Tag Archives: writing

A Year? But It ‘ s Too Short!

chit-chatting with Cat October 28, 2016 Leave a comment

Hello, folks! After much thought, I won't be doing NaNoWriMo like I was supposed to. It was making me too stressed out – it even made me lose my love for my story! So, this was no good for me (and my studies!). I also decided that my novel Nightshade deserved better. So, I have found a great alternative: Shaunta Grimes' A Novel Idea course! It is a year-long novel-writing course and I am so glad to be part of it. Shaunta Grimes is the author of the Viral Nation series, a YA dystopian. I'll take the whole year to write and polish my manuscript. This way, I'll be prouder of my work. I hope you all understand. With this said, know that tomorrow is Friday: your writing tip day!

 

P.S.: I'm still working on the surprises I talked to you about and the free ebook and workbook! 😉  

Ups and Downs and a Workbook Just For You

chit-chatting with Cat, Uncategorized October 25, 2016 Leave a comment

Hello, people!

I’m writing a short post only to tell you what’s going on. I’m still getting ready for NaNoWriMo, which is taking most of my time (I swear, if I could just—!)

Oh! There’s fun news: Remember that freebie I talked to you about?

Well, guess what? There’s ANOTHER freebie coming your way. Yes! It’s a workbook about how to create a vivid setting for your story. I’ll focus mainly on fantasy and sci-fi, but I guess you could apply it to any story. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.

I hope everything’s going well for you. As you can guess, my day has been… rough. But let’s push that aside, shall we?

Now, tell me, what types of workbooks would you be most interested in having? Do you like my idea of giving you a setting workbook?

I’d love to read your thoughts!

Comment below, please. 🙂

P.S.: Remember to stay tuned for Friday’s writing tip!

 

 

How to Choose the Right POV for Your Story

Tips October 22, 2016 Leave a comment

Hello, everyone!

Today, I’ll tackle a difficult topic for aspiring and experienced authors alike:

1

Are you excited? I am!

Let’s start with the basics. There are multiple points of views for you to choose; however, we’ll focus on making a decision between the third person omniscient, limited, and multiple and the first person points of views. Why? Because these four are the most used in novels (that I can see!). Also, they are my favorite, so I can talk about them.

But what are they?

The first person point of view is when we, the readers, experience the story through the character’s eyes. The character uses the pronouns ”I” and ”We” when describing things, people, and events to us. This is a hard one (but not impossible) to accomplish because the author needs to remove any proof of authorship, such as ”he said” and ”my eyes were gleaming with pride”. Why the second one? Simply because the character cannot see his/her own eyes! Unless they are staring at a mirror…

The third person limited point of view is when the narrator knows only what the character we are following knows. The narrator doesn’t give us much information besides what the (let’s call her ”main character”) main character can see, feel, touch, hear, and taste. For example, we cannot read about the other characters’ thoughts (unless the main character is psychic!) because they are out of the main character’s reach. This point of view uses ”he/she” to describe actions, characters, and events. It is also limited to only one character.

The third person omniscient point of view gives the narrator the right to use ”he/she” and to know everything about everyone and everything that’s happening in the story. The narrator is like God (or any deity of your choice), literally. It is infamous for being the ”lazy author’s point of view”, yet it is widely used in fiction.

The third person multiple point of view still uses ”he/she”, but the narrator can now switch between characters. The narrator’s challenge with this one is to make the switch obvious.

How to Choose

But how do you choose one point of view between so many possibilities? Here are my tips:

1- Trust your characters. Imagine them. Does one pop up the most? Does he/she have quite the personality? During the small exercise of imagining them, do you see glimpses of the story through their eyes or do you see your characters as though you were flying over them? If one character seems to always stand out and you have glimpses or scenes through their eyes, I’d say ”believe your character!” and go with that one using the first person point of view (like I did for Nightshade – Rosellia is so feisty!) OR the third person limited point of view. Now, how do you choose between those two? Simple: you write down a scene of your story using both points of views and you can decide which one you think suits the story the most. If you see the scenes or glimpses like you were a bird flying overhead and you know each and every character’s feelings and emotions, well, go with the third person omniscient point of view or the third person multiple point of view. The choice rests on your desire to use more characters more ”intimately” than just one.

