Hi everyone!
Hope you're all having a great weekend. I sure have. :)
Now, as always, I've been brainstorming a few post ideas. And this is my lastest. To keep things interesting and interactive, I've decided to give you a chance to control the content and discussions posted on this blog. Metaphorically speaking, I'm handing you the remote. I'll be on all the channels, but it's your pick.
So here it.
The Ask Whitney Blog :)
You, my readers, whether you be published authors, aspiring authors or readers of Romance, send me your questions.
As a reader you might want to know something as trivial as whether your favourite author drinks tea or coffee or if they like cats or dogs.
As an aspiring author you might want to know what readers like, what they want. You might have some questions about submitting how to your novel, or even about what to expect when you become a published Author.
As a published author you have the freedom to send me some challenges. You might want to know how much our readers are willing to pay for an e-book or you be seeking some tips from editors.
Whatever your questions are, I want them. Send them in. Post them on this blog, send me a message on goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7442262-whitney-k-e) or drop in and leave a comment on my facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whitney-K-E-Aspiring-Romance-Writer/311522372250495).
I can't wait to see what you guys throw at me! I start this week, so keep an eye out for my first response. :)
Whitney
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Saturday, 17 March 2012
When the time is WRITE - Is it your time?
I've meet very few author's in my career so far and if there's one thing I've noticed it's this. Age.
Many have been writing for years, others decades and some only a few months. And what is often discussed is, why have you chosen now to start writing?
I am very fortunate in that I seem to have the time and the mind to write at this early stage in my life, busy though it is. Others I have met however, have had aspirations to write for decades and yet, they have only recently, in the middle of their life, began to fulfill those aspirations.
I have a twin sister, who of course, is the same age as me (I'm honest when I say I have had to emphasis this to a handful of people in the past) and she too has aspirations to write.
As a teen, she had a poem published by Random House, but since, has not written a thing. And she worries. But I don't think she should. If there's one thing she lacks at the moment, if there's one thing holding her back, it is her lack of obssession.
You have to be obssessed to write a novel. You need to go one step further than being comitted. Set yourself goals and endeavour to met them or beat them. And then reward yourself.
Just last night I said with gritted teeth, 'I've lost it. I can't write'. But I pushed through it, forced myself to continue and Ta-Da! in an hour I'd achived my goal and started on the next.
But the whole point of this post is to say this:
Don't set those goals if the time isn't 'Write'. Don't give up, keep planning, but until you're ready and you have that story up there in your head, ready to go and you know those characters like the back of your hand, leave the pen and paper.
It's like growing up. You've got to go through stages. Things have to happen.
And never give up. Wether your writing now, or you're planning to, don't ever give up.
But if your stuggling, perhaps your time is yet to come. Find your passion, find your voice and then, write the bestseller.
Well, I hope this has help some people and if not, given you some food for thought.
Wishing everyone the best this year in their writing careers!
Whitney
Many have been writing for years, others decades and some only a few months. And what is often discussed is, why have you chosen now to start writing?
I am very fortunate in that I seem to have the time and the mind to write at this early stage in my life, busy though it is. Others I have met however, have had aspirations to write for decades and yet, they have only recently, in the middle of their life, began to fulfill those aspirations.
I have a twin sister, who of course, is the same age as me (I'm honest when I say I have had to emphasis this to a handful of people in the past) and she too has aspirations to write.
As a teen, she had a poem published by Random House, but since, has not written a thing. And she worries. But I don't think she should. If there's one thing she lacks at the moment, if there's one thing holding her back, it is her lack of obssession.
You have to be obssessed to write a novel. You need to go one step further than being comitted. Set yourself goals and endeavour to met them or beat them. And then reward yourself.
Just last night I said with gritted teeth, 'I've lost it. I can't write'. But I pushed through it, forced myself to continue and Ta-Da! in an hour I'd achived my goal and started on the next.
But the whole point of this post is to say this:
Don't set those goals if the time isn't 'Write'. Don't give up, keep planning, but until you're ready and you have that story up there in your head, ready to go and you know those characters like the back of your hand, leave the pen and paper.
