Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
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
6 Words About Vampires
As a writer, I love words. As a vampire fan, I write about vampires. It seems natural to combine it all into one post; and so, I bring you words about vampires…
Related: “Sanguisugent” (adj), blood sucking or blood thirsty. Wikionary says “sanguisuge” is obsolete, but I think it’s due for a comeback.
I’ve written about revenants, if you’re curious to find out more. The word itself was coined in 1814 by Laetitia Matilda Hawkins in Rosanne:
“‘Well, but what is it? What do you call it in French?’ ‘Why, revenant, to be sure. Un revenant.'”
“Philosophy will clip an Angel’s wings,
Conquer all mysteries by rule and line,
Empty the haunted air, and gnomèd mine—
Unweave a rainbow, as it erewhile made
The tender-person’d Lamia melt into a shade.” -John Keats, “Lamia”
Fun etymology: Lamia literally means “swallower, lecher,” from laimos “throat, gullet.” (Source). Read more about them in my post here.
The first use of “undead” was c. 1400, but its use as a noun to mean vampires and other creatures dates from 1904. (Source)
“It’s a reflex. Hear a bell, get food. See an undead, throw a knife. Same thing, really.” -Ilona Andrews, Magic Bites
I know the word exsanguinate from the X-Files episode “Eve,” but it was first used around 1800, coming from the Latin exsanguinatus, meaning bloodless or deprived of blood.
“My first word of the new year was ‘exsanguinate.’ This was probably not a good omen.”
-Charlaine Harris, Dead to the World.
And of course, we can’t forget the word that all the others relate to:
The earliest form of the word “vampire” dates to only 1734, although stories of monsters that rise from the dead and attack the living can be found even in ancient times. The idea of blood-gorged walking corpses goes back to at least the 1100s. There’s some debate as to where the word comes from, but it most likely has its roots in the Old Church Slavonic “opiri.” (Source)
“It was too much, the weight of it all was too much. Maybe that was why emotions were deadened in vampires; the alternative was to be overtaken by them, crippled, left stranded and isolated and trapped by unbearable sensation. How could they hunt if they felt sympathy, empathy, love for their prey? How could they —how could she —live with themselves?” Aspasía S. Bissas, Love Lies Bleeding
Yes, that’s a quote from my own book (I’m sneaky that way). Get my books to find even more words about vampires:
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! ♥
Did I miss your favourite word about vampires? Let me know in the comments…
Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
