Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 86

February 20, 2018

How Not To Sound Like A Pretentious Writer

When it comes to writing, whether fact or fiction, it is easy to sound pretentious. This can happen for many reasons be it that our egos want the reader to know how intelligent we are, or that we think readers won’t enjoy our writing if we don’t make it as smart as possible.


However, the problem with putting too much effort into writing intellectually is that not only does it slow us down and make us overthink things, it can also act as a distraction when it comes to getting out point across or advancing our plot.


So what can you do to ensure that you don’t sound like a pretentious writer? Follow these useful tips.


Check your language


Using an abundance of long and complicated words could put your reader off. Every time they have to check the meaning of a word, you have effectively taken them out of the story. If this happens too often it will be impossible to keep up, either they just won’t be able to immerse themselves in your novel, or they just won’t understand it! Reading your writing aloud to get an idea of whether it flows well or feels too convoluted and complicated is also a good idea.


Identify your reader


When it comes to avoiding pretentious writing, knowing who your reader is can help. Think about who you are hoping will read and appreciate your work. If you are writing a fictitious story for the general population, you should try to avoid creating a piece of writing that is overly complex. The average reading level for an adult American is that of a 7th or 8th grader, and aged nine years old in the UK, so it is essential to bear this in mind as you write.


Have fun with your writing


Writing should be fun and if you are having fun and enjoying what you do you are less likely to get bogged down in trying to make your writing seem too clever. Your enjoyment and enthusiasm will come through in your book and will mean your readers enjoy reading your work more too. The more sincere and truthful you are with your story the more genuine and authentic it will seem too.


Don’t over complicate your plot


An overly complicated plot can be difficult to follow and can confuse your readers. While it’s great to be smart and surprise your readers if you try too hard to confuse them or make your story too complicated to follow they’ll soon lose interest and may give up altogether.


Don’t over punctuate


Over punctuating or trying to be too smart with your use of punctuation can also be considered pretentious and may be off-putting to your reader. Some authors do choose to use punctuation as a stylistic technique in their writing. However, if you aren’t sure it works, it’s probably best to leave it out.


By following the tips above you can ensure your writing doesn’t come across as pretentious or confusing, while still being able to write with style. Remember, you can write however you like, but if you want your writing to be enjoyed by others you do always have to keep your reader in mind!


Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'


The post How Not To Sound Like A Pretentious Writer appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 20, 2018 05:36

February 19, 2018

Creating Meaningful Writing Goals

When it comes to being a productive writer, creating goals will help you stay focused and on track. However, creating goals that will actually help you achieve what you want to achieve requires some thought and planning. It’s easy to come up with a list of aims, or things you’d like to accomplish in your writing, but without putting more effort into fleshing these out, it will be all too easy to ignore them.


So how can you create meaningful writing goals and ensure that you stick to them? Here are some helpful tips.


Have deadlines


One of the most important things you can do when creating your writing goals is to give each one a deadline. Without a deadline, there is no timeframe, and the goal itself becomes indefinite and endless. Be very careful when giving yourself deadlines. Too far in the future and you’ll keep putting the work off, to close to the present and you could send yourself into a panic, find it too difficult to stick to them and then become disheartened with the process altogether.


Break them down


When it comes to meaningful goal setting writing down the goal itself simply isn’t enough. Start with the big picture, sure, but then make sure your goals have been broken down into manageable, bitesize chunks. If you don’t do this, the goal could seem too overwhelming. By giving yourself smaller tasks, you’ll be able to note your progress and feel so much better about what you are achieving.


Figure out the ‘how’


Having massive, life-changing writing goals such as getting ones book finished and published are brilliant. However, by not figuring out how you are going to achieve this, it’s all too easy to become stressed and worried about the enormity of such a task. To make your goals meaningful, you need to create a plan of exactly how you are going achieve what you want to achieve. This will take some thought, but doing so means you are left with a clear set of instructions to yourself, and you’ll know exactly what you need to do to get to where you need to be!


Be realistic


Being realistic about your goals is also essential. As writers, we must face certain facts. There are some things that are simply out of control and while having a dream of being an international bestseller is brilliant, we must accept that there is a huge amount of competition and many writers remain working away for years and year before they see any kind of success - even then there are no guarantees. Being realistic about what you want to achieve and modifying your goals, so they are based on things you know, with hard work and effort, you can definitely reach, will make the process so much more satisfying and rewarding when you get there,


Be flexible


Remember you might find during your writing project that your goals change. Make sure your goals are flexible and take the time to review them regularly to make sure they are in line with what you actually want, and you haven’t outgrown them. If something is no longer part of your plan, just change it.


