coffeeinducedwriter-blog

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I am grateful for these three. Though they invade my space and make messes, I'll never regret having them around.

[coffeeinducedwriter-blog]

New Experiences

Not all writers write characters with the knowledge we have today. Sometimes being authentic to a certain era can be difficult, but we're not talking about writing someone from the medieval or renaissance era. Right now we're talking about characters who've never experienced our modern technology falling into the world of today.

Writers, it's difficult isn't it? Putting your mindset and experiences into a character who knows nothing of cars or phones or anything with a chip. So, is your character fascinated with it or are they appalled by it? What do they think when they see cars gliding down an asphalt road? How do they describe the cars or this paved road or the people walking along the side walk completely fixated on glowing screens?

As writers we cannot say that this happened because we wrote it to be so. We need to think like our characters and try to experience our world for the first time. It's been a pain in the ass, but I know we can all do it. Let's keep up with our authenticity and trap readers with the humor and awe that our characters will have when they're stuck in our modern world.

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Editing

It's time consuming, let's be honest. But it's good to go back and edit and this is why:

- Writers get ahead of themselves. How? Well it's because we already know the end result. We know what characters are going to endure. But sometimes we forget to include it because in our brain, we already know, but our readers don't.

- What's written first, isn't always the best. Sometimes we can reword things, not just for a better flow, but to represent our characters better. We can even use foreshadowing.

- Sometimes we add something so small, yet to impactful, and we don't bring it up again. I'm guilty of this, but I've learned to keep certain things consistent in my writing. Let's be honest, some things that we consider little, are significant to our characters and you cannot forget that.

- Read it out loud. Yes, I hate this part too. Especially if it's a lot to read, but this helps you hear your sentences. You realize you should have a comma there or that you need to break it into two sentences. Or, my favorite, I just said that word nine times in the past four pages, I need to find a replacement.

That's it. Edit yourself guys. It's not always fun and yeah, maybe it's easier just to send it off to be someone else's issue, but this your writing so invest your time in it. I promise you, it's worth it.

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It's amazing to see how different everything looks with the changing of seasons.

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Be You While Writing

In the past as a ghostwriter, I've had to adjust my tone of writing to appease those I was writing for. Essentially, my tone and even personality had to be nixed in order to achieve what my client wanted. It wasn't that grand to be honest, due to the fact I had to change a lot of aspects of myself to write certain works. I want you all to realize that you need to write freely. When I first started writing I was too hard on myself, thinking, "This isn't as good as J.K. Rowling". It took me a few months to realize I could never achieve her style of writing because we're different people. Her sense of humor, her tone and her feelings that bleed into the pages are not like mine. I could never write like her because we're different people. I know, I know, that's so obvious. But seriously, that's why people who may have the same setting or working with the same cliché aren't writing similar material. Why? It's because you as a writer are bringing something new to the table. You. All your experiences and all your personal challenges are what make you unique when you write. The goal here is to write the way you want it to be. Don't think that you have to change it because "no one else writes like that". Well, screw that thought, alright? Because YOU write like that. With that having been said, do me a favor, and write for you. Believe in yourself and do not be afraid of what anyone else with think. Write it with your personality flowing seamlessly into the pages. Trust me, no one else can write like you.

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Write Just to Write

I know that writing is difficult for some; even for those who have a natural ability for it sometimes suffer writers block. So what do you do? You write. It sounds ridiculous, but it's worked for me in the past. My suggestion is to just do this: 1) Think about the scene you're trying to write. Don't think so much about what your character(s) are doing, but picture yourself there. How hot is it? What do you smell? Is it daytime or nighttime? Don't overthink it - you don't even have to use a lot of detail either. Use key words and grow from there. 2) What are you accomplishing in this scene? Foreshadowing is great. You don't have to just use dialogue for it. Symbolism is key. What does a daisy mean or even a raven? Which of your characters saw this? Or even, if you're not foreshadowing, what are you getting at? Tension? Joy? Again, if you're struggling don't fret about creating something whole. Use a characters name and list emotions they'll have or what they're noticing about their surroundings. 3) Take a break. Sometimes it's better to leave your work behind and take a walk. I occasionally reflect on what I've already written and think on where I want to go. Sometimes stepping away from the written world gives us a chance to focus on it better. For example, when you're out walking, look at the people and nature around you and notice these things: - Are they there, as in are they focused on their immediate surroundings or are they deep in thought? - What are they wearing? Are they vibrant colors? Is it practical for the season? - How is everyone interacting? Maybe you're not by a park or a walking trail, so how are the drivers in the neighborhood acting? Are they speeding? Are they listening to music and singing/dancing along? Or, if you are on a trail or walking in a park, notice how loud it is. Are the kids on the playground getting along? Are their parents even paying attention? - Notice the nature around you. What time of year is it? Is this your favorite season or are you eager for a shift in weather? Are there birds soaring above, gnats flying in your face, or bees visiting flowers? 4) Once you're at home just write. Your sentences don't have to make sense, hell, they don't even have to be grammatically correct. Just write until you can't any longer. And once you're done, read over it and maybe you'll have something there to build from. My last tip is this: Never get discouraged. You may think it doesn't flow or you believe it's choppy and just awful. And I won't lie, maybe it is, but you can make it better. You're your own worst critic and you just need to believe that you can do it. Don't over analyze what you're working on or how it sounds. Just get it written and once it's finished, then you can be critical and make your changes.

