tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48037568071071074442024-03-12T23:34:59.809-04:00The Writer Mo IbrahimUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-47491051391491217862024-02-07T19:40:00.005-05:002024-02-07T19:41:09.724-05:00Three Characteristics of a Work of Fiction<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQURb55EWM3PdEBu14d2bfTnTegaOrjEhWVRYnGHfwMHHM2etafufG7u6fiQOUw8CpzGp-u1OlL2yB1yDhmPgd-rX1XZgF4YSEWIvqABt5QIdWTBXx0DP0XgzHaE9Sf4Exg_3c7ZvmslIdug8XK3aZGO2mOMulVoXMRfigPBqNblbbFDtxNpgxfyK4ks/s641/Characteristics.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="641" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQURb55EWM3PdEBu14d2bfTnTegaOrjEhWVRYnGHfwMHHM2etafufG7u6fiQOUw8CpzGp-u1OlL2yB1yDhmPgd-rX1XZgF4YSEWIvqABt5QIdWTBXx0DP0XgzHaE9Sf4Exg_3c7ZvmslIdug8XK3aZGO2mOMulVoXMRfigPBqNblbbFDtxNpgxfyK4ks/w400-h225/Characteristics.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Isaac Bashevis Singer <a href="https://advicetowriters.com/advice/the-three-characteristics-a-work-of-fiction-must-possess-1" target="_blank">reportedly</a> related that there are [at least] three characteristics that a work of fiction must possess [to be well-written]:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1. It must have a precise and suspenseful plot</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2. The author must feel a passionate urge to write it</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3. He must have the conviction, or at least the illusion, that he is the only one who can handle this particular theme</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We would add, that of the three, number 2 is the most important - especially as it relates to actually getting the writing done, because, like we've mentioned a number of times, it will be very difficult for a writer to write for hours without the energy from a topic of passion.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-89293728205259841712024-01-15T22:17:00.000-05:002024-01-15T22:17:25.441-05:00To Delete or Not to Delete? <p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-iaFxhyigU6C4d3Ll1in-hsABHeToNbMYccaomMVHANoVUKq8_0tXOvaWnA2S0eoe075b5t9rm9IDJKvWykeb4tQaH-TuT34onT4vX9Kj1AL8l_AUs4NeWflrnpoWGuYstawzqBDPhlGcjHustNmo80GQ85kTkSzXpaJLKIcdy0ExIynuprZ0pudxys/s507/delete.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="507" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-iaFxhyigU6C4d3Ll1in-hsABHeToNbMYccaomMVHANoVUKq8_0tXOvaWnA2S0eoe075b5t9rm9IDJKvWykeb4tQaH-TuT34onT4vX9Kj1AL8l_AUs4NeWflrnpoWGuYstawzqBDPhlGcjHustNmo80GQ85kTkSzXpaJLKIcdy0ExIynuprZ0pudxys/w400-h226/delete.webp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mary Gaitskill observed that it's not uncommon for her to have second thoughts about </span><span style="font-family: arial;">crossed out </span><span style="font-family: arial;">longhand text. Consequently, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">instead of hitting delete, she </span><span style="font-family: arial;">puts suspicious digital text into brackets, which gives her options. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Gaitskill shared </span><span style="font-family: arial;">with <i><a href="https://www.thebeliever.net/an-interview-with-mary-gaitskill/" target="_blank">T</a></i></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><a href="https://www.thebeliever.net/an-interview-with-mary-gaitskill/" target="_blank">he Believer</a> </i>(</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">February 1st, 2009):</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I’ve noticed that when I’m writing longhand, sometimes I’ll write something and I’ll go, Oh, that’s awful, and I’ll cross it out and I’ll write something over it. And frequently when I go back, I decide that what I crossed out was actually better. When you’re writing on the computer, you don’t cross it out, you just delete it. But now, if I’m not sure, I don’t delete it. Instead of making the revision, I just put it in a bracket and write my second idea, and I can look back and see which I think was better, because sometimes the first thing is actually better.</span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If there's some text that I'm not confident about deleting, I copy and paste it to the end of my document, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">which gives me options; however, sometimes there's text that I am confident about deleting immediately, and, thank God, I've seldom had regrets. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But the question remains: To delete or not to delete? </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-28751689183136373582024-01-01T20:39:00.002-05:002024-01-01T20:39:57.845-05:00To Outline Or Not<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTexLdPkKxRXM7ie5ryVylsxBDC6Zb5BQXH9_Loe3t8rtKV7eOnLiq5qc9w_kp-C3kCrulX6ZV21zykTtRqV2Oe3XcdSRgerNYX2LcC_bY3aGRJrq3QUjrGCuRYzKXNW7bZcPDPG4BbnrPjx4ZAicIlz43nrWovtAPXlK60V1IdsmilOqGpSmveRmITKY/s799/outline.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="799" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTexLdPkKxRXM7ie5ryVylsxBDC6Zb5BQXH9_Loe3t8rtKV7eOnLiq5qc9w_kp-C3kCrulX6ZV21zykTtRqV2Oe3XcdSRgerNYX2LcC_bY3aGRJrq3QUjrGCuRYzKXNW7bZcPDPG4BbnrPjx4ZAicIlz43nrWovtAPXlK60V1IdsmilOqGpSmveRmITKY/w400-h204/outline.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do you write outlines for your characters or do you let them develop (organically) on the screen? </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Per <i><a href="https://advicetowriters.com/?offset=1703222850613" target="_blank">Advice to Writers</a></i>, Walter Mosley prefers to discover his characters while writing; however, some of his writer friends prefer to use detailed outlines. Mosley reportedly said:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have writer friends who spend a great deal of time outlining and detailing the biographies of their major characters. Through this process, I am told, they discover the motivations underlying actions taken by these players as they move across the stage of the novel [...]<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It is, however, not my way of discovery. I meet my characters the way I encounter people in life—at a place and in a situation where I have less knowledge than I’d like and am almost always, at first, paying attention to the least important details. After that, I’m in discovery mode.