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Writing Words - writing it is the only way of getting it writtenEye-Catching Icons for Your BlogJuly 21st 2010 21:17
Want an eye catcher for your blog or website? Try the VSP Eye Chart generator and turn your blog name into a chart. I love this little web app, I'll probably turn all sorts of text into eye charts from now. You can enter up to 61 characters - not a huge amount, but it's long enough for your blog name or a strap line. Are you going to use the eye chart generator? If you do, share the link to your blog in the comments.
Plinky: Daily Writing PromptsJuly 5th 2010 18:17
As far as I'm concerned, it's always a good idea to have a selection of writing prompts at your disposal. I've subscribed to quite a few RSS feeds of writing prompt sites which means I get several new prompts delivered to my RSS reader every day. I don't use all of them, sometimes I go for days and weeks without looking at them because I don't need prompts to keep me writing. Sometimes, however, I need a little nudge - a word, a phrase or a paragraph that isn't my own - to get the creative juices flowing. Then I browse my collection of writing prompts. So far, this has always saved me from staring at the blank screen.
My latest discovery is Plinky. Plinky posts a new question every day and people can answer it directly on the website. You need an account to post your answers (and you can add photos to your answer and share them on Twitter and Facebook if you want), but anyone can see the questions and read other people's answers. The daily prompts are meant for bloggers but that shouldn't deter fiction writers. So if you feel a bit uninspired, check out the question of the day or browse the prompts for a little nudge.
Crash Revisions Mini-WorkshopFebruary 19th 2010 21:05
SavvyAuthors.com are running an interesting mini-workshop: Crash Revision, presented by Holly Lisle. It will run from March 28 - April 1 and is $5 for non-members and free for members. Sounds good, doesn't it?
If you realise half-way through NaNoEdMo that you need help with the revision process, Crash revisions might be just what you're looking for.
Links and Tips for NaNoEdMoFebruary 10th 2010 19:46
NaNoEdMo is less than three weeks away. That means you'd best brush up on your editing skills now. If you wait until March, you'll lose precious editing time then.
Here are a few tips and links that will make life during EdMo easier: Read Holly Lisle's article How to Revise a Novel and have a look at the One Pass Revision workshop. As I mentioned before, I'm currently working through Holly's course How to Revise Your Novel (veeeery slowly) and I think her advice on novel revision is excellent. Even if you don't agree with her, you're bound to find some useful tips for your own revision process here If you'd rather have short, pithy advice, check out Darcy Pattison's 30 One-Minute Tips for Strengthening Your Novel. As the title suggests, these revision tips are short - an ideal pointer in the right direction when you're stuck with a specific element of your novel. Dianna over at Fictional Worlds is planning to do an editing workshop in March. If you find you need a bit more guidance and a close-knit group of writers around you, you might find it there. Head over to the Organization Workshop Intro to get a messy story in shape for editing. Every writer has a different process. As with all writing advice, you'll have to find out for yourself what works for you. Some writers are happy with a one pass novel revision, others want to improve their story gradually. No matter to which group you belong, don't forget that you want to be published. Put your readers first, give them what they want. That may be all the editing advice you need.
Best Magazines for WritersJanuary 28th 2010 20:58
There is lots of information on writing available online, but there are times when it's nice to have a magazine you can leaf through. If you can't access a computer during the day (or have to watch which websites you visit), a writing magazine may be the answer. Here are a few good ones to consider:
Writers' Forum - This is my favourite. It's full of advice, they run short story and poetry competitions every month and they list writing courses and writing competitions. Writers' Forum also accepts articles, both from published and unpublished writers. It's published monthly and available at WHSmith (a UK newsagent). Writing Magazine - Similar to Writers' Forum magazine in content, my second choice, also published monthly and available at WHSmith. Mslexia - For women who write. I go to their website regularly, but only bought the mag once. I keep thinking I should subscribe to it. It's published quarterly, and the subscription is £21.75 for four issues. Mslexia welcomes submission from women writers about all aspects of writing. Granta - Not so much a writing magazine but a literary magazine. It's a must-read for modern literary fiction writers. The Writer Magazine - I hear The Writer Magazine is the best U.S. magazine for writers. I only know their website, so I'd appreciate opinions of writers who read it. Writer's Digest - Every writer is probably aware of Writer's Digest. I bought one copy once when I was in the U.S. and my impression was that it is a good magazine for new writers. I'll buy it again if I come across it, but it's not one I feel I should read regularly. Do you agree? Do you know any other magazines for writers you'd recommend? As always, I'm looking forward to your comments.
More blogs for writersJanuary 18th 2010 14:54
After writing about the best blogs for writers on Saturday, I felt bad about my other favourite blogs that were culled from the list.
In the end, you choose how many blogs you want to read, and chances are you don't agree with my choices for the best blogs. So here are more blogs I read and recommend
Best Blogs for WritersJanuary 16th 2010 15:19
This is a difficult one - there are so many good blogs for writers out there and if you follow too many of them, you won't have time to write. I've cut my selection down to five writing blogs I couldn't do without:
Published Writers
Boosting the wordcountJanuary 9th 2010 22:18
One of the best online tools to help you boost your wordcount is Write or Die. This simple tool will make you write a lot of words unless you don't mind your computer going berserk and screeching at you. You decide how long you want to write and how many words you want to write in that period, and then you start typing. Whenever you stop typing, the punishments begins.
It's an excellent help if you struggle with getting the words out, not just during NaNoWriMo.
A new digital publisherNovember 9th 2009 22:15
Good news for romance writers: Digital publisher Carina Press launched today,and they are looking for submissions. Carina press is a division of Harlequin, and they are looking for romances in all forms and shapes (they are also open for other genres, though.)
Here's a link to the most important page: the submission guidelines.
How to revise your novelAugust 19th 2009 20:42
I'm surprised I seem to have never mentioned Holly Lisle here. Holly is awesome. She's a successful fitcion author, she's published lots of free material for fellow writers to improve their craft, and she's compiled a comprehensive course called How to Think Sideways.
A few days ago, Holly wrote a blog post called Do you need to know more about how to revise your novel?, in which she asked if people were interested in learning how she honed her revision skills. Of course, the response was huge. As a consequence, Holly has put up a preliminary How to revise your novel site where people can indicate what they want to know. You can also sign up there if you want to be kept in the loop about the course
Middle Menu SectionNovember 1st 2006 22:02
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