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Just another day and another broken cup.

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Note to self and all writers.

As a writer I have several fears:

My writing will be considered monotonous

My characters will be flat, boring, and predictable

My cover art will be considered unappealing

Everyone will criticize all the events that transpire throughout

What comes next is predictable and an overused cliche

Or, if it is actually good enough for some people, that the fanfictions are better than the original work itself

As a writer I need to remember:

I have been writing, reading, editing, and rewriting so it will seem dull because I already know what is happening

My characters are unique to me and are unlike other characters because I created them and gave them their flaws and quirks and their actions are predictable to me because (as weird as this sounds), I have a relationship with them and I know exactly what to do in order to break them and react certain ways

People may claim that, “There’s more to a book than its cover”, well if that’s true then the most simplistic cover should do - just make sure you have a nice font

Even if you are a crafty wordsmith or silver-tongue, there will always be people who will criticize what you’ve written. And criticism isn’t always negative, it can help you grow as a writer, so don’t be afraid

As the writer, I already know where my story is going for the most part and I have the power to twist the situation to my advantage to ensure it isn’t a cliche, but remember to never take such a sharp turn that it leaves your readers wondered where the fuck that came from. Always, always, always give subtle hints and use foreshadowing instead of dropping the bomb and making people scratch their heads.

Everyone is able to write and look at things in a different perspective. There will be someone who writes a fanfiction that will have growing popularity, but that does not negate from the original book. It just gives a different POV from someone else and they can control how the story could have gone, but ultimately it can never replace what has already been written/published

As a writer, there will be a lot of doubts. We will read other author’s creations and think we cannot amount to what they have accomplished, but who says we can’t? We are our biggest critic and we can’t allow ourselves to be our own obstacle. Believe in yourself, be bold, be brave, and remember that you control the narrative. Not just in what we’re writing, but in our life as well. 

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This is beautifully written. It would’ve changed the outcome of so many things.

So I was rereading Harry Potter, when I came across this and thought- what if instead of Cedric Diggory, Cassius Warrington had been chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament?

Imagine Dumbledore calling out the name of the Hogwarts champion and it isn’t a Gryffindor, or a Ravenclaw, or even a Hufflepuff, but it’s a Slytherin. A student from a House most people hate.

Imagine Cassius Warrington getting up, and three out of four Houses are booing at him and shouting things like “NO!” or, “We can’t have a Slytherin champion!” or demanding a retry. But he’s a Slytherin- he’s been dealing with this shit since he got sorted, so he keeps his head high and joins the other champions.

Imagine Harry trying to catch Warrington alone because he doesn’t really want to associate with Slytherins (plus Malfoy has this tendency of being around the guy ALL THE TIME since he got chosen), but at the same time he’s also fair enough not to want him to walk into the first task unprepared.

Imagine Warrington walking over to Harry a few months later, and Ron and Hermione both jump into a protective stance, wands out, but instead of attacking Harry he just tells him to stick the egg underwater. (Because Slytherins don’t forget those who helped them out).

Imagine Warrington and Harry helping each other out in the labyrinth.

Imagine Harry being devastated when Peter kills Warrington- because Voldemort doesn’t care what house they’re form, a spare is a spare.

Imagine the uproar that causes among the Slytherins, because some of their parents really are Death Eaters and they know what really happened.

Imagine Slytherins fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts and shouting “This is for Cassius!”

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I hate when you’re working, and people decide to blast the television and make obnoxious noises.

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Every episode of the 100: 4x06 - We Will Rise

“I think peace is overrated. It’s the fighters that survive.”

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So Cosmopolitan asked me to illustrate a series of Disney characters if they went to Hogwarts! The images you see are what happens when an artist gets to mix two of his most favorite things!! h!

Follow me for more Disney Mashups: My Facebook Page

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I’m sure we all have a moment when we have a perfect plot in mind but once we write it down it’s disorganized and honestly it gets aggravating. To have a story bloom so vividly in your mind but you can’t translate it. Don’t let it be discouraging. Why? Because it’s your story, so write it even if it’s a mess. Allow the disorganized chaos in your brain to flow. Write everything down, it doesn’t have to be in order, just get it down on paper and it will work itself out as you go. The first draft will never be pretty; it’ll be disjointed. Just let it be. Don’t stand in your own way.