</span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the end, one method may not be better than the other, but a writer may want to try both methods and choose the one that he or she finds the most beneficial. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-63379700570087150512023-12-03T22:57:00.000-05:002023-12-03T22:57:05.363-05:00The Three D's of Writing<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIFj3G7Bzt_-M06DR6OeKVNa1C89xfe7ZcmPuiympJ6aA9UCcorCKMC-_wsMTa5f-zZmita2_niW85oDZU3MUcMu1mRkQlkvhrZE4E1kGMS7AjofG6JRwdbxJhE-S59NUzUtkzPZbHRb1gfB9-c3xUgTDsyNQDAd6MUXPcv8gfahn0sG_2qCelNVInng/s608/The%20Three%20Ds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="608" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIFj3G7Bzt_-M06DR6OeKVNa1C89xfe7ZcmPuiympJ6aA9UCcorCKMC-_wsMTa5f-zZmita2_niW85oDZU3MUcMu1mRkQlkvhrZE4E1kGMS7AjofG6JRwdbxJhE-S59NUzUtkzPZbHRb1gfB9-c3xUgTDsyNQDAd6MUXPcv8gfahn0sG_2qCelNVInng/s320/The%20Three%20Ds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nora Roberts, the prolific novelist, opined that "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">it’s going to be really hard [for a writer] to get anything done" without the "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">three D’s: drive, <a href="https://www.thewritermoibrahim.com/2018/05/how-to-be-gritty-writer.html" target="_blank">discipline</a> and desire." Per <a href="https://advicetowriters.com/advice/write-what-you-would-read" target="_blank">Advice to Writers</a>, Roberts advised:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The most important thing is you can’t write what you wouldn’t read for pleasure. It’s a mistake to analyze the market thinking you can write whatever is hot. You can’t say you’re going to write romance when you don’t even like it. You need to write what you would read if you expect anybody else to read it. And you have to be driven. You have to have the three D’s: drive, discipline and desire. If you’re missing any one of those three, you can have all the talent in the world, but it’s going to be really hard to get anything done.</span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And Roberts is correct in that if a writer isn't writing about a topic that he or she finds engaging, then it may be difficult to maintain enough <a href="https://www.thewritermoibrahim.com/2022/07/writing-talent-vs-grit.html" target="_blank">drive</a>, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">discipline and desire to complete a piece. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-65212973836541337622023-11-07T22:21:00.001-05:002023-11-07T22:23:57.134-05:00Writing, Rejection and Letting Go<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Let It Go!</span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What should a writer do with his or her manuscript, which has been (repeatedly) rejected by agents and publishers? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One option is to self-publish. And as hard as it may be to do, the second best option may be to, as Colin Broderick advised, "LET IT GO!" And move on to writing the next book. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Broderick <a href="https://advicetowriters.com/advice/let-it-go-1" target="_blank">advised</a>:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My advice is just write: write, write, write...but just as important: know when to let go. You must let go in order to move forward. Again and again I see young writers I admire getting stuck on one book. They try to get it published and nobody wants it and they go back and tweak it again and again for years without getting into something new. My advice is, "LET IT GO!" Stick it in a drawer, move on. Trust me, you will get better just by virtue of experience, and if you turn out to be Ernest Hemingway twenty years down the line, they'll ask you what you have stored away in that drawer of yours.</span></div></blockquote><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-26598404413547893552023-10-09T16:02:00.000-04:002023-10-09T16:02:21.281-04:00Should BIPOC Writers Say, "F*** It" and Self-Publish?<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEP60uUk_Os3L7DD7s5vFVNpLPpsmsvb6-KIW0PlzOUENowYGGnIsC8pzXQE5_ueYXoBrB6fle8LNIC9-CEdw9MIlXMctL34X-fWdZbTlg0MMHHOYxlNcxsCuH94qGJMFa_6EppR4tS3aWMHAQWYWsRgtiUBI-l34QSW8vmq9X42VSGFwMAY-L3PgMJo/s1125/IMG_121659CCA236-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1125" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEP60uUk_Os3L7DD7s5vFVNpLPpsmsvb6-KIW0PlzOUENowYGGnIsC8pzXQE5_ueYXoBrB6fle8LNIC9-CEdw9MIlXMctL34X-fWdZbTlg0MMHHOYxlNcxsCuH94qGJMFa_6EppR4tS3aWMHAQWYWsRgtiUBI-l34QSW8vmq9X42VSGFwMAY-L3PgMJo/w400-h211/IMG_121659CCA236-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jessica V Aragon (<span style="text-align: center;">@JVA_writes\X)</span> "<a href="https://x.com/JVA_writes/status/1710395678478729600?s=20" target="_blank">tweeted</a>" that she: "[...] spent the last year recording every english [<i>sic</i>] language fiction deal in Publisher's Marketplace [...]" </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQaYhzpCZRVrECRx8w1n_A-64UUBk4wWv5hXkMCfp7cNjB_MmDEvX3N1w90fN9QpVKpaGn-eHtsD4_iYFx3JH4E4CSjiI2-UPiLojxSZY161pfO0Fwj5mxOiU4Nng7ZCqTo0MLFLP_1TbB_hYpBOc_e3OPXJEK-dIvnJZXiMOAZhPAAR2GuaD_W1q73Gg/s878/IMG_0513.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="878" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQaYhzpCZRVrECRx8w1n_A-64UUBk4wWv5hXkMCfp7cNjB_MmDEvX3N1w90fN9QpVKpaGn-eHtsD4_iYFx3JH4E4CSjiI2-UPiLojxSZY161pfO0Fwj5mxOiU4Nng7ZCqTo0MLFLP_1TbB_hYpBOc_e3OPXJEK-dIvnJZXiMOAZhPAAR2GuaD_W1q73Gg/w640-h280/IMG_0513.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Fig. 1 (Source: @JVA_writes\X)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And after</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> "[...] googling over 4000 authors [...]" she was able to post the "[...] current book deal landscape [...]", which revealed that (approximately) 70% of the books deals that </span><span style="font-family: arial;">occurred</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> between October 2022 and October 2023 were dealt to white authors. (See Fig. 1)</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4tZnSiIV0hj71H8vsiZM0-FERgRKjDWena6ZbH0CmlfaIi-ysN7P9FLfTIheGlKkgKhqhnp5rS2o7objWTtfY8eq2ZkqP7upanqjDZtHqOWUJUjd0uZB8d-m9RcuaWt0tOUWxEQe5etxUAKeR2l6TE1vJOTCTa6cVW9GCUgDv7Xs7IZZZlGSn16z8kk/s684/IMG_0514.