Remember your goals are there to give you a sense of focus and make you feel great when you have achieved them. They are your goals, and no one else’s - so as long as you are happy with them and working towards them, that’s all that matters!


Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'


The post Creating Meaningful Writing Goals appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 19, 2018 05:30

February 16, 2018

Why Your Lack Of Focus Is Holding You Back

What’s stopping you from becoming successful? You could probably say a lack of money, resources, or you don’t know where to begin. The only thing holding you back from starting a business or becoming a best-selling author is your lack of focus.


When you lack focus, you can’t get anything done. You’re sleeping in or playing on your phone. When you don’t focus on the task at hand, you will be unproductive and when you’re unproductive, you will fall into a life of mediocrity and I don’t think that’s what you want.


People spend countless hours each day surfing their phone or watching Netflix and can’t understand why they’re not successful. It’s simple, if you wish to become successful you need to become focused.


Focus, like anything else, is a habit. A habit is getting up and checking your phone right away or meditating as soon as you wake up. Which one do you think will allow you to become more focused?


By now you know you need to become more successful if you wish to become successful. But how exactly do you become more focused?


The number one step to becoming more focused is through eliminating distractions. This means when you work on a single task, you work on that task only. You don’t pick up your phone or browse the internet.


When you’re done with one task, you move onto another task. Your goal should be to complete five tasks each day. These are the five tasks that will push you forward to your desired success.


Once you complete your five tasks for the day. Then you’re done. You can have as much lack of focus you want. The key is this only happens once you finish your five tasks for the day.


When you get control of your focus, you can become successful.


 Trevor Oldham


The post Why Your Lack Of Focus Is Holding You Back appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 16, 2018 12:54

February 15, 2018

Why Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone Is Pivotal To Your Success

Think about it. Do you know anyone who has ever become successful by staying within their comfort zone? You haven’t because it’s not possible.


When you’re going out in the world and working on creating a better life for yourself, you’re getting outside your comfort zone. Most people aren’t like that, they like to stay within their comfort zone.


Why do people stay within their comfort zone? I don’t think most people dream of working a dead end job. It’s because when they’re growing up, somewhere along the line someone shot their dream down and they’ve been believing that since. This could’ve come from a teacher or a parent, perhaps friends.


Are you one of those people who had their dreams shot down? Or maybe you think you’re not good enough to succeed. All you’re doing is making excuses for yourself why you’re not successful.


I understand getting outside of your comfort zone isn’t easy. I’m not saying you should quit your job to start an open-ended business idea. You can start a side hustle so eventually, you’ll be able to quit your job and go into your business full-time allowing you to get outside your comfort zone.


The life you desire to live is on the other side of your comfort zone. If you’re willing to push past any fears you have, you can get anything you want. Any athlete or business person had to face their fears to achieve success.


When you go through life, you can become complacent. You fall into the same day to day routine without notice. Before you know it, fifty years of your life has passed. I don’t think you want to be that person. By taking risks and stepping outside your comfort zone, you can begin to live.


By deciding to step outside your comfort zone, you’re deciding to make your own life and forge a path of your own destiny.


 Trevor Oldham


The post Why Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone Is Pivotal To Your Success appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 15, 2018 13:17

February 14, 2018

Too Scared To Write? Take Action Now!

It may be that you have never written anything, it may be that you used to write years ago and are deliberating about whether to try again. It may be that you wrote something last week, but now, for some reason, feel as though you can’t write anymore.


Facing your fears about writing is something that all writers must do at some point - we all have moments of doubt, of feeling we aren’t good enough. Or perhaps moments of fear that we will be laughed at, or rejected or simply that we’ll keep writing for years and never achieve our goals.


There is no doubt that writing can be a scary business and there are no guarantees for any of us. But if writing is your passion and your dream, letting fear stand in your way is something that just won’t do!


So how can you take action to conquer your writing fears? Let’s take a look at some tried and tested techniques.


Fear of failure


Fear of failure is a very common writer’s fear. It’s not surprising as failure for a writer can take many forms. Whether it’s receiving a rejection letter or feeling you’ve failed yourself because your work isn’t progressing as you’d like, the worry that you’ll fail can stop some writers in their tracks.


Try to remember that being creative is about taking risks. It’s scary and messy and chaotic. It sometimes flows and bursts with energy, and sometimes stops and hides away. Accepting that writing is a process of discovery and that it won’t always be steady and constant can help writers to let go of this fear. Remember the more you practice your writing, the better at it you’ll become, and the better you become, the more confident you’ll feel. Just break the cycle of fear, and keep pushing through and as long as you keep going, you can’t fail.


