#wrtrblr

[ginnyzero]

proudly hijacking universes and reality, smashing them together, adding my own ideas and experiences, populating them with characters my own, of others of whom I change the names, and sometimes people I know (wink wink.)

Because WELCOME TO WRITING.

(if you think writing exists in a vacuum where writers come up with ideas out of nothing... then I have very sad news for you.)

#writing #writrblr #wrtrblr #indie author

[davidfarland]

318R Writing Class by David Farland

From 1999 to 2002, David Farland taught a popular science fiction and fantasy writing class at Brigham Young University. Some of his students from those classes went on to make millions. Brandon Sanderson took it twice and has become one of the bestselling writers of our time. Dan Wells also took it, and he became one of the bestselling writers of dark fantasy of the past three decades. Stephenie Meyer took it and asked in a private consultation “How do I write the bestselling young adult novel of all time?” The book she devised has sold over 100 million copies in 37 different languages.

Now, just for the fun of it, Dave is going to teach the class online. His new workshop, "318R" will feature much of the same content, only it will be better, because, as Dave put it, "I've learned a lot."

It will have the same assignments that Dave used. Each participant will be asked to write either three short stories or three chapters to a novel for critique. Those who take the full class will receive feedback from Dave.

There will be 2 Classes. Each full class will be limited to 20 people, and will be taught live on Saturday mornings from 10:00 to 11:00 AM MST or 6:00 to 7:00 MST.

We'll have a total of 30 classes. They'll be taped, so if you miss one, you can watch the tape, even repeat it if you like. Seriously, this will take seven months.

But wait, there is more! In the classes at BYU, many students came to "audit" the class. They weren't required to take the tests or turn in assignments, but were encouraged to participate in the classes, and since their work wasn't critiqued, they only paid half price.

So, we'll have twenty students who will get the whole "318R experience," but others will be allowed to sit in, ask questions, learn, and have fun.  You can just hang out and learn, without any stress.

Each class will begin with a lecture, and I will have four quizzes, and a couple of shorter assignments, too. So, I might ask you for example to create a character sheet for a single character, or to read a story so that you can understand a certain principle.  But these assignments won't take more than a couple of hours per week, and we won’t have them on most weeks.

We will divide you into critique groups for assignments so that you will have three other people whose work you will need to critique. You'll also have "brainstorming" groups.

We'll begin on Jan 2, just in time for the New Year, and we will finish up in August.

The price for taking the class will be $360. The price for auditing will be $180.

Topics Covered:

The class curriculum will be solidified in January, but we’ll cover a wide range of information on writing, publishing, and marketing books.

The first class, “You can earn a living as a writer", explains how writers make a living in this business and also tells why most of them fail.

We’ll then move in week two to “Writing formed stories,” where I’ll explain the difference between short stories, novels, and epics—and give tips on how to write each well.

We’ll then move into classes on worldbuilding, characterization, developing your conflicts for books, and plotting novels—from simple short novels to epics.

We’ll then move into exercise on how to write completely immersive fiction that involves all of the senses.

From there, we’ll talk about how to submit novels for publication, and go into techniques for marketing your books.

We’ll then branch out into how to sell ancillary rights to your intellectual properties, including audiobooks, electronic book rights, videogames and film—both movies and television series

There’s a reason why the lecture time on this is 30 hours!

I hope you join us. Over the years I’ve had dozens of writers say, “I wish I could have been in that 318R class.” Well, now you can, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be doing this again.

If you're interested in attending, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 318R in the subject header and tell us if you'd like to enroll in the 10am or 7pm MST Class.

Or Reserve Your Access Now at: https://mystorydoctor.com/318r-writing-workshop/

Happy Holidays!

#writers #nanowrimo #writing #writr #wrtrblr #writerblr #writerblrg #writers blog #how to write #self publishing #byu #authors #writers block #ASPIRING WRITERS #business of writing

[rockyswritingblog101]

Me: I'm going to write to a book about ADHD in girls.

Also me: I'm going to write about how much I hate filling out financial aid documents.

#my life #my thoughts #my text #my post #writers on tumblr #wrtr blr #write blog #wrtrblr #wrtr blog #adhd #my story #20timeproject #english #high school #senior problems #senior year #senior

[cozy-the-overlord]

HELLO WORLD

Hi! I’m Cozy! Thanks for coming to my blog! I’ve loved to write for a really long time, so I finally grew a pair and decided to make one. Most of my stuff is realistic-ish, based on songs I’ve heard (mostly Taylor Swift songs) or paintings/photos I’ve seen, but I do like to play around with fantasy too. I’m also extremely obsessed with Star Wars and Marvel, so fan-fiction is a definite possibility as well. I’m really excited about finding and following other writers here and listening to lots of new perspectives.

