Writing Tense, and Story Perspectives.

WRITING TENSES.

Narrative or verb tenses are what tell your readers if what they are reading is in the past or the present.
Present tense is a little more restricted than simple past tense. This is for a semi-obvious reason; present tense doesn’t let you fast forward through time. See, present tense shows the reader the story as if it is happening in “real-time”.  In real life, you can’t fast forward through the traffic jam or the time spent in the waiting room. Same goes for present tense. If you were telling someone about your day later on though, you could skip over the mundane parts. That’s past tense.

You can, however, skip over things completely with scene breaks (you can also do this with past tense.). This allows you to go from an introduction at the beginning of a first date, then straight over into the important conversation during the main course. All without forcing your readers to suffer through all the awkward small talk, or silent picking that happens before the two find something they have in common.

A great way to tell which tense you are using is to look at the verbs you use.

Do you say, “Jane clutched her purse tightly as she ran across the road.” (Past tense)

Or “Jane clutches her purse tightly as she runs across the road.” (present tense.)

Most fiction is written in past tense. Because it is the most common, it can seem invisible. When a reader picks up a book written in past tense, it is easier for them to become immersed in the story.

With present tense though, there is an adjustment period for the reader. This is because present tense isn’t that common, so it’s not invisible. After they become adjusted though, it can bring them deeper into the story if it is written well.

I personally like to write in past tense. It comes naturally to me. I do however have a difficult time holding to one tense in a single story. In other words, I tend to switch between the two when I get caught up in the story itself; not paying attention to the technical side of the process.  This isn’t generally okay; there are exceptions though (such as flashbacks). As you can imagine, this makes the revision process unnecessarily long and hard.

Honestly, there is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing your tense. The great part about being a creator is that you have all the control. Choose whichever works best for you and your story.

PERSPECTIVES OR POV.

Perspective shows us the different point of views of a story. There is quite a list of them, but there are two which are the most common; First person perspective and third person perspective. I personally write in first person, and deep first person.

First person POV (point of view) is the character telling you their story through their eyes. When reading a story in first person, you find yourself experiencing the events that are happening first hand, as if you are the character. First person can be identified by the use of the words “I” and “we”.

Third person POV reminds me of a movie. The view isn’t connected to a single character and what is happening to them personally, so the point of view is able to move around the scene. When reading something in third person, you will notice the point of view moving around the scene to capture different characters and events. There also won’t be a lot of inner dialogue since the “camera” isn’t inside a character’s mind. Third person can be identified by the use of the words “he, she, they” and “it”.

Again, be sure to pick whichever works best for you and your story. You are the creator. Create your own way.

I’m going to go ahead and throw a writing exercise at Y’all.

I want you to go ahead and come up with a scene in your mind (if you are having trouble, slide on over to our writing prompt page). Now, write that scene once in first person POV and past tense, then write the same scene again in third person POV and present tense.

Let me know how it goes, and feel free to show off your work in the comments!

Have a great week everyone!

New year, new books!

Guess what everybody! The Holidays are almost over. This means anew year is upon us, and we are all getting ready to put our best foot forward with our new year’s resolutions. Sadly, a lot of us never stick to our new goals for very, though (I must admit I have been one of those people this year.).

For those of us with the goal of writing and reading more this coming year (because let’s face it, we all need to be doing more of both of these.) it can be challenging to make the time in our busy lives to actually sit down and read a book we enjoy, or work on our craft. It doesn’t have to be as hard as we think it is though!

Let me explain further. Every year I set a goal to read more and expand my horizons in the fictional worlds, and almost every year I fail. This year I am determined though. So, instead of setting a random goal of X number of books, or saying I want to read X amount of different Authors, this year I created my own reading challenge!

My reading challenge inspires me personally and gets me excited to check off something on it. Reading goals shouldn’t be boring, or something you dread at the end of each day. They should be exciting, and full of wonder, making you dance in anticipation of finally being able to sit down and read something!
Not all challenges are created equal, and goals aren’t a one fits all deal. Below is my personal challenge for 2018. I hope it inspires you to read more, or go out and create your own reading challenge for the year. Maybe go online and look at all kinds of different ones to help you make your own awe-inspiring list.

THE WRITTEN WORD INSPIRES 2018 READING CHALLENGE.

