A well-written short story can pack a punch. In a short amount of time, a writer can create a relatable character, a unique setting, and an intriguing plot. Writers can practice all types of genres from dystopias to romance and more. But as anyone who’s attempted to write a short story without success can attest, crafting a great short story isn’t easy. There’s a reason that short stories are often taught as an after-thought, not a core part of a writer’s curriculum. And yet, a well-written short story can make a powerful impact on a reader. So how do you write a great short story? Write a hook Your audience will forgive a lot of flaws in a short story, as long as the story is interesting from the first line. Remember, one way they’ll be judging your story is based on how long you can sustain their interest. That is, aside from the riveting plot and glorious prose, you have to make them believe that your story is necessary, relevant to their lives, and entertaining. If your plot doesn’t have a hook from the very beginning, an episode that entices your reader, a set-up for the rest of the story, then your story is all but doomed to failure. Following the character’s thoughts, a place description, a hook maxim, or a conversation is an excellent way to start a story, no matter what plot might follow. If nothing screams ‘here’s why you should read on!’ then you are in trouble. And if you do begin with an enticing hook as described above, but your introduction isn’t 100% clean and tidy, then your reader will notice. And from there, they won’t be forgiving exactly where your short story falters. Make sure that your hook doesn’t slow the pace significantly and… read more →
Dystopian novels project the fears and faults of their own time, exaggerated and through metaphors, into the future. An author’s imagination adds to the mix, presenting a message through the narrative of new, frightening technology, politics, society or distant worlds. Such stories share a platform with satire, shining a light upon failures, dressing them up discretely and popularising the notion via the grotesque. An additional kudos comes to the author whose warnings turn out to be prophetic, when reality comes to mirror what began as fiction. Ironically, perhaps a truly successful dystopian novel has its warnings heeded, the future taking a different, positive path, the writer forgotten and consigned to the rubbish heap of false prophets. Our contemporary world appears to offer a plentiful harvest of the fruits of despair: climate change, pandemics, Big Brother technology and international terrorism, to name but a few. The fruit that falls into your lap, however, doesn’t have to be the one with which you create your dystopian adventure. Where’s the fun in telling people what they already know or in addressing an issue too close to reality? How can you satire the politician who already personifies all things satirical? Orwell’s 1984 had an impact because in 1948 he recognised the political will existed to control all aspects of a citizen’s life but not yet the technical means. So he created a future world where the tools and conditions made it possible, sending a warning about what others could not see. While today’s climate is conducive in fermenting a mood for dystopian stories, the everyday items and issues from our lives hold an equally fertile terrain for themes to build meaningful adventures. For example, TV is awash with gambling adverts, options to bet on the minutiae of a sports event, while game apps urge our children to risk their pocket money… read more →
So you want to get your book published. The good news is that you have plenty of options. You could go for self-publishing, conventional publishing, also known as traditional publishing, and so many other publishing modes in-between that tend to blur the lines and make everything seamlessly blend in. The bad news is that you’ve got so many potential paths before you that it’s easy to get confused on what to do. That, my friend, is the curse of having too many options. And that’s why articles like this one exist: they tell you what you need to know so you can see the forest from the trees and make a more informed choice. To publish or to be published? Thomas Hayes, an expert essay writer, author of several top resume writing services, and a partner at many prestigious publishing and marketing firms, understands how the arcane world of publishing works and has quite a lot to say about the eternal question that faces every newbie writer. “We live in a digital world. What that means is that we all get plenty of options when it comes to sharing our work. This is especially true for those who want their thoughts and ideas turned into books, whether physical or digital. The thing is, though, that while everyone can write a book or have a book written for them, not everyone is going to be accepted by a conventional publisher.” Conventional Publishing So what, exactly, is conventional publishing all about? Basically, the publisher will read your proposal, if you’re writing a non-fiction book, or manuscript if you’re writing a work of fiction. Basically, you should think of the publisher as an investor and your book idea or manuscript as the investment. The publisher will invest their money, in the form of… read more →
