Thank you Richie Billing for such a wealth of fantasy writing resources including this fantastic detailed article on Medieval Castles. Just what I was looking for as I write my contemporary fantasy set in a well-preserved fortification in the Scottish Highlands shaped like a dragon’s footprint. Why a dragon’s footprint? Follow my work in progress and find out.
Click the images and enjoy Richie’s comprehensive article.
I have finally reached that stage in my writing journey when daily habits are gelling.
I’ve been writing and interviewing writers for nearly four years. Why has it taken so long to form craft habits like so many of my guests talk about in our interviews?
Maybe it’s because I worked full time until a year and a half ago leaving little time to make writing my life’s pursuit or form habits other than the tired ones from my “day job” routine, which probably spilled over into my writing routine. Hmmm. Maybe I had habits I didn’t think of as habits. Anyhoo…
It could be because it has taken this long to absorb all those wonderful discussions, read enough blogs, exchange work with fellow writers, and apply the collective shared techniques subconsciously until the things that work for me stuck.
The daily habit I’m sharing today is reading articles about writing in an effort to pass on the benefits of such articles.
Aside from my husband of 34 years, writing is the reason I get up in the morning. I can’t wait to grab my coffee (courtesy of said husband) and get to my keyboard to capture all the scenes that played through my mind during the night, flesh out the fascinating pod people planted in my dreams by aliens, or try out characters inspired by shows like PBS’s American Experience (who knew Lyndon B. Johnson was so multidimensional).
Before I get started these days, I take time out to go through my emails and click on my favorite blog sites when an article catches my eye.
Here are two favorites from this morning that I had to share because they resonated so well they inspired me to write a blog of my own. The articles themselves from two of my favorite daily email drops explain why I find this habit beneficial… and that’s it for today folks!
Cheryl Strayed’s Advice for Beginning Writers
Key Differences Between Active vs. Passive Voice
Who of you struggle like me with “keeping it simple, stupid,” and not waxing too literary? The complaint I hear most often… I love your prose, but I had to reread it. Well, I’m writing romance novels. No one should struggle anywhere at any time reading any scene or dialog. I believe I’m making strides these days and that is thanks in part to short insightful articles from Writers Write like this one.
Check it out. After you mull over the idea of distilling your writing into statistics like the ones provided in this blog, investigate subscribing to a platform like AutoCrit, which is the one I use, or an equally popular competitor like ProWritingAid. You won’t believe how much and how quickly you can tweak your weak spots and hone your strengths.
In the early days, I scoffed at the readability statistic category. “I have to dumb down my writing?” I grumbled to myself. This article really helped me understand what readability is all about. There’s always poetry when I have the urge to play with pretty words, which I’ve been dabbling in this year and enjoying more than I imagined I would.
Happy Writing!
If you’d like to learn more about the Dame herself, the image links you to an excellent article about her life, and PBS has a marvelous documentary, Inside the Mind of Agatha Christie.
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I love the short, helpful articles I get each day in my inbox from Writer’s Write.
I thought I’d share this one about using the five senses in your writing, starting with the quote at the beginning. It so totally resonated!
Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.
Anton Chekov
Sixteen clever words, and I finally get it! How are you at using the senses in your writing? Any great tips? Writer’s Write pulled the quote from another one of their great articles, Literary Birthday – 29 January – Anton Chekhov
Here’s the link to the article, The Power Of The 5 Senses In Stories.
Happy Writing!
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I was just chatting with my writing buddy in Scotland about pushing on despite the relentless Imposter Syndrome and this popped up in my inbox. I love synchronicity. Enjoy a little boost to quell that inner editor. And remember writing is all about the joy.
syn·chro·nic·i·ty
/ˌsiNGkrəˈnisədē/
noun
the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.
im·pos·tor
/imˈpästər/
noun
noun: imposter
- a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others, especially for fraudulent gain.”
I can always find an image to illustrate my theme at ArtStation.com. I hope you also enjoy a nice bit of art from Arijit Majumder.
I enjoy the blogs from Writers Write immensely. When the one below popped up today, I totally related. Do you find yourself swooning over morally grey antagonists, those nasty villains with a vulnerable side and a broody brow? Do you secretly hope they will win in the end?
Writing the antagonist is probably more fun than writing the hero. Hmmm. I think that’s a confession that will prompt more soul-searching. Well, at least I can accept that it’s all part of the learning process as I continue this writing journey. And whew! I’m thankful for these blogs assuring me that I’m not the first writer to struggle with dreaming up steamy scenes with the antagonists more often than the heroes.
These blogs gave me more clarity. Heroes and antagonists are not all black and white. They are the perfect blend of both with one topping the other only after they take all those twists and turns in their destiny, and it’s what they do with that heady mixture of imperfection that makes the story.
This means my heroes can be a bit of both good and bad, so I don’t have to struggle with choosing which one to fall in love with. Wait… I still need a villain. Sigh… I’ll keep working on it. That’s the joy of being a writer.
After reading this blog, I searched for more. Enjoy these great insights into loving your antagonist.
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