#Author Community

[hayatheauthor]

Blog Posts Masterlist

Here are all the blogs I've written sorted according to six categories and a lot of sub categories.

Post Writing (Publishing):

Querying/Getting Published

How To Get Published As A Minor—A Step-By-Step Guide

How To Get Out Of The Slush Pile And Make Your Agent Say Yes

How To Answer Some Common Literary Agent Questions

The Rejection Checklist: Manuscript Pitfalls to Avoid

Editing

Everything You Need To Know Before Editing Your Manuscript

How To Eliminate Passive Voice From Your Manuscript

Pre Writing:

WIP building

Ten Dos And Don'ts Of Worldbuilding

How To Name Your Characters

A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting a Compelling Storyline

How to Pick The Perfect Weapon For Your Characters

Writing tools

How To Hook Your Readers With Your Chapter's Starting And Ending

How To Write And Create A Sub Plot

How To Immerse Your Readers With Indirect Characterisation

First or Third Person? How To Choose The Right POV for Your Story

Genre-Based Advice:

Fantasy

How To Build A Realistic Magic System

Things To Consider When Writing With Mythologies

Tips To Consider When Writing A Fantasy Religious Story

Horror/Thriller

How To Get Away With Murder...As An Author

How To Get Away With Murder Part Two: Writing Murder Mysteries

How To Build Tension And Make Your Readers Feel Scared

Romance

Crafting Asexual Romance: Navigating Emotional Intimacy in Fiction

Character-Based Advice:

How To Write An Antagonist

How To Create Realistic Book Characters

How To Write A Compelling Character Arc

How To Create A Morally Grey Character

How To Write A Plot Device Character

How To Develop A Memorable Antagonist

Writing Believable Teenage Characters: Dos and Don'ts

Crafting Character Voices And Distinct Dialogue

Crafting Authentic Child Characters: From Toddlers to Tweens

How To Create And Execute Unreliable Narrators

How To Write Immortal Characters in Fiction

Creatures/Monsters

How To Write Mythical Creatures Without Sounding Redundant

How To Write Vampires With An Original Twist

'Sensitive' character topics:

How To Write POC Characters Without Seeming Racist

How To Write A Disabled Character: Ten Dos And Don'ts

How To Write And Research Mental Illnesses

Resources And Advice For Writing Abusive Parents

Scene-Based Advice:

How To Build Tension And Make Your Readers Feel Scared

Four Tips On How To Make Your Plot Twist Work

How To Set The Scene Without Info Dumping

Writing A Creepy Setting: Tips And Examples

The Dos and Don'ts of Writing Flashbacks in Fiction

Crafting Realistic Car Accidents in Fiction: A Writer's Guide

Writing Rage: How To Make Your Characters Seem Angry

Crafting Sad Scenes: Writing Tears and Emotional Depth

Fights, poison, pain

How To Accurately Describe Pain In Writing

How To Create A Well-Written Fight Scene

The Ultimate Guide To Writing Persuasive Arguments

Forgining Epic Battles: Techniques For Writing Gripping War Scenes

The Writer's Guide to Authentic Wounds and Fatalities

Ink And Venom: A Writer’s Guide To Poisonous Prose

Everything You Need To Know About Writing Stab Wounds

Everything You Need to Know About Writing Burns

Everything You Need To Know About Writing Gunshot Wounds

Everything You Need To Know About Writing Bruises

Recommendations:

Websites And Writing Apps Every Author Needs in 2023

Seven Blogs You Need To Read As An Author

Ten Websites Every Author Should Know In 2024

Series

Writing Wounds

Writing Mythical Creatures With A Unique Twist

Writing Emotions

[creatrackers]

Writer (& Artist) Ask Game

Reblog this and let your pals ask about your OCs, stories, or about you! Remember to check your inbox, and feel free to tag someone you want to see play :)

* Who was your first ever OC? Do you still “use” them? How have they evolved over time?