1- A sci-fi novel
2- A children’s fantasy book
3- A book of poetry
4- A book meant to improve your writing
5- A book written by a local Author
6- A book based in Japan
7- Listen to an audiobook
8- Read a book written by a new Author
9- A book with bad reviews
10- A book written by an Author you have never heard of
11- A Fantasy novel
12- A book at the top of a bestsellers list
13- Book of short stories
14- A biography of someone you admire
15- One of your favorite Authors favorite books
16- Read something by an Author that died last year
17- A book originally written in a foreign language
18- A book that is being made into a movie this year
19- A book with a protagonist who struggles with mental health
20- A book with a fictional language in it
21- A book with an LGBTQIA+ themed character
22- A historical novel
23- A book written in third person
24- A book with a fictional species in it
25- A book with a fictional religion in it.

The challenge is short enough that it won’t interfere with my writing schedule (I have a lot of writing goals for 2018) but long enough to keep me reading a bit every day. My overall goal with this challenge is to expand my horizons a bit; I have a horrible habit of sticking to the same genres, and same few Authors, so I am hoping to break out of that and improve my reading habits.

What are you reading goals for 2018? Any big plans?

Next week we will be back on track with the blog post topics, with a post talking about perspectives and tenses in writing. If you would like to use this reading challenge, I have added a new page to the blog where it will stay for the duration of the year.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Don’t forget that starting on the first, I will be posting a writing prompt every day to help us all get into better writing habit this coming year.

Fives places to submit your short fiction.

As writers, we dream of one day being published and changing the world with our writing or becoming a bestseller Author. We all know that can’t happen overnight or without practice, though. It is important to not only practice writing, but also to practice taking criticism, getting rejections, and sending the works of our souls out to be seen by the world.
The best way for you to practice sending out your work, and not feeling like shit when bad news comes back (or letting it go to your head when good news comes back.) is to get over your fear and ACTUALLY SEND IT OUT! Below is a list of five places I have come across to submit your short fiction too.

Sick lit Magazine.

Sick lit is currently tightening the strings of their website. Their current writing prompt for story submissions involves writing a story based five hundred years into the future. (Click link below for more details about submissions.)

Submissions & Submissions FAQ

Cheap pop.

Cheap pop is not currently accepting submissions. They have a good reputation though, so when they open their submissions back up I suggest giving them a try.

http://www.cheappoplit.com/

The three-penny review.

These guys open their submissions up on the first of January. You can send it in online; or if you are anything like me, and take pride in going out to submitting a story through snail mail, then they accept that too.

http://www.threepennyreview.com/submissions.html

Shimmer.

Shimmer is a great place to submit your work if you are a diverse writer. They love to see pieces that include how amazingly diverse this world is in it. (LGBTQIA, different ethnicities, religions, etc.) This is why I love them so much. Their submissions open back up on January eighth, and you can bet I will be submitting a piece to them!

https://www.shimmerzine.com/guidelines/fiction-guidelines/

Flash Fiction online.

Flash fiction online is a great place for us who love to write super short pieces. I haven’t checked up on their submissions recently, but I have left a link below if you would like to check them out.

http://flashfictiononline.com/main/submission-guidelines-flash-fiction/

There’s more.

There are tons of places where you can submit your writing, so if you are serious about getting your work out there regularly, I suggest doing some research. Look at which places work best for you and your writing!

Our writing prompt for the week is:
Write the saddest Christmas story you can think of. Make your readers cry.

I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday and don’t forget to check out my links below. Thank you all for reading!

Pinterest-  https://www.pinterest.com/stone_writer/boards/

Wattpad-  https://www.wattpad.com/user/Mason-Stone

https://www.patreon.com/MasonStone

Writer’s Ramble and Updates!

Writers ramble.

So, in case you haven’t noticed, I missed the blog last week. This is because I got hit with major inspiration for my current work in progress. So, all this last week I have been immersed in that world.

I have been working on this book for a few years on and off now. It has changed so much, but now I think I have finally the final version inside my head. There is a lot of research included in the writing of this particular story, so, I am building new research skills that I know I will use for future projects for years to come.

Why do I mention this? Because I know I’m not the only one who gets sucked into their stories for days on end, completely forgetting about reality for the duration of a creative manic episode.

See, the thing is, writers are crazy. We spend hundreds of hours working on our craft; building worlds that didn’t exist before, creating people and their personalities out of nothing, etc. It’s amazing.

