Tag: Writing

The Writing Process

The Writing Process

floraj5604

Today I am going to cover the benefits of being an author and how I go through the writing process.

 

The Benefits of Being an Author

  1. You can chose where the story goes. Does he take the hall on the left or the hall on the right? What happens next?
  2. It’s an adventure. There are no limits.
  3. If you decide to actually publish your books, then you could be a millionaire! Not right away, of course.

 

The Differences between an Actual Author, and Writing for Fun

There is a huge difference between writing a story that you might actually publish one day, and just writing for fun.

At first, when I started writing my story, I thought that this was just for fun and would end up like the other stories I’d started: unfinished. But, a couple of weeks ago, when I was letting my mom read it, I realized that I wanted to share it with other people. I wanted to let other people read it and be amazed at my work. So, I have started the process of going back through, and changing things that need to be changed, and correcting grammar mistakes.

 

For Real

  1. Test Run

If you plan on actually publishing your story, I think it would be wise to do a trial run first. Start writing, and see if you think you could go on with the story. Do you like it? Do you need to tweak the main idea to something you would really enjoy writing about?

  1. Plan

Plan your story. Get the main idea of what should happen throughout the story, and then plan chapter by chapter. Plan a chapter, then write it and plan the next.

  1. Take a Break

After you’ve written your full story (which may take a while, but that’s okay), take a break. Sometimes taking a break helps you to come back with refreshed eyes. And I don’t mean just a few hours. I mean a few days, at the least.

  1. Read over It

Now it’s time to correct all those mistakes! Whether it be grammar, gender, or character problems, it’s time to fix it all! One time I was reading through my story, and I realized that there was an animal that had been a male at the beginning, but I had accidentally changed it to a female! We all make mistakes, so don’t feel bad.

  1. Read it to Someone

Reading my story out loud to my mom was what made me realize that the animal in my story had a gender problem. This doesn’t only let you see your problems, but it also helps you to realize that you might actually want to share it with others.

  1. Read over it- Again

Yes, you need to check for mistakes again. But you can probably do this while you’re reading it to someone. This time, think about who your audience might be. Is it for kids? Or maybe for young adults? Try to write it for those people.

  1. Publish it!

Okay, I don’t mean like seriously publish it. You can, but I can’t give you any information on how to do it since I haven’t ever done it before. I mean just posting it online or asking your teacher if you could read it out loud in Literature class. Publish it on your blog. Read it to your friends.

 

For Fun

If writing to publish is too nerve-wracking for you, and you really love to write, then you can just write for fun. You never know, you may just decide to publish later when you’re reading back over it.

 

Next Week. . .

Next week I will not be doing a post on Thursday, since it is Thanksgiving week. The following week, it will be time for another monthly recap.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

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Your Writing Nook

Your Writing Nook

floraj5604

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Where do you like to sit when you’re doing homework, bullet journaling, writing, or reading? Is it your bed? Your desk? Today I’m going to cover all of the possible places that you could call your Writing Nook, why they would be a good choice, and my preferences.

Your Desk

1. My preferences 

Okay, first of all, I rarely EVER  sit at my desk. Mostly because it is always covered in school papers, notebooks, and other random stuff. Yeah, my room isn’t always neat… I try to keep it cleaned off, but it never stays that way. On the other hand, your desk would be a good “focus center”. I’m using this term because when you’re writing, you should be somewhere where you can focus. Somewhere with no interruptions. In some houses, I know that may sound impossible, but at least ask for some privacy.

2. Advantages

Your desk is a good place because it helps you stay awake. Yes, I just said that. When you sit on your bed, you’ll be more likely to fall asleep. Especially if it’s late at night. Anyway, your desk is also good because you already have pencils and paper. It is a very convenient spot. More on supplies later.

3. Disadvantages 

The only disadvantage I can think of is that it may be uncomfortable. Get a pillow!

Your Bed

1. My Preferences

I usually sit on my bed because it is comfortable, and I like being comfortable.

