The Importance of Self-Care For Writers #AmWriting

Our writing lives are at times joyful and heavenly, but they are also fraught with creative emotional pain and suffering. We go through continual phases of hating and loving our writing, dealing with writer jealousy, working through rejection, failure, chasing that fast moving and unobtainable object called a writing dream {enter your dream} and on certain days feeling a million years away from it.

Our poor little creative hearts go through so much; they’re either swelling with pride after a literary achievement, splintering after a nasty rejection or being glued back together as we write something new.

As well as this they are like sponges with all the emotion which goes with writing. Every bit of joy, happiness, shock, pain, sting and hurt which comes from writing is soaked up by your little creative heart.

Your writer brain also sometimes needs a rest. There are days when it feels like…

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Ways honest feedback impacts and improves your writing

Uninspired Writers

Seeking feedback on your writing is a daunting process. As writers we are prone to doubt and a fear of rejection, so trusting someone with your words is a huge step. But it is a vital one, because it gives you scope to improve your writing, make decisions for your story, and find out what works and what doesn’t. Here’s how:

Ideas for early stage changes
It can be so vital to get advice in those early stages of your plot. Someone on the outside can look at your story from a fresh perspective and let you know if the way you’re telling it works. Perhaps your point of view character(s) haven’t got a strong enough voice, or the start is too slow. Maybe the pacing is off, and there is too much inessential detail. Knowing this early can help you make vital changes before you’re too far in, and…

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Chronicles of Riss ~ Book Review

Check out this great review for Chronicles of Riss.

BookWorm

Synopsis

Confronting evil sorcerers. Fighting monsters. Dueling metal golems. Searching for a sea monster. Hunting lost treasure. Finding a missing show dog. Competing in talent contests. Helping lost children. These are just some of the widely varied exploits that the young mercenary sorceress Marissa “Riss” Cobalt shares in this second Adventures in Sorcery book. Riss reveals how she ended up as a mercenary and chronicles some of the many adventures, ranging from fun to serious, that she’s had prior to the events of Kismet and Tell.

~ Jeanne Owens @amazon

There actually weren’t any wands in the book

Review

Firstly, I would like to thank the author, Jeanne Owens, for sending me a copy of this awesome book. Do check out her website here.

The book spans over 17 chapters, each covering a new adventure from the journey of the mercenary sorceress Marrisa. The young sorceress of 14 is…

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The Best Writer’s Note

Nicholas C. Rossis

I came across this on Facebook and just had to share. Yes, it’s probably fake. But it’s still the best writer’s note ever!

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Making Magic Systems That Work and Wow – By Bethany Henry…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

on Fiction University:

here’s something magical about making magic, and it’s often a fantasy writer’s favorite part of writing in that genre. 

__________

Magic systems are an integral part of any fantasy world yet they are not all created equal! Today we’re looking at what makes a strong magic system and four steps for creating our own.

To start with:

Continue reading HERE

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Five Ways to Know You Are Doing Good Work on Each Writing Session

Story Empire

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Hi SEers. John with you again today. It is no secret that most of us work in a solitary state when we are working on a story. It is great to have feedback on what we have written. Sadly, it is not always practical to get third-party opinions on all the directions or nuances pursued in your writing. We cannot run to a critic group or beta reader after each writing session. The importance of each session is that together they make up the whole of the work in progress. So, if sessions are going badly, the sum of the sessions will reflect the trouble. Today, I would like to offer a checklist that will give an idea of the quality of the work.

These points won’t take the place of beta readers or critical input. It is more to give the writer a…

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Strategies for Getting Published as an Independent Writer – by Jori Hamilton…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

on Digital Pubbing:

Going with a publishing house may offer the ability to get in front of a larger crowd, but at what cost? If your story is mangled by editors and publisher demands on the way to publication, the final product can end up completely different than the book you set out to write.

Self-publishing offers an alternative that, while less splashy, allows you, the author, to remain in the driver’s seat. You’re able to control the narrative of both your book and your publishing experience.

The good news is that self-publishing has never been easier thanks to the powers of the internet. The e-commerce market has opened up the doors for quality writers to have their voices heard without the filter of a publisher in between.

If you’re thinking of going the self-pub route, here is a quick overview of some strategies that you should consider.

Continue reading…

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How To Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Writing Progress

K.M. Allan

As writers, we’ve all had those moments when it’s been hard to sit down and write.

It could be because other responsibilities have kept us away from our writing desks, or illness has sidelined us.

Then there are those times when we’ve been able to write and we just… don’t.

When that happens, it’s down to sabotage—and it’s usually ourselves who are the saboteurs!

Self-Sabotage: Perfectionism

If you’ve ever been ready to write but then sat staring at a blank screen instead, it might not be because of a lack of inspiration.

The fear of perfectionism can really cripple a writer. Not getting a sentence right first try, or being unable to edit a scene to the standard you want can be enough to stop your writing progress dead in its tracks.

How To Stop It: Acceptance and Improvement

What you write…

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WRITING AND FUN!

Story Empire

Hi SEers! Denise here to share some youthful wisdom.

I asked my four-year-old granddaughter a question. “What are you going to do today?”

“Have fun.”

I loved her answer, and it brought a smile to my face. It also got me thinking about my feelings when I sit down to write. Am I having fun? I realized the answer was no. But why not? I’m doing what I love and meant to do, so what’s missing?

The definition of fun:

noun

something that provides mirth or amusement: A picnic would be fun.

enjoyment or playfulness: She’s full of fun.

verb (used with or without object),funned,fun·ning,

Informal.joke; kid.

adjective,fun ·ner,Fun ·nest.

Informal.of or relating to fun, especially to social fun: a fun thing to do; really a fun person; the funnest game.

Informal.whimsical; flamboyant: The fashions this year are definitely on the fun side.

Courtesy of Dictionary.com

It was fun when…

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6 Unique Ways to Think Up Story Ideas

A Writer's Path

Ask any successful author what question they get asked the most, and they’ll likely say “How do you come up with your ideas?”

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