Posts tagged writing
Go Ahead, Take the Plunge: Writing Outside Your Comfort Zone
Go Ahead, Take the Plunge: Writing Outside Your Comfort Zone

If you’re anything like me, you have a certain genre where your little writerly heart sings. Sure, different ideas pop into my head from time to time that fall outside that genre, but there’s usually a little something that ties it back to my comfort zone.

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Advice & RecommendationsEvie Drae#amwriting, #amwriting community, #AmWriting, #Amwriting, Comfort Zone, Writing tips, Writing Tips, writing tips, writer, Writing, Writer, writing, writing community, Writing community Comments
Writing Contests: A Gamble Worth Taking
Writing Contests: A Gamble Worth Taking

I’ve been floating in the #amediting limbo. For years.

 

But that’s all changed. And, why, you may ask? Well, that’s simple. One thing, above all others, has escalated and moved my #amwriting world forward by leaps and bounds. And that, as I’m sure you’ve guessed by the title of this blog, is writing contests.

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Advice & RecommendationsEvie DraeWriting Contests, Writing, Contests, writing contests, writing, contests, Writing tips, Writing Tips, writing tips, writing community, Writing community, Writing Community, Writing Advice, Writing advice, writing advice, #amwriting, #AmWriting, #Amwriting, #amwriting community, #amediting, #AmEditing, #Amediting, Editing, editingComment
Sandwiching: How to Give Effective Criticism Without Breaking Writerly Hearts
Sandwiching: How to Give Effective Criticism Without Breaking Writerly Hearts

We’ve all been there. That nerve-wracking, nauseating moment where feedback from a beta, CP, contest judge, editor, or agent pops up in your inbox. You want to know what they have to say. You sent your book baby to them for the sole purpose of getting their opinions and advice. You know there’s going to be criticism involved, because you’re a smart cookie and you’ve gathered you can’t please everyone. Still, terror grips you by the throat as you click the email and open what is sure to be at least a minor bruise to your writerly ego.

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Advice & RecommendationsEvie DraeWriting Advice, writing advice, Writing advice, Writing, writing, Advice, advice, #amwriting, #Amwriting, #AmWriting, #writerslife, #WritersLife, Writer, writer, Sandwiching Feedback, Sandwiching, Feedback, sandwiching feedback, sandwiching, feedback Comment
Making Every Scene Count: When to Let Go
Making Every Scene Count: When to Let Go

Writing a griping page-turner—a novel the readers just can’t put down—requires quite a few elements to fall perfectly into place. One of those happens to be the tightness and effectiveness of your scenes. That means each scene has to serve a purpose, and all “fluff” scenes gotta go.

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Advice & RecommendationsEvie DraeWriting Advice, writing advice, Writing advice, Writing, writing, Advice, advice, #amwriting, #Amwriting, #AmWriting, #writerslife, #WritersLife, Writer, writer, #amediting #AmEditing, #Amediting, Edits, edits, Editing, editing, Making Every Moment Count, When to Nix a Scene, Character Development, Plot ProgressionComment
Character Flawlessness: Avoiding the Perfection Trap
Character Flawlessness: Avoiding the Perfection Trap

Everyone writes for different reasons. Most of us write because, quite frankly, it’s a compulsion. We’d cease to feel alive if we didn’t. A lot of people, including me, also write as a form of self expression and to satisfy an inner need to experience things outside our little bubble.

 

For many, this need to venture outside their own lives leads to the creation of characters who possess everything the writer wishes they had. This includes everything from rockin’, gym bunny bodies to high-paying dream careers and billionaire-esque lifestyles.

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Advice & RecommendationsEvie DraeWriting Advice, writing advice, Writing advice, Writing, writing, Advice, advice, #amwriting, #Amwriting, #AmWriting, #writerslife, #WritersLife, Writer, writer, Character Flawlessness, Perfection Trap, character flawlessness, perfection trap, Character Perfection, character perfection, Perfection, perfection, Flawlessness, flawlessnessComment
Sensitivity Readers: Why You Should Never Skip This Step
Sensitivity Readers: Why You Should Never Skip This Step

I’ve already touted the importance of beta readers—and I truly hope each and every one of you utilize these invaluable resources—but the purpose of this blog is to discuss a very specific beta reader niche: sensitivity readers.

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Advice & RecommendationsEvie DraeWriting Advice, writing advice, Writing advice, Writing, writing, Advice, advice, #amwriting, #Amwriting, #AmWriting, #writerslife, #WritersLife, Writer, writer, #amediting #AmEditing, #Amediting, Edits, edits, Editing, editing, Sensitivity Reader, Sensitivity Readers, Sensitivity reader, Sensitivity readers, sensitivity reader, sensitivity readers, beta reader, beta-reader, Beta-reader, Beta-Readers, Beta Readers, beta readers, beta-readersComment
Look Who’s Talking: Dialogue Tags vs. Action Beats
Look Who’s Talking: Dialogue Tags vs. Action Beats

I decided to do a post on this occasionally “controversial” topic because I’ve read a few books lately where it’s painfully obvious no one ever taught the poor soul either the difference between these two, or tips on how best to use them.

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Advice & RecommendationsEvie DraeWriting Advice, writing advice, Writing advice, Writing, writing, Advice, advice, #amwriting, #Amwriting, #AmWriting, #writerslife, #WritersLife, Writer, writer, #amediting #AmEditing, #Amediting, Edits, edits, Editing, editing, Look Who's Talking, Dialogue Tags, Dialogue tags, Dialogue, Tags, dialogue, tags, Action Beats, Action beats, action beats, Action, action, Beats, beats, Dialogue Tags vs. Action Beats Comments
Hashtag Games: Actively Building Your #AmWriting Community
Hashtag Games: Actively Building Your #AmWriting Community

In my humble opinion, one of the most important things for a writer is to find their writerly tribe. That is, a group of like-minded writers who act as a support system for one another as they travel the bumpy #amwriting road together. Because, trust me, folks, it’s bumpy. So, so bumpy. I’m talkin’ potholes the size of moon craters that’ll knock you out of alignment in 2.5 seconds flat if you don’t have people who get your pain to set you back to rights.

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Advice & RecommendationsEvie DraeWriting Advice, writing advice, Writing advice, Writing, writing, Advice, advice, #amwriting, #Amwriting, #AmWriting, #writerslife, #WritersLife, Writer, writer, Hashtag Games, Hashtag games, Hashtag, hashtag, Games, games, Building Your #AmWriting Community, Community, community, Writing Community, Writing community, writing community, #amwriting community Comment
Self-Editing: Guest Blogger Deana Birch bakes us a writing cake
Self-Editing: Guest Blogger Deana Birch bakes us a writing cake

In discussing the subject of my guest blog, Evie gave me one goal. Help Writers. And I want you all to know I am so, so, so about that. As is she. That’s why I love my Evie. I dipped into my relevant pool and came up with, dun dun dun…

 

Self-editing. Because I just edited the heck out of my next book.

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Advice & RecommendationsEvie DraeWriting Advice, writing advice, Writing advice, Writing, writing, Advice, advice, #amwriting, #Amwriting, #AmWriting, #writerslife, #WritersLife, Writer, writer, #amediting #AmEditing, #Amediting, Edits, edits, Editing, editing, Self-Editing, Self-editing, self-editing, Self Editing, Self editing, self editing, Writing Cake, Writing cake, writing cake, Deana Birch, deana birch, Guest Blogger, Guest blogger, guest bloggerComment