Posts by GGx - Reinstate Monica Cellio
I drafted a book two years ago that I'm now polishing to publish. When I drafted it, for speed's sake, I named one of my primary characters after an old school friend who I'm still in contact with ...
I’ve been a writer for fifteen years, five as a full-time writer, and still haven’t figured out how to get the people in my life to view it as a job. Right now, I’m editing a novel to a very tight ...
I had to do the same thing for my novel only instead of a doctor, I needed a vet. It was only one scene but it was very detailed so I needed to get the information bang on. I think the key to con...
Starting from a blank page is always hard, so don’t beat yourself up. But there are tools that will help you get started: The first I would recommend is Scapple by Literature and Latte. Scapple ...
Amadeus has given an excellent answer to your conundrum and the article by Palahniuk is excellent. I just wanted to add one little point from experience that I hope will spur you on (can't comment ...
Why to abandon an idea In considering the question of whether or not you should write an idea you don’t like, my instinct would be no. If you don’t like it, it will show in the writing. If you are...
Converting comments to an answer as suggested by @wetcircuit WHY BOOKS SUCCEED I was in the same place with my first novel. Many writers assume that the doors aren't open to them or there's some ...
It depends. Using Amazon's book store as an example: If your book is in an Amazon category that has very few books and the reader finds a poorly-done homemade cover that speaks to what they are ...
I'm not sure it's the ebook buyers who are the silly ones here. Of course people judge a book by its cover, as they should. To navigate the thousands or millions of books on a real or virtual shel...
Along with depending on the guild itself and what membership benefits it offers, it also depends very much on you and which (if any) of those benefits you feel you'd truly make use of. I have belo...
It's possible you're tying yourself in knots with Hemingway which is, perhaps, better for prose writers than technical writers. Hemingway themselves state: But what if I want to break the rule...
I suggest breaking the story into smaller scenes which you approach individually one at a time. Make each scene a connection between the characters that grows slowly over time, each scene bringing ...
Starting from a blank page is always hard. Read Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg. It's an excellent book to get you writing. Writing, you will find, is like any art. Like learning...
I think Secespitus hits the nail on the head by saying: People will rarely look at the letter of a word means. They know what "tiptoeing" implies and that is all they need to imagine the scen...
If I'm reading correctly, the crux of your issue is this: Eris is a girl, she forms a romantic attachment to a boy, the reader assumes she's straight. Later, when she forms a romantic attachm...
I use Scapple by Literature and Latte, the makers of Scrivener. It's basically a storyboarding tool, much like you have created on your wall, only you can't run out of wall space or damage your wa...
I'd recommend visiting your local cafe with a notebook. Sit and listen to the people around you and see how they talk. You'll find that people often speak in fairly clipped sentences, they don't sp...
The thing about the Star Wars crawl sequences is they’re very short, less than 100 words. They work because they’re short, interesting and presented in a novel way (back then). They’re also necessa...
It's a brilliant answer from Amadeus (as always). I'd like to add a technique for when you cannot find a metaphor/simile that hasn't already been overused: distracting with detail. For example, sa...
In my personal experience, the advice you have been given is correct. I had your exact problem and was told by two editors that my story was too dark/complex for children and my protagonists too y...
I think the answer to your question lies in the very problem you're having. You say you've created a character whose language is so clean it's almost comical, and you yourself feel awkward when yo...
Writing a novel means: Planning, drafting, editing, submitting, finding agent representation, editing again, submitting again, finding a publisher, editing again, approving cover designs, typesett...
I’m a little confused by your question and it may be worth providing more information if you want more answers, but these are my initial thoughts: As per the link that @J.G. has provided suggests,...
@LHH I'm posting an actual answer in response to your comment above. Firstly, I gathered it wasn't the actual scene. There's nothing wrong with posting your actual writing so long as you are askin...
Do you know any Japanese? Peppering your work with local language, when done well, can add character, authenticity and ambiance to a novel and you don't have to tell the reader outright that the ch...
