Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
Quote of the Day
6 More Writing Tips from Writers
Writing is an act of perpetual improvement; the more you do it, the better you’ll become. But to really master your craft requires effort beyond regular practice. Luckily writers are some of the most generous people around when it comes to offering advice. Maybe a little too generous, though, as the amount of advice available can be overwhelming. To help you cut through the noise, I’ve gathered a few of the best tips on how we can all keep improving…
Get Feedback
It’s scary to show your work to other people, but unless you’re writing for yourself and only yourself, you need to know what readers think. Leah Mol suggests that, instead of asking something general (“did you like it/what did you think?”), ask readers to keep track of the places where they got bored, where things didn’t make sense, or whether there was anything they’d like more of. I would also add not to take any negative comments personally.
Just Write
Cut It Out
“Say you finish a draft of a story and it’s 2,786 words long. Tell yourself it now needs to be 2,500 words long and cannot be a word longer. While the new word count is completely arbitrary, it really forces you to go back through the work and be as choosy as possible, tightening it as much as you can.” –Hollie Adams
“Progress doesn’t always mean more words on the page. Some of my most productive sessions are spent in a frenzy of cutting, chopping, and downsizing, so that I actually end up with less material. Chances are there’s a lot of scaffolding and guff hanging around your first draft which you should get rid of to produce a cleaner, more powerful work.” -Richard Joseph
Live a Little
It can be difficult finding time to write, so it seems counter-intuitive that taking time away from the keyboard is actually good for your writing. While imagination and research have their place, they aren’t a substitute for personal experience (think of the difference in taking a virtual tour versus seeing the same place in person). Staying home is necessary right now, but once it’s safe, get out into the world. See, listen, try, do. Pay attention and take notes. The more you experience for yourself, the better your writing will be.
Be Passionate
Don’t Stress Yourself
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Writing is hard, and made only harder when you feel pressure to comply with rules or follow tips. Write in your mind, if you don’t have the time to write on paper. Plan your stories. Visualize them. Tell them to yourself and others. Stow them away for when you do have the time. And never beat yourself up for not writing, because the negativity will infect your voice.” -Aga Maksimowska
Above all else, remember that writing is hard, so be kind to yourself. Are there any writing tips that have helped you? Share in the comments…
Looking for your next read? Get my books:
Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
If you prefer a good paperback to an ebook, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
Want more writing tips? Check out my other posts on the subject:
Should You Write What You Know?
Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
Quote of the Day
Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
Literary Perfumes
A while back I read an article about the connection between literature and perfume, which also included suggestions for ideal perfumes for book lovers. As someone who has a slight perfume obsession (reigning favourite: Vanilla Extreme by Comptoir Sud Pacifique), I was intrigued. I especially liked the idea behind the Imaginary Authors perfume company, whose scents are based on the fictional exploits of made-up authors. But if perfume can be designed for fictional authors, why not design a few for Love Lies Bleeding’s characters?
Since main character Mara works with herbs and plants, she’s essentially steeped in their scents without needing to wear perfume. But if I were to create a perfume for her, it would have strong notes of sweet woodruff (which smells like vanilla and hay), clover, and lavender flowers, with hints of smoky peat and black tea.
For human Lee, I envision something fresh and “green.” His scent would be based on cedar, with some kind of complementary citrus (yuzu, or maybe tangerine), and the subtlest undertones of honey and lavender leaves.
Lastly, I think a scent heavy on whisky and tobacco notes, with something spicy like ginger or cloves, would suit vampire nemesis Dominic. It would be the kind of scent that’s overwhelming in the wrong hands, but Dominic probably wouldn’t wear it anyway, as it’s one of those luxuries he doesn’t think vampires should indulge in.
What do you think– would you wear any of these scents? What perfume would you design for your favourite character or author? Share in the comments…
Want to find out more about Mara, Lee, and Dominic? Get my books!
Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
If you prefer a good paperback to an ebook, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
Quote of the Day
(Note this quote has been falsely attributed to C.S. Lewis, but there’s no evidence he ever said or wrote it.)
Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