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="566" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4tZnSiIV0hj71H8vsiZM0-FERgRKjDWena6ZbH0CmlfaIi-ysN7P9FLfTIheGlKkgKhqhnp5rS2o7objWTtfY8eq2ZkqP7upanqjDZtHqOWUJUjd0uZB8d-m9RcuaWt0tOUWxEQe5etxUAKeR2l6TE1vJOTCTa6cVW9GCUgDv7Xs7IZZZlGSn16z8kk/w331-h400/IMG_0514.PNG" width="331" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Fig. 2 (Source: @JVA_writes\X)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In addition, Aragon found that, with the exception of graphic novels and pictures books, white writers dominated every genre. For example, book deals involving the the mystery, horror, and fantasy genres were, over 80% of the time, given to white writers. (See Fig. 2)</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>(Note: </span><span>Aragon tweeted she may have "miscategorized" some data (e.g., "</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span>PI authors should be 0.2%, not 0.02%.") </span></span><span>but that her post </span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-size: 17px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>is:</i> "[...] representative of the current publishing landscape.")</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAFQOHgM1sD3yYhWw4tw6Ne8gnBU1wfmDVKFSea9SjqROE2FsMwjo50EMSq3GiMTKXAlhiWWXYgr1k8ek0sVCCbUpEPPLZK82TKBaVIBJeuuSx0Be9NV4RvLL_Clh9RpvKmBkMn9QrcBbEQuqPXvsYNcOWxWCwv8vQaHZPD0yM96rkhI3s2YonHeMdgw/s1125/IMG_CDFF2388EF85-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="1125" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAFQOHgM1sD3yYhWw4tw6Ne8gnBU1wfmDVKFSea9SjqROE2FsMwjo50EMSq3GiMTKXAlhiWWXYgr1k8ek0sVCCbUpEPPLZK82TKBaVIBJeuuSx0Be9NV4RvLL_Clh9RpvKmBkMn9QrcBbEQuqPXvsYNcOWxWCwv8vQaHZPD0yM96rkhI3s2YonHeMdgw/w400-h288/IMG_CDFF2388EF85-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Connectedly, Gabi Burton (@query_queen339\X) "<a href="https://x.com/query_queen339/status/1710048809454072026?s=20" target="_blank">tweeted</a>" that "[...] every. single. author [...]" on Barnes and Noble's "Best YA Books of 2023" list is white.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thus, my (rhetorical) question is: Should BIPOC writers <a href="https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/" target="_blank">self-publish</a>? At a minimum, maybe </span><span style="font-family: arial;">BIPOC writers should self-publish (immediately) after being repeatedly rejected by traditional publishers. Otherwise, unless the </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">status quo</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> in the traditional publishing industry changes, manuscripts written my most writers of color may never see the light of day. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-83384519436879380982023-08-13T15:49:00.003-04:002023-08-13T16:22:56.238-04:00Need Therapy? Writing May Help<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KTWhbr1RlWEDePJxTDVDI1ime7a0sPWvLC3w6QF-xpPcjnwXxUxb7axrlVYllX8hiKIlmSDLWirQKf8MVT5knGxnqz_lbpy5GDVUyFq371FG4NezfznyPxegZsZDFI9rcgqJJiBqeLwQSuAqjgYFYo1LFKzaE8lJSlLvZKNBbCaBF42PrsXCGdpaWbQ/s1920/Therapy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KTWhbr1RlWEDePJxTDVDI1ime7a0sPWvLC3w6QF-xpPcjnwXxUxb7axrlVYllX8hiKIlmSDLWirQKf8MVT5knGxnqz_lbpy5GDVUyFq371FG4NezfznyPxegZsZDFI9rcgqJJiBqeLwQSuAqjgYFYo1LFKzaE8lJSlLvZKNBbCaBF42PrsXCGdpaWbQ/w400-h225/Therapy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">People use a variety of, both positive (e.g. </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">ذِكْر</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">) and negative (e.g., drugs), </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">therapeutic </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">methods to escape the dread that comes with life's inevitable trails and tribulations. As a positive method, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Graham Green, the English writer and journalist, suggested writing as a form of therapy. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Green reportedly said: </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those, who do not write [...] or paint can manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic [and] fear, which is inherent in the human condition.</span></p></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-36231036025285320862023-07-15T15:04:00.003-04:002023-07-15T15:04:13.389-04:00In the Mood [to Write]?<p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOm0kw1TqFq9bjboAT6Uapuj5Arx7M_Gmc88V4cHeiKhd9VneZnYR3lu6zRL-hKH1ZjJnIErZ4hfbV0Z0uXIbP9Pc4GyazkgceIbvIi59Vcf9NM_BVdsXbSWIY6VR79RK08bG74ZEhi7h63wqERFr-vjwlEsEc7jLa5I_9dCCUq6pt20C526WgZX1rIM/s626/Screenshot%202023-07-15%20at%202.55.02%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="626" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOm0kw1TqFq9bjboAT6Uapuj5Arx7M_Gmc88V4cHeiKhd9VneZnYR3lu6zRL-hKH1ZjJnIErZ4hfbV0Z0uXIbP9Pc4GyazkgceIbvIi59Vcf9NM_BVdsXbSWIY6VR79RK08bG74ZEhi7h63wqERFr-vjwlEsEc7jLa5I_9dCCUq6pt20C526WgZX1rIM/w400-h181/Screenshot%202023-07-15%20at%202.55.02%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you're waiting to get into the mood to write, you may be waiting for some time. It's best to make a writing schedule and stick to it - in the mood or not. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Harry Crews, the American novelist, gave similar advice. He <a href="https://twitter.com/AdviceToWriters/status/1679641861990875136?s=20" target="_blank">reportedly</a> said:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You can’t wait to </span><span class="r-18u37iz" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; background-color: white; color: #0f1419; flex-direction: row; white-space-collapse: preserve;">write</span></span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> until you’re in the mood. My God, if you waited until you were in the mood, it would take forever. You have to sit down. The name of the game is to put it in the chair.