Who is your newest OC? Why did you make them?

Biggest self-insert OC?

What kind of music do your OCs listen to?

What are some of your OCs biggest fears?

Do you have any OCs without stories? Will you ever create one for them?

What are your favourite relationships between your OCs? (romantic or platonic!)

Do you have any OC family trees?

Favourite OC?

OC you most struggled to make?

* Sum up one or more of your wips!

Which story took the most research?

Which story has the most lore?

Current word count of all your main wips?

How many projects do you have going on right now? Are there any that you doubt you’ll ever finish?

What was you first major project? How far along is it?

What are some tropes and character dynamics found in your wips?

Describe the setting of one or more of your wips

What are some things that inspired your stories? Real events? Maybe a dream?

What story are you the proudest of? Why?

* When did you start considering yourself a writer/artist?

What are all the “kinds” of writing/art you do? (short stories, poetry, screenplays, digital, painting, clay, etc.)

Are you in any writer/artist groups? (Ex: discord server!)

Do you have/want a career in your medium? If not, what do you do/want to do instead?

What’s your favourite genre to write? Is it also your favourite genre to read?

What are your favourite books?

What are your favourite movies?

 Favourite songs at the moment?

What was your first fandom you were in? Did you make any art/fanfic for it?

How are you doing? <3

Ask away!

[sillycourtjester]

I know it's been said at some point, but plot holes are just pockets to fit in fanfictions

[katenewmanwrites]

Hello

I haven't introduced myself yet.

I'm Kate.

🌟 Aspiring Romance Author 🌟 | Autistic Pan Woman 🌈 | Cat Mom 🐾 | Coffee Addict ☕ | She/Her

📚 I'm a tired graduate student by day, passionate romance writer by night. I'm a 27-year-old autistic pan woman hopefully weaving love stories with a twist. My keyboard dances between genres, infusing romance with adventure, fantasy, and the shadows of dark romance.

🌈 In my world, love knows no bounds, reflecting my own diverse identity and experiences. But even I'm still learning how to break away from the hetero-normative lense I've grown up with.

🐾 As a proud cat mom, I find solace in my little companion, Barbara aka Babs. who offer warmth amidst late-night writing sessions fueled by my unyielding love for coffee.

✍️ Currently immersed in my main work-in-progress, I'm delving deep into the realms of dark romance, driven by a quest to redefine the genre. Frustrated by the lack of mafia romances that retain the gripping darkness while nurturing a healthy relationship dynamic, I'm setting out to write a narrative where the love interest isn't toxic.

📝 So if that sounds like your thing you're welcome to follow along on my journey as I try to craft narratives that resonate long after the final page is turned. Join me as I try to embrace my unique voice, and celebrate the beauty of love in all its forms, one tale at a time.

[author-ayshen-irfan]

[theeccentricraven]

Five things I like about writing

Thank you @kaylinalexanderbooks for the tag!

Rules: Title says it all 💜

I love to follow in the footsteps of my favorite authors. I've read so many good books in my life. I admire how authors put a lot of hard work and effort into the writing. I love how their stories impacted me. I want to do the same.

I love making my quirky ideas come to life. My mind is constantly brewing ideas. What if this? What if that? How about this? How about that? My mind is storming with so many ideas, I need to get them down. I love seeing those ideas on paper.

I love expressing emotions and pain. I've gone through a lot of pain in my life. My characters go through painful experiences as I did. I like to get deep into their emotions. It helps me heal and persevere.

I like to come up with imaginative settings. I've created worlds after thinking, "I've seen some cool worlds in other fantasy and sci-fi, but I haven't seen this yet." I create places that I would love to visit. I often create places I wish were real. Even when writing in our contemporary world, I like to find ways to use the setting. I like to imagine amazing events happening in ordinary places. The setting is like a character.