I’ve seen writers change the world with their craft. I’ve seen people show emotions they normally hide when they read a piece that moves them. Just look at the bible and all that is does, good and bad. Look at the classics that show us what life was like hundreds of years ago. Look anywhere, and you will find a piece of writing that has had an impact on the world we live in today.

If you are a writer and are reading this; know that you are doing great. Every famous writer has started right where you are. Every piece of writing that has changed the world or moved the masses started as a rough draft that nobody will ever see. Every writer has scribbles of writing that will never be published, but that is important to them. If your goal is to change the world with your writing, or be one of the greats, know that you will do it if you put your heart and soul into it. You are good enough. Your writing is good enough. You will make it.

 

 NEWS/UPDATES.

I have a few updates I feel everyone should be aware of.

• I am happy to announce that starting January first I will be adding a new page to this website called “Writing prompts”. This is where I will be posting new writing prompts every day!
• There is a new schedule for the blog; I will be posting new blog posts every Wednesday, starting immediately.
• I have created a wattpad where I will be posting short story updates every Friday!
• And last but not least; I have created a patron! So, if you would like to be able to suggest blog post ideas, see exclusive stories once a month, and see the wattpad updates before they are out to the public, then come support me on patreon! Every pledge helps me keep on doing what I’m doing and pay my bills.

That’s all for today folks! Next week, we will be talking about places where you can submit your writing. My links are below as well as a writing prompt. My best wishes to you all!

patreon- https://www.patreon.com/MasonStone

pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/stone_writer/pins/

Wattpad- https://www.wattpad.com/user/Mason-Stone

My Top Ten Favorite Novels.

Wha books mean to me.

As a child, I was always making up stories and playing pretend with some friends or my siblings. I loved coming up with magic spells, different types of dragons, and pretend languages that made no sense.

When I learned the power of the reading words on a page, I discovered a new way of looking at life. I could spend hours upon hours slaying dragons, and traveling to faraway places. I would watch the images swirl in my mind as I absorbed everything I possibly could about this imaginary world I was experiencing through reading. It was magical.

Where people fail to understand, books are there. Books have always been there for me. Their stories took me away from a harsh reality, and to a new world full of wonder and adventure. My walls are lined with these fictional worlds and the smell of old books lightly hangs throughout the house. I get a very homey feeling from being surrounded by books; it’s very safe.

Books are my life and they mean everything to me. I have dedicated my life to creating them and living in their worlds.

My top ten favorite books (At the moment).

I find it very hard to select a small list of favorite books because so many of them are good. Never the less, I have managed to scrape it down to ten. Below is a list of my top ten favorite books (at the moment) and their synopsis’. They are in no particular order as I could not figure it out for the life of me. Enjoy!

CARRIE BY, STEPHEN KING.

The story of misfit high-school girl, Carrie White, who gradually discovers that she has telekinetic powers. Repressed by a domineering, ultra-religious mother and tormented by her peers at school, her efforts to fit in lead to a dramatic confrontation during the senior prom.

LOOKING FOR ALASKA BY, JOHN GREEN.

Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then…
After. Nothing is ever the same

DRACULA BY, BRAM STOKER.

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula purchase a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries in his client’s castle. Soon afterward, disturbing incidents unfold in England: a ship runs aground on the shores of Whitby, its crew vanished; beautiful Lucy Westenra slowly succumbs to a mysterious, wasting illness, her blood drained away; the lunatic Renfield raves about the imminent arrival of his ‘master’. In the ensuing battle of wills between the sinister Count and a determined group of adversaries – led by the intrepid vampire hunter Abraham van Helsing – Bram Stoker created a masterpiece of the horror genre, probing into questions of identity, sanity and the dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire.

THE OUTSIDERS BY, S. E. HINTON.

No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he’s got things figured out. He knows that he can count on his brothers, Darry and Sodapop. And he knows that he can count on his friends—true friends who would do anything for him, like Johnny and Two-Bit. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up on “greasers” like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect—until the night someone takes things too far.

ANGELS AND DEMONS BY, DAN BROWN.

In Angels & Demons, Langdon is summoned on his first assignment: to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization—the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on earth…the long-forgotten Illuminati lair.

HERO OF DREAMS BY, BRIAN LUMLEY.

Something vital is missing from David Hero’s comfortable, ordinary existence. one day is much like the next, simple, predictable…boring.

