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“Read. Read. Read. Just don’t read one type of book. Read different books by various authors so that you develop different style.”

— R. L. Stine

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“If possible, have something going on while you have your characters delivering exposition or philosophising. This helps retain dramatic tension.”

— Michael Moorcock

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#writing advice

10 underrated tips to become a better writer

hello hello, it's me again!

today i want to share some tips to improve your writing!

1. write in a different style

sometimes it's important to step out of our comfort zone, especially when it comes to writing. the next time you sit down to write for a bit, try to do something different from usual... try poetry if you always write prose; try fantasy if your thing is mystery; try adventure if you only write romance. it's up to you, just do it! who knows if you discover a new passion while trying this exercise...

2. write from a different point of view

i know it can be tempting to always write from a certain point of view, or to always use the same narrator voice, but (like on the first topic) sometimes change is needed to improve. you'll see things from another perspective, and maybe you can have a brilliant idea!

3. write with music

this one is one of my favorites! i love music, my spotify is full of playlists, one for each mood. try to create different playlists for your stories, and pick songs that motivate you, or that make you feel like you're one of the characters of your novel. this will not only give you a boost to write but also make you feel inspired.

4. set a timer

i always do this! it's a life changer. i started doing the pomodoro method to study and realized how effective it is. it's the same when it comes to writing: set about thirty minutes to write (it's up to you, depending on for how long you can be productive) and ten to fifteen minutes to relax. you'll see how much more work you can do with this method!

5. use prompts

you know how much i love prompts! i think they're so useful and help us so much to become more creative. they are a great way to step out of our comfort zone and develop someone else's idea in a span of a few minutes or hours.

oh, and if you're feeling adventurous, try this month's writing challenge!

6. write in a different place

guys! change your writing environment sometimes, especially when you're feeling overwhelmed or drained. i know it can be tempting to always sit on your sofa / bed / favorite chair, but sometimes we get so accustomed to the same place, that our creativity slows down, as well as our motivation. try to go outside to a park or a café, it can be so fun and you'll feel like the main character. or maybe, if you don't want to be in public, try another room in your house! just make sure you feel comfortable and don't have distractions around you.

7. change your writing support

do you always write on your computer? try to disconnect for a while, grab a pen and a paper, and let your imagination flow. it can be so freeing to write by hand sometimes, especially when you're plotting a novel! how cool it is to draw a scheme to connect all the characters and locations, and to doodle...!

8. find a writing buddy

personally, i don't have one, but i know it can be such a fun way to keep you motivated and to keep yourself (and the other person) accountable. it's great to have someone to share your ideas with, to give and receive feedback, and to lift you up to write when you don't like doing so.

9. write yourself a letter

trust me, it's amazing. it can be to your present self, past, or future, it's up to you. tell yourself what your writing goals are, what you are writing, how you see yourself in the future, what you're satisfied with your writing style, etc. just let it flow and re-read it whenever you feel unmotivated.

10. write with a sense of humor

i know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it can be so fun sometimes. try something less serious when you don't feel like writing. try to come up with a joke mid-dialogue, write a fun scene or re-write a serious scene in a less serious way. this exercise can be great to see things from another perspective, to try a different style, or to lift up your mood.

i hope this was useful! have a nice day!

[hurawritingcorner]

#writing advice

“The first duty of the novelist is to entertain. It is a moral duty. People who read your books are sick, sad, travelling, in the hospital waiting room while someone is dying. Books are written by the alone for the alone.”

— Dona Tartt

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Sorry for my hiatus

I've been on my hiatus for personal reasons. Nevertheless, I am back. More writing advice will come soon

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Can you forgive a murderer?

20-year-old Kerstin Winters asks herself this question daily, because of the events of 5 years ago.

She killed someone. She committed a crime and yet… She got away.

Nowadays, karma seems to have caught up to her. Thanks to a sudden pandemic, everyone was forced to stay inside their home, isolated from one another. For over a year, Kerstin was unable to leave her apartment and her growing impatience was slowly getting the better of her.