This is really my first exposure to social media, so if it looks like I have no clue what I’m doing, it’s because I have no clue what I’m doing ;) Constructive criticism is welcomed! 

-- Cozy :)

#writer blog #wrtrblr #my writing #creative writing #writing

[ginnyzero]

Follow up to yesterday's post b/c I am a bit salty still.

The idea people in general are less creative because they're writing fan fic is absolutely ludicrous to me. People write fan fic for so many reasons and fan fic has been a medium for, oh thousands of years, and is now so easy to find means more people are writing and oh my god, gasp, having fun.

But on top of those who are having fun, there are a goodly percentage who do write both! (I can name half a dozen trad pubbed authors off the top of my head who have or do write fan fic.) Or those who start in fan fic and move over to original.

People tell stories because there are stories they want to see and published media isn't giving them those stories. That's the short of it, really. Whether these stories are fan fic or original is rather immaterial in my opinion. (Both have their place. Thank you.)

But oh my god, you say anything along the lines you think people are being less creative because they aren't creating their own universes, it just tells me that you have not LOOKED. Yes, AO3 is great because it makes this free story medium easily available and searchable and tagged. Original fiction still LACKS a AO3 style listing. Just, go to a bookstore. Go to a LIBRARY. For the love of little green apples, check wattpad, AMAZON, royal road, even here on tumblr there is a THRIVING community of original fiction authors BEGGING for attention.

Look traditional publishing is out there trying to push at you what they think sells. And what they think sells isn't always what people have written and want published and want to see, so there is Indie, struggling in the over saturation because of algorithms to be seen and heard and appreciated. And is it all good? Can you find it easily? No. Not really. But it is OUT THERE. People are being creative and maybe if we had MORE publishing houses, there'd be a MORE variety of stories published and in bookstores.

Just... a salty indie author thought.

#writing #writrblr #wrtrblr #indie author #indie publishing #ao3 #fanfic #reading #writing salt

[ginnyzero]

Hello. I'd like to know your opinion of the "Write every day, no matter if you have nothing to write " school of writing advice. I've read several books on creative writing: Stephen King, On Writing; Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird; Brande, Becoming A Writer. These seem to advocate a policy of writing in an almost 9-5 routine without regard to that romantised notion, "Inspiration ".

For myself, I just cannot write without the excitement of inspiration - which is really the main source of fulfilment in writing.

Also - if I'm not mistaken - I recall that in one of your YouTube videos you mentioned that creative writing courses are not required for someone to write. Although I'm sure that such courses benefit some, I am quite sceptical about the formulaic methods some seem to use. It is as if they are turning something as personal and unique as fiction into some form of academic discipline!

Would you agree with me in the notion that writing should be done only when inspiration strikes?

Remember, any writing course out there is just another method for a writer to make money, and they advocate for a writing process that works for them. It's like being an athlete. They're going to advocate an exercise program that works for them because they build muscle easily in that method. Or in this case words added to their manuscript. Also, many of these writers have been lucky enough to make writing their 9 to 5 and possibly don't feel productive unless they are adding words every day. (whether this works or just ends up with a lot of words that need to be edited out is debatable.) This is why I don't advocate for those programs. Their formula is not yours!

If you need inspiration to write, then writing everyday will feel like a chore and lead to burn out. It won't work for you. It's a guideline (not advice) that's detrimental to your process rather than helpful.

In my humble opinion, writing should be fun. If you aren't having fun doing it, then why bother. It might not be easy all the time. You can still enjoy it, and the process.

There are so many parts of "writing" that "writing everyday" ignores in favor of basically manuscript word count. Writing could be research (historical, cultural, genre reading.) Writing could be making a mood board to help inspire you. Writing can be talking to a friend about your work to problem solve (or taking a walk and talking to yourself.) Writing can be outlining. Writing can be daydreaming! Writing can be talking to the parking lot tamale vendor and realizing they'd make a great character in your book! Writing can be scrolling tumblr and seeing a meme or life post or something that inspires you!

Any piece of advice or guideline will probably help somebody. In this case, "writing everyday" doesn't help you. If it helps, I don't add to my manuscripts everyday, b/c I'm too busy researching, writing lore books (important), creating character lists, daydreaming, outlining, reading in my genre (very important), and sometimes you just need to take a break and let your brain rest!