But the nights! Each night David Hero finds himself transported to a marvelous world where brave men and women battle terrible creatures possessed of cruel, dark powers.

Despite his fears, the Dreamworlds tempt David, drawing him farther and farther from the waking world. Here he finds noble warriors; beautiful, loving women; and challenges almost greater than he can imagine.

THE ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS BY, SCOTT O’DELL.

Far off the coast of California looms a harsh rock known as the island of San Nicholas. Dolphins flash in the blue waters around it, sea otters play in the vast kelp beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches.

Here, in the early 1800s, according to history, an Indian girl spent eighteen years alone, and this beautifully written novel is her story. It is a romantic adventure filled with drama and heartache, for not only was mere subsistence on so desolate a spot a near miracle, but Karana had to contend with the ferocious pack of wild dogs that had killed her younger brother, constantly guard against the Aleutian sea otter hunters, and maintain a precarious food supply.

More than this, it is an adventure of the spirit that will haunt the reader long after the book has been put down. Karana’s quiet courage, her Indian self-reliance, and acceptance of fate, transform what to many would have been a devastating ordeal into an uplifting experience. From loneliness and terror come strength and serenity in this Newbery Medal-winning classic.

FIRESTARTER BY, STEPHEN KING.

Andy McGee and Vicky Tomlinson were once college students looking to make some extra cash, volunteering as test subjects for an experiment orchestrated by the clandestine government organization known as The Shop. But the outcome unlocked exceptional latent psychic talents for the two of them—manifesting in even more terrifying ways when they fell in love and had a child. Their daughter, Charlie, has been gifted with the most extraordinary and uncontrollable power ever seen—pyrokinesis, the ability to create fire with her mind. Now the merciless agents of The Shop are in hot pursuit to apprehend this unexpected genetic anomaly for their own diabolical ends by any means necessary…including violent actions that may well ignite the entire world around them as Charlie retaliates with a fury of her own…

THE BOOK THEIF BY, MARKUS ZUSAK.

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

 

INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE BY, ANNE RICE. (first book in my all-time favorite series)

The confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force — a story of danger and flight of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and the extraordinary power of the senses.

Well, that’s the end of the list folks! I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to tell me what your favorite books are down in the comments. I’m always looking for new things to read!

Below is a writing prompt for all you wonderful people. Also, in the spirit of things, I’ve left a reading prompt below as well to help you figure out your next book to read. Enjoy!

READING PROMPT.

Find a book or story that has a season named in the title.

WRITING PROMPT.

“Could you be happy here with me?”

Word Count in Fiction.

Word counts seem to hide in the background of the writing process for me. They are always lingering there, but I rarely take much notice of them (Unless I am writing a blog post, in which case I try to keep my posts around five-hundred words).

Word Count is Important.

Word count is important to your writing. Literary agents have stacks upon stacks of queries to go through, and they are always looking for a perfectly publishable piece. If your word count is too low, or too high for the intended audience of the writing they may not even consider it even if everything else about it is good.

There are exceptions to all rules. If you have written something completely brilliant that the agent loves, and the publisher thinks will fly off the shelves, then they won’t fret so much about the length. It’s always better to get your foot in the door first, though. Just look at J.K. Rowling, and Stephen King. They both published smaller books first, then once they were trusted by the publisher they were able to publish larger novels. It’s important to develop a relationship with your agent to build trust. Once you have a relationship, trust, and have already proved that your writing sells then they will be more likely to accept a larger piece.

So, What Is Word Count?

Word count is exactly as it sounds – The number of words in a piece of writing. It is important to know your word count as a writer (even if your readers don’t pay too much attention to it). When you go to submit your writing anywhere, whether it be an article for a magazine, a children’s book, or a novel, you need to know how long it is. A child’s book is usually pretty small (under seven-thousand words). If you were to send in a book aimed at younger kids, but the word count is that of an adult mystery novel, then it won’t be accepted.

What’s the length?

Okay, so now we all understand what word count is, and why it is important. Next, we need to learn how long – on average- a certain type of writing is. Below is a list of the average word counts that you should keep in mind when you are planning on sending something in. A lot of places where you submit work too have a word count limit to help you out also!

novel- 40,000 and over

Novella- 17,500 – 39,999
Novelette- 7,500 – 17,499
Short Story- under 7,500

These are by no means a hard and fast rule for your writing. They are just here to give you an idea of the word count you should be aiming for with your writing.

