M.G. Darwish's Blog, page 4

September 16, 2019

Grammarly for Authors

3 Ways Grammarly Can Improve Your Writing


3 ways Grammarly improves your writingThroughout my writing process, if there was one thing that I learned (aside from Word always red-lining your name) is that you truly can’t depend on a single tool (I’m so looking at MS Word right now) to catch all the mistakes, and I’ve made my share, I promise.


There’s a reason why writers aren’t good editors for their own work and they always seek professionals to do so. It’s because our brains just don’t catch the mistakes. Because sometimes, when we are going through our manuscripts for the god-knows time we actually don’t read the text; we are accustomed to what we “hear” in our heads. Fast forward to about 4 years of me publishing novels, short stories, and novellas and we get to today.


I still use MS Word for most of my manuscripts, but I have tools (addons) that help me ease through the self-editing phase (not being able to, is not an excuse not to do it). In this post, I’d like to highlight some aspects of Grammarly that I use during my writing process.


I’m sure you’ve seen their ads all over the internet. We’ve all either chuckled at them or plain ‘skipped’ them but Grammarly has its uses for authors. I’ve literally caught hundreds and hundreds of mistakes that would’ve put me to shame had I missed them. Sometimes mistakes happen. I have 3 separate editors in my process that tackle these mistakes at different intervals, but even the most professional editors are human.


Enter Grammarly into the equation. Is it perfect? No. No, it’s not. Often enough I tend to ignore the suggestions, but sometimes it catches things that don’t make sense but are still correct.



Context

In my latest novel: The Long Night, there was a specific mistake that Grammarly caught that made me very grateful (depending on when you bought the manuscript, this might still be in):



“Rumor says there’s a group that worships and kidnaps prays for him, it’s in one of those taverns.”

See that? “prays” should’ve been “preys” but MS Word didn’t catch this, neither did any of my editors or beta readers. Grammarly flagged it. It takes context into account and tries to understand what you’re doing and where you want things to go. This mistake would’ve been buried in the manuscript and likely never found until an angry review pointed it out.

US/UK words confusion

Although I write in American English, oftentimes than not, I let a few UK words slip through (English isn’t my first language). Grammarly has often saved me hours of work by just flagging the UK/US word variations and presents the issues for you to decide their fate. I honestly tried to see if I can set my default style to a particular method but I haven’t found out how to do so yet -a thing, which if doesn’t exist, definitely should.



Clarity

Microsoft Word doesn’t flag all issues (and your name) and sometimes mistakes might slip, but what if there wasn’t any mistake? What if all the sentences were grammatically correct but you still sensed that something was off with it? Well, usually you’re right. This is another area that Grammarly covers. It will flag sentences or paragraphs that readers might struggle with. It can be the difference  between:



Great were the omens that they saw. in the skies above.



To



They saw great omens in the skies above.

While some of the features are not available for free (the more advanced features are locked, but for a free service that offers an add on for MS Word and a browser extension, it’s honestly a great deal that literally costs you nothing.


Recently, I decided to become a Grammarly affiliate, so if you’d like to try it (and help me out in the process) you can click the button and install your own writing buddy to accompany you.



The post Grammarly for Authors appeared first on M.G. Darwish - Official Website.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 16, 2019 12:45

Grammarly for Authors - 3 Ways Grammarly Can Improve Your Writing

Throughout my writing process, if there was one thing that I learned (aside from Word always red-lining your name) is that you truly can't depend on a single tool (I'm so looking at MS Word right now) to catch all the mistakes, and I've made my share, I promise.

There's a reason why writers aren't good editors for their own work and they always seek professionals to do so. It's because our
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 16, 2019 12:45

September 9, 2019

The King is Here - Fortier: The Long Night is Published

The Long Night (Book 2 of  Fortier)



The King is Here!

The Vampire, Alfred, takes on a new challenge. After settling a century old feud between the two prominent vampire houses, he sets his gaze upon those who rule from the shadows. 


After ripping out the heart of someone close to end a war between two vampire families, Alfred finds himself on a path towards the Elders. He wants things to
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 09, 2019 08:00

August 30, 2019

Behind The Story - Fortier: Blood & Moon (Now Available in Paperback)

fortier-series-cover Fortier Series
Behind the story! My favorite segment in this blog is back and just in time to prepare you for the release of the Long Night. However, I will be dissecting Blood & Moon. A novella, written two years prior to the release of book 2. Keep in mind, I had no idea I would write a direct sequel (let alone a novel). If you're wondering if you should read Blood & Moon prior to The Long Night: you don't have to. I wrote the Long Night specifically with this in mind. You can read Blood & Moon and meet some of the main cast, but it's more of an expansion on the novel.