2- Read different books with all those points of views. Then, you can settle on your favorite or use the one you think would benefit your story the most. You can also surf the Web to find short stories using those points of views.

3- Trust your guts. This one is a lot like trusting your characters, but this time it comes with the feeling you have inside you. Do you feel challenged enough to try first person or third person limited? Or do you prefer the good feeling using third person omniscient or multiple gives you? It all depends on how YOU feel about your story. What turns does it need to take? When imagining your story, do you see the road? Okay, it might be bumpy, but don’t care about that right now! Just focus on: a) is it going in different directions all the time? If so, try the third person multiple point of view.

b) does it play as though you’re a member of the audience? Try the third person omniscient point of view.

c) do you feel close to one character in particular? If so, can you see the road through their eyes or above their head? Try the first person and the third person limited points of view, respectively.

4- I know what I am going to say is scary, but it is useful as a last resort: tell your story to someone you trust, may it be a family member or a friend. But pay close attention to how you are telling it. If you keep on going back and forth between characters, it’s third person multiple. If you stick to one character only and focus on how they’re experiencing their journey, it’s first person point of view or third person limited (depending on which one suits your story the best!). Now, do you tell everything about everyone populating your story? If so, you have the third person omniscient point of view. The way you tell your story generally dictates how it needs to be written because it’s your subconscious’ means of telling you how you feel about it.

These were my personal tips (I use them in case the point of view didn’t jump at me when I first got the inspiration for my story, which it nearly always does). I hope they are helpful to you. If you also need help with confidence and self-esteem as an author, do click here for another writing tip.

Is it hard for you to find which point of view to use when starting a new story? If so, how come? If not, please do tell your way of making this crucial choice, I’d love to hear it!

 

 

Did You Know?

chit-chatting with Cat October 20, 2016 Leave a comment

Hello everyone!

Are you feeling good? I am.

Ideas are brewing.

What I mean with this is: surprises are coming your way!

A Freebie

Indeed, I am working on a free ebook for you, guys and gals. It will feature from 10 to 15 flash fiction. Moreover, I am putting some things in place for special events (I can’t tell you more yet!).

Vlogging: The One Question

I’ve thought about vlogging. Should I? What do you people think? Leave me a comment about it!

Where You Can Find Me

Also, you can now find me on Pinterest: click here

Your Writing Tip

Be at the ready for I will post another writing tip on Friday!

Trust me, you won’t want to miss it if you’re confused or torn about choosing the right POV for your story.

Meanwhile, you can read my last writing tip if you can’t wait for the next. Just click here. It’s about growing your self-esteem and confidence. I’m sure you can find something useful in it.

See you tomorrow!

 

At Writer’s Block and Inspiration’s Beck and Call (A Book Review)

Book Reviews October 16, 2016 Leave a comment

Hello, fellow bloggers and readers!

Today’s book review is about Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration: Learn to Nurture a Lifestyle of Creativity by K.M. Weiland. I devoured this book! It took me only two days to read it thanks to its interesting take on those two (difficult) aspects of any writer’s life.

writersblock

It has many good points. I’ll start with the best aspect of this book: it is uplifting, even inspiring to read! Not only does it give you good tips to try and apply, it also tackles an author’s hardest topics: writer’s block and the ever-so-mysterious inspiration.But Miss Weiland approaches these topics with a dose of humor and a good common sense; there’s no burying your head in the sand to try and avoid reality in this book. It’s as comforting as it is a wake-up call. When I finished the book, all I wanted to do was sit down and write (which I did) – I was so motivated by what she had written! I also greatly appreciated that she talked about author’s depression and the highs and lows of the job. These are never easy topics to go over, but I think she did well. Plus, she ends the book on such a positive note, touching the topic of being born to be a writer and embracing it.

