As a writer or creative, a lot of our time is spent indoors, hunched over a computer. While this is a necessary part of the job, it isn’t so great for our creativity (or our health!) I’ve found that one of the best ways to recharge is to get outside—whether it’s going for a walkContinue reading “5 ways nature boosts your creativity”
Tag Archives: writing tips
5 steps to conquer the micro-edit (Editing Your Novel: Part Four)
This is the final part in the Editing Your Novel series. Click to read about the read-through, beta readers, and the macro-edit. The final step in the editing process is the micro-edit. Now that you’ve fixed all the bigger problems, had other people read it for you, and fixed it again, you can dive intoContinue reading “5 steps to conquer the micro-edit (Editing Your Novel: Part Four)”
The four most important parts of the macro-edit (Editing Your Novel: Part Three)
Once you’ve finished the read-through, you’re ready to start editing! *insert applause sound effects* Before you jump in at page one and start fixing every little thing, stop and take into consideration the list you made during your read-through. It’s organized from big problems to little problems. Your macro-edit is the beginning of this list:Continue reading “The four most important parts of the macro-edit (Editing Your Novel: Part Three)”
8 tips for finding your perfect beta readers (Editing Your Novel: Part Two)
At some point in the editing process, you’ll need to share your writing. NOT with an agent yet—when you submit your manuscript to query, the agent shouldn’t be the only person other than you to have seen it! Instead, you should gather a good group of beta readers. What exactly are beta readers, you ask?Continue reading “8 tips for finding your perfect beta readers (Editing Your Novel: Part Two)”
How to make the most of the read-through (Editing Your Novel: Part One)
This post is part of the Editing Your Novel series. Click through to read about beta readers, the macro-edit, and the micro-edit. After you’ve taken a step back from your novel (however long that needs to be for you) you’re ready to jump back into it with the read-through. This step is pretty much summed upContinue reading “How to make the most of the read-through (Editing Your Novel: Part One)”
What to do when you finish your first draft
So. You’ve done it. You had an idea, then sat down and did the work to turn it into an actual story. You wrote a first draft! Now what? Finishing a first draft, especially if it’s your first first draft, can seem like a daunting task, so that when it’s finally over, many writers areContinue reading “What to do when you finish your first draft”
Three questions to ask to create compelling characters
Characters are the heart of your story. If readers don’t connect with them, there’s almost no better way to guarantee they put your book down and never pick it back up. So how can we create characters that are compelling, yet believable? Likable, but realistic? It may seem like a lot of pressure, but thereContinue reading “Three questions to ask to create compelling characters”
Interview with author C.G. Drews
Today I am absolutely thrilled to bring you an interview with YA author, C.G. Drews aka Cait aka PaperFury! If you’re a writer, you may recognize Cait from her informative blog, her colorful bookstagram, and her witty Twitter updates. I followed Cait for a while online before I was finally able to get my handsContinue reading “Interview with author C.G. Drews”
Should I go to college for writing?
As February comes to a close, spring is upon us. For seniors in high school, there is another level of pressure: it’s time to decide about college. I’m 25 and I still remember the stress and crushing doubt of spring semester of senior year (both in high school and college—yay grad school!). Of course thereContinue reading “Should I go to college for writing?”
5 (more) podcasts for writers
Six months ago, I started this blog! Since then, by far my most popular post has been one of the very first: 10 podcasts to make you a better writer. As I said in the original post, I’m pretty obsessed with podcasts, so in the months since then I’ve discovered some more podcasts that I’veContinue reading “5 (more) podcasts for writers”