Writing tips for authors and students.
I am a writer. I love writing. Am I any good? I don’t know. When I began writing I craved feedback. I wanted to find out whether my writing was good enough to go the next step or an enjoyable past time. I attended a Writer’s Workshop in Port Hedland hoping no-one I knew attended. The presenter, the […]
You have already achieved the most extraordinary thing – you have written AND illustrated your own picture book. You finally have that perfect gem! Did you know over 80% of Americans want to write a book? Did you now over 150,000 titles were added last month to Amazon? It is a challenge now to let […]
10. Print and Perform The words and the pictures are done. You know the output – eBook and or print – and you have already put a great deal of thought into your book launch and hopefully, beyond. Printing a book is a stage requiring your focus for a moment. The single determinant is your […]
Today is the last interview with Shelly Unwin in which we look at some of the ‘nuts and bolts’ of her steps to her publishing dream. They include practical advice for anyone who is interested in getting published. The things that impress me loud and clear from your story, Shelly are: although these books are […]
9. Illustrate I know I could illustrate a book if I chose to! Confidence for this comes from understanding that everyone can draw. Everyone. It is a universal skill and it is learnt. Those who are amazing illustrators do one thing I don’t – practice, practice, practice. For this reason alone, I now outsource and […]
The children’s writing world is full of opportunities for you to experiment and practice the craft of writing – to ‘sharpen the pencil’ as I wrote about last month (here). It helps, firstly, if you have a way to find out about the opportunities. Being linked in to the writing community is imperative. Writer’s centres, […]
8. Design You are on your road to being a published author, and the best way of processing your ‘to do’ list from this point on is to think like a publisher. Determine in advance how you wish your book to present in the market place. Is it just an eBook on Amazon? Is it […]
6. Edit There is no way around this. By now, you have completely fallen in love with what you have created. (I was so tempted to write, ‘as you would a child’ and you can’t see the blemishes – but I don’t really want the possible feedback about psychology 101!) Every time a family member […]
Many times, I’ve been told the writing game is an emotional roller coaster ride. Ups, downs, hill climbs, racing downhill, loop-the-loops… From my experiences, I’m more inclined to match it to The Giant Drop; one of Dreamworld’s ‘Big 9 Thrill Rides’, particularly the vulnerability of submitting manuscripts to publishers. Note: If The Giant Drop is unfamiliar […]
6. Write You may be described as a ‘pantser’ – someone who can make decisions, flying by the seat of their pants, embracing creativity as it strikes. You may be a ‘planner’ – someone who needs to methodically map out their story, using page numbers and a prescribed plot line. Neither is right or wrong, […]
