2014 sucked for me in many ways. I didn’t do as much writing as I would have liked, I had 3 different major surgeries (ah…growing old…) and I ended it with stuff I had sworn to myself I would already have done. (Of course that last one I do every year…) When midnight on the first day of 2015 hot I promised myself (as I do every year) this year will be different. Needless to say I haven’t exactly gotten off to a stellar start.
The beginnings are the hardest aren’t they? People ask me all the time how I come up with my stories and I tend to spout off various smart ass quips about it but to be honest the rest of the stories are easy…it’s the beginning that is always the hardest and I think it is that way for most writers.
The beginning has to grab the reader right? It has to encourage them to involve themselves in the story. If the beginning isn’t good the reader will put that book down and never ever pick it up again. As a writer I find this true of my life as well. I have to begin and it has to be good or I will spend the rest of the year playing tag with my writing. It is for this reason that I am going to suggest that whatever project you decide to begin 2015 with…make it good.
Sure we all have tons of stories in the works but if you choose a lessor project you really will not be as motivated throughout the year as you need to be. I always want to hit the ground running with a project that excites me…that compels me on so that I am tempted to do my best writing right off the bat. If I do that then I can spend the rest of the year trying to top that first great piece ensuring that the rest of the years’ writing is also good.
So folks…hit the ground running. If you are trying to finish a 2014 project that doesn’t own your heart set it aside and start something that excites you. You will go back to that lessor project but to begin the year with you need something that will pump you up. It’s important so that 2015 doesn’t suck in the end.
© The Writer’s Advice, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
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Tags: advice, author, book, editing, inspiration, Inspire, Jai Colvin, novel, novelist, structure, telling story, time management, writer, writers, writing, writing process, Writing tools
Like throwing a pebble into the water some writers put advice out into the ocean of hopeful newbies hoping the ripple effects will reach them and they will learn a thing or two. Here at The Writer’s Advice it is pebble collection time. I will post some of the pebbles of wisdom I discover and I encourage you all to do the same. We will help each other. So here are mine….show me yours! -
© The Writer’s Advice, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
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Tags: advice, author, book, freelance, inspiration, Inspire, Jai Colvin, learning, novel, novelist, organization, organize, structure, writer, writers, writing, writing job, Writing Pebbles, writing process, Writing tools
Texting is the bane of my existence. First off, I’m incredibly slow at it. My thumbs were not created to text and my body reminds me of that every time I try to do it. I often find myself in the position where the person texting me, usually one of the kids, has texted me three times to my one answer. Secondly, there appears to be no true way to convey emotion in a text. (and no I don’t use those stupid little yellow faces to help) Because there is no way to convey emotion I end up with many, many “don’t use that tone with me” responses from my spouse. Tone? Really?
Here is the thing though…while all of those things make me crazy, nothing…and I mean nothing…drives me more nuts that the supposed need to learn a whole new language in order to get and send texts. I personally have no desire to stand in the grocery checkout line and decipher a message from my spouse asking me to pick up creamer. (Plz p/u crmr) You need a damn decoder ring!
The really sad thing is that I am now seeing the short-cut language being used in actual books. It is disheartening that we, as writers, as following the lead of an incredibly lazy generation. Just as there is no way to convey emotion in all those newly created acronyms; these is also no way to tell a story with them either. Reading a book should be an enjoyable task, not one that makes you have to read like a kindergartener just learning to read Dick and Jane books.
People practice responsible wording…please. Use the entire word, don’t get sucked into the I’ll scratch out some letters and hope they pick it up method of doing anything. And for Pete’s sake (and the rest of our sake) don’t put this crap into a manuscript. Use your words people…use your words…..
© The Writer’s Advice, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
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Tags: author, inspiration, Inspire, Jai Colvin, learning, novel, novelist, organization, organize, story, structure, texting, writer, writers, writing, writing process, Writing tools
I am a lifetime student of writing. Hell, I’m a lifetime student of darn near everything if I’m honest. I love to learn and I love to learn from other actual people. When I first discovered Ted Talks I thought, “I’ll never be able to devote enough time to listen to all these”…but, as I explored I couldn’t justify NOT finding time to listen to them.
For those of you living in a cave, Ted Talks is a forum where experts in just about every field get 20 minutes to wow us with what they have discovered. These gems are informative, fun and sometimes downright mind-blowing. And the REALLY cool thing???? They are being added to all the time.