I like doing a project that's worth doing. Even if I write 300,000 words of trash, it's still worth it. I've made something. I've accomplished something. I'm a creator holding my creation. I am spending my time on something that requires a lot of brains, perspiration, and determination. I am keeping the craft of writing alive in our generation. I inspire myself. I hope to inspire others.

Tagging (No Pressure): @selenekallanwriter @americanfemcel @melpomene-grey @talesofsorrowandofruin @faeriecinna @tildeathiwillwrite @ad-wills and anyone who wants to join!

[remedyxtragedy]

Important conversation to be had up ahead--

There are plenty of absurd things in this world I've long since stopping caring about because it is my understanding that there is only so much that can come from fretting over things that are beyond our control, however still I must reiterate that there are equally as many absurd things even I absolutely have to recognize and address because too often do they just fly under the radar. Such things including the romanticization of murderers, serial killers, and literally any disgusting degenerate who we should unconditionally deplore and reject.

Why, why in good God's name is this even an issue? Why must people like this further taint my perceptions of humanity? Frequently, I try to remind myself that this world is still worth living in, that out there exists a vast sea of good, benevolent people who make the experience all the more tolerable and that I shouldn't let a few bad eggs ruin the joyride of life, but then...when I go on the internet and stumble upon yet another case of some fatherless disgrace sympathizing with, simping for, and sometimes even flat out idolizing a serial killer, whether they're real or fictional, instantly I want to leap out the nearest window because I just cannot fathom for the life of me how these people are even real and how on a daily basis, I am coexisting with them.

I don't know why some people think that just because they're folding over a fictional serial killer it's trivial next to the fans of real life shit stains on the cloth of humanity, but I will gladly take them by the hand, sit their ignorant asses down, and explain in vivid detail why that is an abhorrently unsound mindset. I can't help but glare at my own sister in disgust every time she goes on about how she like's Ghost Face; my scorn is not exclusive to people outside my family--I either hate or love everyone, no one is spared.

There's a stark contrast between admiring how these characters are written and incorporating them into your work innocuously, as I too can resonate with, and just straight up finding them attractive regardless of the profoundly disgusting things they've done. I don't know what the psychology behind this looks like, I'm obviously in so such way educated in that regard, but maybe It's really easy for me to not fall head over heels for legit menaces to law and order because in my time I've read a good few encyclopedias on these kinds of people and am now cursed with the knowledge of how life can, has, and always will be horrifically desecrated by these monsters. It's just one of the few things I just cannot stomach.

Confidently, I can declare that we as a species are regressing, and it's evident in the good-for-nothings who spew nothing but parochial, myopic bullshit and are ever so sneakily infiltrating the public scene. As I'm a Christian, I trust in Jesus's return and the rapture, but as an individually intuitive girl with a wild imagination and dark thoughts that ceaselessly loom over me no matter how badly I want them to go away, a funny thought I quite like entertaining is that every effort humans make to consolidate our presence here on Earth only brings us closer to our inevitable demise, at some point we will outstay our welcome in this world, try and bush barriers we were not mean to, and the outcome is gonna be ugly. It all starts with little oddities here and there, little creases and cracks being formed in our design, and those things amass into a bigger formidable issue composed of all the fissures we've failed to patch, and that happens over and over all gain until it balloons far out of our control into a permanent fracture that we're just gonna have to learn how to mold around and coexist with. Perhaps one day, and one day soon, they become too much for the scaffolds of our civilizations to bear, which at that point causes the creeds and views we've founded our homes, hospitals, economy, society, and government upon to come toppling over until finally we find ourselves descending into a downward incline towards total catastrophe. Let it be known, that Idiosyncratic is founded upon this random notion I threw together during a more darker period in my life. I never would've thought such misanthropic thinking would culminate into the best premise I've ever come up with, obviously in my personal person.