Thank you so much for watching my videos. I hope this helped. Bless and happy writing!

#writing #writing advice #wrtrblr #writing tips

[ginnyzero]

Marketing anything, especially book marketing, is not about ideas. Marketing is about PRODUCT.

Sharing your ideas without anything to sell is great for community but not great if you're wanting to write a book and get people to read it.

Writers are reluctant to share their ideas in the process stage for good reasons including things are subject to change, unrealistic publishing deadlines once you do, and it is NOT protected by copyright until it is a PRODUCT.

Look, you can have 101 werewolf biker stories out there and I won't care b/c there lots of ways you could do a werewolf biker story. I didn't talk about my werewolf biker idea in great detail until AFTER it was published b/c details matter and sure you can take the general idea but those details are MINE.

And readers, they don't care about ideas. They want books. They want product, and they want it quickly. You've got maybe a year after you go viral to get that product out. Talking about your book ideas before they are remotely finished product is only going to result in more rushed books like, ahem, Light Lark.

Many writers are not a endless fount of ideas either. So they'd rather hold their ideas to their chest b/c they might not have as many as you'd think or those ideas need time to develop things like... plot, and fully fleshed out characters.

Also, putting out ideas especially in trope list format is just a great way for people to feed these ideas into... language learning models like chat or story gpt. Yikes!

Please, writers, do not use your ideas that don't have any manuscripts attached to them as marketing. No one wants it. If you have tons of ideas, start a prompt channel, writers without ideas will love you. Otherwise, you'll be able to market your book so much better once you have a finished manuscript. I promise.

#writing #writing advice #writrblr #wrtrblr #indie author #marketing #marketing advice #putting this in its own post

[ginnyzero]

Just a reminder, I am a published indie author. You can find me on AMAZON as Ginny O. (Alas if I give a link no one will see it.)

Tales of the Heaven's Heathens: (Cozy Werewolf Biker Drama)

Gideon Vonrothe is looking for a new werewolf pack and he finds Heaven's Heathens motorcycle club. The club's main source of income is security work, and in order to prospect in, he's "apprenticed" to the second in command, Savannah Barker; 5'2", can pick her up one handed, and he's not stupid enough to call her cute. (Even if he thinks she's cute.) There's always something going on with the Heathens that ends up with an explosion. And he's got five years to figure out if he wants to make this permanent.

Book 1: Gideon Arrives, his first job rescuing a doctor and aftermath Book 2: Western Style Horse Protection Job goes Wrong Book 3: Savannah's tasked to stop some smugglers with a car chase. Slice of life, found family, adventure, slow burn (I mean it) romance, Sons of Anarchy Meets the Expendables. Thwarting Expectations: (Sword and Sorcery Fractured Fairy Tales)

Dawn Trilogy: Princess Roxana was cursed as a baby, taken by one of the witches and raised to help others with their curses. Now, she wants to get rid of her own before it crashes down on her or kills the entire countryside. She's running out of witches to check in the area and there's one causing trouble just as she needs it. Will this witch be the one? Will she and her dragon sidekick figure this out in time? Will she be able to thwart the curse and still take her expected place as the queen of a new nation?

Fairy tales, Buddy comedy, adventure, intelligent dragons, Mercedes Lackey 500 Kingdoms where the main character carries a sword. More werewolves.

#indie author #indie publishing #writing #writrblr #wrtrblr #bookblr #book blurb #scifi #fantasy #sci fi and fantasy #science fiction #original fiction

[ginnyzero]

dwf-24-3-nz asked:

In one of your videos on creative writing you suggested an author should read contemporary works in the genre he/she wishes to write. For myself, I tend to read fiction - mostly supernatural - written in the nineteenth and early to mid twentieth century. There is a reason for this: I don't like graphic horror and needless sex and violence; also I have the fear of hitting upon an idea of mine in whatever I read which induces me to reject that idea for fear of plagiarism. Would you regard this as negative and self-defeating? Or should I just go ahead and turn my ideas into writing - despite coming across similar ideas in stories I've read?

Okay, the short answers to "is this negative and self-defeating?" is Yes. And "Should I turn my ideas into writing?" is Yes.

Long answers after the Read More.

If you have any plans whatsoever in querying traditional publishers here in the US and the UK, you need to read contemporary supernatural horror. For 2 reasons. 1) you need to know today's writing voice. Poe and Lovecraft won't sell in today's market. 2) Comps. You need to know who your writing style is like within the last 5 years that aren't on the bestseller lists. Agents will ask this. It's a check of your ego, and if you're paying attention to today's publishing. They want to know if your work will sell by who you think your books are like either content or stylistically. If you say "my books are like Lovecraft" you're going into the bin.

