Hello everyone! I hope 2020 is going well for you and that you’re managing to keep up with your writing goals (disclaimer: I’m not :D). The other day I was thinking about how certain novels have a big part to play in developing our writing, and wanted to share my personal list with you, including…
Author: janed
Using Word Trees to Generate Plot Ideas
It’s never fun to be stuck in quicksand. I know what it’s like when you have a great character idea or inciting event, but come to a point where you can’t move forward in a story. Fortunately, I’ve found a solution to get myself out of that deadly and, frankly itchy situation: Experimenting with writing…
Travelling Tips for Fiction Writers
Although many authors travel abroad for the intention of research, I wanted to explore the way in which we can expand our writing horizons when it’s not our main intention. Whether it’s a family holiday or a weekend getaway, there’s always an opportunity to collect information that can be used later: in the form of…
How to Quickly Improve Your Writing Style
It was a joyful shock to the system. After many years of being aware but not entire confident of my writing style, I had a sudden realisation during my last piece of coursework. In other words, for the first time I experienced the sensation of being totally at ease with the way I write and…
How to Write Fiction Like an Ancient Egyptian
Note: as written in the credits of my favourite programme Ghost Adventures, this article is for entertainment purposes only (see below for references). What do you think of when I say the words: ‘Ancient Egypt’? Perhaps you’re imagining the Great Pyramid of Giza, stately, protective cats; maybe even the vibrant hieroglyphs on the walls of…
What I Keep in My Writer’s Notebook
My writer’s notebook is ‘pulchritudinous.’ Wait. What? I just found out that this is another word for ‘beautiful’ and just had to squeeze it in somewhere. Who would’ve known there was such an ugly word for something so pretty? Anyway, I digress. This post is all about what I put in my notebook, not any…
How to Be a Better Creative Writing Student
Note: this post is written for ALL creative writers dedicated to self-improvement, even if not an enrolled student. Unlike many of the ideas I get for posts, this one wasn’t a sudden inspiration. On three separate occasions: while looking over my textbooks, during a workshop and then in the discount aisle of a supermarket; I…
10 Fine Websites for Writing Tips
As creative writers, we’re well acquainted with the more familiar websites for writing tips, from Writer’s Digest to Write to Done. There are however, hundreds of other websites offering equally good advice, many of which (in my opinion) offer more original insights than the top dogs. Here are ten of my current favourites to share!:…
How to Create a Homegrown Writing Retreat
Let’s face it; our lives are busier than ever and sometimes our writing productivity and goals fall by the wayside. Writing retreats are a fabulous way to rediscover the trail, but are often expensive and require travel. Yet what if there was a way to create the same experience in our own backyard; expending less…
Should We Write What We Know?
After reading Andy Weir’s Artemis (2017), I revisited the maddening maxim that’s haunted me for years; the sentence written on the blackboard before the professor’s even turned around: Write what you know. Or even more confusingly: Don’t write what you know! The reason why Artemis stimulated this age-old debate is because; while I didn’t think…