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Writing Pebbles #18



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, 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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Posted by on February 13, 2023 in Writing, Writing Tools

 

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And…..Here We Go…..


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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Posted by on January 20, 2023 in Writing, Writing Tools

 

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If it Light’s Up…USE IT! Don’t be Afraid of Technology


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We live in amazing times. We have computers, tablets, even phones that allow you to write your manuscript on them….between software and hardware writing has become a streamlined practice for a lot of people. You don’t have to worry about spelling, word processors do that for you…and grammar programs improve every day. Hell, before you know it technology will take the writer out of the equation altogether! WAIT! WHAT?!

Okay, don’t get excited…writers will always be needed because a machine can’t do what we do. I know that there are a lot of old school writers out there who refuse to embrace new technology for fear of being replaced but I am not one of them. For me if it lights up and makes my life easier…whoo hoo! I know that writing is an intimate and personal practice so the concept of machines replacing us…well it’s just not going to happen so I take advantage where I can.

Technology saves you one thing that all writers complain about not having…enough time. I like the fact that I can take my tablet everywhere I go and I can write wherever I want to. If I have downtime because the spouse is shopping…I can write. If I am stuck in traffic and it’s at a standstill…I can write. If I am at the in-laws and I want to drown out my mother-in-law…I can write. (not that I would EVER do that…)

Technology should be seen as a way to enhance your writing, not take away from it. I would encourage all of my fellow writers to explore the technology out there and discover new ways to by you time, editing services and even have a little fun along the way.

 

 

© 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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Posted by on November 13, 2022 in Writing, Writing Tools

 

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Don’t Waste Your Time Starting Over…and over…and over…and over…


We are all guilty of this. We start a project, don’t like the way it sounds and rewrite it. Then, after a short period of time, we reread the project, STILL don’t like it…and rewrite it again. This, my fellow writers, can turn into a vicious circle.

I have been there, in fact I still am with what I refer to as my Cluster F@#* novel. (Pardon my language) This particular novel has been an eight year project just because I never seem to find the time to follow through in any given length of time. I work on it, put it down and then when I go back to it my writer brain screams…”no, no, that’s all wrong”. I have literally rewritten the story about 15 times. Will that story ever get published? Maybe…but obviously not with any help from me right now.

There is a reason why seasoned writers will tell you to make it through the first draft before you edit. We are our own worst enemies when it comes to that internal editor. If we don’t get the story down on paper, we will never finish it at all. We will, instead, edit, rewrite, edit, rewrite…and it will go on forever.

Keep in mind that whatever you get down on paper may not be exactly what you originally wanted to say in the way that you wanted to say it…that’s okay….that’s what the editing process is for. This is the place we can take the sum parts of our stories and move them around until we have built the story we meant to tell. Its okay not to say it exactly correct the first time around, at least you have your main pieces on the page.

So before you go over that story for the 90th time…stop and give yourself a break. Just get it out there, say it…then go back over it and edit it.

 
© 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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Wisdom - Ted Talks for Writers


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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Writing Pebbles #15


 

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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Posted by on October 13, 2022 in Writing, Writing Tools

 

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Desperately Seeking Inspiration? Stop it Right Now!


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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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Posted by on August 21, 2022 in Inspiration, Writing, Writing Tools

 

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