Imma be working on a series of artworks showcasing what the Whitman propaganda in my book is gonna look like, and an idea I have for one of them is a visual displaying the human evolution chart except after the Homo Sapien stage we start regressing all the way back to whatever the hell the first stage is, until again they continue to evolve but iat the end of this series instead of there being a human it's Whitman himself, who is by the by no way shape or form human. It's like, we rose, we fell, then rose again--but no longer are we what we were before. I probably sound mad right now, but I promise it'll make a lot more sense once I actually make it.

Anyways, that's all I got to say right now, but just as a final comment--why is it that people are so adamant that it's either science or religion? Why can't everything be perfectly and meticulously intertwined? The way I see it, faith is not founded upon having absolute definitive proof of a a higher omnipotent being, it's believing in them and trusting in them unconditionally and wholeheartedly, you needn't know that they're there to know that they're there, if that makes sense. For me, it was never a matter of whether or not God is real--that much is practically innate to my being--it was always, why does he work in such esoteric ways? When I was younger, the answer was far beyond me, but now I know better--and I am endlessly astounded by God's work. That's my take, though.

[skittlemxkadeauthor]

Tumblr friends! It has been so long since I've used this site and none of the people I follow are active! Pls ♥️ or 🔄 so I can follow you!

Looking to follow blogs about:

- Agender / Transgender Pride

- Authors / Artists / Poets

- Daniel Howell / Phil Lester

- Game Grumps

- Good Omens

- Bad Omens

- Sad boys

- Anything queer!

[brandyschillace]

Authors Support Authors

When no one else can be relied on, other writers will be there.

Being an author is a *ride* my friends. I have done signings where there are lines of people. And some where three people came, one of which was my partner and one my best friend. I’ve been flown places and feted... And I’ve been ignored by the people who invited me (who seemed shocked and annoyed at my very presence). I’ve had readers tell me I changed their lives. I’ve had readers tell me a toddler with a dictionary could do better.

But you know what has never waivered—at least in my experience? Other authors are almost unfailingly supportive. Of course there are exceptions, I’m sure. But I’ve been cared for by writers all my career; they are the support system, they are the ones who lift all the boats. Authors know that this is a mad, precarious, bizarre path with few safe havens. They will be there for you.

[apolline-lucy]

are people still interested in reading novellas these days? there’s no way my wip will be over 40k unless I replot everything and add some useless drama

i know the publishing industry doesn’t favour novellas but if i self publish maybe i’ll still have readers. i do read 30k fanfics myself after all

[hayatheauthor]

How To Answer Some Common Literary Agent Questions

Writing a book can be hard, but querying can sometimes seem harder without the right resources! If you’re an author who feels like you’re jumping into your queries without any guidance, here are a few tips to help you answer some common literary agent questions. 

Before we get started, I would like to put out a disclaimer stating that this is not a list of rules for what you should or shouldn’t do when querying! The sole purpose of this blog post is to help my fellow #amquerying authors get a general idea of how to write a query letter and answer common literary agent questions. 

This blog post is based on the research I conducted before sending out my queries and the feedback I received for them. I might not be an industry expert, but I have spent the past couple of months querying agents and received a dozen partial and full requests (which I am eagerly awaiting a response for). 

Now that I’ve got that out of the way, let’s get started! 

The Author Bio

The author bio is possibly the most common question you will see when querying. Most if not all agents prefer to know at least a little bit about their authors before they jump into your manuscript, this is so they can gain insight into your past experience and credibility as an author.

A writer’s author bio is directly affected by the genre they are writing for and should be adjusted accordingly. What might sound like a good bio for your nonfiction memoir might sound ineffectual for your YA fantasy novel. 

Here is a general guide on how to write your author bio based on your genre. 

Nonfiction 

When writing a nonfiction author bio it’s important to mention two things: why you chose to write about this topic, and why you’re the right person to write this book. I would also mention a little bit about why this book should be written, why you think people would read it, and why now. 