How did it spark?

Blood & Moon... Oh, what an experience writing this. I came up with the concept after spending a good 15-20 minutes explaining to a friend of mine how vampires were much more than what is shown. I found myself reminiscing about the times where vampires would give others nightmares. Vlad the impaler? Dracula? Buffy the vampire slayer? Those kinds of stories/characters that inspired the whole genre from the beginning. Yet, still there was so much more to vampires than what was out there -or so I thought.

"What would be my take on vampires?" I asked myself one day and decided to write this just for fun (didn't intend to publish it at first). How could I use this exercise to make myself a better writer? Do something I never imagined I would do (to be fair, I never thought I'd write about vampires in the beginning anyway): write in first person. When I started to write it however, I was having so much fun that I didn't want it to end like that. Thus, in a few days, the direct sequel (novel-length) will be released on 9.9.19.

And you know what? Fine. I'll announce it here: there's going to be book 3. In fact,  I'm so sure of this that I am willing to post the -working- title here. Just comment below, and let me know you want to know what it is.



How long did it take?Blood & Moon took roughly around 3 weeks to write and finish the first draft. Then it went into my writing process (editing, editing, editing, revise... editing and then some beta reading, editing and then release). Honestly, I started writing this with the idea that it's going to be another short story (just below 7.5K words). But as the events transpired, I found myself fighting the urge to finish it just abruptly. I did go back and rewrote an entire sequence to 'visualize' what was going on because I realized by limiting the words, I was actually harming the story.

Favorite character?Okay. So, this is Blood & Moon. It's gotta be Alfred. Until now, he remains the only character I wrote that scares the heck out of me. I've always been fascinated by those who are impulsive, yet calm... ferocious yet peaceful. The duality and contradicting nature of his traits make him a nightmare for his enemies (and the author apparently).

Did something change along the way?There's a scene in a bar. Basically, a giant fight. In the initial draft, I skimmed through the events (yes, I did a taboo, I told instead of showing). The reason behind this was really simple: I wanted it to be a short story. But the more I wrote, the more I fell in love with that world and characters and I felt that I needed to do them justice.

Toughest scene to write?Since this was a novella (and honestly, I didn't really outline it because I never thought I would take it seriously) there were a small number of scenes. The technical aspects of writing came in towards the end: provide a fitting end to the story in a way that propels both the plot and character forward. Make no mistake this was no easy task, as Alfred is considered the Strongest Vampire. That ultimately removes any sense of danger, so I think the toughest scene to write was the ending. Really. You can break overpowered characters, but Alfred was just... something else.

Last scene to write?The keyword is "write" and not "rewrite" and no I'm not cheating. I wrote it chronologically actually. Beginning to end. Sure, I went back and altered a few scenes... fine, the last scene was the bar scene (right towards the middle).
Announcement: Blood & Moon is now available in Paperback on Amazon! If you're like me, and prefer to actually hold a story in order to read it properly, then this should make you happy!

 HEED HIS CALL
Alfred Zeidan is his name...FOR DARKNESS FALLS
...Fortier is what he's calledWHEREVER HE WALKS
And it is death he brings...Alfred is a vicious, deadly and renowned vampire that secluded himself away from everyone for hundreds of years, until a message reaches him from his father calling for his return. Part of him knew that this was about the Bertrams, another family of vampires that are fierce rivals and sworn enemies of the Zeidans.In fact, the whole reason why he shunned the underground, was because of  the century long fued between them that dates back to the Salem Witch Trials... but alas he returns. For better, or worst.
5.99$ Only





You're still here? First of all, thank you. Let me know what you thought in the comments. Now, would you like the ebook version of Blood & Moon for free? Because I teamed up with a lot of talented authors and have organized a giveaway (get free books. What a great deal right?). Click the link and have run reading!