One day, she had enough and tried to leave her prison by force, only to fail.

That is, until she had a visitor. A gentleman with grey skin and grey clothes. His offer was simple:

He’d get her out and in return, she’d help him.

She accepts and then finds herself outside. Now the brunette has to return the favor to her savior, by saving the world from destruction, all the while facing her past and strange beings.  

Did I peak your interest? Then click HERE to buy the book!

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I always look back on my old stories, to remind myself of my past achievements. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished.

how to stay motivated as a writer

Reread your old writing, especially those scenes you’re most proud of

Write something silly. It doesn’t need to be logical, consistent or included in your story. Write something dumb

Compare your old writing to your new writing. Seeing how much you’ve improved can be very motivating

Explore different storylines, those type of storylines that would never make it into your story, but you’d still like to play around with. Create AUs!

Choose one of your least favorite scenes and rewrite it

Act out your scenes

Read old comments from people praising your work

Create a playlist that reminds you of your wip

Team up with a friend, write AUs for each other's characters

Create playlists for your characters

Draw your ocs/make memes of your ocs

Draw/make memes of your friend's ocs

Don’t push yourself to get back into writing the thing that made you stop writing in the first place, try writing something else!

Write what you wanna write, no matter how cliché it might be. If you want to write it, write it

Take a break, focus on another hobby of yours. Consume other pieces of media, take a walk to clear your head

You don’t have to write in chronological order if it isn’t working for you! Sometimes a scene you aren’t interested in writing can become interesting after you’ve explored other scenes in the story

Read bad reviews of books or TV-shows. You’ll unlock appreciation and motivation for your own writing

Create a new storyline, or a new character! Anything that helps bring something fresh into your story. Could even be a completely new wip!

Not writing every day doesn’t make you a bad writer. Take a break if you feel like you need one

Remind yourself to have fun. Start writing and don’t focus all your attention on following “the rules.” You can get into the nitty-gritty when you’ve familiarized yourself with writing as an art. Or don’t. It’s fiction, you make your own rules

Go to sleep, or take a nap. Sleep deprivation and writing does not go hand in hand

Listen to music that reminds you of your characters/wip

Remember why you started. Know that you deserve to tell the story you want to tell regardless of the skill you possess

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That maladaptive daydreaming hits different when you're a writer...

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeHW2B5Jt7h/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

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Why I do not use Google Drive for story writing anymore

I’ve been using Google Drive for a lot of my stories in the past and the platform did help me to write great stories like my novel 6.49 PM: Peaceful Amends.

However, as of today, I will no longer use the platform for any story writing. Why is that? It’s basically because of the mandatory online functionality.

Sure this does not sound as much of an issue, but unfortunately my internet connection is usually horrendous and so, connection errors tend to happen almost daily. This really hampers my writing, as I usually have to wait 5 minutes at minimum, before I can write again. It’s incredibly irritating, but that’s not the sole issue. You see, I tend to type very fast, but because my internet connection is horrible, it takes several seconds for the written words to pop up on the screen and sometimes, some inputs aren’t even registered.

Now I know that the online functionality has its perks too. You can access your stories from any other device you might have and edit it on the go, if you happen to have a stable internet connection. Thing is though, I do not have the means for a better internet provider, which is why I decided to write on a writing program known as “Office Writer”.

Before you click away, no this is not an advertisement. The software works decent enough, but is nothing spectacular. What matters more, is my writing performance. I did notice that I managed to write much faster and more efficiently, without suffering from any of the drawbacks mentioned above.

That is the reason why I decided to not use Google Drive for any written stories anymore. Because not everyone can have the best internet connection and therefore, may not have the best tools at hand for writing stories. So if you’re suffering from a bad internet connection, I’d recommend you should not use Google Drive for any of your writing-related activities. Use software products for that. It’s really a game changer.

Cheers!

