Write a Novel in a Month From Wired How-To Wiki Photo by Valeriana Solaris/Flickr/CC November is National Novel-Writing Month. Of course, you probably aren't going to produce great literature in just a month. To write a 50,000-word novel in a month -- even a bad novel -- takes a certain perseverance and dedication, as well as some careful planning. This article is part of a wiki anyone can edit. Plan Ahead To write a 50,000-word novel in a month, you'll need to write just under 1,700 words a day. Writing starts Nov. 1 and continues through midnight of Nov. 30, but that doesn't mean you can't start planning now. Produce an outline if you can, mapping out the plot of your novel and figuring out how to move from scene to scene before you start writing will help you avoid accidental dead ends. Clear your November schedule as much as you can to allow yourself more time to write and set a schedule so that you know your daily word goal. All of us write to our own muse. Stay motivated Get rid of distractions Allow mistakes
English 50 Exercises for Story Writers English 50 – Intro to Creative Writing: Exercises for Story Writers Basic Theory: What is a short story? As soon as someone delivers a definition, some good writer will write a story that proves the theory wrong. Short stories have a narrator; that is, someone tells the story; have at least one character in them; have some action occur (or perhaps fails to occur); take place somewhere; that is, there is a setting for the action; and someone either learns something or fails to learn something (theme).With these five characteristics in mind, we can create an almost endless supply of exercises to help sharpen our techniques of story telling. Narrative Voice Twenty or so years ago, voice was the "rite of passage" into a successful writing career. Nevertheless, a narrative voice that sounds like it could be anyone's voice or is bland and boring, or riddled with pointless clichés will fail to capture and hold the reader's attention. If you've written a story in third person, try it in first.
The Resume Is Dead, The Bio Is King If you’re a designer, entrepreneur, or creative – you probably haven’t been asked for your resume in a long time. Instead, people Google you – and quickly assess your talents based on your website, portfolio, and social media profiles. Do they resonate with what you’re sharing? Do they identify with your story? one are the days of “Just the facts, M’am.” To help you with this, your bio should address the following 5 questions: Who am I? Your bio is the lynchpin for expanding your thought leadership and recognition, especially online. Here’s the challenge: who taught you how to write your bio? Admittedly, most of us never got a lesson in this essential task. The personal branding industry has only muddied the waters. Instead, share more of what you really care about. With all this in mind, here’s a few key pointers for reinventing your bio as a story: 1. You’re a creative. 2. Explain the origin for how you came to see the world in this way. 3. Think frugally here. 4. What’s Your Take?
Cliche Finder Have you been searching for just the right cliché to use? Are you searching for a cliché using the word "cat" or "day" but haven't been able to come up with one? Just enter any words in the form below, and this search engine will return any clichés which use that phrase... Over 3,300 clichés indexed! What exactly is a cliche? This is Morgan, creator of the Cliche Finder. Or, you might like my crazy passion project: Spanish for Nerds: Learning Spanish via Etymologies! Back to cliches... if you would like to see some other Web sites about clichés? © S. Special thanks to Damien LeriAnd to Mike Senter Morgan's Web page
Story Prompts and Creative Writing Topics Here are some story prompts you can use to give you ideas for creative writing. If you're taking the CWN free creative writing courses, these story starters are especially recommended for the sections on "showing" versus "telling" and specific detail. At the bottom of the page, you'll find more information about the free courses as well as links to lots of other story starter pages. Do you like this page? Please click the +1 button to recommend it. Fiction writing ideas with a focus on: showing versus telling, and specific detail. 1) Creative writing ideas - the new house Your character and his wife visit a new house that they're thinking of buying. 2) Creative writing ideas - secret love Two old friends get together for dinner after a long time apart. 3) Creative writing ideas - the grouch In an emergency, a small boy is left to stay with his grandfather for several days. 4) Creative writing ideas - the lemon 5) Creative writing ideas - the evil roommate 6) More story prompts
23 Websites that Make Your Writing Stronger We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master. ~Ernest Hemingway How strong is your writing? No matter how good you think it is, there’s always room for improvement. (***By the way, have you seen this amazing online creative writing course, “Story Is a State of Mind,” created by Giller finalist Sarah Selecky? Want to strengthen your story, empower your performance, and beef up on the publishing business? Here are 23 sites (in no particular order) I look to for daily inspiration and advice: PS If you find this list useful, please share it on Twitter, Facebook or StumbleUpon – I’d really appreciate it! 4) Query Shark A query critique site you don’t want to miss. 5) Men with Pens Fantastic articles on copywriting and freelancing. 6) Ask Allison Writing and publishing Q&A by novelist Allison Winn Scotch. 10) Pub Rants Self-proclaimed “very nice literary agent,” Kristin Nelson, rants about writing and publishing. What sites help you make your writing stronger?