Grab Free Books!
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on August 30, 2019 01:57

August 21, 2019

Blog Tour - The Delinquent Crown

* { box-sizing: border-box; } .box { float: left; width: 33.3%; padding: 5px; } .clearfix::after { content: ""; clear: both; display: table; }
Being someone who enjoy fantasy and a bit of (hey, don't judge me) dark twisted action in stories, I was hesitant to read this book when I came across a unique proposition by Sydney Faith who has been organizing a blog tour for her new release: The Delinquent Crown, a YA novel about two out of placed children (Miri and Nick). However, any doubts I had about this book simply evaporated shortly. So without further ado, let's begin with this tour, by which I hope to give you a glimpse into Sydney's mind and book.

Virtual Reading - Part 4/ The Delinquent Crown
First Part Pre-order Next Part
The Delinquent Crown - Review
.checked { color: orange; } Rating
This was definitely not my usual read. But I've been wanting to delve into the Sci-fi genre for a while now, and when the opportunity came to get an ARC for this, I jumped on it -and boy was I glad I did. This story, although not as "dark" as my usual reads -don't judge me- definitely offered a great world, with a solid plot and enough intrigue to keep me reading throughout.
It took me out from a long reading-slumber, and for that I am grateful. This should've been an easy 5 star, however, there was about too many characters for me to connect with in the beginning. During the first act, the story began a bit slow and introduced the everyday life of Nick and Miri, but once the action started, it didn't stop.
There were info-dumps, but they were just enrichening the story. It's very obvious that the world of Olexia had so much to offer than what I read in the books, and the author provides "Age of the Gods" as a bonus to anyone who reads the book.
Nick and Miri get to the world of Olexia through a portal and venture off on a journey to retrieve a magical artifact that everyone in Olexia (including the Council) were after. Garrant and Zekta, were brought forth in an ominous fashion and I enjoyed their characters. The way I see it, this read was amazing and I enjoyed the characters. The main cast of the story were fleshed out well, and the story flawed seamlessly -I never felt taken out of the experience. There were only a few issues I faced in the beginning as I mentioned before -the number of characters introduced just... confused the better portions.
Overall, I did enjoy the book and I did finish it. This is a perfect read for exactly who it was meant to be: young adults.
Now, I will be interviewing the author of The Delinquent Crown, Sydney Faith. My prime focus will be on the writing process (seeing as that's mostly what I talk about here) so I hope that you find this as inspiring as I found Sydney when I researched her author platform (links will be down below).
Author Interview - Sydney Faith MG: I'd like to start this interview by saying: Hi Sydney! Thank you for agreeing to do this! I'm honestly excited to be interviewing an author who I seem to agree with all of their advice on YouTube (haven't watched all the videos, but I'm getting there. So, my first question would have to be this: Would you mind telling us your Zodiac? What inspires you (in life) and how the hell can you pull off creating awesome content on YouTube, write and publish a book, AND have enough time to sleep?

SF: Hey M.G, thanks for having me! Sure! I’m a Pisces. What inspires me in life is my goals. I’ve got a lot of stuff I want to do and only a short time to do them! The secret is that I don’t sleep. Kidding! Sleep is actually very important to me. As my life has gotten busier and busier over the last year or two I’ve started taking my organization very seriously, and I think without being hyper-organized I wouldn’t get nearly as much stuff done.

MG: Before going into more technical questions, I'd like to ask you this: Why do you write?

SF: Honestly, I write because I have to. Writing is how I express myself and sometimes I think that it’s what keeps me sane! And it’s, like, the coolest job ever, so I guess there’s that too lol.

MG: What was it like to sit down and write this book? I ask this because a lot of authors create their own environments when they write a particular story. So did this apply here? Were there any secret ritual you would do prior to start writing?

SF: So for every project that I write, I have a playlist. If it’s a short project it may only be a few songs, but the playlist for writing TDC is almost 3 hours long, which is perfect in my eyes. The songs included either contribute to the “mood” of the story or go with a specific scene. I have a really difficult time writing without music playing in my headphones. For TDC I wrote probably 75% at my desktop computer and 25% on my laptop sitting on my deck or on the sofa. I don’t have any special rituals, exactly, but I do try to “create a good writing environment” before I sit down to write, just doing things like making sure the dog has gone out, that my desk is clear, and that I have a drink and snack. And I do these things to minimize distractions while I’m working.

MG: What were some of the hardest obstacles that you needed to overcome when writing this book?

SF: One of the biggest obstacles was probably just deciding if I was ready to start this project. As you can imagine, this series will be at least a few books long. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in love with this project, but I wasn’t going to let myself skimp out on it or do something else after the first book. It had to be all-or-nothing, and that was scary to commit to.

