Tag: creative writing

When You Know, You Know: The Ending Of A Novel

April 25, 2022

Writing any story, especially a full-length novel, is no easy feat. You have to know how it starts and how it will end. A writer needs to figure out how to map out a character’s journey so that when the end finally appears on the horizon, their character arc is wrapped up in a way that feels satisfying.

After spending the past few years diligently working on my YA fantasy novel, I’m edging closer and closer to what instinctively feels like the end of the story.

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Word Count Goals: Why This Targeted Writing Method Isn’t For Me

February 14, 2022

Writing the first draft of my YA fantasy novel has gone through many stops and starts over the years. There have been a lot of trial and error to figure out what writing practices worked and didn’t work for me as far as getting the bulk of my story written. A common piece of advice given by writers is to create a word count goal.

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Staying Motivated To Write…By Writing Something Else

January 31, 2022

Since the start of the new year, one of the things I would like to do is finish a full draft of my work in progress. I have been consistently writing in some capacity for the past two years, the pandemic making it easier to keep up a regular weekend schedule, and have gotten further with my story than I have in a really long time since I first came up with the idea. But as eager as I am to complete the draft, it has been a struggle to continue with my novel, often not knowing where to steer the plot or how to get to a cohesive and satisfying ending.

When this happens I would take a “break” from my novel by writing something else.

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Under The Microscope: Editing Your Written Work

April 19, 2021

Spending a year in lockdown has done wonders for my creativity. I progress a little more each day with the YA fantasy novel I’m working on, though, I still have a ways to go before I figure out how it will all end. I’ve managed to finish writing one short story as I currently work on another.

Finishing any kind of writing I do is an achievement. In the past I had no problem starting stories. Finishing them? That’s a separate matter. Having a fully written story, and one I feel is fairly decent, is exciting. All that’s left is the editing.

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Kill Your Darlings: The Process Of What To Cut Out Doesn’t Always Occur During Editing

March 22, 2021

Every writer will say writing is one part joy and one part agony. There’s a drive to commit your character’s story to the page, but seeing it all come together is an arduous undertaking, especially when you’re writing a full-length novel and not a short story. Writing my own story has had its ups and downs. Sometimes the words flow out of me and onto the computer screen, or I’ll have days when writing a scene or tone in my head feels a lot harder than it should be. A writer might not always have a clear path ahead for where a story is going until it’s written, but you begin to develop an instinct for knowing what should be cut out or reworked as you’re writing it.

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A Writer’s Process: Crafting A Fantasy World With The Help Of Pinterest

January 25, 2021

Writing a fantasy world from scratch can be equal parts fun and challenging. Anything is possible and nothing is impossible when you’re building a new world. But trying to decide what the structures look like, who inhabits the world, and what are the laws the denizens of that world abide by can feel like a pretty gargantuan undertaking for any budding writer. While writers may have a clear picture in their heads of the kind of world their main character will be spending most of their time in, it’s also useful to have some visual aids to make the process of world building a bit easier. This is why Pinterest has been largely useful when I’m working on my YA fantasy novel.

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A Writer’s Habit: Background Music

August 17, 2020

Every writer has a spot they have chosen as their writing space. Whether it’s by a window in their favorite cafe or sitting on their bed with a laptop propped on their lap, the location hardly matters as long as you’re getting your story written. Whenever I prepare myself to sit down and write for the day, one of the first things I do is put on some music.

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What’s In A Name?: The Challenge Of Finding The Right Names For Your Characters

May 25, 2020

One of the reasons why I enjoy writing my own stories is the total control I have over everything. I get to decide if my story takes place in the real world or a fantasy. I choose what my characters look like, what color eyes they have, and how they dress. I can dictate if my main character will be a heroine who lives happily ever after or will have their life end in tragedy. That’s the thing about writing—there’s no limit to what you can do. You’re in the driver seat the entire time. But one of the challenging parts about writing is deciding what to name your characters.

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Set A Goal, Reward Yourself Afterwards

April 13, 2020

Writing my current novel has been an on-again, off-again love affair for years. I would have days where I seem committed to it, and I felt nothing could break my momentum. Then a few weeks or months go by and my unfinished draft goes untouched, gathering digital dust in a folder on my computer. Now that I’ve managed to gradually overcome the hurdles stopping me from writing, regardless of how much I still doubt if what I’m doing is still worth the effort of pursuit, I’ve gotten into a writing routine that has worked and helped me immensely in the last few months.

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Getting To Know You: Creating Character Profiles As Part Of The Writing Process

March 9, 2020

When you’re an aspiring writer in the process of creating your own work of art that will someday be read by a wider audience, you naturally want to obtain the best advice on how to go about the process. I’ve been reading plenty of articles or watching interviews of artists who explain what tips and tricks they use to spark their creativity. One of the best nuggets of wisdom I have taken from them and applied to my own work in progress is creating character profiles.

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