2021 is finally here! You’ve popped the champagne, watched the ball drop, and maybe even shared a New Year’s kiss. What now? Odds are, you have a few New Year’s resolutions rattling around your head. But have you considered adding your writing goals to this list?
That’s where we come in. Writing can be tough. If you’re already working, you might not have the time or motivation to sit down and write the night away. Maybe you don’t know where to start. Whatever you’re going through, Night Heron is here to help! We’ve compiled a few writing tips that you can incorporate into your New Year’s resolutions. Remember: the more realistic and specific your resolutions, the more likely you are to achieve them. Keep that in mind, and you’ll be a writing machine in no time.
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So you’ve got a book idea: congrats! Maybe it’s been rattling around in your head for a few months, or you just got the idea in the shower. Either way, you’re ready to take the next step—writing your novel! Writing a book is no easy task, even for the most experienced writers. Where do you start? How do you stay motivated?
That’s where NaNoWriMo comes in. National Novel Writing Month (affectionately dubbed NaNoWriMo) is a write-a-thon that takes place every November. Writers from all around the world challenge themselves to start a novel on November 1st and finish it by November 30th. Participants have a support system to help them along the way as they churn out a 50,000 word manuscript. With countless resources and uplifting new friends, you’re bound to show your book idea who’s boss. So, what are the pros and cons? NaNoWriMo works best for writers who want to hit a specific word count. The November 30th deadline is meant to encourage you, not bring additional stress. If you prefer to write and edit at the same time, NaNoWriMo might not be for you. On the plus side, you’ll have a community to share this experience with and learn from. Not convinced yet? Bestselling novels like Water for Elephants, The Night Circus, and Fangirl were all written over the course of NaNoWriMo. Yours could be next! If NaNoWriMo sounds like it’s for you, read on for our best tips. Writers can’t succeed without rejection. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just getting started, it’s important to understand that you’ll often experience rejection from publishers. No matter how many times you’re told to toughen up and slap on a smile, it’s still going to suck.
So how can you make the most of rejections? We’ve compiled a few tips to help writers feel empowered and motivated after their rejections. Choosing a title for your new manuscript can be a daunting task. Some authors may come up with a title they love at a moment’s notice, while others may take weeks, or even months trying to come up with the words that adequately sums up the gist of your book. Despite the difficulties, giving your project the right title can help bring it to life.
Number one enemy to all writers? Writer’s block. Trying to work through a creative dry spell can put a strain on you as well as the work you produce. There’s nothing as frustrating as wanting to create and not being able to. Here’s a few of my favorite tips to get you back into your productive flow.
Children’s books are short, sure, but writing a good children’s book is only simple at the surface level. Some of our most beloved and widespread quotes actually originate from children’s books. “Promise me you’ll remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think” is a Winnie the Pooh quote. “Real isn’t how you are made. It’s a thing that happens to you.” That one is from The Velveteen Rabbit. Made for kids or not, these sentiments have resonance for everyone. So...how do you do that as a writer, exactly?
We live in a digital age, and even the most techno-phobic among us have used the Internet to search for a book or author we love or whose work we want to read. Few things are more frustrating than when not even Google has the answer to what you’re looking for, and if you’re a writer without a website, we have some bad news for you--this is most likely the case when people search for you. Don’t worry, though, we have good news, too! You can clear up a lot of this search confusion. Enter: the author website.
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