The only negative aspect was the lack of examples. We read about what to apply but with no guidance as to how we can actually do this. I would have liked more detailed instructions about it all, if I can say.

The negative does not outweigh all the positive points of this book, so I give it a 4.5 out of 5 rating. The book was excellent and encouraging, yet down-to-earth. But it lacked some good ole’ examples. That’s why I removed a .5. I strongly suggest you all read this, mostly if you’re an author or an aspiring one. It will help you or at least rekindle that passionate flame called writing. It is genuinely a good book you want to read whether or not you’re struggling with writer’s block and summoning inspiration.

At Writer ‘ s Block and Inspiration ‘ s Beck and Call (A Book Review)

Book Reviews October 16, 2016 Leave a comment

Hello, fellow bloggers and readers!

Today's book review is about Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration: Learn to Nurture a Lifestyle of Creativity by K.M. Weiland. I devoured this book! It took me only two days to read it thanks to its interesting take on those two (difficult) aspects of any writer's life.

 

writersblock

 

It has many good points. I'll start with the best aspect of this book: it is uplifting, even inspiring to read! Not only does it give you good tips to try and apply, it also tackles an author's hardest topics: writer's block and the ever-so-mysterious inspiration.But Miss Weiland approaches these topics with a dose of humor and a good common sense; there's no burying your head in the sand to try and avoid reality in this book. It's as comforting as it is a wake-up call.

When I finished the book, all I wanted to do was sit down and write (which I did) – I was so motivated by what she had written! I also greatly appreciated that she talked about author's depression and the highs and lows of the job. These are never easy topics to go over, but I think she did well. Plus, she ends the book on such a positive note, touching the topic of being born to be a writer and embracing it.

The only negative aspect was the lack of examples. We read about what to apply but with no guidance as to how we can actually do this. I would have liked more detailed instructions about it all, if I can say.

The negative does not outweigh all the positive points of this book, so I give it a 4.5 out of 5 rating. The book was excellent and encouraging, yet down-to-earth. But it lacked some good ole' examples. That's why I removed a .5. I strongly suggest you all read this, mostly if you're an author or an aspiring one. It will help you or at least rekindle that passionate flame called writing. It is genuinely a good book you want to read whether or not you're struggling with writer's block and summoning inspiration.

The Woe of Self-Esteem and Confidence (And How to Beat It!)

Tips October 14, 2016 Comments: 4

Hello, everyone!

This week’s writing tip is all about self-esteem and confidence… two hard concepts to keep when they grace you with their magic. However, I have a tip and a real story to share with you about how to get confident and raise your level of self-esteem.

Ready? Let’s get started!

The hardest thing to do when one wishes to write is actually sitting down and writing something. But let me tell you that a) you will NEVER grow your confidence if you don’t write. At all. b) in order for your self-esteem to rise, you need to stop making excuses and find the time to write – you shall feel much better afterwards. You’ll see. It’s a step in the right direction.

I know, I know. Life is crazy fast. So how does one sit down to write when we have to wash the dishes, etc.?

The answer is as simple as it’s hard to apply:

Make writing your priority.

I kid you not. I’ve been reading how-to books on writing and they all say the same thing. Guess what? They’re right. I’ve been trying it the past few days and my NaNo Prep improved. 🙂 I am now into world-building. It’s quite impressive being at that point taking into consideration that I only had a concept for the story two weeks ago.

If you don’t make it your priority, you’ll feel bad and guilty for not writing, which is the exact opposite of how you should feel for your self-esteem to rise!

