I apologise for the long break between posts. I’ve reblogged a couple of interesting posts lately, but have not put up any of my own. The main reason for this is that my mother passed away in September. I’ve been dealing with that and trying to get back into my work proofreading and converting books, … Continue reading A long break – and NaNoWriMo!
learning
The truth about PLOT and STORY
My eyes have been opened! I just watched a YouTube video from Just Write called “What Writers Should Learn From The Lord Of The Rings” and what he says about plot and story is amazing! He talks about the difference between plot and story and includes things like the character arc in his definition of … Continue reading The truth about PLOT and STORY
Said is NOT dead
I hear people on the Internet, especially on YouTube, say that their English teachers had told them that “Said is dead”, meaning, don’t use the word “said” when writing a novel or short story. I don’t remember my teachers saying that specifically, but they did insist that we use more “interesting” words to describe speech. … Continue reading Said is NOT dead
No warmups – just write!
There is a lot of advice out there about preparing to sit down and write your book. Some people tell you to free write or journal beforehand. They say to just write about anything that comes to mind. I’ve sort of tried this and it’s okay. But I guess I didn’t love it, or I’d … Continue reading No warmups – just write!
Don’t fall for the free ISBNs!
You may be aware that for a lot of online book distributors, you don’t need an ISBN to publish your ebook. If you want to publish a print copy or an ebook with Apple’s iBooks, you need an ISBN. I think you should get an ISBN anyway, even if you don’t have to get one. … Continue reading Don’t fall for the free ISBNs!
How to write your book faster
There is lots of advice out there on how to write faster and be more productive. They tell us to be more organised before we sit down to write. Plan ahead. If you only have an hour a day, or even less, make sure that you know ahead of time what you need to write, … Continue reading How to write your book faster
When books in a series aren’t clearly numbered
It happens with movies too, but more often, it is a problem with novels. It’s one of my pet hates. I never want to read a book series out of order. Or watch a movie series out of its order. One reason is because it’s hard to follow what’s going on. Another reason is because … Continue reading When books in a series aren’t clearly numbered
Software for writing – Why I don’t recommend Word to write your whole book
Most people that own a computer know how to use some kind of word processor, whether it is Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, Apache Open Office, Polaris Office, or Libre Office Writer. I think probably the most used and most well-known would be Microsoft Word. That’s what I use. It is a good program and because … Continue reading Software for writing – Why I don’t recommend Word to write your whole book
Writing down your ideas – The importance of writing it down
I’ve heard people say that if you’re an author, you should always carry a notepad and pen with you wherever you go, just in case you get an idea. They say that if you don’t write it down straight away, you’ll forget it. And it will be gone. Forever. I totally agree. For most of … Continue reading Writing down your ideas – The importance of writing it down
Windows Basics – The Start Button and Start Menu
To be able to use your computer more effectively, you should be familiar with as many of its features as you can. This tutorial covers the basics of the Start Menu. The Windows operating system (OS) provides a visual interface for you to use to interact with your computer. It consists of a “desktop”, which … Continue reading Windows Basics – The Start Button and Start Menu