If you are a debut author then talk about any past experience you have in the industry you are writing about. For example, if you’re writing a biography about a prominent historical figure who you previously researched for work, a thesis, etc. then consider mentioning that. 

If you are not a debut author then talk about your past experience in the literary industry. Sales, platforms, what type of nonfiction book did you write in the past, etc. 

Fiction 

When writing a fiction author bio it’s important to mention any and all marketing and writing experience you have. So long as it is relevant. 

For example, if you’re writing a fantasy novel and have a booktok account where you post about it, then consider mentioning that. Or if you previously wrote a popular rom-com but are now trying to write a chick lit, then mention who you published with and why you decided to write for this new genre. 

Struggling to find the right words for your query? Consider checking out my blog on how to get out of the slush pile and make your agent say YES.

How To Write An Author Bio For Your Debut Novel

Writing an author biography as a debut author might seem pointless to most, but I implore you to take the time to type out an appropriate response to this question. 

When I was querying agents I received several rejections during my first and second rounds of querying, but do you know what I didn’t receive? A form rejection. Each and every agent who asked for an author bio responded with some sort of praise for my marketing or writing prowess as a teenager. 

Some even went out of their way to provide me with referrals or agent resources, which helped me secure two agents who requested a full manuscript.

My author bio wasn’t overly grand or impressive, in fact, it was quite simple. Here are some things to mention in your author bio as a debut author: 

Any relevant past writing experience. 

Outside of writing my book, I also work as a content writer for digital marketing agencies, blog about writing advice, and previously wrote a couple of ‘viral’ e-novels and fanfictions on online platforms. None of these have anything to do with my WIP or author journey, but they help prospective agents know that I: 

Have gathered a sum of readers with my past work. 

Know how to create professional content for marketing purposes. 

Can stick to a writing schedule and provide them with new content/WIPs when needed. 

This can all help convince them to work with you. 

Any social media platforms 

We’ve all heard of those lucky few authors who went viral on social media and landed a book deal because of it. It might be a little hard to follow in their footsteps and make a publisher reach out to you because of your platform, but having a social media presence can help you in the long run. 

It also shows your agent that you have a pool of readers interested in your book and a couple of industry connections, whether that be other authors or book reviewers. 

A thousand followers might not seem like a big achievement when compared to an influencer with a bigger platform, but think of it this way—when you mention your platforms in your author bio, you’re basically telling your agent you have a thousand prospective readers. Most bestseller lists need a minimum of five thousand purchases. 

Target Audience 

Knowing your target audience is important in order to establish a concrete image of your WIP. When establishing your target audience, here are some things you should take into consideration: 

The age group. Your target age group might not seem like a big concern for an author writing adult books, but if you are an author writing for a younger audience it’s important to acknowledge your age group before you send out queries. This helps ensure you don’t query an MG agent a YA book, but also makes it clear whether you’re writing for teenagers, new adults, tweens, or children. 

The type of audience in that age group. Once you know your age group, it’s important to figure out your type of audience. This can look like something as simple as ‘teenage girls’ or ‘new adults graduating from college.’ 

Authors with a similar book. One easy way to establish your target audience is by saying ‘readers of (insert author)’ or ‘readers who like (insert book). I would recommend mentioning two to three books and authors if you decide to go with this method. 

Readers who like a certain trope. If you can’t think of any authors with similar books to yours then try mentioning a trope from your book. Something as simple as ‘people who enjoy reading about mythology’ or ‘found family lovers’ is good enough. 

Similar Books

A quick Google search can help you find a couple of books similar to your manuscript. These titles don’t have to follow the same plot as your WIP or have all the same tropes. The point is to find books with similar tropes and themes that can give your literary agent a sense of what they’re getting into. 

You can either mention a couple of titles and leave it at that or go on to explain why you chose these titles. Something as simple as ‘my manuscript is comparable to books like Six of Crows because it features a thrilling heist’ will suffice. 

Remember to keep this section short. The point is to help your agent gain insight into your manuscript. 