</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Of course, because nobody's perfect, some days you're just not going to be in the mood and, consequently, you're not going to write, but those days should be infrequent. </span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-45505191180923498812023-06-06T21:10:00.002-04:002023-06-06T21:10:37.792-04:00A Writer's Un-Interest<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitN-q9Mr_OZhi0XJfzdROe016VgryIScMXz2i8Gm13Pgh28JVMWn0LJ-X5wSTYRJ5YU3BN6yNUbwzVfYARdi8SlYoDaYNVS6pPuOz-DWlg_o5dDNiUimNeOSPi7hPDeTd2zcos2WC-6cbj-ytFfcy5AYIwgf4aZldUjX7R9b8Kt8c5ovm5AV0XZToI/s418/Screenshot%202023-06-06%20at%207.30.16%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="418" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitN-q9Mr_OZhi0XJfzdROe016VgryIScMXz2i8Gm13Pgh28JVMWn0LJ-X5wSTYRJ5YU3BN6yNUbwzVfYARdi8SlYoDaYNVS6pPuOz-DWlg_o5dDNiUimNeOSPi7hPDeTd2zcos2WC-6cbj-ytFfcy5AYIwgf4aZldUjX7R9b8Kt8c5ovm5AV0XZToI/w273-h255/Screenshot%202023-06-06%20at%207.30.16%20PM.png" width="273" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A lot writers are of the opinion that success comes with writing a <i>New York Times</i> Best Seller, but, per Thomas Wolfe, the pinnacle of success is reached by developing in an </span><span style="font-family: arial;">un-interest</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> in three things: </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">money </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">compliments </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">publicity</span></li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thomas Wolfe reportedly said: "You have reached the pinnacle of success [as a writer] as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity."</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-41528970895706257102023-05-13T23:56:00.002-04:002023-05-13T23:56:34.874-04:00What's Worse: No Book Reviews or No Book?<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtESJZ_73f_snEXXuR-b0-xxu5BJfZJxQrX4Cnb_LAUT-DLOU5HSi97gaNbdQymvDtSuFpNLrb-RrbpZTFjgPmm1cN1A3A0HefFBIZhb-YNT51nI4jFZtqmvKY3wmpfAGubS21SOamr-dfl8bbcuTCY6wK06nTW0_unbsw8IHGlkLUSZBbs_q_Ha5x/s1920/1-star-review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtESJZ_73f_snEXXuR-b0-xxu5BJfZJxQrX4Cnb_LAUT-DLOU5HSi97gaNbdQymvDtSuFpNLrb-RrbpZTFjgPmm1cN1A3A0HefFBIZhb-YNT51nI4jFZtqmvKY3wmpfAGubS21SOamr-dfl8bbcuTCY6wK06nTW0_unbsw8IHGlkLUSZBbs_q_Ha5x/s320/1-star-review.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What's worse than getting bad book reviews? For one, getting no reviews because you never finished your book. The poet Jim Harrison reportedly said:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> “The idea of getting bad reviews is not nearly as bad as getting no reviews, frankly.” </span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And once your book is published, like a number of writers, you may want to avoid reading the <strike>bad</strike> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/may/22/when-tweeters-attack-why-do-readers-send-authors-their-bad-reviews" target="_blank">reviews</a>. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-41277938172572066402023-04-29T23:22:00.003-04:002023-04-29T23:22:51.329-04:00Are Writers Narcissistic?<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdOfZBEUaw9OLXCnLm_OoPkMRs2RJU-ocWvuy35U6fZ0gtIYwXHzdTwetOdJ9ln7nGPkyD0KjjEJH6UOYDThBpRZonufLosCNV7pxWHDR-VgCEyBhOzsBvgOZVjcmlml5IXAbS8zL4-RuUDOkoTVJNJTmvRKe8gz4txHa93t0BvobpnpnryTtA0GG/s1037/narcissistic.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1037" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdOfZBEUaw9OLXCnLm_OoPkMRs2RJU-ocWvuy35U6fZ0gtIYwXHzdTwetOdJ9ln7nGPkyD0KjjEJH6UOYDThBpRZonufLosCNV7pxWHDR-VgCEyBhOzsBvgOZVjcmlml5IXAbS8zL4-RuUDOkoTVJNJTmvRKe8gz4txHa93t0BvobpnpnryTtA0GG/s320/narcissistic.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Source: Krizan and Herlache, 2017</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Previously, we <a href="https://www.thewritermoibrahim.com/2021/05/writers-are-most-alive-while-alone-ie.html" target="_blank">posted</a> some quotes from famous writers concerning the connection between being a writer and belong alone. For example, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">James Baldwin wrote in the essay “The Creative Process” (1962): "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">The primary distinction of the artist is that he must actively cultivate that state which most men, necessarily, must avoid: the state of being alone."</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And, per </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Paris Review's</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> "The Art of Fiction No. 151, Martin Amis said, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"The first thing that distinguishes a writer is that he is most alive when he is alone."</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Interestingly, t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">he poet Mary Karr</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> made a connection between being a writer, being alone, <i>and</i> being narcissistic. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Karr opined: </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">All writers are narcissistic. That’s not the same as being a narcissist, as being a sociopath. But no one can sit in a room by themselves for twelve hours a day thinking about what they’re thinking and not be a little more self-focused than the normal person.</span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Karr may be onto something, because it's fair to say that, in general, (prolific) writers are narcissistic (i.e., more self-focused) than non-writers.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-38325112144264000912023-04-11T14:16:00.001-04:002023-04-11T14:16:50.653-04:00ChatGPT: How to become a bestselling author? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENQTdmjVnJAV7_XPgSIkHGfxdtSzPRAwRGkeR9tN8JFSBYrRuBD1KQeyhXk_eYCJPv58UMD_Ar2AOR8D1sdjUpk0_bUm4T2aCWrZGfBHL7rkIqwTnMCyjG0zDhu-UCV2N4JeC5_i_sjuxRQ2h-lWWVZ5CVmKYVTNMrEscC8TMqWikOqZrWyzcSG2t/s1200/chatgpt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENQTdmjVnJAV7_XPgSIkHGfxdtSzPRAwRGkeR9tN8JFSBYrRuBD1KQeyhXk_eYCJPv58UMD_Ar2AOR8D1sdjUpk0_bUm4T2aCWrZGfBHL7rkIqwTnMCyjG0zDhu-UCV2N4JeC5_i_sjuxRQ2h-lWWVZ5CVmKYVTNMrEscC8TMqWikOqZrWyzcSG2t/w400-h225/chatgpt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: arial;">I asked ChatGPT: "How to become a bestselling author?" And here's the response:</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Becoming a bestselling author is not an easy feat, but here are some steps you can take to increase your chances:</span></p><ol class="ol1"><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Write a high-quality book: The first step to becoming a bestselling author is to write a book that people will want to read. Make sure it is well-written, engaging, and offers something unique.