Do you know why freelancing sounds like a really attractive option for those outside the industry’s bubble? – It looks easy. “Maya works from home. She can work whenever she wants to. If she doesn’t like a project, she simply seeks another one. Her job is fun and she never gets bored. She takes a vacation whenever she needs one. And she makes more money than me. I wanna be like Maya!” That’s the motivating factor that drives people towards freelancing. When you look at those digital nomads, you want that life. But it’s not as easy as most outsiders imagine. Many profiles on Upwork appear, remain inactive, and get blocked after a while. Most of these people are overwhelmed by the competition and they don’t expect to work a lot to earn decent money. But in some cases, they simply don’t know where to start. No one taught them that. That’s what we’re here for today: to show you where to get started as a freelancer. We’ll list the right websites, and we’ll guide you through the steps that will deliver actual results. Start from Your Own Website/Blog Do you know why so many people on freelancing websites find it hard to land their first gig? They haven’t established their reputation yet. They may only say they can do a great job in the niche they target, but the clients won’t believe until they see actual results. That’s why you need your online portfolio if you’re a graphic designer or a photographer, and your own blog if you’re a content writer. You don’t have to work too much on the site’s design. Its sole purpose is to show few of your samples, which have the power to convince a client that you can deliver great work for them. If… read more →
When most people hear that someone is a writer, the first idea that pops into their heads would the image of a person which is tortured by their personal demons, but which turn that pain into a literary masterpiece, or at the very least the image of a struggling wordsmith who is working some dead-end job, waiting for a call from one of the publishers. So, basically, it’s either Dostoevsky, or Bradley Cooper’s characters in “Limitless”. However, the reality doesn’t have to be as grim if you are a writer or aspiring to be one. In this day and age, there are plenty of jobs which allow you to make use of your writing talents, and which, according to key industry figures, pay really well. Let’s take a look at some best and most lucrative jobs for people who love writing. Technical Writer According to Matthew Childs, who works as writer for Essay Writing Lab, when it comes to technical writing, you need to be able to turn complex technical concepts and terminology into simple and understandable language. For example, technical writers are usually required to put together software user guides, manuals, complex technical documentation, and specifications, among other things. Also, if you are interested in this sort of gig, your soft skills will need to be on point, since you will be working closely with other professionals, such as developers, engineers, and designer, just to name a few. Not only is technical writing a fast-growing profession, but it also pays upwards of $70,000 per year. Proofreader Proofreading is especially important nowadays, since the demand for online content is bigger than ever. Content gets produced fast, but it still needs to be flawless, which is where proofreaders come in. Whether it’s books, novels, columns, articles, or blog post, it doesn’t… read more →
If you are one of those persons which liked to read a lot in college and loved to write fantasy novels, you have some writing skills. If you often find you thinking about stories, what to read next or your next essay, you might have a talent. And you should start to discover it piece by piece and start making it your job, not just your hobby. Of course, it’s not so easy to resign from your actual job and start writing without a plan. You should implement this decision slowly and with baby steps. The first one you could do is to make writing a part-time job. And if you have a talent, why not use it? Besides the reward that comes from this, you could also start monetizing it. And, step by step, you can become one of those people who love their job. But, firstly, let’s see how you can start monetizing your talent: Create a Blog Even though there are lots and lots of blogs, you can spot the one of a talented writer. You can use your blog to post your thoughts, your analyses or your stories. It’s up to you. But you should see it as a playground, a way to learn new things about you and your skills. Besides this, you can easily be remarked by the right person. You will be able to start monetizing your skills easier. Become a Contributor There are some magazines and newspapers that have collaborations with contributors. Even though it is not a full-time job, you can write articles for some publications. It is a good start for you, especially because your articles can be read by lots of people. And, step by step, you will become known and writing will become your primary job. Freelancing If… read more →
What is a writing competition? A writing competitition (or contest) is an event that you enter with a piece of your own writing. The prize is usually money, but sometimes it is just the pride of being chosen as winner. The winning piece will usually get published somewhere. Sometimes there’s an entry fee, and sometimes the competition is directed towards something – some publishers or magazines run competitions for the first chapter of a story, or a book proposal. However, there are a very wide variety of competitions – from poetry inspired by Shakespeare, to themed short stories, to flash fiction, to novel extracts. What are the pros and cons of writing competitions? Pros: Winning gets you fame and fortune! You get noticed, get money (or other prizes), and you can put the win on your writing CV. A deadline and word count are often good motivators to write. You’re often in with a chance to be published. The competitive element can be inspirational; you’ve got to be good to win! It’s an immediate satisfaction – or at least, better than six months of silence from an agent or publisher. There’s a wide variety of competitions to suit all levels of experience. You can write what you want, in your style – although if you want a theme, there are competitions with prompts and themes. Cons: You don’t get paid unless you win. You often have to pay to enter. Not all writers like the competition element, or see winning as a worthwhile prize. The lack of a theme or direction (as opposed to submission calls) can be off-putting. You don’t get feedback, so it can be hard to know why your work didn’t win or how close it did get to winning. Why do I have to pay to… read more →
