Category: How to Write
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The Power of Writing Sprints
Some writers can sit down with pen & paper or a computer, & just… write. They can write many, many pages & be proud of their accomplishments. Others, like me, have a real hard time with concentration. We get distracted by social media & T.V, we fall down internet rabbit holes researching middle age apothecaries…
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Finding Motivation
It can be hard sometimes, especially as creatives, to find & keep the motivation going. The slog of writing a tome of a novel, that then needs to be edited multiple times or even rewritten before going to professionals can feel daunting. It can seem like you’re not getting anywhere & will never be done.…
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Dealing with Imposter Syndrome
Writers face lots of challenges in the industry – the gatekeepers of traditional publishing or the cost & skill set required to self publish; the sheer volume of books being published alongside theirs, getting their novel out there & seen; learning how to market their work & the royalties that mean most of us have…
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Writing First Chapters
I’ve scoured the internet in search of information to understand how we, as writers, might better write out first chapters. Right from the get go. Although my first chapter has already been written I have every intention of making sure that I have included the points listed below when it comes to editing. There is…
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Forming A Writing Routine
I have been a dedicated writer for around five years. Before that I barely wrote at all and struggled to find the time or ideas for it. When starting university I was encouraged to spend much more time writing as not only did I need some of it for assessment but also because of the…
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How to Handle Feedback
As writers, we inevitably have to deal with feedback, whether it comes in the form of a friend giving you their opinion on your story idea; in the form of alpha/beta feedback from a draft; or from readers once the story is actually published. Feedback & reviews are everywhere – they will come from every…
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How to Make a Story Bible
A lot of planning, ideas & research goes into writing a novel, even more so if you’re constructing a series. It can be a challenge to keep track of everything you’ve worked out for your characters & plot, especially if you’ve been writing your novel for a while or have lots of moving parts. A…
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Notes To Make Writing Easier
Writing is a lot of hard work… it’s also a crazy amount of words. At a minimum of 60,000, creeping up to a potential amount of 120,000 words if you write epic fantasy sagas. It’s a lot of information to remember. Especially if your story then becomes a series. Now obviously there are notes that…
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62 Questions for Novel Planning
I collated these questions during my years at university – some from creative writing teachers, others from exercises or books. This list is not meant to cover every question you’ll need to consider when writing a book – it just covers some main ones. Planning isn’t always for everyone and even as a planner myself,…
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Kill Your Darlings
Fellow writers I hope you’re finding useful things on my blog to help with writing that story! I’m slowly building up an archive of writing posts to support you with your goals. Now, if you are anything like me, most of your writing results in some deaths. I write Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Gothic, Horror, Historical and…
S. M. MITCHELL 