MG: How long did it take you to write this book, from start to finish?

SF: I think it’s right around 3 years for this one, from the first draft until now.

MG: The names behind the world of TDC were very interesting. Olexia, Kayta (not sure if it would be considered a spoiler, but she is called after a certain festival) and lastly Miri and Nick. Did the names come to you naturally? Or was there some kind of a process behind naming characters, locations and all?

SF: No worries, that’s not a spoiler at all! The names were kind of a mixed bag. I had the name “Olexia” from pretty much the start, as well as “Miri”. “Nick” was actually a placeholder name but by the end of draft one it fit him so well that I kept it! Kayta had a couple of names, but I settled on “Kayta” without too much change. I tried to keep the names sounding similar depending on the characters’ background. (Royals have name themes, Fangra have name themes, and so on.) I do use google translate to come up with sound ideas, and some of the names are even loosely based on words in other languages.

MG: If you had to choose one of the following (when describing TDC)- inspiration or hard work, which would you choose?

SF: Hard work, for sure. I’m not actually a big believer in “inspiration” in the sense of “waiting for the muse to strike” and other such ideas. I think that maybe some people are predisposed to find writing easier, but really I think that “talent” comes down to a hell of a lot of hard work and dedication. (And this is, of course, just my personal opinion formed by my personal experiences.)

MG: Thank you so much, Sydney, before I let you go, I like to ask every author I meet this question: What was the worst thing you Googled when writing this book?

SF:
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on August 21, 2019 16:00

July 26, 2019

Pre-Order Fortier: The Long Night Now!

The Vampire Alfred, is known as the Fortier. Vicious, renowned and feared. cover pic of Fortier Alfred Zeidan is proclaimed Fortier, the Strongest amongst the vampires. After ending a century old feud between the two most prominent vampire houses, he sets out to rid his race of a shadow that has long haunted them. 
The Elders have been the deciding factor in the fall of so many civilizations that date back to Carthage and the Romans. So many have fallen to them, but now Alfred as the Strongest takes on this challenge. 
No one has ever considered a world without the Elders running it, would it spread chaos in the Underground? Or will it shift the balance of the supernatural completely? One thing is for certain: Alfred intends to see this through. Will he succeed? Or will succumb as those before him?  Pre-order on Amazon!
1 like ·   •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on July 26, 2019 02:00

July 14, 2019

Avoid Making These 3 Common Author Mistakes

There is no doubt that authors are a weird breed. But what's weirder is that some common mistakes happen all the time. For lack of a better term, a mistake happens only once. So, by studying these steps and researching the mistakes that common authors make all the time, you are already setting yourself apart. In this blog, I'll be talking about 3 common author mistakes. Are there more than 3? Most definitely. But I want to keep this at a smaller length. Don't forget you can always contact me or leave a comment and I promise to get back to you as fast as humanely possible (I'm not human).
Before starting off, I want to make it clear that these are always general and broad rules defined by the experienced authors in the industry. Although this is influenced by my opinion, this is not mine alone but instead the opinion of many professionals who have been writing in their career for years beyond counting. Now, without further ado:
1. LACK OF EDITING
I can't believe I still have to mention this. No matter how good of an author you think you are, never EVER underestimate the value of editing. Should you not edit your work and depend on others? No. Should you depend completely on other editors to do your work for you? No. What you should do is basically revise and edit your drafts and get them into an appropriate shape prior to starting any real editing. Keep in mind that, for Self-Published books, the bar is set high enough already; you are competing with other traditionally published authors, oh which their books go through many rounds of editing. Keep in mind that ONE ROUND of editing (in most cases) follows the following process:Developmental EditCopy EditProofreadTraditionally published books usually go through 6 rounds of editing (there are stories of it reaching 12 rounds for some books). That is the sole reason why traditionally published books look so much more polished than indie/self-published books. This is what drives most amateur writers away from perusing their career objectives as well, thinking that their work will never be as polished as the books they see in libraries. 
2. POOR USE OF DIALOG

I still can't get around the idea that some authors use dialog poorly in their books. Either the characters all sound the same, or they sound totally ridiculous with unrealistic accents. Dialog is not an excuse for bad grammar.  Some authors write pages and pages of just dead beat dialog and expect the reader to fully grasp the flow and not shy away from the book. Consider for a moment the art of presenting in real life. If a presenter just goes on stage and literally reads blocks of texts on slides you would be so taken back and might throw tomatoes (don't do this)!  dialog tips image No, a good presentation should consist of little "text" and try to engage the audience in the act. It shouldn't be a presentation but more like a performance. You use hand gestures, and body language to communicate something effectively, and this is what your book should portray when two or more characters are talking. 
For example, when was the last time you saw a couple of people just plainly standing there saying:
"Hi Dan. How are you doing today?"
"Pretty good, David! Thanks for asking!" 

