Fuel Your Writing

233 Well-Chosen Words Can Take You to The Moon

2012-02-06T10:28:48Z

In the past couple of weeks Nixon’s ‘alternative Apollo 11′ speech has been caught in the orbit of blogs and sharing sites. It’s the speech that would have been broadcast to an expectant planet had the Apollo 11 mission gone awry, and it’s powerful stuff. If you’ve not seen it, here it is in full:

Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace. These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice. These two men are laying down their lives in mankind’s most noble goal: the search for truth and understanding. They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown. In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man. In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood. Others will follow and surely find their way home. Man’s search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts. For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.

That speech is 233 only words long. 233 words (only about 35 fewer than the Gettysburg Address, fact fans) that are capable of reshaping a national and global tragedy into a message of hope for all of humankind. 233 words that turn the deaths of men into acts of heroism. 233 words that could have forever echoed throughout history, and reverberated through the thoughts and ears of every man and woman who travelled to the stars.

The thought of that gives you chills.

A man named William Safire wrote that speech. He was Nixon’s speech-writer. He had been a TV and radio producer, as well as an Army correspondent, and in the decades to come he would become an author and a syndicated columnist for the New York Times. But – and here’s the thing you need to focus on – in 1969 he had the exact same set of tools that you have right now: roughly 171,000 words to choose from in the English language and a blank piece of paper.

And a pen. Obviously.

With those simple tools he created something extraordinary. Something which the world thankfully never had to hear, but if it had, I think it would have gone down in history as one of the greatest speeches ever, alongside JFK’s ‘We Choose to Go to The Moon’, Churchill’s ‘We Shall Fight on the Beaches’, and Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’.

Words are tools of common use but uncommon power. In the right order they can change minds. They can split atoms. They can propel us to places we never dared tread. More than that; words travel. And whether that distance is between the page and the eye, or between the Earth and the Moon, they never lose their power or meaning.

I know you already know all of this, but sometimes we’re so busy worrying about pitches and edits and getting caught up in just the general story-ness of things that we forget the expectant power held in the pen as it hits paper, or the fingers as they start to dance across the keyboard. So here’s just a quick reminder:

Words are rocket fuel.

And ladies and gentlemen, you’re sitting on about 171,000 pounds of it. 171,000 words that you are in charge of. So, where’s that rocket fuel going to take you?

… And Then The Beckhams Paid Off Our Mortgage

2012-02-01T13:26:12Z

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A few weeks ago I was told an absolutely incredible story. One of those stories that makes you immediately want to go out and tell it to everyone you know.

Which, over the next few days, I did!

The Story

The person who told me this incredible story heard it from her friend, who had in turn heard it from someone. A couple were engaged to be married in the summer, in the wonderful Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, England. (For those of you who don’t know, Alnwick Castle is Hogwarts). They had picked the date, everything was booked, and they couldn’t wait to be married.

One day, the couple received a phone call from Alnick Castle, asking them whether they wouldn’t mind changing the date, as there was someone else who wanted to hire the castle on the same day. The couple, understandably, refused. Invitations had already been sent out, everything was already organised for that date. Changing now would mean a lot of upheaval and stress, not something you want on the run up to your wedding.

The next day, Alnick Castle called again. They offered to pay for the couple’s wedding reception if they agreed to change dates. A generous offer, sure, but again the couple refused.

Another day passed, and another phone call came. This time, the couple were offered their whole honeymoon payed for, on top of the original offer of the reception. The couple were incredibly flattered, of course, but again they refused, a little more hesitantly this time.

There was yet another phone call. Alnick Castle explained that the other people were adamant to have Alnwick Castle on the date in question, and so they made a final offer to persuade the couple to change the date.

They offered to pay off their mortgage.

You guessed it, the couple finally gave in. Wouldn’t you?!

The Explanation

Who would be willing to pay for all of this, just to get a specific date?

Yes, the Beckhams, that’s who. David and Victoria wanted to throw a Harry Potter-themed party for their children at Hogwarts Alnwick Castle, and they had to have that date. And when you’re the Beckhams, you can pay other people’s mortgages to get the date you want.

The Kicker

Sorry to disappoint you all, but the story is completely false.

As amazed and excited as I was when I first heard the story, and believed it, I was disappointed but also intrigued by it when I discovered that it wasn’t true. After all, it’s so unbelievable, why had I been so quick to accept that the story was true? I got really excited about telling others the story, relished in their reactions of disbelief, and watched as they, like me, got excited about it and spread the story to others.

The Lesson

What I think we can take from this story, and why I wanted to write about it here, is that I think writers can learn a lot from this tale. It is an almost perfect example of a well-crafted tale, and my hat goes off to whoever originated this story that has spread so much and caught people’s imaginations. The incredible nature of what happens in the story, of celebrity excess and wealth, and of the dream situation of having your wedding reception, honeymoon and mortgage paid for, make the story relatable, exciting and shareable.

“Fiction is the truth inside a lie.” – Stephen King

This wonderful quote from King neatly sums up why this story is so well written. It is a fictional tale, created upon a total lie, but it is so well-crafted and well-realised that it is a story that completely takes us away, it makes us want it to be true, and it makes us want to tell other people.

So, the lesson?

If you want to write really great stories, you better get really good at lying. Learn to lie so well that your lies become true.

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Did you hear this story? Are they any other incredible stories which you have heard that turned out to be made up? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Images courtesy of Wikipedia and TopNews.in.

‘The Artist’ Will Make You A Better Writer

2012-01-27T15:30:49Z

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With the phenomenal success of The Artist, a modern day silent film set in the late 1920s, it seemed only right that silent cinema begins to be rediscovered by the contemporary creative community. I’m a firm believer in applying film theories or techniques to writing, and it seemed an ideal time to examine five principles of silent cinema that can enrich the work of a writer.