Now, on the creative side. Don't worry about anyone else's ideas. This is the stuffman's 2 cakes comic. The reader is going to be happy there are 2 cakes, or there's a cake without icing (graphic violence horror and sex!) (My librarian would like to talk to you. My area hates graphic sex.)

Ideas aren't copyrightable. Only the execution of ideas is copyrightable. Don't worry about plagiarism if you find the same "core idea." What you are looking is, "are you subverting" the idea? Are you doing something new? When John Carter came out as a book, it was revolutionary. By the time it got a movie, people called the movie cliche and trite. Because Burroughs ideas had become so fundamental to the genre, everyone uses them.

Creatively, you need to know the "rules" of your genre by today's standards so you can choose to either follow the "rules" or deliberately break them. There's a fine line of 'staying in the box' and cliche. (In Urban Fantasy, this would be "my mentor has been killed and I've been framed. I must solve the murder and clear my name without being caught!" That's cliche at this point.)

If you have a library nearby, talk to your librarian about supernatural horror without sex or graphic violence. You're looking at a very niche genre compared to thrillers etc.

I'll do a video on this later, it will be a few weeks. Please check out my "Is there a thing as bad ideas?" video coming out today, 9/7/2023. (USA date order) It might help you.

#writing #writing advice #wrtblr #wrtrblr #writing tips #writer problems

[ginnyzero]

When you're writing a story or novel do you use the traditional method using a pen and paper - espoused by such writers as Niel Gaimen and Stephen King, or do you write the first and subsequent drafts on a computer?

As a novelist, I find you have to find a method that works best for you.

For myself, my first drafts are written in my head before I go to sleep at night. Then I write notes of them into paper (sometimes) and later word documents, so I can organize them and rework things as I go. The 'synopsis' outline helps me structure the story. Then I do a draft. Most of my written drafts are started and written solely on the computer.

I did start both Dawn Warrior and Dawn Princess in notebooks, but I found my brain is much too fast for my hand to keep up. It was literally hurting my wrist, so I returned to typing. (But I type really fast.)

Once again, find the method that works for you. Paper. Typewriter. Computer. Sticky notes! I was helping one guy with his stories he was writing in Facebook! But eventually, you will in this electronic age have to turn to a computer for the draft you want to send to an editor.

#asks #writing advice #wrtrblr

[ginnyzero]

When you realize you didn't describe something in the previous book and now you don't dare because you don't want to contradict what the reader has already imagined.

#writing #wrtrblr #writer problems #writer's life

[ginnyzero]

Need one of those "the artist, the art memes."

At the library met a new patron and was trying to explain my cozy werewolf drama biker books to him.

He goes: "How did you get into this, pardon me, but you look like a square. Or a nerd."

Me: (Checks my khaki cargo pants and pale blue draped blouse.) Yes, I am a nerd. I accept that. I love Star Wars and Marvel. But I was into rock and metal during college.

Also to be fair, it was close to 90 degrees out, and it was walking club down at the park. And I leave my black/emo/goth clothes at home so I don't die of heatstroke.

#wrtrblr #writer's life #the art the artist #convos

[ginnyzero]

me trying to explain an aesthetic bit of world building to listener and bullshitting a 'scientific' reason for why aesthetic exists.

thankfully, they did not call me on it.

#writing #writrblr #wrtrblr #indie author

[ginnyzero]

the ever continual quandary of making the characters too fidgety, using said, using anything but said, or the abuse of exclamation points.

#writing #wrtrblr #said #dialog #writer problems

[ginnyzero]

Trying my best to finish the fantasy book that’s been in progress far too many years. I have 10 synopsis paragraphs left. IF they are each about 3K to 4K long written out (pretty normal for me) then that’s 30K to 40K words. Then I get to go back, add description, do my blurb and finish up the cover... and publish.

THEN I CAN GET BACK TO CATGIRLS SOLVING MYSTERIES.

#writing #am writing #priorities #wrtrblr #I have been struggling #I have books I could publish #but I want to finish series first #ugh #self publishing #I hate algorithms

[ginnyzero]

No writing is ever wasted. It doesn’t matter if you are writing for fun or writing for original work. No writing is wasted. You’re improving your skills.

Or, you can be like me and be world building in fun writing and realizing “oh, I can use that for one of these two original projects that are in a very similar setting.”

But err... that’s me.

Keep writing! Bless!

#writing advice #wrtrblr #writing tumblr #writing tips