Now, Forget it.

Some people find the word count distracting during their creative process. Others flat-out lose all creative mojo if they even think about it. I am one of those people when it comes to my stories. So, forget it for now. If worrying about the length of your piece stops you from writing, then, by all means, leave it for the editing process. The most important thing right now is getting everything written down so you can improve on it later.

I hope you all enjoyed this post! Below is a writing prompt to help you keep those creative juices flowing. Have a great day!

Plot-lines in fiction.

What is a plot?

A plot is events that connect to one another in a sequence or pattern to create a well-written story. The plot is the backbone of your story; organizing all the major points in a way that makes sense, and propels the story forward.

Sub-plots.

Some stories have sub-plots. These are side-stories created to help show different points of view, create more conflict within the main plot, or connect missing pieces within the story. If done right, they will give depth to your story and make it more attention-grabbing.
Sub-plots can run the entire length of the main-plot, pop in and out periodically throughout the story, or show as a onetime thing. Do whatever feels right for you and your work in progress.

The Three-act structure.

There are many different types of plot structures. One of the most popular -and the one I am most experienced in- is the Three-act plot structure. They work using a basic line of beginning, middle and end as shown below.

Beginning: The beginning deals with the introduction to the story. This includes establishing characters, their normal life, and the world the story takes place in. It is also a good time to introduce the main conflict of your story, this can be saved for the earlier part of the second act too, though.

Middle: The Middle, or act two, starts the rising tension of your story. The character thinks they know what they want, yet they cannot seem to get it. They have small setbacks and accomplishments throughout this section, keeping things interesting and continuously introducing new questions and answers. This is all leading up to the climax of the story. The climax is the point in the story in which the tension is at its highest. This is the turning point of your story, right before everything starts to fall into place.

End: The end of your story handles the resolutions. It’s a fast decline of tension, leading your character toward the end of their journey. This is the time to tie up any loose ends, and resolve the major conflict of the story.

Now, this is not a hard and fast blueprint for a story. Feel free to mix and match the above information. Maybe take something out, or add something to it. As mentioned before, the three-act plot structure is not the only kind of plot out there, so be sure to look around and find some others you might like.

That’s all for this post, folks! As always, I have put a writing prompt below to keep your creative juices flowing. Have a great evening everybody!

A Writers Notebook

WHAT IS A WRITERS’ NOTEBOOK?

A writers’ notebook is a notebook, or journal that a writer carries with them everywhere they go. Not every writer has one, and some writers think that they encourage bad writing while others find them to be valuable tools for their writing. I personally keep one that I so lovingly call my Blurgal. A made-up word I found online years ago on a different blog I wish I could remember the name of.

WHY SHOULD I KEEP A BLURGAL?

Well, you don’t have to. Writing is a very personal experience, and only you know what works and what doesn’t work for you. I personally keep one because I get ideas for the stories I am working on at the most random of times. When this used to happen, before I kept a blurgal I would rush around trying to find anything to write with and on. Sometimes I would end up losing whatever thought had come into my head before I could write it down. It used to frustrate me so much, because when I went to go write again I knew I was missing something, but couldn’t remember what it was.
Other people, like Stephen King, don’t like writers’ notebooks. They think it’s a good way to get out bad ideas. That the good ideas stay in your head and brew for a period of time before you decide whether you use it in your story or not. I can see where they are coming from, but that style of writing just doesn’t work for me. The way we write and keep track of ideas is different for everybody, and that’s okay. Different is good.

SO HOW DO YOU USE A BLURGAL/WRITERS’ NOTEBOOK?

That is completely up to you! You can have it filled with blank pages to let your creativity fly, or lined pages to help keep you on track. A fancy journal, or an eighty-cent notebook. Maybe you only write in it, or maybe you stick pictures, magazine articles, or inspirational trinkets in it. As with most things in writing, just find what works for you, and go with it.

I personally like lined paper journals. I usually get one around Christmas time, and by the same time next year it is filled with notes written on napkins, and scraps of paper (because even though I try to bring it with me everywhere sometimes I forget it, or don’t feel comfortable pulling out my messy, over-used notebook in that situation.). What I write in it completely depends what I am currently writing, and how much time I have. I write ideas for new stories, random bits of dialogue, ideas for characters, or random words that I need to decipher the next time I sit down to read it. It gets really messy to say the least. It never fails to keep my writing moving forward or inspire me though, so I consider it a success every year.