As for confidence, I have a little story to tell you:

This week, I wrote a flash fiction for a contest and posted it on Scribophile for reviews. For the second time in my life, I received a terribly negative review, which came as a shock to me (I’m not used to receiving poor feedback, my stories usually being great). I was hurt. Sincerely. My confidence in my writing took a step back… but then, something awesome happened. Three other people reviewed it afterwards. Their reviews were good and constructive. It made me feel better and more confident.

Moral of the story? Believe in what you can do and share it. If you don’t share it, how can you know people will actually like it? You can’t grow your confidence by keeping it a secret… Yes, sometimes it hurts like hell, but other times (and those are the important ones) it’s as sweet as honey and crucial (as they give you constructive reviews).

You see, confidence isn’t a straight line. It’s more like a roller coaster. Aim for the climb at the summit, though be aware there will be hurtful going down. When you’re at the top of the roller coaster, analyze what got you there. Then cherish it. Write it down, if necessary. This way, during rough times, you can look back at it and know how to work on your confidence.

Did you know that James Patterson, bestselling author of 76 novels, got rejected 31 times when he was starting out?! It’s not because a certain someone, professional or not, dislikes your writing, that it is bad. Other people will see something good in it; thrive on this! And improve what you can. It’s the only way you will grow your confidence. By sharing your work and becoming vulnerable.

It’s unpleasant, I know. But it’s worth it in the long run.

Self-esteem and confidence are friends of your writing and sharing. It comes hand in hand with them.

I wish you all the best with your writing. If you have questions about today’s tip, ask me in the comments below!

On this:

Just write!

 

A Whole New World! Wait, two?!

chit-chatting with Cat October 14, 2016 Leave a comment

Hello again!

Two posts in the same day? Whoa, calm down, Cat!

There’s some news I want to let you in about. I didn’t tell anyone but I’m currently working on a TV show manuscript. Yup. ”You’re writing what we see on television?” Not yet, but yes, I’m getting there.

”At the same time as your novel?” Yes, I know, I’m crazy! But if I wasn’t, where would be the fun in that?

So, yes, I thought I needed to let you know because it’s a project that is dear to me too. Plus, I’ve found something fun!

If you go on http://www.screencraft.org and click on ”Screenwriting software”, you’ll have two different versions of the software. It’s like Final Draft, but cheaper because you can use it for free! AND you get incentives. I kid you not.

Here are the discounts and such:

The ecourses they offer are ”How to write a drama TV pilot in 45 days” (which I jumped on – at 50% discounted it was worth it and I’m loving it so far), ”How to write a comedy pilot in 30 days”, and ”How to write a screenplay in 60 days”.

So, for simply signing up and using their FREE software, you get an ebook to help you out and a 50% discount on their ecourses. In my opinion, it’s awesome.

Plus, their software is easy-to-use and beautiful.

Of course, you can choose the paid option (there are annually and lifetime paid options), but it costs a lot of money. I suggest signing up to try and feel the software, and you get the goodies! The ecourses aren’t that expensive, it’s less than $100 so with a 50% discount, it’s really tempting.

If you’ve always wanted to jump into the screenwriting wagon, this is your chance!

When I’ll know the title of my TV show (I’m still working on that…), I’ll let you know. For now I have the basic plot and theme. And one page of script.

if you’re not into screenwriting, it’s fine too! But it’s always good to know other options are available to you. I want you to bloom in writing! It’s so important. Every aspect of the writing art should be your priority.

At least it’s mine.

Oh, did I tell you? I found two free Steampunk ebooks and I decided to read them. It’s a whole new adventure into a world I like but I am not familiar with. Curiosity killed the cat, I know, but… It’s how I progress in life. 🙂 Moreover, there’s this Steampunk writing contest on Scribophile and I’m entering!

You’ll read more about how it goes as soon as the judging and reviews are in. The deadline is October 31st so you’ll have to wait a bit.

But still, I wanted to share all of these findings with you! I hope you find this entertaining, if not helpful.

See you tomorrow with a writing tip!

Kisses,

Catherine G.V.

