By Indie Authors for Indie Authors.

Tag: writer advice

Time to Kickstart Your Writing Into Full Gear

We all need someone to push us toward the things we want to accomplish from time to time. We all need weekly and daily opportunities to recenter ourselves to what’s important in life. Always revisit and rely on those people and things that help you remember who you are and what you want for your life.

Posts on Nothing Any Good have been a little sporadic recently. I apologize for that. Trying to finish and publish 40 Tips on Creative Writing last year took a lot of time and creative energy. Once that was done, the holidays and new year hit and I feel like I haven’t been able to come up for air. But these are just excuses, and you know what they say about excuses?

Yea, me neither.

Anyway, the point is, we’re back, friends! You can expect to see more regular articles, updates, and advice on NAG now.

Image result for gif, cheering

 

Many of you have already read 40 Tips on Creative WritingSome of you have even reviewed it. (Thank you!) The rest of you, well, let’s just say I’m watching you. I never forget a face, even faces I’ve never seen. I’ll remember you decided not to get my new book. Trust me, I’ll remember.

For those that read it, I’ve been told readers have found it to be inspirational and a perfect pick-me-up to get their writing mojo going again. That’s exactly the point of it. The book is a way to keep us inspired, healthy, happy, and productive writers. I’m glad it’s doing the trick for many of you! Honestly, it does the trick for me too. I refer to it early and often. There are plenty of days I’m struggling to get the creative mojo going. This book helps me.

For those of you that are thinking, “I’m not really a writer, so it doesn’t make sense for me.” Think again. It’s written with the focus of providing inspiration and tips to all walks of life. Parts are honed toward the writer in all of us, but the ideas can be applied to any creative endeavor, whether that’s writing, painting, building a business, or even starting a family. There are tips in there for everyone.

To whet your appetite, here are five truncated tips from the book free of charge. Consider it a gift. You’re welcome.

 

1) Life’s too short to not seize the opportunities with which we are presented. Always take the chance to do what you love when it comes along. Write that book! Start now! Do you have thirty minutes today? Sit down and start writing.

 

2) Be quick to show compassion and empathy. When you find yourself suffering from the clichéd writer’s block, take this advice to heart. Put yourself into your character’s shoes. Show compassion and empathy. What is your lead character feeling? Get yourself into the state mind of your character. As much as you can, put yourself in a place where you can understand and feel everything that your character is going through. It’s the skill of the great writer.

 

3) Don’t dress like a bum all day long. Some people do perfectly well rolling out of bed and doing great things in their underwear all day. I’m not one of those people. If I want to be productive, I prepare for it. Production doesn’t just magically happen. There has to be a plan. Wake up early. Shower. Wear respectable clothes. Eat breakfast. Get your mind right for writing. Then, when you’re good and ready, sit down and write.

 

4) Don’t be afraid to see dinosaurs even when everyone else around you doesn’t. Anyone who has ever tried to write anything of worth, and for that matter any creative type who has ever tried to make something out of nothing, knows how exciting and scary that can be at the same time. Take that excitement and fear and use it. Don’t worry about how others say you’re supposed to write. Write the way that you want to write. Sure, soak in all the advice and feedback from writing experts and amateurs alike. Take it all to heart. Let it wash over you. Then filter it through that beautiful brain of yours and write the way you feel called to write.

 

5) Have a routine, but avoid being routine. Having a routine is good. We just finished agreeing not to dress like a bum all day long. This is part of planning to be productive. Having a routine and a schedule can ensure that you are actually writing and not just dreaming about it. But don’t let that routine control you. Follow it as far as it will lead on the road of utility, but the moment you hit a dead end and it’s no longer useful, break away from it. Avoid being routine.

 

Now’s your chance to get the book. Don’t miss the perfect opportunity to kickstart your writing into full gear in 2018!

 

 

 

Find more writing and publishing tips at Nothing Any Good.

 

15 Ways to Write Faster

Write Faster

 

 

What fast writing is ultimately about is time management skills and beneficial habits of mind, both of which too many people lack. Anyone who has a computer can type fast enough to meet any deadline, and 99% of the time, problems with finishing a text on time have nothing to do with finger cramps.

So where do the obstacles lie?

Well, the answer to that is this: the devil is in the details. You might not even notice severe problems at the conscious level, but when it comes to your subconscious, anything can be a distraction. Even when you think that nothing is getting in the way of your creative process, little things are keeping you from being 100% productive.

Wondering how you can deal with these issues and pick up your writing speed?

Custom Writing created an infographic with 15 tips on boosting your writing speed. They were kind enough to share it with us here at Nothing Any Good. Give these tips a try, and you will see how easy it is to write fast!