</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Build an author platform: Start building an author platform by creating a website, blog, and social media accounts. This will help you connect with potential readers and build a fan base.</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Engage with your readers: Once you have a following, engage with your readers by responding to comments and messages. This will help you build a community and create a loyal fan base.</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Network with other authors: Attend writing conferences and workshops to network with other authors. You may learn valuable tips and strategies for marketing your book.</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Market your book: Develop a marketing plan for your book that includes book reviews, book signings, and promotional events. You may also want to consider paid advertising.</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Seek traditional publishing or self-publish: Choose whether to seek a traditional publishing deal or self-publish. If you choose to self-publish, you will need to learn how to format and publish your book on platforms such as Amazon.</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Keep writing: Finally, keep writing! The more books you publish, the more chances you have of becoming a bestselling author.</span></li></ol><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Remember, becoming a bestselling author takes time, effort, and dedication. Keep working hard, and don't give up on your dreams.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In summary, per ChatGPT, <span style="text-align: justify;">to become a bestselling author a writer should:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">1. Write a good book</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Make an author social media account to attract potential readers </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Engage readers (e.g., reply to comments)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">4. Network with fellow authors (e.g., follow on social media, leave comments and/or DM</span><span style="font-family: arial;">)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">5. Market your book(s)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">6. Get published or self-publish</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">7. Write a lot</span> </p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">#notbadadvice </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-20937512200377791042023-03-20T22:25:00.003-04:002023-03-20T22:25:42.222-04:00"I'm a Writer [for Validation]!"<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_6iSG75S90-ZH3NXRqu5mhD-VjKvem8frvgb_4GaQ4rDYi5rVjFS5qvsJEbZih5Esc2i_5XjZm3JuoOjcKGJci_dYQ1cpv_c8OXLDZEcBJB_y_OP5hgxZUKHvORxZ59XO5fC-tLTbTPHzpSUqimIV3ac14aJhLaXcKskX9h6lHf39wXWEyoJ-fGm/s700/im-a-writer.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_6iSG75S90-ZH3NXRqu5mhD-VjKvem8frvgb_4GaQ4rDYi5rVjFS5qvsJEbZih5Esc2i_5XjZm3JuoOjcKGJci_dYQ1cpv_c8OXLDZEcBJB_y_OP5hgxZUKHvORxZ59XO5fC-tLTbTPHzpSUqimIV3ac14aJhLaXcKskX9h6lHf39wXWEyoJ-fGm/s320/im-a-writer.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Unsolicited, a guy shared with me in Central Park, "I'm a writer!" When I asked him what he had written, he replied, "Nothing yet."</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Relatedly, K. M. Weiland <a href="https://twitter.com/AdviceToWriters/status/1637333079046889475?s=20" target="_blank">advised</a>, "Write every day that you can. [...] Don’t look for validation. Trust yourself," which shows that there may be a negative correlation between seeking validation and writing (prolifically). </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In other words, as the amount of validation one seeks increases, does that correlate to a decrease in page counts?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Regardless of the strength of the correlation, one should avoid writing to be validated. Instead, as we previously <a href="https://www.thewritermoibrahim.com/2021/10/three-3-reason-to-write.html" target="_blank">posted</a>, one may want to write for one or more of the following reasons:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1. Write to inspire by spreading (positive ideas)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Write to avoid ennui and depression</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Write to increase tenacity slash self-control </span></p></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-88365290079863402732023-02-19T00:55:00.003-05:002023-02-19T00:55:55.419-05:00Write Fiction From Non-Fiction <div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h4_m-3ou5i57ywRDm1D3xddGKfsMKt9dFhtOc3MmLlw9POojnHO8oeCIQpX1J_IfOnbQEir8cd6b52uyMC8V4cI-naEXraqQ2eVLCmXD6p8chc5pW3pOkQhIhKdTqqxUG-62aE5nGWfC4KPcFUvZtfWFm33ejduMrNn3pW-ksFlwMia9mhonSTDI/s600/You%20Just%20Can't.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h4_m-3ou5i57ywRDm1D3xddGKfsMKt9dFhtOc3MmLlw9POojnHO8oeCIQpX1J_IfOnbQEir8cd6b52uyMC8V4cI-naEXraqQ2eVLCmXD6p8chc5pW3pOkQhIhKdTqqxUG-62aE5nGWfC4KPcFUvZtfWFm33ejduMrNn3pW-ksFlwMia9mhonSTDI/s320/You%20Just%20Can't.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">How many times have you said or heard, "You just can't make this stuff up."? </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Per Urban Dictionary, the idiom is: an expression said in response to an an unbelievable fact or piece of news. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But it's also, literally, true. A novelist just can't make make stuff up, because, as Rachel Khong related: "All fiction is born out of some alchemy of observation, imagination, and personal experience."</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-39350112294139424692023-02-01T22:12:00.000-05:002023-02-01T22:12:00.762-05:00 A Secret of Short-Story Writing<span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlFAeS1zroOd2P2dZGo3jSlz13Oqaxa1Rj4DgT1MIem85x8RVtTwltUxOmQrAZisdmzyCX9kQS7ptFtFl9r7Lk-cVhvYr2rrgN2z0zPFh14qeThziILRNsvWam8Yek_ZmwE9cAtZ8YL7G0vXL-v_RNLHmQimwGRkjay0qK3ItJY3ogdd1S-av8yPG/s225/Secret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlFAeS1zroOd2P2dZGo3jSlz13Oqaxa1Rj4DgT1MIem85x8RVtTwltUxOmQrAZisdmzyCX9kQS7ptFtFl9r7Lk-cVhvYr2rrgN2z0zPFh14qeThziILRNsvWam8Yek_ZmwE9cAtZ8YL7G0vXL-v_RNLHmQimwGRkjay0qK3ItJY3ogdd1S-av8yPG/s1600/Secret.