 

 

The Big Six (Attracting Readers the Fun Way)

chit-chatting with Cat, Tips October 13, 2016 Comments: 4

Another blogger asked me an interesting question ”Which social media do I find to be the most valuable?” The answer to this requires a heavy load of text. Plus, I figured everyone could benefit from it!

I never talked to you about building an author platform and I think this is just the right time!

Here are the six main social media that I use:

WordPress

If you’re reading this, you probably know a lot about WordPress. It’s a site which makes blogging easy. But really, you can use any blogging site to build your author platform – what matters is that you have a blog. And regularly update it, may it be once a week, or thrice a day! Just don’t do like I did: I left for months before coming back. Fortunately, my followers were still there and understanding! Allelujah!

A blog is useful in your marketing plan because: 1-It costs nothing.

2- People are actually interested in what you have to say.

3- It helps you connect with your readers. Let’s say you’re writing fantasy, like me, well, by adding the ”fantasy” tag to your blog posts, it will attract fantasy readers. If they enjoy spending time on your blog (please, try to make it appealing), they’ll follow you. The more followers, the more chances you have of selling books. But really, the basic point here is to connect with them, know what they like, and offer them incentives or a glance at what you write.

Also, it lets you know that you’re not alone on your writing journey, and this, I think, is worth the hassle of keeping a blog. Regularly, remember.

Oh, I almost forgot: blogging enables you to get in touch with other authors, just like you! You can discuss, share tips, and all the good stuff. You can even help each other out.

In my opinion, this is the best social media tool there is.

Twitter

I’m not a huge fan of Twitter, but I’m learning to like it. It has its benefits. In less than 140 characters, you need to say something valuable. I use it primarily to let my followers know what I’m up to with my stories and novel, and entertain them. It can also be useful to link them to your blog posts because if they like what they see, you’ve got another blogger with you! At least, that’s what I do.

I try not to spam my followers with ads for my stories; I’m more the heart-felt type, so I’ll just pour my ideas out and ask for people’s opinions, and try to connect with them mostly.

Because seriously, who likes authors who keep sending automatic Tweets about their books in CAPITAL LETTERS? No fun.

Believe it or not, I’ve got more followers on Twitter than on WordPress. However, I’d say these two go hand-in-hand in terms of ”connecting with your readership”. 🙂 On one (the blog), you can post long messages and incentives while on the other (Twitter) you can directly jump into a conversation with them and let them know right on the spot how it’s going. It’s a pretty easy tool too.

Facebook

Facebook? Not so much for me. I never liked it nor saw its purpose. It’s just voyeurism to me. Oh well… I try and try to get people over there, but it’s not working so well. It looks like it hates me! Haha.

Anyways, it could be a good tool for the right person. There are ads that you can buy, you can get a Facebook author page and post daily information about the coming of your book, and such. Plus, you get a look inside your potential readers’ heads through their comments. When they comment, that is.

I’ll still be trying to revive my author page, but if you can make it work for you, awesome!

It’s just not my first choice (it’s actually pretty low in the list…).

P.S.: For some authors I know, Facebook works really well to share the links to their books, etc. It’s not because it doesn’t work for me that it won’t work for you.

All I have to say is: try it out. If after a few months, it doesn’t work, there are two reasons: it may not be for you or you’re doing something wrong.

Pinterest

Ah, Pinterest. My mom’s Website. She’s always surfing on it, which is a good thing because it proves how much people love the site! And if people do… you have to go where they are.

Pinterest is like a cardboard where you can ”pin” images and images with text that you love and for others to find. This being said, it’s quite useful to us, authors. But how? Simple: you create boards, let’s say ”Fantasy”, then you look up the words ”Fantasy” or ”Writing fantasy”, then you pin the results you find interesting into the board you just created!