Why would I do that? I know some might say that film and literature are separate disciplines and naturally have different requirements (for example, an establishing shot is essentially in film, but if a writer takes too long to ’set the scene’, it can make for very dull reading) but I’d argue that writers can still learn new things from different sources. Writers shouldn’t fall into the trap of assuming that only studying writing can help their work. I’m not saying that you should cut all dialogue from your work, but let’s have a look at the bigger picture…

Show, Don’t Tell

This is probably the king of all silent cinema techniques that the writer should use, and is arguably advice you’ve heard before. Without dialogue, the actors have to display every emotion either on their face, or through their body language. It is indeed true that a picture tells a thousand words, and we don’t need reams of exposition when faced with a faltering smile or a pouting femme fatale with her arms tightly folded across her chest. Show us what’s going on with your characters, let their facial expressions and body language do the talking. We’re aware of it all the time in real life, so why not try it in your writing?

No Info Dumps!

It’s an attractive tendency of fiction to allow your characters to dole out back story through so-called ‘info dumps’, usually within lengthy passages of dialogue. The brevity of the silent film cue card doesn’t allow for masses of text, so key visuals are chosen instead to fill in the back story. Just as film fans were trusted to be able to understand the implications of specific shots, trust your readers to pick up on the small details and fill in the rest themselves. For example, you don’t need to waste paragraphs describing a character’s reliance on alcohol – just show them putting yet another empty bottle into a crate full of other empty bottles.

Do You Really Need Back Story?

If you’ve seen The Artist, you’ll realise that neither George Valentin nor Peppy Miller have in depth backstories. George is a successful silent film star and Peppy is a girl who comes to Hollywood looking for fame. We never learn much more than that, but nor do we need to. The performances and actions of both characters make it easy to like them and root for them, without time needing to be taken to explain how past events have coloured or shaped their present decision-making. I know writers are counselled to know the entire biographies of their characters but you don’t have to communicate that to the reader – just pertinent details so we understand why they’re doing what they’re doing.

Be Inventive

In 1926, Alfred Hitchcock directed Ivor Novello in The Lodger, a gripping thriller about a serial killer loose in London. One notable scene has Novello pacing back and forth in his room while the family with whom he is lodging listen in the room below. How on earth do you communicate the sound of someone pacing if you can’t hear it? You do what Hitchcock did and film Novello pacing on sheet glass, then superimpose it over the ceiling so it looks as though we can see through the ceiling to the room above.

It is this inventive spirit that marks the silent filmmakers as true pioneers, and also a good source of inspiration for writers. Think about what you’re trying to communicate, and how you’re going to communicate it, and ask yourself… is there a more inventive way of doing so?

Check Your Pacing

Without dialogue to puncture the silence, early films couldn’t rely on lengthy speeches or conversations to pass the time. Films had to be short due to the technical capabilities of the equipment, but few viewers would sit through a film rife with pacing problems. D W Griffith’s Birth of a Nation ran at just over three hours long, but his tendency to focus on imagery for imagery’s sake left the film feeling tedious and self-indulgent. Writers can fall into the same trap, either by rattling off reams of purple prose, or by getting bogged down in dialogue and “witty” exchanges that soon become staid. A balance between the two should always be sought, and always ensure that your pacing remains even – try passing your work to a trusted reader, and if they find some passages too fast or slow, then double check to the balance between dialogue and prose.

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Do you find that cinema principles can help enrich your writing? Please share your thoughts and comments below!

Images courtesy of Awards Daily and The Hitchcock Project.

Why Paris? – The Magic & The Mundane (Part II)

2012-01-31T04:41:42Z

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Today’s post follows on from yesterday’s Writing Spaces article. Here Cynthia Morris looks closer at the individual spaces of the authors, and how they have found life as a writer in the City of Love.

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What about your writing space must you have?

Janet Skeslien Charles Absolute quiet at home or good coffee in a café. I love notebooks and pens. Le Thé des Ecrivains has lovely notebooks and my newest pen is part porcelain.

Bibliotheque Nationale

I’ve also been going to the Bibliothèque Nationale, right across the river from my apartment. You can’t check anything out of the BN, and a year pass in the research section is 60 euros. There are few distractions. At home, I can check my email, tidy up, make yet another cup of tea, or call a friend, but at the Library, I have to focus. I only stay for an hour to ninety minutes, but do get a lot of writing done in that time.

Heather Stimmler-Hall Sometimes I’ll take notes on the metro, but I can’t get any serious work done anywhere but my own desk on my computer. I like to have my music, my cup of hot tea, my Burt’s Bees chap stick, and my little doggies Pedro & Lena snoozing in their basket nearby.

Katy Masuga I grew up without much, sometimes not even a bed. So to define my needs in terms of, well, anything beyond being alive feels slightly disingenuous. I happen to live in a studio which is in a turret literally overlooking the Eiffel Tower. This round room is part of the intended apartment from Last Tango in Paris, though the interior shots in the film are elsewhere.

Cara Black A pencil. I like the French mechanical pencils. I’m always making notes. Ideas come to me as I walk. Using my laptop, I write at the kitchen table. I work at different times of the day.

I also listen to French music when I write to help me remember what I saw and felt while researching in Paris. When I started writing, my son was small. I had to grab writing time when I found it.

Mary Duncan I must have natural light. Maybe that’s because I come from Southern California. Sometimes I go to Café de la Mairie on rue St. Sulpice. I go upstairs there to read manuscripts or to write longhand. It’s quiet there and you see other writers and editors there.

What writing challenge have you had to overcome?

H S-H In my travel writing career the hardest challenge has been differentiating myself as a professional journalist among the growing sea of bloggers who write as a hobby. Pithy observations and witty commentary may be fun to write, but it’s not journalism. Good travel writing should be well written, accurate, and useful. That requires quite a bit of real work and fact checking in person, not just online. It’s the unglamorous side of travel writing, but it’s the most important, as well.

Other than that, there’s the age-old writing challenge of actually writing. I wrote my first professional news article 18 years ago, and it’s just as hard today as it was back then. But like Paris, the rewards of being a writer are worth the effort!

CB When writing a series, the challenge is to keep the stories fresh. How to keep my character’s motivations personal. Aimee has to evolve throughout the series and has to be familiar.

It’s really important to use sensory detail to bring the reader to Paris. Smell is easiest to write, and my challenge is I can write in too many scents. Touch is really important and also difficult to write.

JSC I haven’t overcome it yet: my second novel. A project dear to my heart that I have worked on for several years has just gone back into the drawer, and I am moving on rather than overcoming. There are no guarantees in writing or in life. Even with hard work and the best intentions, there are setbacks.