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">O. Henry, the famous short story writer, had a secret for writing short stories, which can apply to writing - in general. O. Henry's secret was writing to entertain <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._Henry" target="_blank">William Sydney Porter</a>. O. Henry reportedly shared:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">I'll give you the sole secret of short-story writing, and here it is: Rule 1. Write stories that please yourself. There is no rule 2. [...] If you can't write a story that pleases yourself, you will never please the public. But in writing the story forget the public.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">And Harlan Ellison, the New Wave writer, agreed with O. Henry in that one should write stories that are self-entertaining, because if you can't write a story that amuses yourself, you may never wow the public. Ellison reportedly advised:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>Write for the most intelligent, wittiest, wisest audience in the universe: write to please [i.e., engage] yourself.</blockquote></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-11949633664126722532023-01-23T23:45:00.001-05:002023-01-23T23:45:11.995-05:00 3 Must-Haves of Every Writer <p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuoghtzlNWw9kI_H8KyFTuF9V9SVvBGeMoVuBB2FDeTrxHuY4pQkohWfXYwos3V6lxRF_5pc2MPeAY8pusSvmx0eFsmBKOSi563WY3qdJpwHOocq14fWl61m-LRthKB7iVNNvN5x0Lok3JKcaydxNPUWA-K7nS-8WRMPIZdeB_E8Pj53RHuvG_0Dp/s1322/Screenshot%202023-01-23%20at%2011.42.35%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="1322" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuoghtzlNWw9kI_H8KyFTuF9V9SVvBGeMoVuBB2FDeTrxHuY4pQkohWfXYwos3V6lxRF_5pc2MPeAY8pusSvmx0eFsmBKOSi563WY3qdJpwHOocq14fWl61m-LRthKB7iVNNvN5x0Lok3JKcaydxNPUWA-K7nS-8WRMPIZdeB_E8Pj53RHuvG_0Dp/w400-h116/Screenshot%202023-01-23%20at%2011.42.35%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There are, at least, three (3) must-haves of every writer:</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Per James Baldwin a writer must cultivate the state of being alone</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The primary distinction of the <span class="s1">artist</span> is that he must actively cultivate that state which most men, necessarily, must avoid: the state of being alone. - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">JAMES BALDWIN</span></p></blockquote><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Per </span><span class="s1" style="font-family: arial;">Joyce Carol Oates</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> a writer must be able to concentrate for long periods of time</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">First requirement of the <span class="s1">writer</span> is the ability to concentrate for long periods of time. Second, more urgent requirement, the wish to do so. - </span><a href="https://twitter.com/JoyceCarolOates"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;">@JoyceCarolOates</span></a></p></blockquote><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And Malcolm Gladwell opined that a writer must have have more than an engaging <span class="s1">story</span> but<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">that a writer needs to have a strong desire to tell the story</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When you <span class="s1">write</span> a <span class="s1">book</span>, you need to have more than an interesting <span class="s1">story</span>. You need to have a desire to tell the story. You need to be personally invested in some way. - </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Malcolm Gladwell</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p></blockquote><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-41253757359509202722023-01-11T21:27:00.001-05:002023-01-11T21:27:47.712-05:00The Difference Between a Writer & “I Wish I was a Writer”<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHEJVYFDGfp-UQAYod6AUgwOjaumZTiMXkFSRlcs7vmsBCVkJXtaIhXU-ph6atzGk84lGytrW6i5G3kAN9uxcbfFhp3d6OyocBFCM5ZSQ0RgP8TXDS4L16K-6pDUTK_9tAumScSPsIwQCaxYZCEPe9fyzRqmDS_x57QAmqcQl2kfCyoaZ794h-yby/s1042/Screenshot%202023-01-11%20at%209.10.45%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1042" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHEJVYFDGfp-UQAYod6AUgwOjaumZTiMXkFSRlcs7vmsBCVkJXtaIhXU-ph6atzGk84lGytrW6i5G3kAN9uxcbfFhp3d6OyocBFCM5ZSQ0RgP8TXDS4L16K-6pDUTK_9tAumScSPsIwQCaxYZCEPe9fyzRqmDS_x57QAmqcQl2kfCyoaZ794h-yby/w245-h243/Screenshot%202023-01-11%20at%209.10.45%20PM.png" width="245" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Based on anecdotal evidence<i>, </i>most people don't believe that they have the inherit ability to write a book. How many times have I heard someone say, "<i>I</i> could never write a book!"? </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And of the few who attempt to write a book, based on anecdotal evidence<i>, </i>most never finish writing their books, which, per award winning science fiction author Octavia Butler, is what, obviously, makes the difference between a writer and “I wish I was a writer.”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">Octavia Butler: "I tell the students that there comes a time when you want to either burn it or flush it. But if you keep going, you know, that’s what makes you a writer instead of an “I wish I was a writer."</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So, when the inevitable imposter syndrome sets in, try not to drag your doc to the trash but keep writing until your confidence inevitably returns (إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ). </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-79909523384980235702022-12-28T14:17:00.009-05:002022-12-28T14:19:51.012-05:00Literary Muse from Unfortunate Event<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBoLLcFC-6vLGGow1fBg3KW5gz_1iwgmOPTWJodAeqyOM7DyTmCXo2Jk4s77i11JVBOAc3PehPlqDDqxFkJPCH7ruProUHwFfLicy6EyngRjgAL8EIiAyeoz84cSdW8VsXOorcIzrWiW9Y0fseMId94vuDh6sDI8KKdFwe2O5T3Ny4Wgjd9NU4hIE/s716/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-28%20at%202.19.10%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="716" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBoLLcFC-6vLGGow1fBg3KW5gz_1iwgmOPTWJodAeqyOM7DyTmCXo2Jk4s77i11JVBOAc3PehPlqDDqxFkJPCH7ruProUHwFfLicy6EyngRjgAL8EIiAyeoz84cSdW8VsXOorcIzrWiW9Y0fseMId94vuDh6sDI8KKdFwe2O5T3Ny4Wgjd9NU4hIE/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-28%20at%202.19.10%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Moshik Nadav Typography</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One swell way to deal with a difficult moment in life is to assume that there's an underling (positive) reason (i.e., حكمة) behind the occasion. And as a writer, you may be able to use that difficult moment as a muse for your writing. So instead of belaboring the unfortunate event, like </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">humorist Art Buchwald, ask yourself: "H</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ow can I use this stuff to my literary advantage?"