Need help finding the right resources to perfect your query? Here are some websites and writing apps every author needs.

Elevator Pitch 

An elevator pitch is essentially what you would say to your literary agent if you were trying to pitch your manuscript to them during an elevator ride. It needs to be short yet impactful and hook your agent with one or two sentences. 

Look at similar titles and search up their elevator pitches or blogs. Take a look at the first few sentences of their blurb, figure out what helped them hook their readers, and then start drafting your own pitch. 

I would recommend writing down five to ten pitches and reading them out to your family or friends who are readers, then ask them which pitch hooked them the most and why. 

Why Us? 

Literary agents often don’t bother to ask authors why you want to work with them, but a casual mention of how you found out about them can go a long way. 

Use direct quotes from their manuscript wishlist or website page. Mention something they seemed proud about or a factor that stuck out to you. Maybe they have a fast response time, maybe they collaborate closely with their authors or work with their authors even after the first project. 

If you can’t think of anything to say, then talk about one of their past projects that seems similar to your WIP or has similar tropes and topics. 

 I hope this blog on how to answer some common literary agent questions will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and subscribe to my email list for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.  

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of my blog where I post writing and marketing tools for authors every Monday and Thursday. 

Want to learn more about me and my writing journey? Visit my social media pages under the handle @hayatheauthor where I post content about my WIP The Traitor’s Throne and life as a teenage author. 

Copyright © 2022 Haya, you are not allowed to repost, translate, recreate or redistribute my blog posts or content without prior permission

[filmcourage]

I've Written 12 Books: Here Are Tips That Can Help Every Writer - Andrew Warren [FULL INTERVIEW]

Watch the video interview on Youtube here.

[jude-thedude98]

Looking for beta readers beta editors more novel writers and novel writing prompters for writing group on Discord. If interested message me.

[selenekallanwriter]

OC in three

Thank you @theeccentricraven for the tag.

Rules: Post three images you feel relate to your OC. They can be celebrities, famous artworks, photos, anything you think fits them. Please site your sources.

Luna from BLOOD MOON.

Wolf: http://m.gettywallpapers.com/black-wolf-wallpapers/

Girl: https://co.pinterest.com/pin/pretty-face--53269208086368614/

Dagger: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/golden-dagger-8f4c541704c741c9aec9c36164d9523e

Tagging: @graysquirrel7 @csdarkfantasy and anyone who wants to join

[fandomnerd9602]

an Author update

07-16-23

I need to change my laptop password.

I woke up this morning to see this as my wallpaper

Thanks Mom 😂

[theeccentricraven]

Introduction

Name: Just call me Raven.

Dream: Become a published novelist.

Hobbies: play the harp, bake, cook, read, sew, go on walks outside, watch YouTube, storytelling

Likes: Opera, Celtic themes, food, true crime stories, history, fantasy and scifi, the coast, faith, family, scambaiting, and great stories

Favorite Books: Harry Potter series, The Giver, Mistborn, Uglies, Frankenstein, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Jane Eyre, A Walk to Remember, Silas Marner, The Otherworld, The Hunger Games, Ender's Game, The Chronicles of Narnia, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Jacob Have I Loved, Forestborn, Defy the Stars, Tom Sawyer

My WIP's:

The Blood Cleaners (YA dystopia)

Columbus Day (YA scifi)

The Keeper of Maralla (unconventional high fantasy)

The Star House Club (MG/YA urban fantasy)

Brigid Aideen Quinn (sci-fi fantasy superhero)

Sanctuary Calling (Space sci-fi Dystopia)

Voice of Shadows (high fantasy)

The Enchantress (MG fantasy)

New Victoria (steampunk sci-fi)

My Social Media Links:

twitter.com/eccentric_raven

nanowrimo.org/participants/raven_heart

tiktok.com/@the_eccentric_raven

pinterest.com/teccentricraven