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Author Inspiration and Last Week’s Writing Links

Staci Troilo

Ciao, amici! This is Thanksgiving week here in the United States, and as you’re reading this, I’m either preparing or lying in bed thinking about everything I have to do. Or maybe I’m finally sleeping, exhausted with all that’s going on.

But I don’t mind at all. My family will all be together for the holiday, and I’m feeling blessed.

I won’t be around much this week (see the above mentioned busyness), but I wanted to provide one last quote and series of links before I take the week off. I’m drawing on one of my favorite authors, Charles Dickens, and his wise words:

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty;
not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

I love that quote. And not just for this time of year, but for everyday.

Whether you are in the US and celebrating or…

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Be Kind

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Rattle the bars of your cage

Novel Writing: What if it’s all for Nothing?

Uninspired Writers

Good morning, creatives and creators. I hope you’ve all had a good week.

Mine started slow and has ended better! In the earlier stages of the week I was having some bad writing days, and some major writer’s doubt. But I’ve tried to be kind to myself, to relax and give myself a break. As such, I’m now back on track.

But one thing was nagging at me, something that I’ve seen many other unpublished writers worrying about to. This awful question, after years of working hard on a project, rewriting, revising, studying; what if it’s all for nothing?

It stems, I think, from a fear of rejection a worry that our works will never be read or appreciated. And with that in mind, I wanted to share some thoughts with you all, including ways to stop that question from taking over.

1. It’s never for nothing
I’ve put…

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More truth

Adventures and Musings of an Arch Druidess

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Book Promo – ‘My Vibrating Vertebrae’ – by Agnes Mae Graham…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

In remembrance of my Mum on her birthday.

16 Verified Purchase 5 Star reviews for My Vibrating Verebrae:

These are stories or narrative poetry centered in Ireland written metrically with rhyme. The language flows well. Even when the stories seem dark the author’s heart shines through to light the way. For example, in “Ulster’s Shame”, a dark narrative with “blood stained footpaths and bullet spattered walls” we are not left with “screams” and “terror” but a resolution: “What matters is the depth of God’s sighs.”

She describes the people around her with kind brevity. The ending of “The Brownie Pack” states her love and humbly leaves it to God whether it is returned.

She describes the joyful and sorrowful mysteries of life. In “Tender to Touch” an old man buys a medicine from her. In his confusion he rubs it on his pained stomach rather than drinking it. Nonetheless, he’s…

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Five tips for writing good prose

Nail Your Novel

How do we learn to write good prose? Indeed, what is it? How do we develop our use of language, play our literary instrument with more elan and flair?

We were probably all encouraged at school to use difficult words instead of simple ones. I see plenty of work that still seems in thrall to that, thinking that ‘printable writing’ must mean to use the thesaurus as often as possible.

Now I’ll happily use a thesaurus to find the bon mot that’s slipped my mind. But we’ve all seen writing that waxes far too lyrical, looks self-conscious and overdone.

The other huge sin is tortuous obfuscation, as if the writer is trying to prove they are clever. Just for a giggle, look at this example in The Philosophy and Literature Bad Writing Contest. Here’s a taster:

If, for a while, the ruse of desire is calculable for the uses…

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Writing and The Hidden Power Of The Subconscious: Summoning Your Muse – by Ruth Harris…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

 on Anne R. Allen site:

“What The Subconscious is to every other man, in its creative aspect becomes, for writers, The Muse.” ~ Ray Bradbury

What Ray Bradbury called the muse, Stephen King called the “guys in the basement.” Others call it the sixth sense, the Spidey sense, intuition, superpower, or the subconscious.

Whatever you call it, your subconscious—the thoughts you don’t know you’re thinking—is what makes the magic happen.

Continue reading HERE

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