I’ve seen writers’ notebooks online where the writer has the first few pages filled with writing prompts or inspiration. Then a section for lists of books they’ve read, or lists things they need to do for their writing. Lists in general honestly. Also, some people doodle when they think, so some of these notebooks look very artistic, or chaotic. It’s all in what helps you most, so don’t be afraid of writing down anything wrong. Your writers’ notebook is a sacred place for your creative ideas. Don’t flounder them with worry about wasting a page or writing something stupid.

IN CONCLUSION.

Keeping a blurgal can be helpful to some, and a waste of time to others. There is no harm in trying it out though. Just don’t overthink how to use it. A blurgal is a creative tool to help you on your writers’ journey, whether it’s used for helping you keep track of ideas, or as a journal to clear your mind. It’s yours and yours only.

I hope this post has helped a few people out there. If you can’t figure out what to write as your first blurgal entry, try using the writing prompt below to help you get started! Have a great weekend, everyone. Happy writing!

 

Writers Need to Read.

Writers need to read. Reading is one of the best things you can do to complement your writing. To improve it. In this post I will be talking about just how important reading is for writers.

When reading a book, you often think about how good or bad the story is. It can often inspire you to write something. Whether it’s to challenge the words you have read, or to try and be as good of a writer as the Author you have just read. Either way, reading has just inspired you.

When you read, it would be a good idea to have a writing tool near you. I personally always have a notebook by me when I am reading; in the case that I find something fascinating about the words I have read. I truly enjoy picking apart a book. From the way the Author describes the characters, to the way they structure sentences. It’s all important information for me. Sometimes I even enjoy comparing notes from story to story. It helps me figure out why I liked one story more than the other.

As a writer, words are our life source. Language is how we survive in our craft. Without a proper grasp on how to use language, we will never become great writers. You need to read as often – if not more – than you write. It teaches you what styles of writing you enjoy more, and which Authors you can relate to best. A lot of people tend to say that writing is a solitary experience, and I must admit I am one of them sometimes. It doesn’t have to be, though. Connecting with other writers, reading their work, and having them read yours is a great way to improve your writing though reading, and talk to other writers about their craft. It could be a valuable tool in your writers’ tool box.

So, what should you be reading as a writer? Well, that’s completely up to you! You will hear people tell you that you need to read everything, good and bad; Now, that can be true, but i wouldn’t go out of your way to read something you know is bad that you wouldn’t be interested in. I can guarantee that if you read whatever you are interested in, you will come across bad writing that will teach about how you DON’T want your writing to be. Reading bad writing can help you, and so can’t reading good writing. My advice is to read what interests you, but don’t be afraid to widen your horizons every now and then.

For instance, currently I am reading a book on finding your writers voice, (As I feel I need to work on individualizing my writing) and a book by Dan brown. Both of which I already knew I loved reading. After this though I will be trying to get my hands on a good sci-fi novel. Now, I don’t normally read that genre. The reason for this is that one-day last week I was talking to an older woman about my writing, and she suggested i try my hand at sci-fi. Now I’m not about to drop everything I am currently working on to try and write something I don’t even know if I am interested in or not, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to read something in that genre to see if I enjoy it.

I challenge you to read a book this week. It doesn’t have to be the entire thing, just stat reading. While you’re at it, try to tear apart the story, analyze it. Figure out the way the sentences, and chapters are composed. Figure why you like some parts and not others. Pay attention to how the Author describes the scene, or the character. Pick the whole thing apart and try to learn something from it. Then maybe do the same thing to a piece of your writing you have finished. You might find out something about your writing that could help you improve.

I hope this post has helped you out! I am very sorry about not publishing anything for the past week. It has been very hectic here. I promise to get back on track soon though. As always, if you are having trouble figuring out what to write, I left a writing prompt for you below. Happy writing (and reading!)

How to Find Inspiration for Creative Writing.

FINDING CREATIVE INSPIRATION

I’m sure we’ve all had at least one of those moments where we sit down with our writing tools in hand, and an hour or so with nothing to do but write. Yet we stare at the blank page or screen with an empty mind. We have no inspiration, and every time we think about something to write we can’t find a way to make our minds connect with our hands to put our thoughts into words. Yeah, we’ve all been there.

