Category: writing

What Does It Take To Be A Good Writer?

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Don’t Waste Time Trying to Please People. -Stephen King.

Wanting to do their best work, new writers are naturally anxious. They ask questions. They probe. They Gorge. They sweat. It’s hoped they sweat while writing and not about how to start. Stephen King in his memoir titled “On Writing” stressed don’t waste time trying to please people. Indeed this is applicable in many situations as individuals attempt to develop their own Identity.

In a public authors forum, the question was asked “What does it take to be a good writer?” Writers chimed in. Here I share a few of their responses.

Writers…On Writing

  • Read a lot. Write, write a lot
  • Patience and Perseverance
  • Finding the connection between your soul and your writing hand. It will require a number of disciplines like grammar, voice, tense and genre. But the key is opening your spirit to the process…

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The ‘Very’Alternative For Those Who Write …

Style means the right word. The rest matters little.”
—Jules Renard

 

Remarkable resource shared in an Authors’ forum. Great ‘very‘ alternative for those who write.

My Favorite Author Is: Readers Tell All…

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A book is a gift you can open again and again. ~Garrison Keillor

Barnes and Noble asked Readers to identify who their  favorite Author was and the reason. Here I share excerpts as Readers chimed in telling all.

  • Sarah J. Maas because characters are one of the most real and complex characters of all time because
  • Sarah J Maas, because she tells stories of strength, epically and fantastically, and the writing is like music; just as amazing as any symphony.
  • Cassandra Clare. Her books inspired me to write more stories, and not stop loving books
  • My favourite write is Paul Coelhobecause he impresses me with each sentence and teaches me a lot, both about life and writing
  • J.K. Rowling, because she wrote Harry Potter
  • Megan Whalen Turner because I love her characters.
  • Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, his books changed and inspired so much my life that I decided to translate them in Italian! Such a blessed decision
  • J.K Rowling because she gave us the greatest Wizarding World
  • Stephen King because his talent is bottomless – as is my fascination with everything he writes
  • Agatha Christie because she gave me Hercule Poirot, the greatest detective in the world
  • Danielle Steel because she’s a master of romance
  • My favourite author is Andrzej Sapkowski because he got me thinking outside the box.
  • Danielle Steele because she keeps me entertained the whole book through.
  • My favorite author is John Green because his books are filled with mysteries and I love his way of writing.
  • Shakespeare because he is just timeless. Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte because when I read their books they take me to another world and the women in their stories are strong and what ever they dream of doing they do and that inspires me to be and do what I want to do.
  • Elizabeth Gilbert, because she wrote one of the most inspiring and life-changing books I’ve ever read.
  • Jane Austen, because her books are an insight into characters who we can relate to from a time when people and places were different.
  • Madeleine L’Engle is my favorite because she was able to write for a range of readers. She wrote children’s books, YA, adult, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. My second favorite is Jane Austen. Her works transport me to the nineteenth century in England, which is my favorite setting to read about.
  • John Hopkins because Lost Cactus is awesome!
  • James Patterson. He thought what life is about… I lived through his stories.
  • Truman Capote because he somehow makes beautiful stories from such simple words.

So who is your favorite author and why? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

 

The Breath Of Writing…

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If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don’t write, because our culture has no use for it.” ~Anais Nin

19 Things To Inspire Your Writing…

I sat staring into the distance. Pondering. What to write? What to post? Haven’t we all been there at one time or other? Times when we don’t know what to write-be it social, blog, or book. Jen dePaula shared 40 Things to inspire your writing. I liked 19 and share these below.

  1. Share a motivational or inspiring quote
  2. Share a link to your new blog post.
  3. Highlight a fan with an @mention and thank them for their support.
  4. Share what you’re currently reading and tag the author.
  5. Do a #TBT (Throw Back Thursday) by sharing an old picture.
  6. Share one of your favorite writing tools (whether it be digital or a physical tool).
  7. Share an interesting article or blog post that someone else has written – be sure to tag them in the post.
  8. Share a picture that your child (niece, nephew, friend) drew.
  9. Share some of your favorite songs/albums you like to write to.
  10. Highlight a fellow author and share a link to their website – it’s always great to help and promote fellow writers.
  11. Share a writing tip.
  12. Share a Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram page your followers should check out (not necessarily your own).
  13. Share links to an old (but relevant) blog post – keep those posts alive!
  14. Join the conversation on a trending topic.
  15. Write a Haiku.
  16. Give a shout-out to people who inspire you.
  17. Share a link to your favorite blogs or podcasts.
  18. Share a review or testimonial of a new product or service you’ve had a good/bad experience with.
  19. Recommend other authors or friends others should follow.

Hope these will help to inspire your own writing in whichever form you choose.

Cheers!

To Write Or Not To Write…

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A workaholic, an insatiable learner, and serial volunteer. That’s what I do when I’m not writing. I volunteer in activities that contribute to the growth and personal development of individuals. My passion is connected to my vision to see a world where individuals can become successful, however they define it. So I invest the time to speak with individuals and groups throughout the local, national, and international community. Totally satisfying!

In search of being refreshed, I recharge through family play and engaging in the world of film. I hunger for movies. Drama, sci-fi, action, comedy, love…, it doesn’t matter, it all works! It reboots my mind. And when it’s done, I’m able to return to my past-time,  to write.

To Read, To Read, To Build Your Writing Creed. 7 Books On Writing…

 

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Photo by Craig Dennis on Pexels.com

Every Secret of a Writer’s soul; every experience of his life; every quality of his mind, is written large in his works. ~Virginia Woolf

Here are 7 books that will help to strengthen your writing craft:

  1. Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.
  2. Working People Talk About What They do All Day by Studs Terkel
  3. How Fiction Works by James Wood
  4. The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross
  5. Kill All Your Darlings by Luc Sante
  6. On Writing by Stephen King
  7. Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t by Steven Pressfield

Happy Reading!

Cheers!

Steps To Achieve Your Writing Goals…

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Bring yourself to the page and write, write, write. Dig deeper than the neat and tidy draft. Disagree with feedback and then admit it’s right. ~Andrea Jarrell

Write. Something Old. Something New…

Write. Just Write. Write about something old, something new. Twist it. Turn it. Then spool it into something you.

Cheers!