</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m working when I’m fighting with my wife. I constantly ask myself - how can I use this stuff to my literary advantage." - </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Art Buchwald</span></p></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-42330555599435650142022-12-15T20:19:00.003-05:002022-12-15T20:23:34.567-05:00Writing is Like a Sport <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErfAPv3ULOurL7WyNE1SerQHbUkOskII2W56OGTVLRvqgTjDCIjYvTxVwDVy0QH2URsKFXJXYOsHU53LgtfNxhVXNNWD5eH04aXe0oexQYfKQYG9MB_2sdn9fKXWWA5VZfw-lx9fr4BZPGTwHfELCSl6BKF1V3r91W6ggc8Kt2JBdpmD4Hq950mUE/s1114/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-15%20at%208.22.32%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="1114" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErfAPv3ULOurL7WyNE1SerQHbUkOskII2W56OGTVLRvqgTjDCIjYvTxVwDVy0QH2URsKFXJXYOsHU53LgtfNxhVXNNWD5eH04aXe0oexQYfKQYG9MB_2sdn9fKXWWA5VZfw-lx9fr4BZPGTwHfELCSl6BKF1V3r91W6ggc8Kt2JBdpmD4Hq950mUE/w400-h235/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-15%20at%208.22.32%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Just last week, I was exhorting a student to practice his intellectual pursuits with the same intensity that legendary athletes, like Jordan and Tiger, practiced their sports. <br /><br />And it appears that Rick Riordan, the <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series, agrees with my methodology. Riordan advised writers:<br /><blockquote>Writing is like a sport, it's like athletics. If you don't practice, you don't get any better. </blockquote></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-20412088510301399742022-11-26T23:40:00.000-05:002022-11-26T23:40:19.775-05:00Don't Make a Fool of Yourself as a Writer<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCa-bxIv-qthu6oh6c-MShZZW6A4h0jvTaMQplDdaJQagMryr5JBVgArFjFG3fdzcozsVAA4LjO12Kn8v3C9ujutNCTVoxIJ5T-b8PgxJqaeUfFme73bTmaMtxgbEsiCKAjZA9l8d0CjkXTcY0-p0oenexlbtCvTJEJ7e3k59fPHUmWuIC2q9rGrS/s1125/IMG_044501FE9B00-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1125" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCa-bxIv-qthu6oh6c-MShZZW6A4h0jvTaMQplDdaJQagMryr5JBVgArFjFG3fdzcozsVAA4LjO12Kn8v3C9ujutNCTVoxIJ5T-b8PgxJqaeUfFme73bTmaMtxgbEsiCKAjZA9l8d0CjkXTcY0-p0oenexlbtCvTJEJ7e3k59fPHUmWuIC2q9rGrS/w400-h263/IMG_044501FE9B00-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It's not uncommon for aspiring writers to have a fear of sharing their writing, because they fear that they'll make a fool of themselves, but Stephen King may have the solution, which is simply to read - a lot. Per Jon Winoker, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Stephen King said:</span></div><p></p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“The more you read, the less apt you are to make a fool of yourself with your pen or word processor. i.e., [laptop]” </span></blockquote><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-67430272712975961822022-11-14T21:15:00.005-05:002022-11-14T21:15:41.841-05:005 Traits Your Characters Need<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGDohFR2FKJI3Zjcn73S2_5ZHTedhV-iQDwuSlpPgBa9lm5zTPkO-ULM6zJhXNz6vnoML-Yaya9rLPd4KktuvXOOnSgOBiIe3SM4cm3LrylBCSJDSgwKFwITcmXxalS-rZ0ue9cPBa_0RfzPuj51KeRk5ni-fobycmJyEkmE9kBx9FH5rNyNTyxCh/s644/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-14%20at%209.01.05%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="644" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGDohFR2FKJI3Zjcn73S2_5ZHTedhV-iQDwuSlpPgBa9lm5zTPkO-ULM6zJhXNz6vnoML-Yaya9rLPd4KktuvXOOnSgOBiIe3SM4cm3LrylBCSJDSgwKFwITcmXxalS-rZ0ue9cPBa_0RfzPuj51KeRk5ni-fobycmJyEkmE9kBx9FH5rNyNTyxCh/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-14%20at%209.01.05%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Per </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Writing a Novel, </i>there are [at least] five (5) traits your characters should possess:</span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">#1 Physical Appearance</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Does your reader know your character's eye color?</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">#2 Psychological Makeup </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Is your character a melancholy introvert or a sunny extrovert?</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">#3 Cultural Influences</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Is your character a cultured New Yorker or an unrefined hillbilly?</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">#4 Moral Compass</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Is your character cautious or "free" slash uninhibited?</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">#5 Social Contacts </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Does your character live in SoHo or SoBro?