When people are looking for new books to explore, there are three elements that get their attention: The cover The text at the back of the cover The introduction You’ll think about the first two elements after you write the book. The introduction, however, has no time to wait. All great books start with greatness. Do you remember the first sentence of Anna Karenina? “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” After reading that first sentence and the entire introduction, you just know that something extraordinary will follow. You know it’s more than just another love story. How do you get there? How do you craft the perfect introduction to hook the reader? We have few tips to offer. 1. Don’t Skip the It Your first chapter may be the introduction. May writers do that. Tolstoy did it. Does that mean you should do it? Not necessarily. An introduction is where you make the case. You tell the readers what this book is about and you explain why it’s an important book to read. It’s what convinces the readers your book has value. Do you know how George R.R. Martin started A Game of Thrones? With a prologue. The author gets straight into the story, but this feels like an introduction we definitely need for the complex plot that follows. 2. Find the Hook Your first sentence is a hook. When a book’s cover gets someone’s attention in the store, they will skip through the text on the back of the cover. Most people will then get to the first page of the introduction. They will read the first sentence. Will it make them pick up the book? Let’s check out an example: Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin. This is how… read more →
You’ve written a book, and it’s the best thing ever! So, now you want people to read it. How do you get it to them? In our current publishing world, there’s three major options. You can contact a traditional big publisher, who – if everything goes well – will buy the rights to your book, edit it, put a cover on it, market it and send you money when it sells. You can contact a smaller independent (indie) press, who have the flexibility to take chances on unusual work, and who are more likely to involve you in the details of publishing – but who don’t have the same marketing reach as the big publishers, and won’t sell quite as many as the big traditionals. Avoid anyone who asks you for money to publish (known as ‘vanity press’) with the promise of royalties in the future – it’s very likely that you’ll pay a lot and not get nearly as much back. A publisher should always cover things like editing and cover art for you, even if that means your royalty share is smaller. Or you can self-publish. This means you’re the one responsible for everything – editing, cover art, formatting, releasing, marketing, selling – so you’re putting the book out under your name, and you keep the profits from it. You can sub some of the work out (eg. hire a proofreader, purchase cover-art) but it’s down to you to sell your book to the world. And the great thing is that there are plenty of ways to do that! In this article, we’re going to briefly cover some alternative methods of getting your writing out there to your readers. While we tend to think of self-publishing as being a hard copy or ebook version of a book, that’s… read more →
Anything over a short story (so over 10,000 words) ideally needs chapters. They break the story up, provide helpful stopping-points, and allow the reader to skim the front page to get a feel for where the story’s going – and pick up where they left off, if needed. It’s also a good way for the reader to get a feel for how long they’ve got left in the book – especially for anyone reading on an e-reader, who can’t just check how thick it is! But that doesn’t make chapters all that easy! How long should they be? Where should you split things? Numbers or name? How long? Ideally, you want to make your chapters all roughly consistent. For example, I write novellas and make mine 3000-4000 words long. For novels, somewhere around 6000-8000 words is good: if you make one suddenly shorter it jarrs the readers, and makes them think they’ve missed something. However…learn the rules then break ‘em. You can get some very good effects with short chapters, particularly if you’ve got something dramatic happening. imagine if you suddenly switched back to one character, only to have a dramatic murder – and then that’s it, you’ve switched away again! Frustrating, yes, but I’d keep reading to find out what happens. You don’t need chapters? The standard response to this is either “well, duh!” or “really?!” No, you don’t have to use chapters! However, good idea to break it into sections, at least….and chapters are helpful and expected. They make nice chunks of text, and the titles act as signposts to tell the reader what’s happening, let them return to it from the front page if they lose their place. On which note… What to title chapters? You’ve got a couple of options: Plain: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc. This doesn’t… read more →