25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer When George Plimpton asked Ernest Hemingway what the best training for an aspiring writer would be in a 1954 interview, Hem replied, “Let’s say that he should go out and hang himself because he finds that writing well is impossibly difficult. Then he should be cut down without mercy and forced by his own self to write as well as he can for the rest of his life. At least he will have the story of the hanging to commence with.” Today, writing well is more important than ever. So what can we do to improve our writing short of hanging ourselves? 1. Don’t just plan to write—write. 2. [The] Resistance knows that the longer we noodle around “getting ready,” the more time and opportunity we’ll have to sabotage ourselves. 3. Find your best time of the day for writing and write. 4. Work on a computer that is disconnected from the internet. 5. Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. 6. 7. Hone your outline and then cling to it as a lifeline. 8. 9.
Ten Tips for the Shy Job Seeker In my previous post , I discussed the challenges for shy (or introverted ) people in the job market. I offered some general advice, but in this post I'd like to highlight ten things you can do (or think about) that might give you the edge in the very situations you prefer to avoid. 1. First, stop apologizing for being who you are. 2. So after an interview, networking event, or any other extraverted activity don't be too hard on yourself. 3. At the same time, it's OK to mention that you tend to have an understated style -- in fact that can be a great response to the typical "what is your weakness?" 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Finally, while introversion may be an innate trait , social skills and appropriate networking and interviewing behavior can be learned by anyone.
The Top 10 Relationship Words That Arent Translatable Into English | Marriage 3.0 Here are my top ten words, compiled from online collections, to describe love, desire and relationships that have no real English translation, but that capture subtle realities that even we English speakers have felt once or twice. As I came across these words I’d have the occasional epiphany: “Oh yeah! That’s what I was feeling...” Mamihlapinatapei (Yagan, an indigenous language of Tierra del Fuego): The wordless yet meaningful look shared by two people who desire to initiate something, but are both reluctant to start. Oh yes, this is an exquisite word, compressing a thrilling and scary relationship moment. Yuanfen (Chinese): A relationship by fate or destiny. From what I glean, in common usage yuanfen means the "binding force" that links two people together in any relationship. But interestingly, “fate” isn’t the same thing as “destiny.” Cafuné (Brazilian Portuguese): The act of tenderly running your fingers through someone's hair. Ya’aburnee (Arabic): “You bury me.”
50 of the Best Websites for Writers There are tons of reference sites on the web that can help you find a job or write a poem, essay or story. Here is a list of the best 50 websites for writers. Reference Websites Merriam-Webster Online - Merriam Webster is the perfect place to look up words and find information. The site offers a dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, podcasts, word games and a lot of other things that may be of interest to writers and word-lovers. Bartleby - This site is good if you need a quote or if you want free access to encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, and other reference books. General Writing Websites Writer's Digest - Probably one of the best all-around websites for writers, Writer's Digest offers information on writing better and getting published. Fiction Writing Websites About.com - About.com publishes a Guide to Fiction Writing with general information about fiction writing and a number of community forums for both current and aspiring writers. Nonfiction Writing Websites
The 10 Best Questions to Ask at a Job Interview Karen Burns You’re interviewing for a job. After 20 or 30 minutes, you’re asked: “Do you have any questions?” The worst thing you can do is ask, “What is it your company does?” [See 21 secrets to getting a job offer.] You need to ask some questions! Bottom line: Don’t make the interviewer do all the heavy lifting. [See 50 tips for surviving your worst work day.] So what should you ask? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. [See more career advice at the U.S.News Careers site.] 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. P.S.