You might be asking yourself why I would want to talk about connecting with people. After all, as a writer, you write a story and people read it, right? They buy your book, you collect the money and write another and the cycle of reader/writer life simply goes on in perpetuity. I suspect those of you who have some inkling about the challenges writer’s face are already laughing. If you aren’t laughing, I think you might need a small (or large) dose of reality. The truth is, your writing won’t resonate with everyone. It has probably happened to you too; you pick up a book and start reading it only to quickly lose interest and put it down. It’s happened […]
Read moreCategory: Irreverent Muse
NanoWriMo is here again!
November is fast approaching and with it, NanoWriMo. For those of you who have no idea what NanoWriMo is, allow me to offer this brief description. NanoWriMo is a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. Sound impossible? For some it is the ultimate challenge. Last year over 100,000 people participated in NanoWriMo with more than 15,000 hitting the 50,000 word mark. Were the 15,000+ novels publishable? Unlikely. In fact few will ever be published but that isn’t the point. “So what is the point?” you might ask. NanoWriMo certainly has its share of detractors who feel that it is a waste of time. They don’t believe that it creates a writing habit; it’s just a frenzy of writing […]
Read moreThe Writer’s Life – Dealing with Low Motivation
Let me begin by saying that I love to write. Most days I enjoy building worlds, creating unique characters and letting stories unfold. Note that I said “Most days”. There are times when I simply cannot get myself motivated to write. Some might call it writer’s block, but not me. For me it’s usually because I have too many things I want to write. I kid you not, too much of a good thing can prove overwhelming. That was the case the past 10 days or so. I have no shortage of writing and projects on the go: my fantasy novel rewrite, my Critters submissions, my Nano novel to plot, query letters to send out and the list goes on. […]
Read moreToo much description can be… too much
I have trouble writing scenes. Usually I feel that my description of the setting is too lean. I like to let people use their imaginations, but I don’t think I give them enough to work with. That is a far cry from how I used to write. When I first started writing I was always trying to paint beautiful pictures that flew on wings of purple prose. I thought I needed to be both poetic and thorough to be a good writer. Somewhere along the way (during my writing course, I think) I did a complete 180 degree turn and went minimal. Which way is right? Looking at the writing I’m doing now I would say that neither is the […]
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