In movies, the writer has a typewriter or laptop click clacking away, drafting until they write the words “The End”. The author sends the book to their agent who instantly sends it to the publishing company and voila, a book is printed and on the shelf of every bookstore ever. The novel becomes a best[…]
Tag: #writingadvice
Antagonists: Mental Illness is an Overdone and Ableist Trope
I recently had a fellow writer comment that Roi, the antagonist for Warrior Tithe, gave them “Ramsay Bolton vibes”. I took it as a compliment. A character readers love to hate. However, I want to say this. Cu Roi mac Daire is a legendary figure from The Ulster Cycle, not someone suffering from mental illness.[…]
Writer Talk: Planning 2021
These are my goals. What are your plans for 2021?
On Genre: Where Does My Werewolf Story Belong?
Traditionally, a werewolf in a story earned a book a spot on the shelf of the horror section of a bookstore. However, today there are many genres that include supernatural, potentially monstrous creatures that are not inherently cursed or evil. Categorizing a werewolf story is depends on the plot, not the supernatural creature. For example,[…]
Back Up Your Work: A Cautionary Tale
Writers like to use different programs to get their work down. Microsoft Word being the most common. I personally switch between Word and Google Docs, but I own Scrivener. I use Scrivener for the planning stages of a book, the notes, the outline, little character cards, etc. It’s a lot better than my wall looking[…]
Writer Talk: Multiple Projects
Currently I have three documents open: Eastside Faerie, Warrior Tithe, and a new short story called Galactic Emporium of Delight. I’m working my way through, writing a chapter at a time on each. I have no prescheduled time dedicated to any of them. I do, however, have a time I sit down to write every[…]
Struggling with Imposter Syndrome? You’re Not Alone
After dickering around writing and doing nothing with it for years, about five years ago, I decided to take writing seriously. I started attending classes and workshops to improve. I had the audacity to assume that I could put out better work than what was out there. I thought I could be like Toni Morrison[…]
Opening Lines
When I was new to writing, I’d read that an author should make the first line the best. It’s your hook, so make it memorable. Another book said an author should sum up the entirety of their book in the first line. I thought that the second was absurd and you couldn’t possibly do both….then[…]
What Does Genre Mean to a Writer?
Anyone old enough to remember card catalogues, remembers learning the Dewy Decimal System–a library’s classification system based on subject. Dewey Decimal Classifications: 000 – Computer science, information & general works 100 – Philosophy & psychology 200 – Religion 300 – Social sciences 400 – Language 500 – Pure Science 600 – Technology 700 – Arts & recreation 800 – Literature 900 – History & geography[…]
Writing Stories with Multiple Points of View: 4 Quick Tips
If you read this blog, I wrote an article about POV a few weeks back. If you don’t know what POV is start here: https://tammydeschamps.com/2020/10/29/point-of-view-pov-an-important-choice-in-story-craft/ For those who do, let’s move on to the 4 tips: Don’t “head hop” flitting like a butterfly from one character’s perspective to the next. Head hopping, or an omniscient[…]
NaNoWriMo Day 10: Writer’s Block
Have you ever had a really good dream, but your bodily functions wake you? After you take care of necessities and climb back into bed and you can’t quite get comfortable again and you try really hard to get back into that dream and sink into bliss. It keeps you awake because you just can’t[…]
NaNoWriMo Day 8: Why I’m Okay with Hitting Shy of the Mark
In the chart above, you can see that my daily word count is like Zoro’s signature mark, zig zagging. But, on a daily basis, I’m hitting either the mark or just below. I’m okay with not hitting the word count every day. I’m okay with not ‘winning’ NaNoWriMo. Why? Because I’m writing every day. I’m[…]
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