KM The question can obviously be taken many ways. I’m in the process of transitioning from publishing in academic writing to literary, and, although I don’t find the writing to be a challenge per se – I have always done both – , I am having to learn a whole new field in terms of publication.

MD It’s very easy for me to have too many irons in the fire. Then I don’t get any of them done. Also being able to block out the ‘other’. This is where discipline comes in.

What Paris myths have you found to be untrue?

MD People think they can come to Paris and write the Great American Novel. The myth is that city will give you the energy and environment to do it; the truth is you need to create that energy for yourself.

Gertrude Stein's Courtyard Entry

H S-H The idea that Parisians don’t like to work. I think every culture has its lazy contingent, and in Paris they get a lot of attention with their protest marches.

But the small business owners I meet daily in my work — hotel owners, restaurant workers, tour operators, and small boutique owners — are some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met. They’re too busy to go on strike, don’t expect government handouts, and aren’t planning on retiring at 60 years old.

JSC It is disappointing to hear people talk about how rude Parisians are, because for the most part, I find that people here are lovely.

KM Well, by definition all myths are untrue. As for Paris, I think that any city eventually becomes ‘real’, in the sense of gritty and bureaucratic, once you allow yourself to move beyond the surface of idealized images.

Anyone who makes the choice to live here learns that fact quite quickly and generally finds it annoying when casual visitors make the typical references to being enamored with a place that doesn’t exist but in their minds.

At the same time, expats are perhaps guilty of this mystification more than the rest. After all, it is precisely despite the ‘gritty and bureaucratic’ that we remain here and sustain our own image of the city as simultaneously beautiful and actual, imaginary and abrasive, comfortable and yet dreamily elusive.

What about your writing space?

Many thanks to these writers for contributing their time and sharing their experience. I loved doing these interviews because my work is devoted to helping people do their creative work. I’m fascinated about what circumstances provide the best environment for our work.

Answer these questions for yourself, for where you live and what’s vital for your writing process. You might be surprised at your answers! Please share them in a comment below.

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Images courtesy of Frits de Jong and Cynthia Morris

Why Paris? – The Magic & The Mundane of the City of Love

2012-01-24T11:15:49Z

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Paris has long been a place where writers and artists sought political and creative refuge. Vladmir Nabakov, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce and Janet Flanner all moved to Paris hoping to thrive in a city that both inspires and challenges.

As a lifelong francophile, Paris has rooted in my own imagination as a place that offers more vitality. I’ve been fascinated by the city’s influence on the creative pioneer, and have spent hours in Paris researching for my novel.

Curious to see if the myth of Paris as a refuge for writers still sticks, I interviewed a handful of authors to see what the city of lights does for their writing.

Today we meet the authors, and I ask them the eternal question, “Why Paris?”. We also delve a little deeper into how Paris, like any other surrounding or Writer’s Space, inspires, influences and helps their writing.

The authors are :

Heather Stimmler-Hall leads private tours and publishes the popular web site Secrets of Paris. She’s the author of many Paris guidebooks including Naughty Paris and the recently published Naughty New York.

Janet Skeslien Charles is the author of Moonlight in Odessa and lives and writes in Paris.

Mary Duncan is the author of Henry Miller Is Under My Bed. Mary lives in Paris and founded the Paris Writers Group.

Cara Black is the author of the popular Aimee LeDuc detective series. Each book is set in a different neighborhood in Paris, such as Murder in the Marais.

Katy Masuga is a professor and author of the recently released books Henry Miller and How He Got That Way and The Secret Violence of Henry Miller.

Why Paris?

H S-H This is just where I ended up 16 years ago, more by chance than any grand scheme. I’ve been trying to make the best of it ever since, because even though it’s not the easiest place to live and work, it’s certainly the most rewarding, in my experience.

CB I’ve had a long love affair with France. My father was a Francophile and my household had a lot to do with France. When I first came here, I realized how much there is here. I’ll never get tired of it. I’ll never be French or totally understand this culture. I’d wanted to write for a long time but it wasn’t until I was passionate about something that I was able to write.

JSC Like many people, I moved here ‘for a year’ and just decided to stay…

KM It might be just as easy to say ‘because I studied French literature, in part, in graduate school’, but of course that simply postpones the question, creating a diversion toward another question. I wanted to explore what was unfamiliar. I wanted to become part of the world unknown to me through both space and time – namely, travel and study. I earned a PhD in Comparative Literature with a focus on early 20th century expatriate literature, specifically writers who came from abroad and lived in Paris, drawn in their own ways to finding that world of otherness in oneself.

MD Paris nourishes my soul. When I visited in the 80s, I said, someday I am going to live in Paris and write what I want (as opposed to writing as an academic). It takes a lot of gumption to move to a new place. I think it requires a lot of questioning about why you aren’t happy where you are.

How Does Paris Inspires Your Writing?

H S-H I’ve wanted to be a writer as long as I can remember. But back in 7th grade when I was about 12 years old, my English teacher made it clear that writing wasn’t a “real” job, so I decided to become a journalist. When I arrived in Paris as a college student, I couldn’t help but notice how the French take writing — and writers — seriously. There’s a respect for the profession here that I never saw in the United States where every writer (except those who are already wildly successful like Stephen King) is dismissed with a “And what’s your day job?”

Even though I’m still more of a journalist than a novelist (I’m working on it!), I think the atmosphere here is much more conducive to a serious writing career than it was for me back in the States.

CB There are the big stereotypes. I don’t see that though. I write about what I see. Paris is still charming, outside of the stereotypes. I’m always discovering things, like the doll hospital down the street.

JSC I find it incredibly hard to concentrate on writing in Paris, there are so many wonderful distractions in the form of cafes, readings, work, life…

KM My view is extraordinary, and, once again, I am privileged with a feeling of paradoxical simultaneity: I am constantly thrust into the vibrant rush of the city, yet I remain in my own private space.

It’s a great writing space for me, because I have always felt that I should be out more in the world even though I prefer to be alone most of the time. This way, I have the pleasure of feeling like I’m among the crowds, when in fact I’m simply perched in my tower. I do like the quiet, but I also like the energy of the world moving around me.