It's like growing up. You've got to go through stages. Things have to happen.
And never give up. Wether your writing now, or you're planning to, don't ever give up.
But if your stuggling, perhaps your time is yet to come. Find your passion, find your voice and then, write the bestseller.
Well, I hope this has help some people and if not, given you some food for thought.
Wishing everyone the best this year in their writing careers!
Whitney
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Beat the Block! - Writer's Block
It seems no matter if your a bestselling author or an aspiring one, writer's block gets us all. So I've decided to put forward my best cures in hopes that I might save a few of my fellow writers from the dreaded 'BLOCK'.
So here they are:
- Number One: Hit the Books!
Now I don't know if this happens to anyone else but as a writer I find it hard to read novels, not because I don't have time, but because I can't read another book without getting excited about my own and ditiching it to write. So why don't you try it out? Have a go.
And for those writing Non-fiction and historical novels, why not do some research? If your passionate about your writing research won't be a chore but an inspirational tool. So your books based in a country or you've never experienced. Look it up and find out what its like. Build your story through historical and cultural character.
- Number Two: 'The hills are alive, with the sound of MUSIC...'
Get some tunes pumping and surround yourself with inspiration. The novels I write are set in Ireland and there's nothing like getting into an Irish-frame-of-mind than listening to Traditional Irish music. So give it a try. If your historical, trysome classics. Or even just music that inspires you. It doesn't have to be themed, it just has to move you.
- Number Three: Can't travel to that far away destination? Google it!
If there's one thing that gets me going (particularly when it comes to description) its Google Earth. From the privacy of my writing space, I can explore Dublin, walk the steets of Killarney and stare over the Cliffs of Moher. Its like a virtual holiday. And it works a treat!
-Number Four: Get out there and find your 'Jack'.
The best way to build genuine characters is to find them in real life. And the best way to rid yourself of The Block when it comes to characters is to study them. Go out and find them. They might be your friends or your family, or like My 'Jack', they might be an irishman. On a number of occassions I've run into a few Irishmen. And I thank them all for curing me of The Block.
- Number Five: Re-read and Edit
It works a little like retracing your steps when you lose your car keys. Go back a chapter and read it the way you wrote it to be read. Not only will it hopefully rejog your creative flow, but you'll find the mistakes you made along the way. It's a good idea to re-read your work and check for flaws as it is. Why not utilize it when you need inspiration most.
- Number Six: Perhaps its time for a break?
A few months back I was unable to write due to some new commitements. And so I used it. I was constantly brainstorming, planning it all out. Soon my notebook was full and I was starting my next. And when that month was up, I was bursting with inspiration. I had so much to write about and just a simple glance at my notebook rejogged my memory. So try it! Take some time off to think about it. Get your head in the right space. And then go for it when you know your ready.
Think of it like a short sprint runner. They can only run so far at the peak of their performance and then they slow down. So, they take a break, re-engerise and do it again.
We writers work hard. We deserve a break too.
- Number Seven: Get Talking.
We're always being told how important it is for us as professional writers to have a good social platform. So why not get your inspiration and mind flowing and talk about your book. Promote it!Talk to people! If your as passionate as I am about your writing you'll be able to talk for hours about it. And by the end, you'll be bursting with the need to continue your story.
- Number Eight: Join a writing group and find a writing buddy.
It works the same as number seven. Find someone in your genre or who in some way has a shared element with you. And make the effort to exchange ideas and work frequently. There's nothing like someone else support to lift your spirits and some helpful suggestions that you can build upon. Not only will you make a new friend, but you'll be helping each other to keep yourself motivated.
- Number Nine: Put the romance back into your life.
I think we'd all be lying if we ever said our lives outside of writing had no influence over what we write. Our life is who we are and every novel we write holds a part of our soul. Whether your main protagonist is an extreme of one of you personal characteristics or the setting your novel resembles Home, life beyond the words creeps in.