Fear of feeling like a fraud


Even if you are an incredibly successful writer, you may still have that weird sense of imposter syndrome - that you aren’t really supposed to be successful, that it’s all a massive mistake and that any day now you’ll get found out.


Accept that if you are writing, that makes you a writer. No matter if you’ve never had anything published or you’ve written a bestseller. You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone; you don’t need to make anyone like your writing. Many writers are so scared of not getting the approval they crave that they stop writing altogether. If they don’t write, no one can dislike their writing. If they don’t write, they never have to be pushed outside of their comfort zone.


It’s OK to believe in yourself and to be proud of everything that you have achieved. Remember that you don't have to show your work to anyone until you are ready, and when you feel ready you’ll feel as though you have put the work in, and therefore if you do get recognition, accept it - because you deserve it!


Fear of running out of ideas


Many writers share the common fear that one day they just won’t have anything left to say. This can be particularly true if you’ve already written something that has done quite well. How will you ever top it? How will you ever find anything interesting and read-worthy to write again?


The truth is that writer’s rarely run out of ideas if they don’t want to. There are so many different ways to gather inspiration, and you never know when a great idea for your next story might strike. So accept that this fear is irrational, and there will always be things you can do to get those creative juices flowing once more.


Fear of having no control


When we write our stories, before we share them with anyone they are completely our own, and we are in total control. The idea that we then have to part with them send them off without any way of being able to control the outcome, or even the timeline can be particularly challenging for writers. Suddenly this project you have put your all into is no longer your own - this can feel very daunting indeed.


Try to accept those things you cannot change. Once you have put your work out there, you have to allow for the fact that it is no longer entirely yours. All pieces of writing are collaborations, between you - the author, your editor, your publisher, and, most importantly, your reader.


You cannot have complete control, but that’s okay. No true artist is entirely in control of their work because it is subjective to those who receive it. You can’t control how people will react to your stories, but that's what’s so magical about them, as no two readers will take away the same from it - how cool is that?


Writing can be daunting, but it also has so many positives. So if you are feeling too scared to write, try to take a deep breath, take the plunge and don’t let fear get in the way of anything you want to do!


Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'


The post Too Scared To Write? Take Action Now! appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 14, 2018 08:06

February 13, 2018

Common Mistakes That Will Annoy Your Readers

When it comes to writing books, we are all going to make mistakes. Even the most experienced and successful authors do.


Even after redrafting and editing it is almost impossible to write an utterly flawless book, and that’s OK because your readers don’t need your book to be perfect, they just want to enjoy your story.


However, there are some easily made mistakes that your readers might be less forgiving of, and it is important to highlight and rectify these before you go on to publish your novel. Not doing so could lead to them to feel frustrated, annoyed and eventually put them off reading your book altogether!


So what are some common mistakes that might annoy your readers? Let’s take a look.


Using character names that are too complicated or similar to one another.


Calling your characters something that is impossible to pronounce is a definite no-no. Readers don’t want to struggle over what you have called your character. Having to re-read the character name each time it crops up will jerk them out of the story and quickly become irritating. Having characters whose names are too similar (unless for a specific purpose) could also confuse and muddle your reader and they might mix up one for the other.


Being overly descriptive


Writing beautiful, carefully thought out descriptions is one thing, but if you only focus on this and not on the pacing, the plot, the character development and so on, your story will seem dull and slow, no matter how good you are at setting the scene. Make sure your readers care about the people in your story and what’s happening to them. Without this you are on a path to nowhere.


Be too clever


Clever, original writing can be brilliant. But if you focus on this too much it is likely that other parts of your book will suffer. While experimenting is good, if you try to be too unusual, this will distract from your story and will likely confuse your reader. Jumping back and forth between different timelines, too many different character perspectives, using too much punctuation and so on can all have a negative effect.


Taking too long to get stuck in


You might think it is really important to painstakingly introduce every character in your novel, but if you don’t get them to act soon, your story will feel very stagnant. Readers want action, they want a decent pace, they want to know what happens. Don’t drag your story out for as long as possible, rather tell it in the most exciting and exhilarating way you can.


Not trusting your reader


Over explanation, showing not telling, or the author's voice coming through the text will all destroy your story. Trust that your reader will ‘get’ what you are trying to say, or the picture you are trying to convey. They don’t need everything spelt out for them, and doing so will really get on their nerves!


