W is for...

 Writers Well Being...

Get up from the computer, walk around. Drink water, eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner, have a snack, eat your vitamins and exercise.

Get ass up of chair, go to the café (if there is one nearby), or the library, or a local bookstore (if you are lucky to have one), or even now that spring / summer is here, drag out the garden furniture (if you are lucky enough to have a garden and furniture to put in it), and drink in the sun (if you have a phone, tablet or laptop you might even be able to work outside), wear sunscreen, take your meds.

Go for a walk, say hello to people, and then do some people watching. It keeps the brain active.

Get in car, bring sun cream, take dog, and or book, go to beach, lie on towel, put on sunglasses and read for a bit, or put on hat and walk a bit with dog. Throw a ball, dance in the sea. 

We spend so much time indoors, we end up looking like vampires, and lycans. Writers need to look after themselves and their wellbeing. 

Wall

No we aren't going to talk about writers block again, we've done that one. Nope we're going to talk about the wall that's beside your desk, or table, and how it can be used to help you plan out your novel, or your story, or even how it can be used to keep track of your characters and what they've been up to.

How?

Get a pin board, or make one. Use it to tack cards or sheets of paper with the info on them to the board with tacks or blue tack, beside your desk is a perfect place to hang one of these. It's also handy to have any visuals you have of your characters or your worlds pinned on one of these.

My office walls are covered in postcards, images, and character info, inspiration for when I write, something to look at to spur me on if I get stuck. Don't overlook the use of a good wall and notice board.

my wall notice board

wall beside my computer

Across from where I sit

Writers Well Being

Well Being

Master Mind

Craft your Content

Writing Forward

WALL

Pinterest

Crafty Arts

Hobby Craft

V is for...

Voracious writers

As in, the amount of writing you get done or books published in a year...some writers / authors are Voracious in the amount of work that they get done. Some writers get a prolific amount written in one day, I've had days when doing NaNoWriMo, where I've belted out 3,000 words in a session. But then as we writers know, it's easy enough to do when you are in the zone. 

Some Authors can get anything up to six novels published in a year (something I don't think I'll ever be able to do). For me in that aspect there is always something to do other than write or edit (as I'm editing it all myself due to costs). 

I'm not complaining, I do rather enjoy it.

Then there are those writers who have to scrape time together to get anything done, and they aspire to having a day to write, but when that day comes there is usually mundane world stuff to complete or do. I consider myself extremely lucky (even if in that luck I am in pain from the back and hip issues). 

I think also the amount varies when you are constantly editing one sentence, or a paragraph to make it perfect, which is why I prefer to edit AFTER I have the entire thing written and plot holes filled in.

In the beginning, don't worry too much about it, it's something to aspire to in later years when time is more your own and you have more of an inkling of what you are doing. 

Vocabulary 

The use of words, all the words down on paper or up on a screen that we put together to make sentences, the paragraphs, chapters and novels. We don't need to use massively long words (unless that is what our character does, or we're writing about that one town in wales), we don't need to invent a language so that our goblins can speak it to the elves with glee when it's not understood (look up some codes, or if you want to go the complicated way, any sites on creating a new language.

Even when writing in the here and now (2024 and Earth, modern towns), massive words may not cut it, and some slang can be used, just be careful about things like 'Boyo' (Corkonian for boy, lad, man), or 'what about ye' (Northen Ireland for hello how are ye) or feck, craic and pog mo hon (points if you know the last one).

Present day languages are also handy, but enough to give the reader the idea that the person is from that part of the world and can speak the language. 

I like using footnotes, not many people appreciate them, but for me it's kinda handy to explain the Irish word or goblin, or curse to the reader who may not know. Some readers don't like it, but I do.

Voracious Writers

Huff Post

Dustin Yarc

Word Counter

Writing Analytics 

Vocabulary

Helping Writers

Vulgrlang

Roll For Fantasy

Writers Edit

Prostory Builders

U is for...

 Upgrade When You Can...

