Tag #writingtips

Reblog — Character Time and Reader Time — Writer Unboxed

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Time and pacing are always foremost thoughts in an author’s mind when they are plotting or writing.

Is it too slow?

Is it too fast?

What if I slow it down a bit, will people lose interest?

And then there comes the moment when the plot puzzle seems to not work together timewise. What do you do then?

This Writer Unboxed post offers some insight into how to deal with this conundrum. Happy reading!~

We’ve all had the experience of something being over in a flash and, in contrast, of time feeling endless. Time feels different, depending on where we are and what we want. It’s the same for our characters—and our readers. As writers, we juggle several kinds of time. I hadn’t really thought about this—not explicitly—until I…

Character Time and Reader Time — Writer Unboxed

Reblog — Thinking Fiction: What’s Next for Novelists? — An American Editor

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Writing fiction has its advantages—you get to make stuff up. But what happens when you draw on what you know (as we all do) and then EVERYTHING changes mid-draft? Did your writing change from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic and how do you handle that? I found this a very thought-provoking article that touched on some of the wrinkles many authors may dance around.~

Carolyn Haley Thanks to our collective and often-divisive experiences over the past year, I’ll wager we all agree that 2020 was one heckuva rough ride with long-term consequences yet to be known. The events have introduced new concerns specific to fiction writers, editors, agents, and publishers. For instance, should authors of contemporary fiction include the […]

Thinking Fiction: What’s Next for Novelists? — An American Editor

Reblog— What to Expect from an Editor — Writer Unboxed

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I see this topic come up in conversation in online writing groups constantly. This Writer Unboxed episode provides a solid idea of what to expect from an editor and why we aren’t to be feared. Editors have a genuine desire to help authors improve their craft and see their creativity shine. Many of us are writers too, we understand the discomfort involved, and trust me, we don’t want to perpetuate it in someone else! ~

Letting other people—even those close to you—read your novel for the first time can be stressful. You’ll wonder if they’re going to judge you, if they’ll recognize themselves in there, or if you really want your mother to know that you know about these things. But after the first few times, you get used to…

What to Expect from an Editor — Writer Unboxed

One difference I would note is that where Mr. Dempsey talks about the notations and comments made in “…copy editing and proof reading” stages, at Quill & Orb Press those notations would be part of my line editing and copy editing services.

If you would like to learn more about Quill & Orb Press editing, please visit me here. Enjoy your day!~

Reblog — Staging the Scene — Writer Unboxed

aimeredleaf, The Narrative Gardener Leave a comment

One of my favorite things about reading fantasy and historical fiction is the element of description. Setting scenes and locations is fundamental to these genres. It is also one of the most fun aspects to write, as you may have noticed if you read my Collection of Huphaea blog series. This blog post explores scene-setting from a couple perspectives. I found it informative and thought-provoking, see if you do too.~

Image by Thomas H. from Pixabay I have always been a visual writer. When formulating a scene, I have to envision each moment in exacting detail. As such, a good deal of my editing process involves scaling back, sharpening key images and finding short cuts to capture the feel of a moment with fewer words. Even…

Staging the Scene — Writer Unboxed

Reblog — Show Me the Money: Royalties, Rights & Riches for Indie Authors — Writer Unboxed

aimeredleaf, The Narrative Gardener Leave a comment

On the heels of the finish of NaNoWriMo, this Writer Unboxed post discusses many of the questions authors need to answer for themselves as they decide on a publishing route. Indie or trad? Have you made your decision yet, before you start the editing process with your new manuscript? This post is full of information about this all important decision. Enjoy!~

I made my independent publishing debut back in 2011, and if this journey has taught me anything it is that realistic expectations are critical to a productive, rewarding experience. 2,413 more words

Show Me the Money: Royalties, Rights & Riches for Indie Authors — Writer Unboxed

Reblog — Ground Your Characters with All Five Senses — Writer Unboxed

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Writers are cognizant of how important it is to include all of the senses in the narrative. This article explores how important inclusion is, for the author and the words.~

When I’m writing—these articles, for example—I often compose a kind of first draft in my head, and I usually do it when I’m out on a long walk with the dog. For this article, I knew I wanted to get across the idea that writers can introduce elements from one or all of the five…

Ground Your Characters with All Five Senses — Writer Unboxed

Reblog — Basing Your High-Fantasy Towns and Cities in the Real World — Nicholas C. Rossis

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If you write fantasy, you most likely have asked yourself a question along the lines of “What kind of world do I have and how can I keep track of it?” I can say I went with a completely fictitious world that my character passes through a portal to reach, but it starts in the real world here. This informational post has a few tips to keep in mind when you start to worldbuild.~

I wisely started the map and made the story fit. The above words, spoken by none other than J.R.R Tolkien, have been taken as sage advice by many an accomplished – or budding – fantasy writer who felt inspired to create their own world. While Tolkien, like many others, has been lauded for his incredible…

Basing Your High-Fantasy Towns and Cities in the Real World — Nicholas C. Rossis

Reblog — Parts Of A House With Names You Probably Didn’t Know — Nicholas C. Rossis

aimeredleaf, The Narrative Gardener Leave a comment

What fun! I read a lot of historical fiction and the house or dwelling descriptions are some of my most favorite parts. Have a look at all of these new or forgotten house terms to play with! Eeek! Imagination, wait for me!~

One of the hardest things for me is writing detailed descriptions of houses. Part of it is that I’m impatient by nature and I tend to gloss over long descriptions when reading. But part of it is also that it can be hard to write a nice description of a house without knowledge of the…

Parts Of A House With Names You Probably Didn’t Know — Nicholas C. Rossis

Reblog— What—and How Much—Belongs in Your Novel? — Writer Unboxed

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Here is a different take on the oft-asked “How long should my novel be?” or “Is x words too long?” Read on to hear what Mr. Maass has to say about this age-old query.~

“How long is too long?” The question comes up at every conference. How long should a novel be? It puzzles me that this anxiety persists. We are in a literary era that tolerates length. Game of Thrones, anyone? Even at 292,000 words, George Martin’s first novel in his epic series is not even in the…

What—and How Much—Belongs in Your Novel? — Writer Unboxed

Reblog: A Bit About Time Travel… — Rie Sheridan Rose

aimeredleaf, The Narrative Gardener Leave a comment

How to address the continuum of time in stories is always relevant—we have to use the past to explain the present and future, right? Here are a few reminders on how to do just that from a fellow blogger and writer.~

In writing, especially a novel, it isn’t likely that everything you want to say is linear in time. It MIGHT be…but there is a good chance that you want to tell something that happened in a characters past–or flash forward to what might be in their future. Getting this back (or forward) story into the […]

A Bit About Time Travel… — Rie Sheridan Rose