MD Paris does feed your senses. But a lot of places have that. We have to feed ourselves. For me, a lot of what Paris gives me is the people. I started the Paris Writers’ Group, because I missed the writers’ group I was part of in San Diego.

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Tomorrow we continue our tour of Paris through the eyes of our writers, including the many myths (true or otherwise) about Paris as well as the challenges that living in a new, vibrant city can bring to your work. We also take a little bit of a closer look at the individual writing spaces of our authors, the little corners of Paris they have carved out and made their own.

Before tomorrow’s article, please share with us the cities and places that inspire you and your writing. If you’ve been to Paris, what did you think of it?

Images courtesy of Moyan Brenn and Cynthia Morris.

‘The War of Art’ – A Must-Have Creative Bible for Writers & Everyone Else

2012-01-18T09:47:53Z

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The War of Art:
Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

by Steven Pressfield

Resistance has me. Chances are Resistance has you, too.

Resistance is that indefinable force that keeps us from accomplishing what we have inside. If your goal is to train for a marathon, Resistance keeps us on the couch. If your goal is to lose weight, Resistance says, “that dessert looks delicious.” If my goal is to write this post about a book I hold dear, Resistance tells me it is impossible to live up to the power of The War of Art. Resistance has declared war on my success.

There is one book in my house that doesn’t have a home on the shelf. No, it’s not my bible, per se. Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art lives on my desk. That is its home. That is my battleground. That is where I need it most. It is my creative bible; that source of daily inspiration; that push to get (and keep) me going.

Steven Pressfield has written this guide to help you identify Resistance in your life and beat it! Yes, this is a writing guide, it is written for writers and is about a writer, but it is so much more! The wisdom in The War of Art can be used to help you accomplish any goal you set for yourself. The key is beating Resistance, that force that keeps you from living up to your potential.

Do you have a budding writer/artist/designer/developer/photographer/dancer/anything inside you, fighting to get out?

Then this book is for you!

Aims

Esquire magazine said of The War of Art, “A vital gem… a kick in the ass.” And it is just that. Steven Pressfield draws from his own life as a writer and gives you the road map to get yourself moving. This isn’t a practical, “here’s how to write as I do” guide. This is inspiration and motivation with a hint of practicality… not at writing, but at life!

On the foggy morning, the weary troops have gathered. The enemy, Resistance, is a daunting one. It will not fall without a fight. Pressfield takes the stage and give you that inspiring pep talk to head into battle. Resistance can be beaten. The battle can be won. The War of Art is your motivation to head into the skirmish with your eye on the prize.

Pros vs Cons

With each “chapter” being only a few paragraphs (most less than a page), the information in The War of Art is easily referenced for a quick burst of inspiration and advice. Its logical organization and thorough explanation of its subjects through personal and relatable examples makes it so mesmerizing you’ll think Pressfield wrote the book just for you! Honestly, for me, the only downside to this book was that the skills it teaches didn’t come sooner in my life.

Pros

Cons

Logical Organization
Quick Reference
Personal, Relatable Examples
Motivational

Limited Practical Information
Takes Work to Put Into Practice
Has an End!

PI Scale

* Since most writer’s guides vary in a range from practical advice to inspirational wisdom, I have developed the Practical/Inspirational (PI) scale. I feel these qualities rank on a continuum rather than exist exclusively. While a book may certainly have both qualities, the included graphic is meant to illustrate where I personally rate this book on the Practical/Inspirational continuum.

The War of Art is pure inspiration! There is definitely a practical side, but that is only minimally about writing. The skills herein are about life; about overcoming your obstacles, and, as the subtitle reads, winning “your inner creative battles.”

Conclusion

I reference The War of Art on a daily basis. Our frequent readers have no doubt seen a few of my comments that talk about it. When giving advice or offering suggestions, no matter what the subject, I will frequently turn to Steven Pressfield’s words. And to those in your life you wish to encourage, this makes a wonderful gift.

Steven Pressfield took his pen and gave us a mighty weapon in the war against Resistance. Whatever that daunting force is you are facing, whatever is keeping you from being the best you that you can be, it can be defeated. The War of Art is your guide to victory!

On a Personal Note

I wish this post could do justice to this book. I don’t know that anything could. This book changed my life. My wish for you is that it will do the same. Unfortunately, no one can be told how The War of Art is. You have to read it for yourself.

Stay tuned, as next time I will be reviewing another personal favorite: Stephen King’s On Writing.

Do You Use Your Words for Good?

2012-01-17T11:06:25Z

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It is sometimes easy to forget the power that words can have.

We deal with them day in and day out, they are our bricks and mortar, the things which we use and manipulate for work or for pleasure. Some of us use them to create new worlds, fictional places where new characters breath life. Some of us use our words to persuade, to sell, to convince people of the merits of a new product or service. Sometimes we use our words to change the opinions of others, or to defend our own.

A recent entry from the wonderful Letters of Note reminded me of the power that our words can have. Specifically, the power to give hope, and to remind someone that all is not lost, even when things look bleak.

The post contains a letter written by the author E.B. White, in response to a letter from a fan that questioned White on the dark future of the human race as he saw it. White’s response is short and simple, but his few well-chosen words contain a power in them that goes far beyond a couple of words on a page.

As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us, in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness.

I wanted to share this letter with you (you can read the full thing over at Letters of Note – please do!) as a reminder that the words we use every day contain a power, and the things we can do with them can be incredible. As writers we are skilled in their use, and should act accordingly.

Use your words for good. Whatever that might be.

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Do you use your words for good? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Image courtesy of theroamincatholic.

“Write What You Know” Does Not Mean What You Think It Does

2012-01-13T10:55:24Z

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If you’ve ever read anything about writing, chances are that at some stage you’ll have encountered the maxim that you should ‘write what you know’. It’s at this point that some writers will throw up their hands and declare that nothing interesting ever happens to them, so what can they possibly write about? It can also lead you into dangerous territory if you decide to turn real events into fiction – if you don’t disguise your characters well enough, it can land you in hot water with the real life protagonists if they don’t come out of the fiction in a positive light. So how on earth can you navigate this treacherous terrain and write about what you know without upsetting, or boring, anyone?

I’ll let you into a secret.

