How To Clean a House Like a Writer #AmWriting

House cleaning is a useful activity for writers.

The amount of house cleaning a writer does depends on a number of factors:

• Stage of WIP. If the writer is in that euphoric writing stage (up to the first 5k words for most of us) house cleaning will be de-prioritised. On the other hand if the writer is knee deep and wading through the mid novel swamp then house cleaning will happen. If the writer hates their WIP (can happen at any stage) or just wants to avoid it (again this can happen at ANY stage) then house cleaning is guaranteed.
• Twitter. If Twitter is down it is more than likely the writer’s house / flat / room will get cleaned.
• Deadlines. If the writer is in a sweaty, deadline-induced panic then the state of the house will be ignored until the writer has met their deadline and spent a…

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The Moon- Stream of Consciousness Saturday #SoCS

The path you walk

May seem confusing, 

Full of insecurities

And uncertainties.

You may feel

Lost on your journey,

As if wandering

In the dark of night,

Not sure of where

You should be going.

But worry not,

For the Moon will

Light your path,

Providing the clarity

And understanding

Your intuition needs

To guide your way

Through the darkness.

Use its gentle light

To walk your path,

And take your steps

Bravely towards

Your hopes and dreams.

---

This post is part the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt, “the last photo you took”:

https://lindaghill.com/2021/07/30/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-31-2021/

My last photo was of the Buck Moon on July 23, 2021 (the photo at the beginning of the post)

#Writers 8 Steps to Side Characters #BookReview @sacha_black

This book, 8 Steps to Side Characters by Sacha Black is launching TODAY and it is a writing game changer.

I can liken the experience of reading this book to Sacha Black shining a monster sized torch on all the side characters I have ever created, arching her perfectly sculptured eyebrows at me, clicking her Laboutin heels under the table and whispering, ‘WTF is going on here with this lot – Mitchell?’

She then grabs my side characters by the scruff of their necks, hauls them out into the light, teaches them (and me) about their purpose in a story, gives them some much needed conflict, sharpens their blurry edges and tells me to stop letting them loiter in the dark corners of my stories.

Here’s that all important blurb?

Do your characters fail to bring your story to life? Are they flat, boring or have no depth? Is your…

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Making a Living as a Writer – By Amy Collins…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

on New Shelves:

Does any of this sound familiar?

“I wrote this book so that I could make a living as a writer.”
“My goal is to quit my day job.”
“I plan on retiring on my book income.”

If any of those sentiments have crossed your mind or your lips, this article is for you. (You are not going to like it… but keep reading.)

Continue reading HERE

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3 Things All Authors Should Do Before Publishing Their Books – by Crave Books…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

on Digital Pubbing:

For many first time writers, the idea of simply getting something written down can be a daunting task. However, once the manuscript has been approved by your publishing company, it is time to sell your writing.

Publishing your written work is a major accomplishment. While it can feel amazing to get your writing out there, it can also be stressful if you have no idea where to start. It is important to know what you’re doing so that you can prepare yourself for every potential obstacle along the way.

With that being said, many new authors fail to understand the responsibilities that come with being published. It is completely normal to make mistakes through the process, but if you’re prepared, you can alleviate some of the pressures that come with the hardest aspects of the publication journey.

Whether you are a newly published author or a…

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Conquer Your Monsters #WIPs

Story Empire

Hi, SEers! You’re with Mae today.

Remember when you were a kid, afraid of monsters? They exist in writing, too. Bet you didn’t expect that, but take it from me—your resident cryptid, monster lover—not all strange creatures are bad. Let’s remember that Mary Shelly’s creation—Frankenstein’s monster—was actually a sensitive, articulate soul. He started out as something hideous, cadaver parts stitched together and an appearance that made others react with revulsion and terror.

Monsters aren’t always what they seem. Today, I’d like to know if you have a monster in your backlog of stories. One that haunts you and won’t leave you alone. A story that has been cobbled together of plot threads over the years.

The “haunting” usually begins as a solid idea. The story has a start, a middle, and a solid finish. For a while it even seems exceptional, but with the passage of time, the concept erodes…

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Why Shelved Stories Are like Old Flames #AmWriting

Let’s talk about one of my favourite subjects in the writing world – shelved stories. Those writing projects which used to make your heart beat faster when you sat down to write them but are now gathering dust in boxes in the loft, in notebooks, drawers or are languishing in your electronic writing folders. Writing […]

Why Shelved Stories Are like Old Flames #AmWriting

ALERT-SCAMMERS – IMPERSONATING MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STUDIOS BY VICTORIA STRAUSS.

Plaisted Publishing

PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK AND WATCH OUT FOR ANY UPDATES FROM VICTORIA STRAUSS

https://accrispin.blogspot.com/2021/07/alert-scammers-impersonating-major.html

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Twelve Story Ending Twists That Don’t Work – By Rayne Hall…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

On Fiction University:

Some twists have been written to death.

Certain short story endings will almost inevitably lead to rejection.

What are they, and why should you avoid them?

Continue reading HERE

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Three Elements of Horror

Story Empire

Ciao, SEers. We’ve rounded the corner and are in the second half of the year. Even though we’re in the heat of summer, for me, as soon as we hit July, I feel fall coming (my favorite season of the year) and that means it’s time to start thinking about all things autumn. You’re probably already seeing pumpkins in the store. That makes me so happy!

It means it’s time to start thinking horror. Okay, I admit it. I’m pretty much always thinking horror whether Halloween is near or not.

Today, I want to talk about the three aspects of successful horror as defined by Orson Scott Card.

The thing that really elevates horror stories is layering and building suspense. The three layers we want to work with in horror stories are dread, terror, and horror.

Dread

“to anticipate with great apprehension”

This is the best one. Easily my…

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