I'm talking about just the text, no body movement, nothing. That is how poor dialog comes off to readers. It's just... poor. Also, when two people are talking, chances are, they already know who they're talking to (or after they're introduced to each other) so no need to keep mentioning the names again and again. 
3. Plot Flaws
Nothing throws readers off than a convenient plot throughout for the hero. I'm talking about the hero or protagonist being in dire situations and all of a sudden, a happy coincidence occurs that aids them in the struggle. Sometimes these develop and destroy any form of plot design that the author made. The greatest challenge here, is to foreshadow as much as possible from the early beginnings without tipping readers off. 
For example, in a fantasy novel, the hero cannot suddenly remember they can fly and get to the villain much quicker towards the end of the novel because that would destroy nearly the entire book where they travel on foot/horse to get to places. If they could fly, why didn't they from early on? Honestly, designing a good plot is a big challenge (and one that should be conducted from a bird's eye view in my opinion) because that in itself could make or break the story. 
There should always be a conflict of some sort. Something should always challenge the protagonist and push them towards their limit. 

I'll leave this here. Remember, as always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me or leave a comment here.
Until next time,Write on.
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on July 14, 2019 12:22

July 6, 2019

BOOK REVIEW: The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

poster of the last wish .checked { color: orange; } Ratingfive-stars

Having been a huge fan of the Witcher Series (played the games, before picking this up) I went full throttle and ordered all the books available. This was the beginning, the introduction of the story of Geralt of Rivia. Witcher, and monster.

It took me some time to get hooked, granted, this was a collection of shorts that discussed a bigger picture and a bigger occurance (it's also nice to know why he was called the Butcher of Blaviken). This completely threw me away, towards the ending, I paced myself down because I didn't want the book to end.

As the games are considered a sequel to the books, there were just so many references to the events that occurred previously, and as the Witcher 3 ended in such a way that it was considered a masterpiece; I hoped that the books wouldn't fail in that regard as well -and they didn't.

I would even go as far to say that the Geralt in the books is a bit different than the one portrayed in the game (wait, let me explain). Geralt in the games is played and influenced by the player and while the canon Geralt CAN be viewed in game (when the game offers the option to talk down the trolls instead of cutting them down -that would be the canon Geralt) this is what really pushes this story to the next level.

Rumors always state that Witchers are ruthless killers, however the White Wolf seems to reason with monsters and try to understand them when carrying out the contracts. There are many ways to fulfill them -ones that do not include killing that is. In fact, Geralt resorts to violence only when left no other choice. There are so many great quotes that I felt as if he was talking about our times like the time when he was travelling with Dandelion, and they hear about a monster roaming and killing others. Geralt quickly discards them and moves. When asked, he replied: "People like to imagine other monsters, because then they seem less monsterous themselves."

I will end this short review with three words: worth every penny.

Until next time,
Write on.
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on July 06, 2019 02:01

Book Review: The Last Wish

poster of the last wish  5/5
Having been a huge fan of the Witcher Series (played the games, before picking this up) I went full throttle and ordered all the books available. This was the beginning, the introduction of the story of Geralt of Rivia. Witcher, and monster.

It took me some time to get hooked, granted, this was a collection of shorts that discussed a bigger picture and a bigger occurance (it's also nice to know why he was called the Butcher of Blaviken). This completely threw me away, towards the ending, I paced myself down because I didn't want the book to end.

As the games are considered a sequel to the books, there were just so many references to the events that occurred previously, and as the Witcher 3 ended in such a way that it was considered a masterpiece; I hoped that the books wouldn't fail in that regard as well -and they didn't.

I would even go as far to say that the Geralt in the books is a bit different than the one portrayed in the game (wait, let me explain). Geralt in the games is played and influenced by the player and while the canon Geralt CAN be viewed in game (when the game offers the option to talk down the trolls instead of cutting them down -that would be the canon Geralt) this is what really pushes this story to the next level.