In the beginning you will more than likely start out with free versions or online versions of most software that writers and authors use in their business, like Word, Canva, and a decent note taking device for your phone, I use a mix of color notes, google note keeper and one note (you can get one note for your phone). I recommend the note taker because most people are never without their phones, and nary a notebook or pen in sight.

As you get your books published and out into the world, you will most likely pay for upgraded versions of your best free software. I bought Scrivener after winning NaNoWriMo a couple of years back, it's a lifetime licence and if I could just get my head around using it I'd be away in a hack, but I like word. I know a lot of writers out there feel that it's too clunky, but I'm used to it, and can make my chapters separate or all in one document, with Headers (chapters) listed at the side, where I just have to click on it, to be brought to it, plus when I go to upload to Amazon there's no faffing around. It also allows me to save as PDF of any of the other extensions needed to upload to various sites. The only thing is that it is costly, and that the free version doesn't have all the bells and whistles.

Don't go buying something just for the sake of it, the internet is usually at our fingertips as well, though it  never ceases to surprise me as to how many people forget this and while they use their phone to look at FB, Insta, or even youtube, that they forget they can do a search for anything they might require, such as free apps for writing. I know that I have just spent a lovely half an hour just looking at some free software and bookmarking it for when I get some free moula to purchase. 

Also, check out the reviews on each item that you are thinking of getting, and ask around forums, message boards and websites amongst writers to see what they think of the item that you are considering. 

Unsupported / Understanding

Writing is a lonely business for most of us, we sit in quiet (or in my case music filled) rooms trying to download what's in our brains onto paper or the screen. It often doesn't work out as we thought it would, or dreamt it would, in those circumstances, we can feel like we are all alone, and unsupported. I know for a fact that it took me 50+ years to find my wife who wholly supports my work, and my wandering off to the office to write. 

She wasn't always that way, she didn't understand why I would want to spend so much time on my own, but over the years, she has come to accept it, and not bother me as much while I'm down there. I think going to uni herself and getting her BA in fine art (ceramics) helped.

If you are feeling like you have no, or little support or understanding there are a few things you can do, and some of those things might interfere with your writing time from time to time. You can join many of the groups on Face Book, or follow some of the Authors on Insta or X the site formally known as Twitter, there are also a great many writers blogs that you can follow, and interact with them. 

The thing is to remember that you aren't alone, and there is no question too daft to ask, well I lie, the question that is the daftest...is the UNasked one. The only way we will learn, or gain knowledge is to ask questions, and for our mentors, and peers to be savvy enough to pass on the information we need, or guidance, or support and not play asshats at gatekeeping the knowledge for themselves. 

I believe that once we know(ish) what we are doing and have managed to get published (in whatever form) then we owe it to those coming behind us who are struggling, to offer them a hand up. There is enough room for all of us, I promise you, there is. 

Upgrade & Free

Just Publishing Advice

Reedsy Blog

Become A Writer Today

Self Publishing

The Write Practice

Understanding, / Unsupported.

Insecure Writers Support Group

A to Z Blogging Challenge

Write Edit Publish

The Writers Life

Reedsy

Irish Writers Centre

TCK Publishing

T is for....

 Thorny Subject of Writers Block (oooohhhh that's a slim T word).

This is something that we touched on in previous posts (imposter syndrome), but this is the one where we will look at what this is and how to treat it. I have suffered from this, it kept me from writing on and off for quite a while once or twice in my life. 

Writers Block can be caused by the previously mentioned Imposter Syndrome, or Medication, or any number of things, like writing yourself into a corner. 

The way's I've found to tackle this is this...

Sit your characters down (figuratively), and one by one, assuming the guise of a reporter or even of a cop...ask them what happened.

Sometimes if you get them to write a diary entry as well it could work.

I think basically it's you kicking your imagination into action, your characters should answer you, unless they plead the fifth or ask for a lawyer...maybe their ego will take over and they will tell you everything.

Another method is simply to write something else, put away the offending piece of writing, and focus on something else. 

This is also one reason why I like laying out my outlines, because if I get stuck here, I can make a note and go back, while continuing on with the outline as required.