Writing what you know is not as black-and-white as it first appears. If you’re a receptionist in a busy office, you don’t have to write about the drudgery of admin. If you’re a mechanic, you don’t need to set all of your stories in a garage. What you can do is transpose situations in which you find yourself into fictional settings, regardless of genre!

Take those characters and situations and put them in a different context. Use events from your life as the basis of events for your characters. We’ve all been to weddings and office functions, and we’ve all had a first day at school or in a new job – those are experiences you know but, more importantly, they’re experiences a reader can relate to.

Deeper Implications of ‘Write What You Know’

Don’t take it so literally – I’m pretty sure Tolkien didn’t have to go to Middle Earth, and JK Rowling never went to Hogwarts! The fundamental fact is that what you know is humanity, and how the world works, and human nature is fundamentally the same. While we all have different drives, desire, fears and goals, we have the same basic needs. The setting is just window dressing – as in the first two points, the characters need to be believable, even if they aren’t based in our reality.

Put Everyday People into Unusual Situations

Maybe you see the same people on your daily commute, and you’ve invented back stories for them. You could write a story about bored commuters, with the themes of apathy and ennui in the modern city, but that’s too obvious. Think sideways – those characters could be downtrodden victims of an oppressive state in a post-apocalyptic dystopian tale, or maybe they’re robotic workers in a science fiction adventure.

Maybe you went to a wedding recently, but you don’t want to write about an average twenty-first century wedding. That wedding might have taken place in the sixteenth century, or perhaps it took place in a fantasy setting, attended by warriors and elven priests.

Use Yourself as Your Protagonist

One of the stumbling blocks a lot of new writers face is that of characterisation. Lead characters can appear as composites of well-known characters, or they appear as ‘Mary Sue’ characters, those figures that are too good to be true. A good example of a Mary Sue character would be Twilight’s Bella – instantly popular at a new school, inexplicably attractive to all males and possessed of a special ability that grants her immunity from vampire powers. That makes for a dull character.

However, if you use yourself as a basis, you can include character flaws you might not admit to in real life, and you can base your character’s reactions to an event on how you would react in the same position. The character will be more believable because it’s based on a real person – you.

Use a Hobby to Inform Your Writing

If you’re an amateur artist, or you have a passion for 1940s social history, then use them to inform your writing. Lawyers tend to write legal thrillers and medical professionals are more likely to write scientific dramas than chick lit but it doesn’t have to stop at your profession. Interesting or unusual hobbies can be a goldmine of ideas, and if it’s something you know well, then yes, you are writing what you know. If you give your character the same unusual hobby, they’re more likely to stick in a reader’s mind than a character who likes watching TV or chatting over dinner.

Location. Location. Location.

It’s true that a lot of fiction is set in major or famous locations – consider the number of books set in LA, New York, London or even Paris. Even if you’ve never been, you probably know enough from movies to be able to write something set in a generic New York neighbourhood, or involving London’s West End.

How boring.

Why not use an area you know well instead? Perhaps you were raised in a small village, or you currently live in a quirky, bohemian neighbourhood. You can change the names if you want and turn the location into something more inventive, or maybe you want to make the place famous. Other people who live in or know the area will read your story due to the local interest, and those unfamiliar with the place will get a good feel for it – and may even want to visit. Even if you hate the place and expose it warts and all, you’re still writing what you know – which means writing with conviction.

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What about you? What do you understand by the phrase ‘write what you know’, and do you do so yourself? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Images courtesy of Matthias Rhomberg and WriteByNight.net.

Giant Frozen Skeleton: Weird & Wonderful Writing Prompts

2012-01-09T08:55:17Z

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Writing prompts can be found all over the Internet, from single words to pictures to scenarios. Hey, a writing prompt doesn’t even have to be a “Writing Prompt” to be a writing prompt – anything can be used to kick off a piece of writing. But it’s nice when some thought has been put into something which is meant to kick start someone’s imagination.

This weekend I came across a new feature on the sci-fi/fantasy/science/tech/geek site io9 – Concept Art Writing Prompts. What I really like about it is that the pictures will most likely be weird and wonderful – a step up perhaps from a lot of ordinary and mundane prompts you might come across.

This is the first – a fantastically bizarre and playful image titled “Autopsy Lake”, by illustrator John Hendrix. It’s so wonderfully over-the-top that I’m sure it won’t fail to spure you into a story, even if it’s just a quick piece of flash fiction.

I think this will become a great resource for writing prompts, although at one a week it will grow slowly. It will be perfect though for the writer wishing to write a story a week perhaps, follow along and take your cue from io9 each week. The site always shows amazing and interesting artwork, so I am sure this feature will be no exception.

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What do you think of this feature? Do you know any other sites with similarly interesting and unique writing prompts? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Image courtesy of io9.

Book Review: Talk Normal

2012-01-03T23:23:07Z

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Talk Normal

by Tim Phillips

Born from a successful blog, Talk Normal takes on the frustrations of dealing with business jargon, HR speak, made-up corporate words and coded, confusing writing with a heavy dose of humor. Tim Phillips introduces his project, Talk Normal facilitates information delivery through multiple media formats and monetizes eyeballs.

Phillips’ sense of humor will have you laughing out loud as you read examples of the rise of jargon phrases such as “going forward,” “reach out” and “onboarding.” Not only is this language sometimes downright foolish, it can be difficult to understand and even actively exclude those not “in the know,” which makes collaboration difficult. Other types of business speak slow productivity with waffling statements that don’t really mean anything.

Be Clear

Talk Normal’s core message is that it’s very easy to make a simple message complicated, but difficult to make a complex idea easy to understand. Phillips boils down his philosophy to three major points:

speak and write to be understood by everyone who listens or reads it
don’t try to sound clever for no reason
you need a clear message and train of thought before attempting to express it to others

Your Funny Friend during Frustration

This book is not a writing manual. It doesn’t give techniques or examples to write your next report more effectively. On the other hand, Phillips offers useful guidelines and ample examples for discerning jargon from the real message, while showcasing the negative consequences of the jargon.

Reading Talk Normal reminds you that you’re not alone. If buzzwords, unintelligible emails or corporate waffle are making you miserable, Phillips is great company.

Pros vs. Cons

Phillips powerfully illustrates the rise of jargon and breaks down why this is a problem. As you read through the many examples and types of “business-speak,” you learn to discern their consequences and recognize when others use it. More importantly, you’ll begin to realize when you default to jargon instead of talking normally and addressing what you really need to.