 

 

 

Write faster

 

 

 

 

Find more writing and publishing tips at Nothing Any Good.

 

Author Tweets of the Week (4-14)

 

Let’s kick off this week’s Author Tweets of the Week with some shameless promotion!
https://twitter.com/AmyManwarren/status/852623579015499780

 

Thank you all for the kind words! They’re right! Why haven’t you bought the book yet?!?!? http://amzn.to/2oHB2JG

Ok, shameless promotion is over. Let’s go! Here’s your Author Tweets of the Week!

 

 

 

This photo is wonderful and terrifying all at once. Growing up in the Great White North that is Minnesota, I fully understand the plight that lay before this poor man. Being a writer, I fully agree that this is what it feels like about one hour after sitting down to write. All that excitement and adrenaline has worn off, and all that remains is the thought, “Damn! This is hard!”

 

So how do we shovel off that proverbial writing roof?!

 

Perfect! Passion is great, friends, but passion comes and goes. Excitement waxes and wanes. If you expect to rely entirely on your passion, you will be cast aside into pile of millions of people throughout time that have said, “I could write a book.”

Don’t let that happen! No if, ands, and Peter Pans! Write that book. Set goals. Schedule time. Remember why you started writing the book to begin with. Harness that passion and excitement to work for you, even when it ebbs.

 

This is great to remember as well. If you always keep this in mind, you’ll be able to remember why you started writing to begin with. Write for yourself.

 

 

Besides, if you don’t write for yourself, it’s not going to change the fact that doubters will abound. People are going to make you feel lousy about your book for sure. Trust me. I speak from experience. Don’t sweat it. The sooner you accept that it will happen (and will happen again), the better you’ll be at not letting their negativity affect you.

 

Ok, now that we have a little motivation and fortitude within us, how do we actually write that book, and do it well?

 

Ooooooohhhhhhhh! That’s it??? Got it!

Wait, hold up. What if you cross out all the wrong words and you have nothing left? Anyone want to buy my book of blank pages?!?!

 

Here’s a fun article on Goodreads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t make me complain yet again about Facebook’s terrible embedding feature. Yes, that’s a screen shot. No, you actually can’t click it. Don’t blame me! Or do blame me, see if I care.

Anyway, here’s the actual link to the article: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/845-20-problems-only-book-lovers-understand.

Random Marketer Reading This: “Well that is just terrible marketing. He sent his readers to a different site. Their gone now. He can’t be sure they’ll ever come back. That’s just really poor marketing. This Dan Buri guy is never going to make it.”

Random Obnoxious Grammar Guy Reading This: “You misspelled ‘they’re’.”

 

 

This is so true. I catch myself all the time thinking, “That’s such a funny, random happenstance. I need to remember that for a story.”

 

Here’s a good tip from @KellieMParker:

I don’t know if I’ve ever actually thought about this as concretely and succinctly as Kellie puts it here, but it’s so true. I immediately thought about the Jason Bourne books. The books have a ton of action and I loved them. I read them 15 years ago and I distinctly recall that any time the action scenes happened, I was a little bored. It was the build up that created all the suspense and excitement. Robert Ludlum was a master at the build up to the action.

 

 

https://twitter.com/tbuburuz/status/852004782868844544

Everyone reading this should stop right now and go leave a review. I mean it! Stop and go leave one review. It helps authors, I promise. Go support an author you love. We’ll wait.

Go! What are you waiting for?!?!

Random Marketer Reading This: “He did it again?!?!? Argh!!!!”

 

This next one has nothing to do with writing, but it made me laugh this week.

 

 

So did this one.

 

 

 

Ok, ok. Back to writing. Here’s a tip we’ve all heard a thousand times, but it’s worth repeating, so here’s a thousand and one.

 

 

Now a little motivation to urge you into your weekend writing. Be persistent, friends. Your path may wind and loop, but press on. Don’t allow anyone else (or even your own self doubts) to deter you from what you want to accomplish.

https://twitter.com/JeanLanewrites/status/852914623728631809

 

 

 

Finally. It’s Easter Weekend, friends. I will allow my heart to be sad and then celebrate. I will enjoy time with my family and friends. I will take time for myself to reflect on who I am and what I have been afforded. I will thank God for my faith and thank God for the faith He gives to others, in all forms. I will remember that I am simultaneously and paradoxically important and nothing but cells and dust. I will be humbled.

Happy Easter. Keep doing what you love. Keep on writing.

 

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Find more writing and publishing tips at Nothing Any Good.

 

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