That’s why I created this post! I’m hoping at least one of these tips will help you get to writing before your busy life takes over again. I use some of these at least twice a week when I know I need to work on my novel, or write a blog post, but have no inspiration at all, or can’t think of a single thing to write even if I so badly want. So, without further ado, here are my top five tips to get you writing!

1. CONQUORING THE SCARY BLANK PAGE.

The “scary blank page” is what I call it when you stare at a page. Scared to write something that’s not perfect in every way. It’s what causes a lot of writers block, and low confidence in your writing. Usually – for me anyway- starting your writing session with a knowing that what you write isn’t written in stone, helps. Sometimes I feel like I put too much pressure on myself to write everything perfectly the first time, every time. So, I’ll tell myself, nobody’s writing is perfect. Especially if it’s the first draft. Period. Doing this helps stop those petrifying moments of staring at a blank page or screen.
Another tip for conquering the blank page is write something on it. Anything. It doesn’t even have to be a part of anything you are working on. Sometimes I’ll even write “I don’t know what to write.” Then boom! No more blank page. You could write a silly poem, or play around with random scenes, or describe something in your surrounding area. The point is to fill a small space of the page, so it seems less intimidating. You’ve already tainted the page with randomness or nonsense, so you really can’t do any harm by writing something else. (perhaps what you sat down to write.)

2. FIND THE RIGHT PLAYLIST/MUSIC.

For my writing sessions, the right music is crucial. I have different playlists for different types of writing I could be doing. Some people don’t like to listen to anything while they write, and that’s okay. If you do use music to get your creative juices flowing though, then I suggest doing something similar by creating some awesome playlists.
Could you imagine trying to write an intense fight scene while listening to upbeat pop music? Sure, it’s possible to do so, but I can almost guarantee that the lyrics in the music will affect your writing, and the intensity of your scene will suffer from the lack of intense inspiration from the music.

3. WRITING PROMPTS ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND.

Writing prompts can be anything really. They can be pictures, written dialogue, scene particles, etc. You can find writing prompts all over the internet. If you are anything like me though, the internet can be a dangerous thing to have during a writing session. I get distracted by it very easily, so I try not to open my internet tab while writing. To solve this, I keep a jar in my writing space. This jar is filled with little pieces of paper with writing prompts on them. When I need inspiration I just grab a paper blindly out of the jar and write something based on what I read from it. It’s appropriately named my Writing Prompt Jar.
One of my new favorite places to find writing prompts for my jar is Pinterest. It has an amazing variety of prompts (of all kinds). If you don’t know what Pinterest is, or would like to check out my new Pinterest page, I will leave a link to it at the bottom of this post. Happy pinning!

4. READ, READ, READ!

To be a writer of any kind, you need to read… A lot. In a later post I will be going deeper into this particular subject, but I felt it needed a place here on this list. For now, though, let’s just say that you should read anything and everything you can get your hands on. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad; you just need to read. Articles, stories online, published stories, novels, biographies. Everything. The written word is a powerful thing, and you will find inspiration from it somewhere. Wattpad.com is a great place to find random things to read!

5. LAST, BUT NOT LEAST. PEOPLE WATCH.

People watching is a great way to get out of your usual writing space, and house. (Getting out of the house all on its own could spark a little creativity as well) Grab a notebook and go to a high traffic area, such as a restaurant, or a park. If you need inspiration for some naturally occurring dialogue, then listen to people’s conversations with one another. If you need inspiration for anything to do with characters, watch people, pay attention to how they look, what they do, and how they interact with people. Body language is very important in some stories, so be sure to watch that too. Or maybe you need help figuring out how to write out environments for your scenes to have a strong sense of place. In that case look at your surroundings, analyze how you feel in it, what’s happening in it. Use all your senses; Then try to put it all in words. In any case, getting out of the house for a while for a breath of fresh air is almost always a good thing.

Writing can be hard and frustrating at times. It needs to be done though. You can’t expect to change the world with your words, or sell a novel, or make a living from your writing, if you can’t overcome lack of inspiration or writers block. Keep adding tools to your writers’ tool box. Constantly searching for better ways to get yourself to write every day. You can do it! Just sit down and force the words out until they flow smoothly. It may not happen that day, but if you keep writing it will happen.

Below is a writing prompt for you to use if you can’t find something to write about. Don’t forget to check out my Pinterest for more of them! Happy writing.

pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.com/stone_writer/boards/