Talk Normal’s humorous examples, graphs and illustrations make this a very quick and enjoyable read. You’ll laugh along the way and will probably find yourself reaching for this book after frustrating presentations or meetings for a quick laugh.

Pros:
• Detailed explanations of why jargon and buzzwords damage business and productivity in different ways
• Easy to understand
• Highly humorous and fun to read
• You’ll learn to recognize jargon straight away – when others use it and when you do

Cons:
• Not enough practical examples, strategies or techniques of how to “talk normal”
• No examples of effective business writing that does not use jargon
• The nuances that separate professional writing from other forms is not addressed

PI Scale

Phillips offers a great read for anyone looking to commiserate or chuckle about annoying business speak. Its practical qualities come from discerning the jargon from the real message and practicing expressing what you need to say without relying on buzzwords.

Conclusion

Talk Normal is a great read for those who are frustrated with business babble and need to be reminded that they are not alone. When it’s paired with a practical business writing book or manual that breaks down the characteristics of effective and professional communication, you’ll have all you need to get the results you want without being annoying.

Little Things: Focus on Details to Bring Your Writing to Life

2012-01-04T09:35:49Z

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God is in the details, or so they say. The more I read, the more I find this to be especially true in writing. If you want to write a convincing, engaging story that lives and breathes, then make the details count. They may only be little things, but they make a huge difference.

Writing = Telepathy

“Look – here’s a table covered with a red cloth. On it is a cage the size of a small fish aquarium. In the cage is a white rabbit with a pink nose and pink-rimmed eyes. In its front paws is a carrot-stub on which it is contentedly munching. On its back, clearly marked in blue ink, is the numeral 8.”

The above passage is from Stephen King’s On Writing, where he describes writing as telepathy. And, y’know, I think I agree with him. Okay, what you see in your mind when you read that passage won’t be e-x-a-c-t-l-y the same as what King sees, or what I see, but you certainly see the table, red cloth, cage, rabbit and especially that number 8. He sent them to you, and you saw them. The specific details, such as any lace or otherwise on the cloth, or the exact dimensions of the cage, are irrelevant. You got the key things. And that one detail that stands out, bold and true, is that strange number 8. When you read that sentence, you can’t not see the blue 8.

Take one strong, bold detail, and put it into your writing, and you will be in no doubt that the telepathy between you and your reader will work.

Too Much?

Putting a few key details like this in your writing is much better than trying to cram in as much as possible. I’m thinking particularly about description here. It is far to easy to think that you must fill your world with every single little piece of description and detail, but it can get tedious, pointless and boring very quick, and will turn your reader away. Particularly in our digital world today, where you really are vying for attention with lots of other distractions and attractions. Back in the Victorian era, writers like Dickens did fill his writing with pages of description. But, a) he was writing at a different time, and b) he was a bit of a genius.

Another exception I would put here, and a great example of clever (over)use of detail, would be Bret Easton Ellis in his book American Psycho. The protagonist Patrick Bateman describes every little detail he sees – particularly of clothes, grooming products and business cards, and while it grates on some readers, I think they actually bring the novel to life as they are part of the very essence of the story, focused as it is on a vacuous, appearance-obsessed world.

Ground The Words

Sometimes, you might have a character talking for quite a long time. This in itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing – they might be telling a story to another character, perhaps. Also, it is often far better to reveal the story through dialogue, following the old adage of “show, don’t tell”. The problem, however, with having a character talking a lot is that the reader may begin to lose sense of actually where the character is, and where the story is taking place. Obviously, you don’t want this – but a single piece of detail, of an action, can make all the difference.

Take George R.R. Martin’s epic and brilliant A Song of Ice and Fire. I’m currently reading the third book in the series, A Storm of Swords, where at one point a character is telling an old folk tale to her group of travellers as they walk through the mountains of the North. There is obviously a lot of dialogue here, but read her response to a question below to see what Martin does:

“She was,” said Meera, hopping over a stone, “but there were others fairer still. One was the wife of the dragon prince, who’d brought a dozen lady companions to attend her. The knights all begged them for favors to tie about their lances.”

By dropping in this simple action amidst the dialogue, Martin grounds his character’s words in the scene, retaining the sense of place for the reader as Meera tells her story.

The Senses

The best way to make sure you focus on the details in your story, to bring the world and your characters to life, is to write with the 5 senses – Taste, Touch, Sound, Sight and Smell – in mind. As a follow-up from this article, I am going to write a series of five posts looking at each of the senses in turn, discussing how you can use them in your own stories to make them come alive. Look out for them over the coming weeks!

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I hope this article has helped you look at the details of your own story. Please share your thoughts, and perhaps some of your favourite examples of clever detail in stories, in the comments section below!

Images courtesy of Trey Ratcliff and Guiri Reyes.

Writers’ Resolutions – Make a Public Promise, Here!

2012-01-02T13:59:35Z

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New Year’s Resolutions are the fine porcelain vessels in which we plan to keep our better selves: they look great but are tricky to handle and broken all too easily. Yet year on year people make them, fully prepared to watch them shatter all too quickly. Now is the time of year when we fly in the face of reality to make bold, beautiful ideas, yet somehow that burning idealism in which they’re fired soon dies away. The passion cools, and by the middle of the year we’re so busy looking back that we forget we were looking forward.

We make New Year’s Resolutions as a coping mechanism – a way to make sense of the vast amount of new space suddenly ahead of us; a way to give ourselves some small illusion of control and perspective over the coming year. Because imagine what you, especially you as a writer, could do in 12 months. All that potential. A vast blank space to fill with your creativity. A whole year….just think of the stories you could tell in that time. Surely it would be criminal to waste such a generous gift?

Make a Promise

Perhaps the inherent problem with resolutions is that promises made to oneself are decidedly hard to keep. Therefore, our idea on Fuel Your Writing was to offer up the comments section of this article as a pulpit, if you will, for you to publicly declare your own writing resolutions for the coming year. Make that promise, here, in front of your fellow writers. Seeing your resolution written out and shared in such a public place will help to solidify it in your mind, to make the promise real, concrete, and doable.

Mine?