Rumors always state that Witchers are ruthless killers, however the White Wolf seems to reason with monsters and try to understand them when carrying out the contracts. There are many ways to fulfill them -ones that do not include killing that is. In fact, Geralt resorts to violence only when left no other choice. There are so many great quotes that I felt as if he was talking about our times like the time when he was travelling with Dandelion, and they hear about a monster roaming and killing others. Geralt quickly discards them and moves. When asked, he replied: "People like to imagine other monsters, because then they seem less monsterous themselves."

I will end this short review with three words: worth every penny.

Until next time,
Write on.
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on July 06, 2019 02:01

July 3, 2019

3 Ways to Getting your Creative Juices Flowing

image of creative juices
Writer's Block. A thing that terrifies most writers (though personally I believe it's an excuse of not properly outlining or a lack of direction in amateur writers) there are always days when you don't feel like writing. So I felt like talking about what personally works for me when my brain just doesn't want to write.

Most notably, I always find out that my best writing is done when I power through the "lazy mode" and just get to write. The trick here, is not to read what you write immediately but in fact just let it sulk in there, and get back to it at a later date, and one of two things will happen: either you'll edit it and make it great, or you'll be surprised that it isn't as bad as you originally thought. That is why experienced authors will always tell you, straight to your face that perseverance and consistency are better friends than inspiration and motivation. An argument always comes that the likes of Stephen King don't have Writer's Block, and they sure as hell don't outline their novels, and I'd say that is absolutely true, however it took Stephen King so many years of hard work and (a great number of books) to do what he does without outlining anything. Writing is more so a habit than talent.

1. Change Your Scenery
Hey, it works. If you are used to write in a dark, candle-lit room (don't judge me) with loud epic music in the background then do the opposite, go to a coffee shop, plug in those noise canceling headphones and write. Recently, I went to Kuwait and stayed at a hotel that offered a great sea-view and my first thought was "I can't wait to write to this!"

Here's a picture for reference:

grand hotel view in kuwait Grand Hotel, KuwaitWith this beautiful view, the sound of waves and buzzing noise outside gave me the inspiration and motivation to write the scene that I always shied away from: a great horde is coming towards a rich city, but now more than ever, all must band together to try to fend off this attack (honestly, if you get this reference, get in touch and tell me what you think this is, and I legit will ship you a prize).

Sometimes, this is the single thing you have to do to get out of the writing slump. Even writing at a different location of your candle-lit room might do exactly that for you, and whatever you write: DO NOT DELETE ANYTHING. Move them in a separate document, and call it "trash.docx" or whatever.

2. Read More Books
This is a straight forward thing. If you're struggling to write, then there's no reason to fret. Pick up another book similar to your genre and read. A writer that doesn't read, shouldn't exist. Often time, this pushes our brain to the basic animistic vibes. See a writer's brain works differently, and chances are when you are reading that great book, about a dozen ideas will pop up in your head and you'll be asking the poisonous question that all writers possess "what if that happened? What if this happened?" 
I think this can be summed up really well by sharing the time when I saw an interview of Neil Gaiman when he was asked "how do you get ideas for your books" to which he replied: "Our brains work differently, when we read that a bite from a werewolf turns them too, we wonder... What if a werewolf bites a goldfish?" 
Lately, I've been reading Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas, and this book, I swear is so addictive but unfortnately, between work, writing and other family obligations I only have time to read when I am flying out of/to the country but I cherish those moments very much. It always rejuvenates me to see another writer doing what they do best: write. 
3. Live Your Life! live life to the fullest A lot of writer blogs often tell you to force yourself to write even if you don't like it, however, if you don't have a main project at the moment, it is absolutely fine to go out, have fun and enjoy yourself. Writers should always write from experience, and that is why you shouldn't miss out on any sort of experience because at best, you'll have fun and you'll have a great tale to tell. And at worst, you'll have a great tale to tell. 
Go out with your friends, or meet up with family... go on an adventure, just do something that doesn't make you feel secluded and isolated. That is one of the reasons why writers struggle and get gloomy when they can't write. Realize that you got to take care of your mental energy as much as you pay attention to your physical health. 
Quite recently, my latest WIP (work in progress) was about a character who was twisted, tormented and a misogynist. Too arrogant for his own damn good, and I often felt that I needed to disconnect from the story because of how gloomy the whole world seemed to me. 
I'll have to end this here. If you've any questions or comments, don't hesitate to let me know!
Until next time,Write on.
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on July 03, 2019 23:59