2. Advantages 

As I just mentioned, it’s comfortable. And that’s pretty much all I can think of… Comment if you can think of more!

3. Disadvantages

Sometimes, it’s hard to get the pillows right, and then your back starts hurting. That is definitely not fun. Another disadvantage is you might not always have the right supplies at your fingertips, like I mentioned before. You may have to get up (ugh!) and get a piece of paper or a pen.

Outside

1. My Preferences

If you prefer to not worry about the bugs, the cold (or the heat), or other annoying noises, then I would not suggest it. I like to sit outside, especially during the fall.

2. Advantages

If you live in the country, when you go outside, it might be pretty quiet. Take advantage of this! If you live in the city, it might be the opposite… Being outside might be another way to escape siblings. Plus the crisp and fresh fall air clears my head and helps me think.

3. Disadvantages 

Noises. Cars, dogs, doors, yelling, talking… Yeah, sitting outside has its downs. Also… There’s the weather. Hot, cold, snowing, raining, windy… It really depends on how YOU feel about it.

The Kitchen Table

1. My Preferences

Okay, sometimes I can handle this, sometimes I can’t. Sometimes it’s too noisy, but sometimes I can ignore it. I’m usually able to ignore it and get into my own little world.

2.  Advantages

FOOD IS NEAR! If you need a snack, go get it! If you need a drink, go get it! If mom is sitting here too, you can ask for help.

3. Disadvantages

Distractions. SO MANY DISTRACTIONS! Your little sister singing as she colors, the sound of pots and pans being moved around as your mom cooks, the cat meowing at his bowl for more food, and much more. Sometimes the kitchen is not the best. Something else is the table may not be clean. Maybe there’s a drop of spaghetti sauce from last night, or crumbs from where your brother was eating crackers. I wouldn’t suggest the kitchen.

The Living Room

1. My Preferences

I like to sit in the living room. It’s actually where I’m sitting right now, typing this post, and glancing up every once in a while to see who’s winning the football game. Go Tennessee! I mainly like sitting here because there is light. I like rooms with a lot of natural light let in from windows.

2. Advantages

I don’t know what’s in your living room, but I’m guessing there’s a couch. Couches can be comfortable, and so can chairs. It really depends on what YOU like.

3. Disadvantages

Again, DISTRACTIONS! There maybe a TV where the football game is on (I’m setting such a good example 😉 ), or your little brother might be playing a video game. There could be a lot of distractions, or there maybe none.

Supplies

Okay, so I’ve basically covered all the places you could call your “Writing Nook”, so now, let’s move on to supplies.

First of all, what should you use? There are multiple things you could use. Your computer, a journal, a binder, a notebook… If you want to, you could put all your supplies in a basket and take them wherever you want to go.

1. Your Computer

I use Word on my computer. I used to use a binder with notebook paper in it, but then I transferred it to a computer, because my hands got too tired from writing. Word has been excellent so far, and I don’t plan on changing anytime soon. Anyway, back to supplies. All you should need is your computer, and maybe a pencil and paper in case you want to write something down, and your Inspiration Notebook (I will explain what that is later).

2. Your Journal/Notebook

If you are writing your story in a journal or notebook, all you should need is just your notebook (duh) and a pen or pencil (whatever you prefer).

3. Your Binder

Your binder should have paper in it, and maybe a few dividers. All you need other than that is a pen/pencil and your Inspiration Notebook.

What is an Inspiration Notebook?

Have you ever been sitting at school, in your office, at work, or even in church and suddenly a brilliant idea hits you? It happens to me all the time, so instead of using the Notes app on my iPod, I decided to dedicate a notebook to inspiration.

So, basically, an Inspiration Notebook is a notebook that you carry with you everywhere that you can whip out whenever inspiration hits you.

Your Writing Nook

So, to sum it up…

Your Writing Nook needs to be a place you can sit, write, and not be distracted. You should make sure you have the right supplies with you whenever you write.

Comment! Where is your Writing Nook? What are your supplies?