Okay, okay, if I’m asking you to share your resolutions, it’s only fair that I do the same. So, this is me, making a public promise to write some fiction! I love writing short stories, but while I do plenty of writing every day, it is a long, long time since I last wrote any fiction. But, that will change this year!

So, that’s mine, what’s yours!?

Please share your writing resolutions in the comments section below!

Image courtesy of Flood Gondekow

Post-Christmas Grind: Getting Back into Your Writing Routine

2012-01-02T15:48:30Z

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Merry Christmas to all of our readers! We hope you had a great holiday, but if you’ve struggled to fit in your writing, Icy Sedgwick has some tips on getting back into the routine.

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No matter how good your intentions, sticking to a well-honed writing routine over Christmas is virtually impossible. Putting aside all of the time commitments involved in buying and wrapping presents, visiting friends and family, and preparing all that food, even if you do manage to sneak in some writing time, you’ll no doubt be met with cries of “Oh you’re not writing, are you? But it’s Christmas.”

Writers are lucky in that their chosen line of work is not only fun, it also offers a high degree of escapism, but sadly, many non-writers still think we’re chained to our laptops.

Of course, the problem you face after any interruption to a routine is finding a way back into it. Christmas offers a particularly large interruption due to the length of time it seems to last, and the fact that you’ll be trying to get back into other routines, not just those involving writing. Still, it must be done, so here are five suggestions of things you can do to get back into the swing of things!

Write ANYTHING for Ten Minutes

Yes, this one is fairly self-explanatory. Choose anything as a prompt, or just simply write about what you got for Christmas. It doesn’t matter what you’re writing, just make sure it’s constant for ten minutes. Don’t worry about what you’re writing, just write without pauses. Use a timer, or a website like Write or Die to keep you on track. It’s amazing how much simply writing to get the words out will get you back into the habit of writing.

Use a Current Project As a Prompt

If you’re in the middle of a longer project, try writing a flash or short story about a character other than the protagonist. If you don’t have something on the go, write about a character from a story you’ve already finished.

Use Movies to Inspire You

Chances are, you may have watched some great movies over the Christmas period. Write a missing scene, prologue or ending from a movie of your choice. Prose is fine, though if you want to write it in screenplay format that could keep you on your toes! It’s always beneficial to try writing in a different form to the one you’re used to.

Revisit Old Ideas

If you keep a notebook (and you should), flick through and browse those ideas you’ve jotted down in the past years. If none of them strike you as being good fodder for a flash, short story or even a novel, then choose a sentence at random and those that as a prompt for a story, poem or even a blog post.

Let the World Inspire You

Re-read something you’ve actually finished. Remember why you wrote it, and how much you enjoyed finishing it. Go for a walk and let your brain absorb everything around you – you might even do this just before you go out to check out the sales. Get back to your writing area feeling refreshed and ready to write!

Make sure you make a concerted effort to get back into your writing routine, but don’t push yourself too hard or your brain will rebel against you. Try one (or all, if you’re feeling brave) of these suggestions and see how it goes. 2012 is almost upon us and it would be a good way to establish a routine for the coming year if you got back into one now!

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How are you planning to start your 2012 writing with a bang? Please share you thoughts in the comments section below!

Image courtesy of Tamara Polajnar.

A Writer’s Christmas Carol: The Ghosts that Haunt Us

2011-12-12T12:04:41Z

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In the spirit of Christmas, Robert Smedley looks at the ghosts of Past, Present and Future, who haunt all writers just like they did poor Ebenezer Scrooge.

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Traditionally, Christmas is the time of year for a good ghost story. Perhaps the most famous and enduring one is ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. In this novel, old miser Ebenezer Scrooge had his spirits three, Past, Present, and Future, but so do writers. Three ‘ghosts’ of equal importance that you must know if you’re to be a better writer. Just think of me as your Jacob Marley, telling you that if you have any inclination to be a writer of any sort, these are the three things that will haunt you most…

The Ghost of Writing Past

Everything you’ve written, good and bad; all the words that have dried on the page; all the mistakes and triumphs, and all the lessons you’ve learned: The Ghost of Writing Past is completely of your creation and it is entirely unique. In other words, it is Experience. It’s an ally who will only become more and more important as you continue your writing career, so you need to understand it, otherwise it will become a detriment to you rather than a boon.

What does that involve? Well it can be easy to focus too much on one aspect of your experience, and that can lead you down the wrong path. Focus on your mistakes and rejections and you’ll rapidly drown in your own pity and talk yourself out of being a writer. Concentrate on your successes and you’ll become an insufferable big-head who overestimates their talent.

Both are damaging, so the trick is to use the see-saw principle: for every thing you think you’re bad at, think of one thing you’re good at. So the publisher you sent your manuscript to rejected you? At least you were proactive enough to send your manuscript to them in the first place. You’re not great at writing action? Maybe you’re good at writing dialogue. It’ll also help you identify your weaker areas, which you can work on when the second phantasm approaches…

The Ghost of Writing Present

This ghost represents everything you’re working on right now, and the importance of continually writing and trying to improve. In other words, the Ghost of Writing Present is the avatar of Dedication. And dedication is difficult. There are a thousand important things that can pull your from your course; family, work, friends, the dog needing its ear medicine, and a million unimportant things that’ll also challenge your best attention. But dedication can’t be faked, and if you’re serious about writing, whether as a therapeutic past time or a planned career, you’ll find a way – really, you will – to fit some writing time into your day, even if it’s just ten minutes.

Ten minutes can be great. Ten minutes can be the ‘hole in one’ swing. In ten minutes you can write down that perfect sentence or dream up that twisty plot device. Never underestimate the good you can do in ten minutes. If your dedication affords you more time than that, then fantastic – make sure to use it wisely.

You don’t have to use the time to write either, so long as you use it for something that will help with your writing; get together with another writer to sound off ideas and critique each other, go to a book/poetry reading, read a good article on writing. Just do something to get you enthused about writing and get the words from brain to page. Don’t bother making a writing timetable or anything that plans your writing further than a day ahead because I guarantee that within two weeks something will have come along to upset the precision of your plan. Seize whatever time you can, and think of what you can do in the moment you have to spare, because you never know what the Future will bring…

The Ghost of Writing Future

Perhaps the most frightening spectre of all, because it asks of you all the questions you’re probably avoiding answering, including:

Why are you writing?
Where you want to be in a year? Five years?
Where do you want your work to be?

