Yefon Isabelle's Blog, page 3

World's best creative writing tips for writing best-selling books & attracting publishers .

Learning is a continuous and gradual process and it never ends. No one is an expert or all-knowing. I am sure if you met Einstein, he would tell you there is a lot he didn’t know while he lived. We all fall short as humans. It’s a natural flaw. It’s simply a part of being human. As writers, we all seek that breaking point when we are recognised for the efforts put into our hard work. The goal of every writer is to one day be a big shot and be recognised worldwide and it's OK.I always felt as a writer that my work needed something much more, something different to distinguish my work from the many. Frankly, I’m not there yet but hopefully, I am in the process. I recently came to the realization of certain points that could lead me to that direction.Rumi says, “What you seek, is seeking you.” I found these tips from listening to advice from some of the most esteemed writers in the world and renowned like George R.R. Martins, Steven King and Steven Pinker not forgetting Youtuber and editors like Ellen Brock and a few added tips from my own pov. I thought I might share it with fellow writers or aspirants. P.s. I am not an expert. I am still learningAim high. Have big dreams and great vision for your work.Make a complex world, a world as big as the real world.Want it bad enough. You have to be passionate about the art of writing and love what you do. You have to put your soul into your work. Lose your mind it the process as if you were in a trance. Keep things interesting by bringing in weird things and taboos.Make your work distinguishing and different from everybody’s.Express your beliefs.Make every villain look like a hero from his point of view. From the villain’s point of view, make reader belief that the villain is fighting for a greater good from his own perspective.Follow your gut.Be a good story teller. Tell your story in such a way that no one in the world would be able to tell it like you do.Do your research on all the characters in your book. Talk to people who have been in similar situations and had experiences parallel to your character.Above all, have empathy. Feel what your character is going through in the book and write it exactly how it would feel in normal life.Read widely even genres you don’t enjoy.Engage emotionally. Make your readers laugh and cry as if they were living it. Make them angry and mad.Do the unexpected. Bring in elements of surprise something they couldn’t have guessed and something they didn’t expect.Showcase a lot of imagery. Your readers aren’t in the world you create so you have to make them see it clearly by detailing every explanation and make them see every image in the words you write.Bring in evocative details.Use strong diction.Don’t mix writing style. If you are using first persons point of view, use it till they end never switch from first person to third.Use enough voice. Make readers connect with charactersAvoid too much telling and not showing.Your character must have a goal and his or her every endeavor should lead to the realization of that goal.Your book should be a high concept thought. It shouldn’t be mediocre. Even if it is, try to elevate it.The setting in your book should be unique.Talk of the season and the weather.How is the law of physics applied in your world? If it’s a world you build you need to set rules which are different from other worlds. Same rules can’t apply in the magical world as in the non-magical world and give explanations as to why each phenomenon is the way it is.Avoid clichés and over used storylines. Be creative and inventive. Get ideas from every situation you witness. Could be from a movie, a dream, or from your own life experiences. Use it to your advantage and add interesting storylines to these daily prompts. E.g. You take a train and see a man sitting with bloodied, shredded attire and bruises all over. Imagine tens of possibilities of what might have happened to him and make a thrilling story out of it. Every action in the street or experiences anywhere is a story prompt.Be open minded.    Thanks for reading.

The mysterious well ( A Halloween kind of read)

It loomed in the moors, by the sacred baobab tree, enshrouded by creeping evil vines emanating a gruesome odour. Built of ancient darkened rocks hewed from the lost realms of the forgotten people of Urth. A creeping darkness, stories recounted, resided there. The voices of those it swallowed, whispering in each passing wind extending its tendrils to grasp whoever fell for its charm and mysteries. No one dared to venture around it at night. Even in daylight, they took different paths avoiding the cursed environs like a deadly plague. 
   What was the story of this well? only Anon, could say for sure for his, was the only encounter known to man, of the horror that nested within the walls of the endless pit.

Anon sat in his front yard, a woebegone cottage in an outlandish village, furbishing his brown boots. He donned hackneyed habiliment and a haggard beard hung from his chin.
  He was considered a pauper. He never got married and was beheld as the village failure and jest. He was a writer. He authored quite a few failed books that no one ever read. Anon, had zeal and enthusiasm. Still, all he wanted was an idea that no one had. A humongous idea that will get him the respect and status he so much longed and deserved. Maybe, the world will no longer view him in antipathy and spit when he passed by the marketplace.

He needed the story of his life. Anon, heard stories of a strange well in the gloomy moors, from a mage, he once encountered in one of his fruitless voyages in search of inspiration in distant lands.
  The old mage told of the gifts and wishes granted at the wells beckon. The mage, further recounted, informing Anon, all he needed to do was stand naked in front of the mysterious well, toss one large gold coin, a log of hair from the back of his head, the fingernail from his right index finger, and the fingernail from his left wee toe, a full calabash of ash and a pint of wine to appease summoned spirit. The dweller of the well, the secret whisperer and giver of knowledge and wisdom, was how he named it.

