I’m determined to forge forward no matter what the outcome.
Have you ever participated in a pitch party? What was your experience like?
Write Change
Sometimes things need to change.
Change is part of life.
I’ve decided to change things on this blog a little bit.
I will be changing my update days to Friday or Saturdays.
My work schedule will be changing and although it won’t change the fact that I write every day; it will change when I can update “Write Improvement.”
I want to make sure that I keep a steady and routine update on this blog. So, if I have to change things up to do so, so be it.
Also, if there are any subjects or ideas you’d like me to make a post about feel free to comment below.
Thank you everyone for reading!
Write Help…When Introducing Characters
Something I recently learned was that introducing characters can be intimidating, especially for writers that are just starting out.
It can be hard to decide when is the proper moment to bring a new person into your tale, I’ve noticed a lot of new writers tend to rush it. They introduce everyone at once, sometimes even at the very start.
The problem with this is it doesn’t give us time to step into the world of the novel. Instead it reads like a bad textbook or worst a bad list. It can end up being an immediate turn off for a reader.
The core of the issue is often that a writer will get so excited about the climax of the tale they will rush everything else, but the first pages of the novel are what tell a reader if they are going to continue reading or not. If they are not drawn into the story in the beginning then they will not care what happens in the middle of the story because they will have already moved on.
In the excitement of starting something new, we all can try to rush things because we want to get to the finished product. But when we do this we miss out on learning about our style, our own creativity and the project we are doing.
The same can be applied when writing a novel if we rush things we will miss out on the important descriptive details, world-building and character building. If we rush things we can end up losing sight of why we started writing in the first place.
Has this ever happened to you?
If so maybe you need to step back from your project and ask yourself question:
Why do you write (or create)?
If it’s for fame and fortune such things often come to those who have put forth effort and time.
& if it’s for creating something that you wish for others to enjoy, then get to know your craft. When writing, spend time really getting to know the setting your story is in. Then imagine your characters in the normal day-to-day lives, think about what their habits are and their hopes & dreams.
In the end I think we all want to write (or create) something that we wish was already out there for ourselves…something we’ve yearned for.
If this is true of you, isn’t it worth the time to truly get to know your craft well?
Revert Back to the Basics of Childhood
Do you remember when you were a kid and school seemed to drag on?
Do you remember allowing your mind to drift so soon you were flying high in the clouds?
Do you remember being able to close your eyes and re-watch your favorite movie beneath your eyelids?
Do you remember how your dreams once were?
No? Perhaps it was only me then.
My daydreams were my greatest friends as a child. They were what entertained me and made my heart giggle with joy.
They were also the very start of my storytelling.
I would weave tales in my mind and reenact them with myself as the only actor but I could see my story’s world around me, I could feel it and I could hear it. I immersed myself in the fantasy.
As writers we can use that same technique a child does freely, we can close our eyes and take a trip down the cobbled, packed dirt or grassy path that weaves its way through our tale’s world. By doing so we can find better ways of describing things because we are thinking about how it would seem to someone who was actually there.
In turn when our readers read our tale they will experience the tale not just read it; which isn’t that what we all want as readers?
Do you daydream your way through a story too? Have you discovered new ways to use this age-old method in storytelling? Perhaps next time you babysit or spend time with your own child see how they tell a story; and maybe you will be able to learn a thing or two from them.
For more daily prompts, check out The Daily Post on wordpress.
When Fiction Fails….Why Not Journal
Just like we all at times need an escape from reality, sometimes we need an escape from fiction.
I know it may be hard to believe that such a thing exists; the need to escape from the worlds within our heads. I know it was hard for me to realize such a thing but even on days like this we can still dream.
At times it’s not so much a need, its more as if we feel as if all our creative energies have been suck dry. Perhaps it was a hard week, or perhaps we’ve written non-stop and we have hit that famous Writer’s Wall. When this happens we can always turn to reality for a brief hiatus.
I have always been the kind of person to start a journal but never really stick to it.
Recently though I started an online diary and suddenly I’m writing more regularly.
On the off days during the week when I have just updated my stories on Wattpad, and my blog is current; its nice to have an outlet to place my stress.
Having an outlet for every day stress helps us to not burn out when we need to get our writing done.
& guess what? It counts towards your daily word count! Isn’t that great?
So on a day when you need to vent, so that you may return to your creative endeavors with renewed vigor, you can journal while still keeping to your daily writing schedule.
Have you journaled before? Or if not what sort of things do you do to vent away the stresses of every day life so that it doesn’t disrupt your writing schedule?
Write Inspiration: Dreams
Every story I’ve ever written started from a dream or at the very least a daydream.
When I was small, before I could read or write, I would sing tales as I spun them in my head. When I grew older those sung tales grew into real ones and I fell in love with storytelling.
Dreams are mysterious and hold meaning to our lives; often inspired by experiences of our day or week; thus they can be excellent fodder for the growth of a new story.
If you meld a dream and iron out the wrinkles and self-inserts; you can have a good novel on your hands.
Many an author I’ve spoken to keeps an account of their dreams, because they hold quite a bit of inspiration.
They can also can help solve plot holes in current novels.
Many a night I have gone to sleep thinking over and over about the last chapter of my story and when I woke up somehow I had a new idea to spark the next chapter.
Have your dreams inspired you to write? Have they ever solved a plot hole for you?
For more daily prompts, check out The Daily Post on wordpress.
What Makes Your Character’s Heart Sing?
When creating a character sometimes it can be very easy to get lost in just that, creating them. But sometimes the best characters are discovered in the littlest details that make them all the more human.
Today I’d like you to take a break from the research and instead think about the little things that makes our characters’ hearts sing.
Is it a look across a crowded room?
Or is it watching as a little bird perches upon surface and tilt its head up at the character?
Do they smile when music sweeps through the air?
Is their breath taken away when they step into a canopied forest?
Are they rendered speechless when someone smiles at them unexpectedly?
Have you ever thought about what makes your heart sing? If so why don’t you take a moment and find out what makes all your characters hearts lift high into the air like a kite.
For more daily prompts, check out The Daily Post on wordpress.
kawerts.wordpress.com 