Below are some of the Ted Talks that I personally have found fascinating and helpful as a writer. Take a moment and sit down in a quiet room and enjoy these pearls of wisdom shared by others who have been there before us.
David Kelley: How to build your creative confidence
© The Writer’s Advice, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
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Tags: advice, author, book, inspiration, Inspire, Jai Colvin, learning, novelist, organization, organize, relevant, story, structure, telling story, time management, writer, writers, writing, writing process, Writing tools
Like throwing a pebble into the water some writers put advice out into the ocean of hopeful newbies hoping the ripple effects will reach them and they will learn a thing or two. Here at The Writer’s Advice it is pebble collection time. I will post some of the pebbles of wisdom I discover and I encourage you all to do the same. We will help each other. So here are mine….show me yours!
© The Writer’s Advice, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
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Tags: advice, author, Character, creation of character, editing, inspiration, Inspire, Jai Colvin, learning, novel, novelist, organization, organize, structure, telling story, writer, writers, writing, writing process, Writing tools
So days it just won’t come…. Here I sit at my keyboard this morning and I realize that no matter how hard I try, inspiration just isn’t going to hit. I have drank an entire pot of coffee, paced between the living room and my office, played with the dog and admonished the cat for once again trying to knock over a plant and still….nothing.
Let’s face it…for the writer…there are gonna be days like this; days when you are non-motivated to put any words onto the page. A lot of writers will tell you to “force it”, make yourself sit in your chair until the words are squeezed out. I simply don’t agree with that advice, in fact, I think it is among the dumbest things you can say to a writer at all.
Inspiration is inspiration…an elusive beast that we all pray for and almost never shows up at an opportune moment. Some of us writers have been blessed with frequent visits but no matter how blessed you are, there are still times when inspiration hides and no amount of screaming “Marco” will get a Polo. My advice? Deal with it by simply walking way.
Go for a drive, a walk, donuts…something to get your brain completely away from the concept of writing. I think that there are times when we over work inspiration and he/she gets tired and needs a beer so he/she disappears for a while. It’s okay if inspiration is taking a snooze; maybe it’s a sign that you need one too.
If you force yourself to write your writing will sound forced and no one wants that. Forcing a story is a great way to offend your readers. In my experience writing is a natural act and forcing your brain to write is as unnatural as it gets. So if inspiration has left the building and is hanging out with Elvis you go find something else to do. It will return…it always does.
© The Writer’s Advice, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
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Tags: advice, author, book, healthy, inspiration, Inspire, Jai Colvin, Jai Farris, novel, novelist, organization, organize, structure, telling story, writer, writers, writing process, Writing tools
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I got up this morning at 6 a.m. and sat down at my desk…then I spent about an hour staring at my computer screen trying to decide where to begin. I have several ghosting projects, my regular articles, a book I’m trying to edit and one I’m trying to finish….and yesterday was the last day of the school year. Needless to say I was feeling a bit overloaded.
So what’s a writer to do when it seems there is an avalanche of work to do? Over the years I have developed a few techniques to help me when I get overwhelmed. Some of them are from friends and other writers who also have found themselves staring at the screen as though it was a foreign object and some are my own tried and true methods.
1. Walk away – I know, I know….but you have work to do…I get that, but sometimes it is better to get up and do something completely different. I got up this morning and did laundry. If anything was going to make me want to go back to writing it is the laundry. (that and dusting)
2. Read – I find that sometimes I just need to be inspired by another writer. I pick up a book and read and it seems to help me get back on track.
3. Work on something unrelated – When I am overwhelmed with projects that I HAVE to get done, I work on something I want to get done. Sometimes it helps to step into a project totally unrelated to what has to be done today.
4. Make a list – I am a list person. I love lists. I often sit down and write down what I have to get done and then knock it out one thing at a time. My saying…one dragon at a time.
5. Take a day off – Every now and again it is a good thing to just take a day off. I have to get away sometimes to remember what it is that I love about what I do. It’s okay….the work will be there when you get back.
These are just a few suggestions and I am sure that other writers have more. Please share those ideas with the rest of us. We can all use a little help from time to time.
© The Writer’s Advice, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
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Tags: advice, author, book, inspiration, Inspire, Jai Colvin, learning, novel, novelist, organization, organize, structure, writers, writing, writing process, Writing tools