Zack Hura

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My novel

Hey, sorry for the inactivity here. I have been very busy with some personal matters and just wanted to make this post, to show that I am still active and to advertise my own e-book urban fantasy novel, 6.49 PM: Peaceful Amends.

It’s something I worked on for quite a while and so, I decided to show you the fruits of my work! It’d be really nice, if you could check it out, as this has been something I’ve worked on, back when I was still in High School.

Follow the story of Kerstin Winters, as she tries to amend for her past murder, by stopping a strange entity from destroying the world, while being guided by a strange Grey Man and having to differentiate between fiction and reality.

Did that hook your interest? Then click HERE to go straight to the Amazon Kindle Page!

I hope you love it!

Cheers!

Zack Hura

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Really solid advice

a guide to writing

open ur document

press a letter

press another letter

keep pressing letters until u have a story

congrats ur done

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it takes years to develop your craft. do not romanticize the idea of an ‘overnight success’. be a student. grow organically. get really good. hate your work. start over. find new ways to express the same ideas. the student becomes the master. your time will come.

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my favourite thing about writing is slipping in totally innocent lines that will absolutely DESTROY the reader on a second readthrough

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Motivation

Here are some personal writing quotes, that keep me going whenever I am not motivated. Enjoy!

Zack Hura

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1. “Why not work on that story? You have a vast amount of creativity in your mind and you have the chance to create something beautiful and unique! Use it!”

2. “So what if someone doesn’t like your story? Every reader is as different, as the next one. Focus on your target audience for your story and not on everyone at once!”

3. “It doesn’t matter how much you write every day. Writing a single word is enough, to keep your routine up and running.”

4. “Why are you writing this story? To please others or to please yourself? If you chose either option, think again. You need to choose both choices.”

5. “Copying story elements from others is totally fine, as long as you give it your own spin to it!”

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the point of horror is to leave you feeling unsettled. jump scares, special effects, and monsters are not necessary. when writing horror, write about what scares you. what keeps you up at night. if you’re good, you’ll leave other people scared of it, too.

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Don’t rush or force the ending. All you have to know is the next scene, or the next few scenes.

Chuck Palahniuk (via writingdotcoffee)

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how to stay motivated as a writer

Reread your old writing, especially those scenes you’re most proud of

Write something silly. It doesn’t need to be logical, consistent or included in your story. Write something dumb

Compare your old writing to your new writing. Seeing how much you’ve improved can be very motivating

Explore different storylines, those type of storylines that would never make it into your story, but you’d still like to play around with. Create AUs!

Choose one of your least favorite scenes and rewrite it

Act out your scenes

Read old comments from people praising your work

Create a playlist that reminds you of your wip

Team up with a friend, write AUs for each other's characters

Create playlists for your characters

Draw your ocs/make memes of your ocs

Draw/make memes of your friend's ocs

Don’t push yourself to get back into writing the thing that made you stop writing in the first place, try writing something else!

Write what you wanna write, no matter how cliché it might be. If you want to write it, write it

Take a break, focus on another hobby of yours. Consume other pieces of media, take a walk to clear your head

You don’t have to write in chronological order if it isn’t working for you! Sometimes a scene you aren’t interested in writing can become interesting after you’ve explored other scenes in the story

Read bad reviews of books or TV-shows. You’ll unlock appreciation and motivation for your own writing

Create a new storyline, or a new character! Anything that helps bring something fresh into your story. Could even be a completely new wip!

Not writing every day doesn’t make you a bad writer. Take a break if you feel like you need one

Remind yourself to have fun. Start writing and don’t focus all your attention on following “the rules.” You can get into the nitty-gritty when you’ve familiarized yourself with writing as an art. Or don’t. It’s fiction, you make your own rules

Go to sleep, or take a nap. Sleep deprivation and writing does not go hand in hand

Listen to music that reminds you of your characters/wip

Remember why you started. Know that you deserve to tell the story you want to tell regardless of the skill you possess