 No one knew how or why it came to be, or what its name was. Surely, this was hypnotic and enchanting to his desperation. The only chance for success he had, was to get to where the spirit rested, and for it, to whisper the next big idea to his longing ears. it was either that or imminent suicide.
  To the wilderness, he rode on a grey horse as it galloped on the stony, narrow path, heading moor-ward. It was a three-day journey but was worth it. He prepared for it with bread, cheese, cured meat, poached eggs, and a water-skin to keep him hydrated.
Anon, arrived the moors exhausted, a few hours before dark and made camp there while awaiting midnight where he would incant and present his weird demands.
He calculated the timing extremely well. It was indeed a full moon. 
   At exactly 11:11 before  midnight, when the bright moonlight streamed into the deepest recesses of the well, Anon took of his clothes, strolled towards the well, and commenced.
"Oh spirits of wisdom," He stated
"Humble Anon of Ilar beckons on the goodwill of the charitable river of the all knowing to stream to my senses, the all true source of writing, so, I can write the biggest book ever written. One that for eternity, will never be forgotten. A book so knowledgeable, it would grace the esteemed libraries of the wealthy elites and tug under the arms of youthful scholars." He wished, tossing the coin, hair  and nails into the bottomless well."Heed my wish and grant it now." He completed, poring the pint of red wine and taking a deep breath.
  Thick darkened smoke rose from within the pitch dark well, morphing into a figure, hooded and rickety. As the creature came to full view, Anon could see the bared fangs and extended cranky talons, as the figure swept towards him in the blink of an eye, as if he walked on air itself.
Stumbling and rummaging for his sword, his efforts fell into futility. He was already in the creatures grasp like a fly caught in a spiders web with no hope of escape. His strained face dripped with sweat. He quivered in the clutches of a bizarre creature.
  The hood fell off the creature, and its features came to full disclosure. Anon screamed in fright, shutting his eyes and struggling to get away from the imminent nightmare.He was in shock of the hellish flames he had gazed at. Then, the creature gaped its mouth brandishing its elongated teeth and growling a sound that tore into Anon's soul like a thousand talons had ripped his flesh. Anon's head fell limp as he collapsed in the creatures arms.
His head throbbed considerably. Anon clutched it groaning and furrowing his forehead as the sharp pain dies down.Gazing around, he found himself in a shack made of twigs and straw. A huge fire was lit from a dark corner and by it, sat a hooded fellow."Crap," Anon jumped his heartbeat rising."Don't be afraid , you are not dead ... yet.? The quirky voice resonated without the figure leaving or turning his head from the position from were it sad warming its hands by the bright lit fire.
 Anon knelt gaping his eyes at the creature. He though his life was ended when he was met with the gruesome sight."I...." He stammered. "Who am I?" The Creature interrupted.
"Yes," Anon nodded swallowing hard."Who are you? I thought you killed me." He muttered rising from his kneeling position and eyeing the room searching for and escape route.
"There is nowhere to run, Anon." The creature hissed stretching its shoulders and rising as anon cowered to a corner his knees knocked together and shaking
"If I wanted to kill you,forswear, you will be dead as we speak." it stood towering above all else, almost reaching the thatched roof.
"Here," Croaked the creature handing a metal bowl of hot tea."You and I have a lot of talking to do." It rasped keeping its head low and the hood covering its face.

Battle of the odds

I go against my every desire
You are everything I admire
A taboo I swore to never know
Seeds of disloyalty I sow
I go against my every belief
Wondering why I get relief
They say it's wrong but it feels right
To hold you so near and tight
You are my abomination
Key to my salvation

O Mine soul

Oh poor soul of mine.
Oh how I strive everyday to delve into thy mystery ,
To chisel my form to thine perfection
and expectation.
Who am I truly?
For every time I close my eyes
to touch your essence,
the further away you are to reach.
Deeper it is you sink
Harder it is to comprehend
What I must do?
How must I toil?
To get to that point
Where I will converse with you
And ask you about the mysteries that plague me.
In my mind, I feel you are that part,
That lost puzzle piece
And I go by each day
hoping to fill the void someday.

Beautiful Monster

Krystoff !Cruel product of mischiefPremiere author of painInfernal son of perdition in love's mystery lostBound by its chainsProclaims me, Sora, "heart of his"Anodyne to his achened soulWhere is it known pray tell,That devil and Angel in love be twined?
His eyes speaks emotions in volumesYet deadly weapons he wieldsForged in deadliest dungeons where cruel beastly products grunt as iron is struck.Rumours of dragon's breath lingersThat Krystoff indeed Mêlée's from atop the beastGrunting in countless battlesRumor said he fought 209Yet why then does he melt with my touch?Weakened by the vibration of my beating heart?
Which are you Krystoff ?Cruel warrior and conqueror of worlds?Or hero who seeks to conquer only this fragile heart of mine?
"Turn not away from my sight Oh Sora. Sweet Sweet Sora. Sunshine of my darkest soul. For indeed I affirm truly to be the devils nephew redeemed and saved by beholding thee.Only through you can I be saved."
Sadly so, his words strike a dire chord melodies dancing in the dark like golden strings.I intertwine my fingers with his callous own.
Save the world by loving KrystoffA sacrifice I am willing to make.Love not Krystoff and he takes his anger to bounds unknown as cities and kingdoms go down in smoke.Destinies bridges are laid as we honeymoon away in igloos sipping hot chocolate.Alas! The world is safe.Me and my Krystoff in love's keep.

The child-like mind

I saw fireflies last night, amidst the speary dewed grass. They shone and glittered under the midnight-blue sky.
I stood agazing, giggling as one firey friend tickled my nose with its gentle wings. Leaping to get a hold of it and bathe in its healing light,  passersby wondered, perhaps she's crazed. I chased  in futility turning on my heels, I headed home. Hoping to greet them every night.

My book "Nailah Dado and the white man's bread with other...

My book "Nailah Dado and the white man's bread with other tales," is now published and currently available on Amazon prime. Make sure to check it out and do give your review. Thanks for rooting for your favorite author. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D154606011&field-keywords=nailah+dado