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| Reconnect to Your Story đź’–
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January 10, 2020
Oakland, CA
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| | Happy New Year!
Hope you're well and back at working on your novel.
I understand how hard it is to restart after a break... it feels impossible... but it is possible.
Today I restarted final revisions my WIP after a few days off.
The edits are bringing me into the second act. As I raise the stakes for my detective, I feel even more pressure on myself to make this a good book.
It was so hard to start. Fear froze me. I stared into the abyss of my spiraling-out-of-control negative thoughts.
So I told myself, "Self, it's okay. Just start. Even a review of one paragraph will be better than nothing at all."
I set the timer for 20 minutes -- my preferred chunk of time for timed writing -- and dove in.
Twenty minutes later I'd added new content and tied it to old content. I also did some back story notes on my main and secondary characters' motivations. I felt good about the work, even though it was only two pages. (Better than 1 paragraph!)
What re-start tools do you use to get writing or editing again?
I invite you to click reply and let me know. I'd love to hear from you. And let me know if I can share your tools, crediting you.
The more we share how we work through the hard bits, the more we know we're not alone, and that it is possible to create a beautiful, compelling book our readers want to devour.
More tips on how to restart your writing after a break here:
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| | | In which I ask, "Writers, Welcome to 2020! How are you doing?
Watch on Facebook here:
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| In Other News
In other news, I planned to offer a Self-Editing Challenge on your first chapter in January, but I realized that I wasn't ready. So instead I'm doing it as a short new series on YouTube here:
Other questions and concerns I'll address in this series given to me by my students -- so far: - Where do I start my editing?
- Do you have to be good at grammar to self edit?
- How to I grab the reader when my writing is so flat?
- Difference between Prologue and Chapter One
- Is it the correct place to start the story?
- What sorts of issues do you edit first? Plot holes, character development issues, factual errors, or copy edits?
- Do you dissect the chapter (if so how) or look for specific words that indicate telling where showing should be done? How do you know you have a solid scene(s) with all the right components to hook a reader?
- How do you know your first chapter has done all it’s supposed to do? Do you wait until you finish writing the whole novel or edit as you go?
** What questions or concerns do you have about editing your novel? Click reply and let me know so I can address them in a upcoming video.
And like and subscribe and hit the bell to get notified when I post a video every Monday.
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| | Success Secrets to Writing + Publishing Your Children’s Books
I'm super excited to be part of this upcoming summit for indie authors next week. Oriented to children's book authors, there will be plenty of sessions to help ANY fiction writers, including mine on how to best use categories and keywords. Lots of great goodies when you upgrade too!
More details on how to sign up for this free summit next week:
P.P.S. BONUS: There is an upgrade to an All-Access Pass option for this summit and I am affiliate. For everyone who upgrades to the All-Access Pass, I will give you a 1-hour consult as a Bonus! We can discuss any aspect of your writing career, including planning, writing, publishing, or marketing your fiction.
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| | Featured Author Q&A
Please welcome guest columnist Samah Kamil to our Featured Q&A series at Writer’s Fun Zone. Enjoy!
Samah Kamil is a freelance artist and Mangaka (Manga artist) and one of my students I taught in Saudi Arabia last year.
You can read her Q&A here:
Enjoy!
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| That's it for this week!
Have a happy and creative week! Happy writing, editing, creating!
Best,
Beth
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| ♥
On the Writer's Fun Zone blog this past 2 weeks:
♥
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| NEWEST BOOK! Plan Your Novel Like A Pro
This book will help you get excited to plan your novel. The tools shared here are designed to spark your muse and give you confidence when you sit down to write your story. Plan Your Novel Like A Pro: And Have Fun Doing It! is for organic writers and pansters who want a roadmap to follow, so that they can let their creativity loose.
** Is this you? => Are you a podcaster or blogger and would like to feature PLAN YOUR NOVEL LIKE A PRO on your channel? Review copies available. Please hit reply and let me know. Thanks!
♥
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| | | You have been reading the Creativity Sparks Newsletter!
Welcome!
You may share this content intact and with no changes with this attribution:
BTW, I'm a working novelist too, with two series published in two genres, and more on the way. :)
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| | ABOUT BETH BARANY
Beth Barany is creativity coach for writers, a teacher, workshop facilitator, and speaker, who helps fiction writers experience clarity, so that they can write and polish their novels, and proudly publish them to the delight of their readers.
Owner of the Barany School of Fiction, an online training hub, Beth takes great interest in how humans learn, create, and grow, and includes all her students’ life experiences, including the ancestors, into the moment.
Want a course to help you prepare to write your novel? Discover the comprehensive Plan Your Novel course here, co-taught with award-winning, bestselling thriller author, Ezra Barany.
She's also an award-winning novelist and writes magical tales of romance, adventure, and mystery to empower women and girls to be the heroes in their own lives.
beth@bethbarany.com
Barany School of Fiction
Writer's Fun Zone blog
Photo Credit: by c. 2018 Ezra Barany
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| | | Here be the legalese: In connection with the operation of this newsletter and business, Creativity Sparks includes affiliate links, including links to Amazon.com (“Affiliate Links”). Barany Consulting earns a commission from the Affiliate Links which commission is based on the number of sales that are made as a result of users of the Newsletter clicking over to the Affiliate Link and purchasing from the Affiliate Link a product and/or service. Thus endth the legalese. |
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