As you’re writing and editing with this person in mind, you can feel like you’re telling the story to someone rather than just telling it.
Tag Archives: Writing Tips
10 Tips for Surviving NaNoWriMo
How can you get over the hump, out of the blahs, and onwards toward the finish line? Here are 10 tips to help you survive NaNoWriMo.
Should You Talk About Your Writing?
I soon realized that having a sounding board when I’m trying to work out a sticky plot point is invaluable. Sometimes just the act of saying it out loud can help ideas to congeal into something tangible.
How to Respectfully Write a Critical Book Review
Don’t attack the author. This shouldn’t have to be said, but you’re reviewing a piece of writing, not the human who poured their heart and soul into it. Focus on your experience, make your review fair and honest, but never make it personal or nasty.
What is Your Definition of Success as a Writer?
So write for yourself. Write for the love of words and stories. Write to process your feelings, to entertain, to leave a legacy. Write for any reason but what capitalism calls success, and see if, as a by-product, something you can call success will find you along the way.
10 (More) Notable Canadian Literary Magazines
I’m back again with ten more quality literary publications that are based in Canada. Most of these magazines accept submissions from all over the world, but for all my fellow Canadian writers, it’s a little bit special to find a home for your work that is close to home.
A General Feeling of Vague Writerly Dissatisfaction
Perhaps that is just what the increasingly heavy state of the world does to us. It seems an insurmountable challenge to be joyfully creative when there are much weightier issues to be concerned with.
How to Write a Third-Person Author Biography
Give your readers a sense of who you are, lend credibility to your writing, and arouse interest in your work.
Writing People with Depth
Above all else, the real key to writing people with depth is to persevere. Hone your craft by reading widely and becoming a keen observer of people. Write your people into scenes and scenarios you concoct, and let them reveal their character to you. It feels like a lot of work, but that’s what writing is . . .
Learning Facts From Fiction
It is, admittedly, ironic to think of absorbing facts from works of fiction. But understanding human nature and our history without consuming the stories we tell would be impossible. So read books. Read difficult books. Read stories that make you uncomfortable, sad, uplifted, angry, triumphant, shocked, devastated, hopeful.
Aly Writes 