These common mistakes are ones most writers are guilty of at some point. However, as long as you capture these errors and figure out how to rectify them before you present your book to your readers then you have nothing to worry about! So next time you are editing your book keep a look out for these and when you spot them tackle them right away!


Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'


The post Common Mistakes That Will Annoy Your Readers appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 13, 2018 08:00

February 12, 2018

How To Make Each Writing Day Count

When it comes to writing, we all want to be more productive and feel great about what we are doing at the same time.


Often, when we set aside time for writing, we can find it hard to make it count. It might only be a few hours, or it might be a whole day, but trying to make your writing time time well spent is so essential.


It’s good to remember that writing is something we choose to do, and because of that it is something that we should feel good about. So whatever kind of writing project you are working on, it’s a great idea to use your time set aside for writing wisely.


But how can we do this? Try these helpful techniques:


Be grateful


So many people want to write and aren’t able to. This just could be because they are too scared to try because they feel they have no time, or because they just don’t know where to start. The fact that you are writing and have got this far is something to be celebrated. Take some time at the start of each writing session to think about this, to feel positive about your writing and appreciate how good it is to be able to do it.


Be expressive


Writing is such a wonderful opportunity to express oneself and to be as creative and imaginative as possible. Use your writing time to capture your thoughts and feelings, to explore them and turn them into compelling stories. Try not to censor yourself or hold yourself back, and you’ll find the process so much more cathartic and rewarding too.


Notice the beauty of things


One of the most satisfying things about being a writer is having the ability to capture how beautiful things are. Next time you start a writing session make some time to take a walk, sit in your garden or just notice the everyday things in your home which you might take for granted. Use memories to conjure stirring images of the things you’ve seen and the places you’ve been to. Find expressive language and brilliant metaphors to translate these images onto the page.


Learn something new


Make sure that you use some of your writing time to learn new things. When it comes to writing there is so much we can learn, so many lessons to take away and so many ways we can improve. Help yourself by opening yourself up to different possibilities, by exploring and experimenting with your writing and allowing yourself to be educated too.


Spread the love


Helping your fellow writers will make you feel part of a unique community. The more you encourage other writers, by joining conversations, offering critiques or buying, rating and reviewing their books, the more you’ll feel part of this, and the more you’ll get out of it too.

.

Write what excites, motivates or inspires you


Make sure whatever you are writing, it is something that you are passionate about. Search within for what drives you, what makes your eyes brighten and your pulse quicken. Your writing should be exciting, after all, if you don’t find it so, how will anyone else?


Keep doing what you love


By doing what we love we are making ourselves happy. Writing should be a joyful thing in your life, so just remember that each time you write you are doing what you love to do, what you are passionate about, and that is a great thing indeed!


Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'


The post How To Make Each Writing Day Count appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 12, 2018 05:10

February 11, 2018

How To Deal With Critics

When you’re trying to achieve something great in your life, you will deal with critics. The thing is, you can let those critics tear you down or you can use them to motivate you. You’ll always have the choice.


Your greatest critics might come from your friends and family. Understand that success changes people. If your friends or family are acting negatively towards your dreams, you need to stop surrounding yourself with them. It’s hard enough trying to become successful on your own let alone when you have people bringing you down.


If you listen to the doubters long enough, you’ll doubt yourself. When that happens, you might as well be finished because there’s almost no way to come back.


The only way you can deal with critics is to take action. Put your head down and continue to work. They can say anything they want about you, but they can’t take away your work ethic.


You will get critiqued no matter what you do. People will always have a stark comment about you. Don’t let this get to you and control only what you can control. You can control your work ethic but you can’t control what someone says about you.


You need to learn the difference between someone who is being mean and someone who is giving you feedback. There’s a thin line between them. I used to think any comment about myself was mean before realizing some people are genuinely providing feedback for me.


Sometimes you need to embrace your critics because you can learn a great deal from them. You can learn what you need to work on. Always remember though, only take advice from someone you’d be willing to change places with.


When someone gives you criticism, take a few seconds before responding. This will allow you to have a clear head and relinquish you from making any comments you wish you could take back later on.


The next time someone critiques you, use it as fuel for motivation.


 Trevor Oldham


The post How To Deal With Critics appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 11, 2018 18:16

How To Stay Focused And Deal With Distractions

What’s the number one killer of anyone’s success? Procrastination perhaps? But where does procrastination come from? It comes from a lack of focus. When you’re not focused, you will procrastinate.