Okay, it doesn’t allow much interaction with your readers, BUT it gives them tips and shows them you’re human too. That you like the same things as they do. You can also download the little ”Pinterest Toolbar” (sorry I don’t know much about it…) in order to pin stuff you find on the Internet. You can even pin your own blog posts (which I’ll learn to do)! Isn’t that amazing?

I’ll be frank with you. The first time around, I didn’t get Pinterest. I let my account die… But now I figured it’s growing in popularity, and if I want readers, I have to go and meet with them where they are now. Plus, I’m starting to find useful tips around here. :O

It’s a good site to experiment with and find helpful writing tips.

Goodreads

I love Goodreads! It’s two things at once: one, you have a reviewing site and virtual bookshelves, which is fantastic; two, there’s a free program for authors where you get to upgrade your account to an author one – you can thus fill in your author bio, chat with readers (actual readers!), share excerpts of your writing for them to get a taste of what you do, plan giveaways, and other cool stuff I am still exploring!

Sincerely, if you’re an author and you’re not on Goodreads, go make an account! Now!

P.S.: You can make a basic account and post excerpts of your writing, explaining in your bio that you are working on the first or umpteenth draft; this’ll gain you exposure and make it easier for you to find readers (they’ll already be there as your friends on Goodreads) once you upgrade (it’s free, remember?) to an author account.

It’s really worth it!

My Website

I have to tell you the hard truth: invest in a Website. It’s worth it. It might not be millions, but the investment will prove that you’re not an amateur. Because yes, people judge others by how they look (most of the time). If you go with free Website builders such as Wix, fine. But know that people will be think, for the most part, that you don’t even believe in your books enough to give them the proper Website they need.

Money is terrible. I know. But trust me on this one, you’ll look much more professional with a Website available. When pitching to agents or book bloggers, be aware that they’ll take you more seriously with a professional Website.

Of course, you can do well with a free service too… but I think you can never do ”great”. And great is what you want to achieve, right?

P.S.: It doesn’t even have to cost a lot of money. I looked for hours for the cheapest way to get a good-looking Website that suited my fancies… I found GoDaddy for the domain name and BlueHost as a hosting server. My package included a WordPress Website builder. It’s awesome.

Oh, also: I am NOT affiliated with them. These are just what I use, for real.

In conclusion, when you’re starting to build your author platform, I recommend using a blog (it doesn’t matter which service), Twitter, Goodreads, and a Website. It would also be a good idea to experiment with Pinterest. Remember, you’re early in the development, so it doesn’t matter much if you mess up with a button or not.

If you have questions, please feel free to ask me in the comments below!

I hope this has been helpful. 🙂

 

Pin This Author and A Few Surprises!

chit-chatting with Cat October 12, 2016 Comments: 4

Hello, dears!

I’ve recently decided to revive my Pinterest account. I am currently working on it; as it grows, it will include writing tips, how to write fantasy, YA, and other genres, interesting facts, quotes, and more! If you want, you can check it out here. I’ll be pleased to see you over for the journey that is writing! ^.^

Moreover, I have a Goodreads account I forgot to talk to you about! Here it is. 🙂 As soon as I publish my first novel, I’ll change my account to an author one. But for now, I am content just adding books to my shelves, chatting with people, and writing reviews. I can’t wait to see you there! Oh, and I’ll also post a few of my writing excerpts, so be on the lookout for them.

Speaking of which, I have surprises for you…

First, I will (re)start the Writing Tips series on Friday. Yes! THIS Friday. I find that it’s been too long since I’ve given you guys and gals some help with writing. And these tips, I always try them first-hand in order to give you the best information I can come up with. I know you liked it, so there you go, surprise!

Second, once NaNoWriMo starts, I shall post the very first chapter for you to read. Yup. The whole first chapter of Nightshade: The Death Stone. Why? As a treat. 🙂 I love having you with me on the journey to publish my novel, so I figured this was a sweet thing to do and a thank-you present.

I hope you like what I have for you and I can’t wait to see you over at Pinterest and Goodreads!

Thank you, as always.