Courtney Wendleton's Blog, page 11
May 26, 2017
Things to Never Say to a Writer
by Elisabeth Wong
Alright, there’s just no denying it: we’re crazy. We just… we’re… I mean, yeah, everyone’s crazy to a certain extent, but being a writer is like the legal, non-institutionalized way of actually being insane.
Look at us. We talk about characters like they’re real or something. (Which they are, just… just by the way.)
Chances are, you’ve got a friend/ex-friend(?) who loves/loved to write. And you’re not exactly sure how to deal with this social recluse, this person who feels like they live more in a novel than in the actual world.
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April 16, 2017
5 Reasons Why You Should Go to Iceland
It’s been eight days since I returned to my bungalow from the beautiful goodness of Iceland. It’s been my dream to go to Iceland way before it was cool-it was actually a quiz question on a “How well do you know Lindsay?” game at my 14th birthday as my #1 travel destination. I ended up going a few more places before making it to the land of fire and ice, but the timing ended up being pretty perfect (we have Instagram now!) My mom (remember her from her awesome guest post?) and I have this awesome tradition where we go on a fabulous trip every couple of years. Iceland marked four years since our last trip to Ireland and Scotland and now I can’t imagine waiting FOUR MORE WHOLE YEARS before another trip together because we always have the best time and laugh and laugh and explore everything.
Iceland is…
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April 15, 2017
Author Myths: Don’t Believe Everything You Hear
by Hope Ann
The writer’s life is surrounded by myths, both inside and out. ‘Oh, you are a writer? You must be rich?’ ‘A writer? Are you a starving artist? I didn’t think you could make any money that way.’ ‘Just write a book and put it out there, it will take off.’
So…yes. Lots of myths. So I decided to collect a few; some from Facebook, some from articles I’ve read, some from things I’ve heard or heard of so much that they are now stuck in my head.
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Self-editing: What are your options?
by Katie McCoach
You’ve finished the first draft of your novel, now it’s time for revisions. We know that you’ll need a professional editor soon, but before that, what can you do on your own? Revisions need to start somewhere, so here are a few options for editing your own work:
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How to Be a Successful Writer
by Michael Cristiano
So, you wanna be a writer, huh?
Well, it takes a lot more than just saying so. In fact, one of the most annoying things you can say to a writer is, “I wanna write a novel too, but I…”
And there you go. Insert some excuse as if us writers have somehow been able to get out of things that would keep regular people from attempting a novel or a collection of poetry or short stories. The excuses range from lack of time to lack of inspiration, from not having anything to say to having too much to say (see my post called “Why I’d Rather Pass a Kidney Stone than Talk about my Writing” where I delve into this phrase further).
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Favorite Writing Advice: Adding Tension to Your Story
by John Briggs
One simple idea can give your story much-needed tension.
One phrase — one sentence, really — can help most authors make their stories more tense, more dramatic, more gripping.
“If your characters ever meet you, they should punch you in the face.”
I don’t know who said it, but that may be the best piece of writing advice I’ve ever read. Unfortunately, most authors don’t seem to follow it.
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Three Ways to Deal With the Feeling of Loss after Finishing a Highly Inspired Creative Project
by Pekoeblaze
Truly inspired creative projects have a strange kind of “magic” to them. You might not realise that you’re making something that you’ll always remember fondly when you’re actually making it. But, after you’ve finished one of these amazing, inspired creative projects, then you can sometimes feel a sense of loss. A sense of forlorn nostalgia for the time when you were still making it.
It’s a sense that there was a beautiful moment, but now it has passed into the mists of time. There’s a sense that if you made the same project again, you wouldn’t quite be able to recapture the same sense of fascination, joy and effortless inspiration that you felt when you made it for the first time.
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March 29, 2017
Prologues and Epilogues – Is There a Point to Them?
by Helena Fairfax
Prologue and Epilogue. Do they have a use? Should they be used? Can you have one without the other?
First of all, the Prologue. Oh, the dreaded question of the prologue for writers. How I’ve agonised over this at times.
According to my useful friend Wikipedia, a prologue is: an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one, and other miscellaneous information.
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Writing Tips: Live a Lot, Write a Lot
by Liam Cross
If you’re anything like me (someone who loves the outdoors to begin with) then this won’t be an issue for you. Chances are you make time every now and then to get yourself out to some beautiful, serene spots to enjoy the tranquility of the outdoor world and all that comes with it.
You probably use this time as a means to clear your mind, a tool to relieve the stresses that develop due to everyday life and also as a way to remind yourself that you are a small spec on the window which is our colossal earth and that in turn, the earth is just a small spec on the window that is our universe.
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How to Get a Great Cover Design for Your Self-Published Book
by Kate M. Colby
Readers do judge books by their covers, and your cover is your #1 marketing tool. For new independent authors, acquiring a book cover is a thrilling, but daunting, task. Once your book has a cover, it looks like a “real” book. The cover is something tangible you can show your friends and family — I know for me, my book cover reveal was the moment when my loved ones realized I had actually written a novel.
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