The Terrific Book Blurb (yes this isn't really a T word either)

So, you have the novel written, part of your job now once you have decided to self publish, or even trad publish, is to work out what you are going to put on the back of the book, your Terrific Book Blurb or your book description.

The purpose of the Terrific Book Blurb is to gain the imagination of the reader and entice them into the book, so it's worth while getting it right. Besides the cover, this is the next most important thing besides what's between the covers.

Look at it as a marketing tool that you need to get the hang of before you publish independently or as I said earlier, go down the road of traditional publishing. I still haven't quite got it yet, but I'm learning.

Writers Block Solutions Websites:

Studio Binder

Writers Digest

Become A Writer Today

Master Class

The Terrific Book Blurb

Reedsy Blog

Oak Woods

Novel Smithy

Koto Bee Blog

Mountford Writing

First Editing

S is for...

 Series writing (or what I wish I knew before I began writing this series)

I have a universe, that I created from scratch, I have a large Word document with all the worlds listed and their attributes, another that has all the races, another with all the mystical tools used in my novels, and separate documents for each character and each novel that I'm writing. I thought when I begun my novels that I needed an event that would stretch over all thirteen, only to find out that what I thought was not how it actually was (see section on What is a Book Series?). I think at this point, I will end my present main Villains arc at book four (for now). 

What is a Book Series?:

A book series is a set of books that share certain characteristics and are identified together as a group. They’re most often written by the same author. 

In fiction, many series star the same protagonist or share common characters. It’s also common for the stories to progress from one another. However, there are examples of works in a series that can stand alone—that is, they don’t need to be read in any particular order, such as the Nancy Drew series. 

Nonfiction books can also be written as a series, with different books expanding on different subtopics. 

Following is a list of varying series types and examples as pinched from TCK publishing, 8 tips (link following).

Serial

This type is most likely what comes to mind when you hear the term “series.” It follows one overarching narrative that is told in several chronological instalments.

One popular serial example is the Harry Potter series: to be properly understood and appreciated, they must be read in order, and the books follow a central plot that lines up with the main character’s arc

Episodic

An episodic series features self-contained stories with a strong protagonist who readers want to follow on adventure after adventure. It’s this character, rather than an ongoing storyline, that connects the instalments.

For the most part, these books don’t need to be read in order to enjoy the experience. This is a common format for mystery and thriller series.

Interlinked

In an interlinked series, all of the books take place in the same world, but they might feature different protagonists who may or may not be connected.

Like an episodic series, interlinked books can be enjoyed independently of one another and in any order.

One example is The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett. This series follows five families from five different countries as they struggle from generation to generation and endure three wars.

How to Write a Series:

1. Outline your series in advance (So, So Important)
2. Establish main characters early, but reveal back stories slowly, make sure your characters are fleshed out fully and that they are interesting
3. Series can be set in the same universe, but not necessarily including an overall plot (for all books in the series, they can all be stand alone, but based in the same place)
4. There is no rule as to how long a series should be (though most don't state anything near 13 for an over reaching plot lol)
5. Ensure that the plot is loose enough to allow changes to occur
6. Create a universe that is interesting enough to keep not only your characters going, but your readers wanting to come back for more
7. KEEP A MASTER DOCUMENT that is accessible with the tangents (each book) listed and what happens to the characters/ world/ villain/ overall plot

Synopsis:

What is a book synopsis well it is as it says, a summary of your novel from start to finish. It should include an outline of the main plot, your primary characters, any subplots and plot twists, and what happens at the end. This is what you send to Agents, or Publishers if you are going down the traditional publishing route or if you are entering something like the Novel Fair which they will begin prepping for shortly in Dublin (The Irish Writers Centre).

This is not something that I've had to do as of yet, so I'm going to add some sites (as always), for you to look up and maybe learn from.

Series Notes

TCK

Writers Edit

Reedsy Blog

Now Novel

Advanced Fiction Writing

Self Publishing School

Gate Keeper Press

Synopsis

Book Beaver

Reedsy Blog

Now Novel

Service Scape

The Write Practice

Janet Friedman