</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-71592364691888411212022-11-01T21:34:00.001-04:002022-11-01T21:36:01.071-04:003 Ways to Spice Up Your Novel’s Plot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjwFLDueAL2bhm7UsxDIfO992WGF73iB9Q1OOrLUJIn4txUQA4heELPU_QmRMZzOvfH90N-BZyC6FT8KC6TT3gF--uwnCGu40lj_BjI8n5VbiWEwU99qp2wg6NoPqg9W1kQpCCoBKkDNKp9SRuSSM2_kzWkvZFHiW8xeEM8Nspmut-Sr_I59rHdkt/s960/Spicy%20Plot_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjwFLDueAL2bhm7UsxDIfO992WGF73iB9Q1OOrLUJIn4txUQA4heELPU_QmRMZzOvfH90N-BZyC6FT8KC6TT3gF--uwnCGu40lj_BjI8n5VbiWEwU99qp2wg6NoPqg9W1kQpCCoBKkDNKp9SRuSSM2_kzWkvZFHiW8xeEM8Nspmut-Sr_I59rHdkt/w400-h225/Spicy%20Plot_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There are, at least, three ways to spice up of your novel's plot:</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Make a Shift<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">by having a scene go from superb to super bad or vice versa</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Expect the Unexpected<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">by having something totally unpredictable appear </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Have a Eureka Moment<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">by having your hero figure out something that was completely overlooked earlier in the novel</span></li></ul><p></p></blockquote><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-17237740871651806332022-10-17T21:54:00.001-04:002022-10-17T21:54:18.104-04:00Three Ways to Develop Your Writing Style<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBmyzNLgpRkdRH8d2-0l0UT9W75lk_N_cMHvvmF00ntXqOM5_V8xj_kVnu2rKBZpNaleH7C0caEwC-rk3MNFvd-5nrY0kPW4STbkfn-rhInuld60-m5K5qQWq35GgMoJ4n71TX3Lg8eFhnwCF92sj-c63QfaCO1AM1q9T21VjQ-ehiqNsYcudqjMQ/s858/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-17%20at%209.51.56%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="858" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBmyzNLgpRkdRH8d2-0l0UT9W75lk_N_cMHvvmF00ntXqOM5_V8xj_kVnu2rKBZpNaleH7C0caEwC-rk3MNFvd-5nrY0kPW4STbkfn-rhInuld60-m5K5qQWq35GgMoJ4n71TX3Lg8eFhnwCF92sj-c63QfaCO1AM1q9T21VjQ-ehiqNsYcudqjMQ/w200-h148/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-17%20at%209.51.56%20PM.png" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With inspiration from <i>Writing a Novel</i>, I've compiled Three Ways to Develop Your Writing Style:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">1. Expand your vocabulary by reading prolifically, and make </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Thesaurus.com</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> your friend</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">2. Don’t copy, but be inspired by your favorite author. And make an annotation when you read something that’s especially stylish</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">3. But do not overly focus on style, because having an engaging story is, in the end, more important</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-39604197750338693252022-10-10T21:40:00.005-04:002022-10-10T21:41:59.558-04:00Obstacles to Writing a Novel<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh473t81UOMRglViXcOHHi9wUJ6s7asRil-hqClesAeVbr4zhMMPbomf_bGAM9tHqBxF8Uh214tsINCX36s-lcNyQvNfGnYp9UTz4Uu-tPPl4pCJZ6O7dtkkL2uqqAb1Xnw_O5Bq-jjWNZaLJrUhHlsoAetRhJzLCoateA49N4roDUd1jdL_RTSs4Nx/s582/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-10%20at%209.41.15%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="582" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh473t81UOMRglViXcOHHi9wUJ6s7asRil-hqClesAeVbr4zhMMPbomf_bGAM9tHqBxF8Uh214tsINCX36s-lcNyQvNfGnYp9UTz4Uu-tPPl4pCJZ6O7dtkkL2uqqAb1Xnw_O5Bq-jjWNZaLJrUhHlsoAetRhJzLCoateA49N4roDUd1jdL_RTSs4Nx/w400-h140/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-10%20at%209.41.15%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Inspired by Alice Sudlow's <a href="https://thewritepractice.com/writing-a-book-obstacles/" target="_blank">piece</a> "10 Obstacles to Writing a Book and How to Conquer Them" posted on <i>The Write Practice,</i> I'm sharing four (4) o<span style="text-align: left;">bstacles to writing a novel slash book:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">1. Fear</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fear of writing can be overcome by having a purpose, because your desire to share your message <u>should</u> be stronger than your fear of failure</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Time</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To manage your writing time, you may want to start by writing 30 minutes per day - <u>everyday</u>, which will come to about 15 hours per month</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Faultfinding</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To avoid finding fault with your writing, don’t edit during your 1st draft; however, do a brain dump and edit during subsequent draft(s)</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4. Writer’s Block</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To unblock your writing, write about something you’ve read, seen, heard and/or experienced and use your imagination and writing skills to turn that into art</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4803756807107107444.post-71739708992691652182022-09-26T23:19:00.000-04:002022-09-26T23:19:00.254-04:00Three (3) Ways to End It (i.e., a Novel)<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAe_JqBVyzPbZzLSME0CkgLVtoVWdhBudgFLTxblz3gl8KLP8NRH-8HG9mqfl8-ToNXoYug17FoxDLC2zJjYZ8WWubWiJExBP3CdxMv2-AWyYo_vu0JeGhMxzXALCX_tZuaJaxlBxBRsbvQloxaU3zIq3d25zvAmDrHZbqcVuupDrjmpkhpqYN4y6/s860/The%20End.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="860" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAe_JqBVyzPbZzLSME0CkgLVtoVWdhBudgFLTxblz3gl8KLP8NRH-8HG9mqfl8-ToNXoYug17FoxDLC2zJjYZ8WWubWiJExBP3CdxMv2-AWyYo_vu0JeGhMxzXALCX_tZuaJaxlBxBRsbvQloxaU3zIq3d25zvAmDrHZbqcVuupDrjmpkhpqYN4y6/w400-h171/The%20End.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Per <i>Writing a Novel, </i>there are (at least) three ways to end a novel:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">#1 The protagonist wins and consequently the antagonist loses</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">#2 The protagonist loses but becomes a better person<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">#3 The antagonist wins but, end the end, becomes a better person as well<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p></blockquote><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">Overall, the endings are positive, which is similar to Seth Godin's stance, but contradictory to Nabokov's, that there should be a(n) (altruistic) message in writing. </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Seth Godin related that a writer's goal should be: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">"[...] </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">marketing and idea spreading, working every day to deliver your message with authority [</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">via writing]</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">." </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> </span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0