Be brave enough to face the Spirit of the Future, answer those questions honestly and realistically, and you’ll be able to make a plan to become a better writer. The best way to do this is to actually write your goals down on a piece of paper, then stick that piece of paper somewhere you can see it, if not all the time then at least from time to time. Above your writing space, on the fridge, on a t-shirt your significant other can wear… whatever, just put it in eyesight. If you’re just writing for fun and have no plan, then that’s fine and the Ghost of Writing Future holds no fear over you. But if you’re serious about getting published, then write that goal down, and follow it with the ways you can set about achieving it. Planning is the only way to chase the scary spook of the future away, and with a clear destination in your head you’ll have something extra to fuel your writing.

So now you know these spirits better, and that they weren’t so mysterious all along. Experience, Dedication, Planning. That’s all they are. I trust you to have the talent already. You’ll be haunted by these spirits from time to time, but don’t fear it when you are – worrying about those three things is a sign that you’re a passionate and dedicated writer. If you weren’t then you wouldn’t pay them the slightest attention. So embrace them, deal with them, and use them to become better.

And above all, have a very Merry Christmas!

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Have you recognised these ghosts haunting your writing? How have you dealt with them? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Images courtesy of the author.

Some Awesome Gifts for Writers This Christmas

2011-12-09T15:20:42Z

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With just over two weeks to go until Christmas, here are some awesome gifts that you can get for the writer friends in your life, or maybe just to treat yourself!

Field Notes Notebooks

Every writer should carry a notebook with them at all times, to capture those moments when inspiration hits. These Field Note notebooks have a gorgeous old-school aesthetic. And if you want to get someone an extra special gift, and can get on before they all sell out(!), why not buy one of Field Note’s latest limited ‘Northerly‘ editions.

Pocket Dept notebooks

Another brand of simple, gorgeous notebooks are made by Pocket Dept. They’re inspired by vintage stationary and different versions are made to suit different pockets, depending on where you like to carry them.

Quiver Leather Pen Holder

Obviously, a writer needs to carry something to write in that notebook they carry everywhere. These pen “quivers” are made from quality leather, come in several sizes, and fit a range of popular brand notebooks from Moleskine to Rhodia.

Metal Pen

There are so many different pens to chose from out there, but I’ve never seen one like this. The Metal Pen is just that, completely metal. Completely metal, stainless steel, including the nib. This pen doesn’t need ink to write, but writes by leaving a tiny, tiny amount of metal on the paper. This means that this pen will always write, you won’t run out of ink. So quirky, and so cool.

They have also released a keychain version, which is only 5.5cm long, perfect for carrying with you to jot down notes.

Awesome Stationery

Honestly, pretty much anything from this site is sure to please the writers in your life. A lot of writers have an unhealthy obsession with stationery, and the quirky and interesting items from the brilliant Present & Correct site are sure to please.

Bookmarker Flag Pen & Bookmark

For writers who do a lot of research for their stories, this would be a perfect present. The Bookmarker combines a pen for annotating with a handy sticky-note dispenser, as well as being able to save your place. It’s thin enough to be its own bookmark!

Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils

Some people like pens, other people love pencils. Me; I’m a pen guy, but these recently rereleased pencils, a tribute to the iconic Eberhard-Faber Blackwing pencils discontinued in 1998, are absolutely beautiful. I haven’t had the pleasure of writing with them yet, but they are often described as the best pencil ever made. Just by looking at them might give you a clue as to why.

Pocketo Desk-It Calendar

We writers can often find organization of our work a bit tricky. Especially if we have multiple projects on the go, or a busy family life to work around, or a day job to go to. The Desk-It from Poketo is a combination of sticky note and calendar, and looks like a great (and pretty darn stylish) way to stay on top of things.

The Elements of Style, Strunk & White

If you know a writer in your life who doesn’t already own this classic book on writing, get them it! Considered the quintessential (and essential!) style manual, its advice is as relevant and valuable today as it was when the book was first released over 90 years ago.

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Hope you all get some awesome gear this Christmas to help your writing!

Fuel Your Writing

233 Well-Chosen Words Can Take You to The Moon

… And Then The Beckhams Paid Off Our Mortgage

The Story

The Explanation

The Kicker

The Lesson

‘The Artist’ Will Make You A Better Writer

Show, Don’t Tell

No Info Dumps!

Do You Really Need Back Story?

Be Inventive

Check Your Pacing

Why Paris? – The Magic & The Mundane (Part II)

What about your writing space must you have?

What writing challenge have you had to overcome?

What Paris myths have you found to be untrue?

What about your writing space?

Why Paris? – The Magic & The Mundane of the City of Love

Why Paris?

How Does Paris Inspires Your Writing?

‘The War of Art’ – A Must-Have Creative Bible for Writers & Everyone Else

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

Aims

Pros vs Cons

Pros

Cons

PI Scale

Conclusion

On a Personal Note

Do You Use Your Words for Good?

“Write What You Know” Does Not Mean What You Think It Does

Deeper Implications of ‘Write What You Know’

Put Everyday People into Unusual Situations

Use Yourself as Your Protagonist

Use a Hobby to Inform Your Writing

Location. Location. Location.

Giant Frozen Skeleton: Weird & Wonderful Writing Prompts

Book Review: Talk Normal

Talk Normal

Be Clear

Your Funny Friend during Frustration

Pros vs. Cons

PI Scale

Conclusion

Little Things: Focus on Details to Bring Your Writing to Life

Writing = Telepathy

Too Much?

Ground The Words

The Senses

Writers’ Resolutions – Make a Public Promise, Here!

Make a Promise

Mine?

Post-Christmas Grind: Getting Back into Your Writing Routine

Write ANYTHING for Ten Minutes

Use a Current Project As a Prompt

Use Movies to Inspire You

Revisit Old Ideas

Let the World Inspire You

A Writer’s Christmas Carol: The Ghosts that Haunt Us

The Ghost of Writing Past

The Ghost of Writing Present

The Ghost of Writing Future

Some Awesome Gifts for Writers This Christmas

The War of Art:
Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles