Courtney Wendleton's Blog, page 27
September 29, 2016
3 Ways to Reignite Your Writing Career TODAY!
Image via Flickr Creative Commons, courtesy of Sally Jean
Man, I have missed you guys! Spawn flattened me with a stomach bug #kidsarecutebutevil. But, I am back so let’s get to work. All of us have days where we wonder if what we do even matters. Why did we have to become writers? Especially in these times?
Why couldn’t we have gotten into this gig when wealthy patrons financed our work? And we could seal our manuscript with a fancy wax seal like the kind we bought for ourselves at Barnes & Noble but are too shy to use on our water bill?
I know y’all bought one too, and for those who didn’t, is that a quill and ink set from the Renaissance festival I detect? Do I smell parchment?[image error]
Ah the good old days…
I am an “Old Dog” of the digital publishing paradigm. I’ve been…
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How to Self-Publish on Amazon: The Beginner’s Step-By-Step Guide to Self-publishing Their First Book
by Hope Ann
Ready to self-publish on Amazon?
Considering self-publication on Amazon but don’t have a clue where to start or what to expect? Take a glimpse behind-the-scenes, so when the time comes to push the button and create your own ebook, you already know what lies ahead of you.
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September 27, 2016
Exploring the Realm of Street Art: Subversion and Rebellion
Abstract:This paper seeks to explore the subject of Street Art as rebellious and subversive in nature by considering the visual text above. It attempts to answer the question: “In what way is Street Art different? How does it distance itself from other forms of art? Will it continue to be Avant-garde?”. The paper shall draw from the arguments of previous research in order to answer these questions effectively.
Street Art is used to refer to visual art that is created in public spaces and is, for the most part illegal or unsanctioned. We can attempt a broad understanding of Street Art through the statement of Howard Smith: Slogans of protest and political or social commentary graffitied onto public walls are the precursor to modern graffiti and street art, and continue as one aspect of the genre. Street art in the form of text or simple iconic graphics in the…
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Should Your Characters Be Celebrities?
by Christopher Slater
I’m sure that anyone reading this is aware of the importance of characters in a story. A writer can come up with the most imaginative and mind-blowing storyline that the world has ever seen, but if you don’t have characters that the reader feels a connection to and shares an interest in, then your story will fall flat and not find an audience.
So how do you do this? How can you make your characters someone that your readers will want to follow? How do you make them someone that your readers will remain curious about?
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Flash in the Pan – Tips For Writing Flash Fiction
by Neil MacDonald
I write flash fiction in the Friday Fictioneers group every week. Flash fiction is very short fiction, typically under 750 or 1,000 words. Within it, some people distinguish between “drabbles” (100 words), “dribbles” (50 words) and so on. These distinctions don’t really matter. The genre is good exercise for a writer in editing skills and wordcraft.
The talented Friday Fictioneer, Claire Fuller (author of Our Endless Numbered Days) produced 12 hints on writing flash fiction. That stimulated me to write a few of my own.
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September 25, 2016
To Forward or Not to Forward #PoW
I am working on “Price of War” and I keep going back to the forward I wrote and cant decide if I should keep it or not. To me it explains how the story came about and why it is so important to me. Then I think that no one would be interested in that information or they would find that it is stupid, stopping them from reading the book.
Right now this book is what I would consider my Magnum Opus and I don’t want something that could color the person’s view of the book before they have a chance to read it. Really it is a stupid reason, but it means a lot to me and I would like to share the back story with the readers so they can understand why”Price of War” means so much to me. So much that for the cover, I used my Great-grandparents’ wedding photograph with a few changes, obviously.
Joys and Woes of NaNoWriMo
This years NaNoWriMo is really getting into the prep time. A lot of hype and well wishing, a lot of encouragement.
This year marks my second year as a Municipal Liaison. I LOVE IT! We all know I suffer from social anxiety. Well, working with the public on NaNo steps things in another direction. Since we hold most events between two libraries, they are controlled enviorments. No loudness, no craziness (besides my own) and its just plain fun to sit around with other authors, both young and old, answering questions, giving advice, listening to plots being thought out and bounced around for the input of others…it is just great.
Now, the down side. I have so wanted to get to the NOWD for two years now.
I’m NOT going to make it again this year. I have resigned myself to that. No one is donating, and, as time grows closer…
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September 22, 2016
7 Tips for Making Time to Write
by Kelsie Engen
Is there not enough time in the day to write? Or do you simply not know how to make the time?
It’s hard to believe, but it’s already time to discuss our writing insecurities again. And what’s worse, this Wednesday is already a week into the month! (How does time go by so quickly?)
This month the IWSG question is:
How do you find the time to write in your busy day?
I’ve always been a highly self-motivated person–when it matters. And writing happens to matter immensely to me.
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Artsy Fartsy – A Wooden Path in Autumn by Hans Anderson Brendekilde (We Love the Seasons!!!)
Hans Christian Andersen Brendekilde (7 April 1857 in Brændekilde at Odense – 30 March 1942 in Jyllinge) was a Danish painter.
Brendekilde was trained stonemason’s apprentice, became models and later admitted to the Academy. Here he met L.A. Ring, who also came from the village environment. In his debut work from the village from 1882 was just the village environment theme. Later, he also social realism | social-realist works such as worn out from 1889, depicting a farm laborer who is collapsed on the field.
Brendekilde reached later that very idyllic rural life. As his images of the grandmother who looks at children playing in the garden.
HANS ANDERSON BRENDEKILDE A WOODED PATH IN AUTUMN 27×20 [KITCHEN]
Five Ways to Hang Onto Motivation
by Kate M. Colby
Have you ever felt super-motivated to write, learn a new recipe, clean out your closet, etc. at the most inconvenient time, only to completely lose all motivation when you finally have a free moment?
Yeah, me too. So, how do you reclaim that burst of inspiration when you have free time? And better yet, how do you hang onto motivation and avoid losing it altogether?
Well, there’s no magic formula (obviously), but here are a few tricks you can try.
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