If you wish to be successful, it’s no secret you need to take action. Taking action comes from staying focused. Most of us wish we could be more focused, but how does that happen?


It starts with having a set period where you’ll have zero distractions. You safeguard this time as if your life depended on it. Say you choose the hours between 9AM to 4PM. During that time, the only distraction will be in the case of an emergency. These will be called your power hours and where you can get the most work done.


From 4PM to 9AM, you can do whatever you’d like. You can hop from website to website, book to book. All that matters during your power hours is that you are distraction free.


What I’ve learned is that it’s hard to stay focused for an entire day. I know come later in the day, my work level will drop off. But if I set hours for myself each and I’m rigid with it, then I can attain my goals.


An essential part of staying focused is dealing with distractions. What I like to do is set my phone on do not disturb and check it at the top of the hour. I’ll reply to any messages that are urgent along with phone calls. If it’s not urgent, I’ll message or call them back after 4PM.


Your power hours don’t have to be an entire day. They could be a few hours at night or in the morning. The key is setting aside time for yourself, according to your schedule that will give you an optimal distraction-free environment.


When you stay focused, you will get to your desired end.


 Trevor Oldham


The post How To Stay Focused And Deal With Distractions appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 11, 2018 18:13

February 7, 2018

Setting Realistic Writing Deadlines

Creating deadlines for yourself is one of the most important and productive things you can do as a writer. Without them, it is all too easy to keep putting your writing tasks on the back burner and never getting anything done.


Without deadlines, our goals and aspirations can fade away and the more we leave our writing tasks for another day, the further away and more unachievable those dreams become.


On the other hand, setting writing deadlines that are unrealistic and unachievable can also damage your writing career. If you continuously miss those deadlines, no matter how hard you try, you’ll inevitably feel like you’re a failure and will undoubtedly begin to beat yourself up about it, which will damage your confidence and potentially slow your writing productivity down even more.


So what can you do to set realistic deadlines that push yourself, but not too much!


Do the math


Start from your end goal and work backwards to see if it makes sense. If you want to have written your book by the end of the year, then think about everything you need to do to achieve that, work out the time you have and figure out whether this is realistic or not. If it isn't don’t feel bad about shifting the goal posts back a little. It’s also a good idea to factor in some time for things to go a little off track. But don’t give yourself so much time that it’s easy to procrastinate and do nothing for months on end. You need to make sure you are challenging yourself too.


Get into the right frame of mind


When it comes to sitting down to write you will know what makes you at your most focused, creative and productive. If you have set aside all your writing time for 5 am when you know you hate getting up early you’ll probably quickly find it's pretty tough to live up to your expectations. Make sure that you have set time to write when you know there will be few distractions and you’ll feel motivated and excited to do it.


Understand what you are capable of


Be realistic about what you can expect from yourself. If you aren’t you are just setting yourself up for a fall. You don’t have to be the most prolific and dedicated writer in the world. You just need to figure out what works for you. Ask yourself where you want to be, when you want to get there and what you are truly capable of and then create your deadlines around that.


Use a timer


Using a timer can be a really helpful way of making sure you stick to your planned writing sessions. If you say you are going to write for an hour three times a week, each time you sit down to set a timer for that amount of time. Make sure you don’t go over or under your time. Doing more can be damaging as you then don’t have time for other tasks which could leave you feeling stressed out and resenting your writing which will put you off doing it again.


Take breaks


Make sure you take regular breaks away from your writing. If you get too immersed in it, you may end up burning yourself out. It’s always good to finish a writing session on a high and start each new one feeling refreshed and ready to work.


Be strict with yourself


Once you have set yourself a goal and a deadline it is time to stop making excuses. It’s all too easy to start negotiating with yourself, but this won’t get you anywhere, and you’ll end up feeling really guilty and disappointed with yourself. So once a deadline has been set, do everything in your power to stick with it.


Reward yourself


Rewarding yourself for achieving your goals within your allotted time frame can be a great incentive. Come up with some small and large rewards to entice you to keep on going.


Be OK with imperfections


Remember, you aren’t going to have a great writing session every time you write, nor are you going to be happy with what you have written all the time. Don’t dwell on imperfections, and don’t let your own self-doubt or negativity stop you from reaching a deadline.


Setting realistic writing deadlines is crucial to keep you motivated, moving forward and feeling satisfied with your writing. So next time you start a writing project use these tips to help create your goals and timetable, and you’ll give yourself the best chance of staying on track.


Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'


The post Setting Realistic Writing Deadlines appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 07, 2018 06:06