First lines given – #1

Welcome to the first First Lines Given! If that sentence confuses you, here's a link to where I explain what this is. Today's first line is by Bree Dawn! She said: Honestly, this sentence made me laugh. Such a good prompt. Kind of nervous, but here's the result: I was supposed to learn how to … Continue reading First lines given – #1

Being creatively exhausted

Having a writing goal can destroy a writer. Every writer has his or her own ideals of where he or she wants to be in the writing world. Some love self-publishing. Some never write for a paycheck. Others hope their novels spread hope or make it to the best seller’s list. But having that writing … Continue reading Being creatively exhausted

Writing every day

Writing every day used to be an ideal, a goal. I thought I must be getting somewhere if I improved my skill every day. I had to be. How else was I going to get better? I'd write even if it wasn't good writing. To practice was to improve. It didn't matter what was on … Continue reading Writing every day

Your rejection

The first time I realized something is wrong with me— No. Hold up. Is it wrong of me to say that? When you break me into pieces over something I created, can I— No. I’ll start over. Reset. Words on pages have always been my passion. No matter if I write it or not, it’s … Continue reading Your rejection

Unknown but relatable writing

For a couple hundred years, being relatable has been the popular norm in writing. But popular themes have their price. Now, writing about popular culture can get your story hidden in a sea of thousands, millions. One relatable piece I’ve read recently is Mood Swings by Ajay Tulsiani. The main character, Safiya, tries to improve her … Continue reading Unknown but relatable writing

Proud writer moment

After piles of rejection letters and critical advice, it's nice to get accepted every once in a while. Every writer should feel appreciated for the wonderful creative stories they have made. Last week, my flash fiction piece—"The Forgotten"—got accepted by Friday Flash Fiction. This makes me one step closer to being a published author. You … Continue reading Proud writer moment

Journey to publish

The last day of class was usually the day everyone bolts out the door when possible, but us writers stayed in our seats instead. “I’m just gonna talk about some publishing things for people who are interested,” our teacher repeated. I always called him Turtle, because he’s old, wise, and talks so slow. “You're not … Continue reading Journey to publish

Writing nothing

Do you ever feel like you want to write but can’t? You stare at the screen for ten minutes before you decide, “Well, this isn’t going anywhere.” You look up what other people wrote online, but your mind says something like: “I can’t copy what she wrote. But would people notice if we wrote about … Continue reading Writing nothing

First book impressions matter

You got one chance and you can't throw away your shot. Everyone's watching the stage. It doesn't matter if it's a song, movie, play, or novel, a first impression needs to be top notch. If you don't catch the audience's attention in the first few minutes, you might not at all. There's a couple of … Continue reading First book impressions matter

A writer’s journey (part five) – small publications

Eventually the editing has to stop, right? All the hours to days to months to years of editing that one certain story cannot keep going on. It's difficult to stop. It's more difficult to get your stories out there and known, however. Many literary agents love to accept writers that already have a name for … Continue reading A writer’s journey (part five) – small publications