So why not look to your significant other half for some help? Take some time off, look back on the old days and many be, if your feeling adventurous relive a few. And I'm sure your other half will thank me.
Everyone wants a little love in their lives and that why we write romance. We create fairytale, dreams and we mirror reality. We create that warm and fuzzy feeling.
I hope these tips have helped you and if they haven't I can only say, don't ever give up.
Whitney K-E
So here they are:
- Number One: Hit the Books!
Now I don't know if this happens to anyone else but as a writer I find it hard to read novels, not because I don't have time, but because I can't read another book without getting excited about my own and ditiching it to write. So why don't you try it out? Have a go.
And for those writing Non-fiction and historical novels, why not do some research? If your passionate about your writing research won't be a chore but an inspirational tool. So your books based in a country or you've never experienced. Look it up and find out what its like. Build your story through historical and cultural character.
- Number Two: 'The hills are alive, with the sound of MUSIC...'
Get some tunes pumping and surround yourself with inspiration. The novels I write are set in Ireland and there's nothing like getting into an Irish-frame-of-mind than listening to Traditional Irish music. So give it a try. If your historical, trysome classics. Or even just music that inspires you. It doesn't have to be themed, it just has to move you.
- Number Three: Can't travel to that far away destination? Google it!
If there's one thing that gets me going (particularly when it comes to description) its Google Earth. From the privacy of my writing space, I can explore Dublin, walk the steets of Killarney and stare over the Cliffs of Moher. Its like a virtual holiday. And it works a treat!
-Number Four: Get out there and find your 'Jack'.
The best way to build genuine characters is to find them in real life. And the best way to rid yourself of The Block when it comes to characters is to study them. Go out and find them. They might be your friends or your family, or like My 'Jack', they might be an irishman. On a number of occassions I've run into a few Irishmen. And I thank them all for curing me of The Block.
- Number Five: Re-read and Edit
It works a little like retracing your steps when you lose your car keys. Go back a chapter and read it the way you wrote it to be read. Not only will it hopefully rejog your creative flow, but you'll find the mistakes you made along the way. It's a good idea to re-read your work and check for flaws as it is. Why not utilize it when you need inspiration most.
- Number Six: Perhaps its time for a break?
A few months back I was unable to write due to some new commitements. And so I used it. I was constantly brainstorming, planning it all out. Soon my notebook was full and I was starting my next. And when that month was up, I was bursting with inspiration. I had so much to write about and just a simple glance at my notebook rejogged my memory. So try it! Take some time off to think about it. Get your head in the right space. And then go for it when you know your ready.
Think of it like a short sprint runner. They can only run so far at the peak of their performance and then they slow down. So, they take a break, re-engerise and do it again.
We writers work hard. We deserve a break too.
- Number Seven: Get Talking.
We're always being told how important it is for us as professional writers to have a good social platform. So why not get your inspiration and mind flowing and talk about your book. Promote it!Talk to people! If your as passionate as I am about your writing you'll be able to talk for hours about it. And by the end, you'll be bursting with the need to continue your story.
- Number Eight: Join a writing group and find a writing buddy.
It works the same as number seven. Find someone in your genre or who in some way has a shared element with you. And make the effort to exchange ideas and work frequently. There's nothing like someone else support to lift your spirits and some helpful suggestions that you can build upon. Not only will you make a new friend, but you'll be helping each other to keep yourself motivated.
- Number Nine: Put the romance back into your life.
I think we'd all be lying if we ever said our lives outside of writing had no influence over what we write. Our life is who we are and every novel we write holds a part of our soul. Whether your main protagonist is an extreme of one of you personal characteristics or the setting your novel resembles Home, life beyond the words creeps in.
So why not look to your significant other half for some help? Take some time off, look back on the old days and many be, if your feeling adventurous relive a few. And I'm sure your other half will thank me.
Everyone wants a little love in their lives and that why we write romance. We create fairytale, dreams and we mirror reality. We create that warm and fuzzy feeling.
I hope these tips have helped you and if they haven't I can only say, don't ever give up.
Whitney K-E
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