Category: Friends

Categories
Friends writing

3 Writing Hashtags To Know On Twitter

Things really started to pick up for me as I discovered the power of popular hashtags. Goodbye frumpy tags that no one knows. I saw immediate results. And so, this article is going to go over 3 writing hashtags which I see time and time again.

They’re ones you should know.

#WritingCommunity

Writerscommunity, WritingCommunity, and other similar tags all take you into the world of agents and fellow writers in an instant. Also, these tags are specific enough that you’re sure to be found if someone searches for writing. Not only that, but the people that follow/post to this hashtag are overwhelmingly positive as they discuss the struggles they’ve faced while writing.

#Amwriting

Amwriting, Amwritingromance, Amwritingfantasy, and there are a whole lot more where that came from. These are great for writers to find people writing in your genre and discuss problems, tropes, and successes. Find your kin! This hashtag also extends to amreading or amagenting. Basically, keep this one handy because you’ll need it later. It applies everywhere that I’ve looked so far.

What are you writing? Not sure if there’s a hashtag for that? Helpful tip: use Twitter’s search like a google engine and type in your question.

#Writerslift

This one is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a lift. Either a lift in awareness, a lift in mood, or anything else to help your fellows. Let this one bring light to your day and use it to share the nice things that are happening in life. The writers and agents that use these tags are trying to share the happy.

Where To Look

The way I discovered hashtags was, surprisingly, as easy as a google search and one simple click. I found http://best-hashtags.com/. It had a list of hashtags, right at my fingertips. As well as:

http://best-hashtags.com/hashtag/writing/

A chart?

They have a chart. Fantastic. I’m sure this plays into SEO and I really miss Yoast (which is something I used while I interned for a blog agency). There are other websites out there for you to explore, if you have the time and the brainpower, but if not… here are the one’s I’ve found and used.

Thanks for sticking around until the end. In the comments below let us know what hashtags do you use to share your writing?

Advertisement
Categories
Friends writing

10 Memes Every Writer Should Have On Hand

Writing is hard, but memes can make the work lighter. Here are 10 memes to brighten your day and give you the extra burst of motivation you need.

1.

Google, stop asking me if I need human teeth. I promise I don’t. When you’re writing, it’s fine that your search history makes you look like a serial killer. Trust me. Just do the research. It’s better than sounding silly.

2.

I’m a gardener (pantser) and I feel this on a deep level. I have to tell myself to plot at least a little to save me some stress when I get to editing. But honestly, I have no idea what my characters are going to find as they explore the world. I write as I go.

3.

Ah, yes. A healthy dose of fear. Also, setting deadlines helps keep that forward momentum. Even if you can’t meet the deadlines all the time, it’s a good thing to strive for. Get as close as you can in the time you’ve allotted yourself because I assure you that once you have an agent you can’t miss those important dates!

4.

This kitty is just too cute. Look at it thinking so hard. If I could think like this kitty I would obviously be the best among writers. Anyhow, don’t forget that thinking is part of writing. Don’t spend all your time thinking; but give yourself time to think between drafts and such to keep your creative juices flowing.

5.

Showing vs. Telling. The age old struggle. It would be so nice if all that eyebrow twitching you’re doing while writing those expressions would magically convey itself onto the page. But alas.

6.

Writing a book blurb is so hard. Make sure you do a couple of revisions of the blurb over time because that is the hook that’s going to get you a manuscript request. You’ll need a blurb, a log line, and an excellent cover letter. Don’t worry though, you’ve got time to get it all sorted out.

7.

You have to get rid of some “cool” things to have a good story. Trust me. It’s the hardest thing you’ll do, but it’s totally worth it. Also, hold onto those things you pull out and maybe you’ll be able to recycle them into another story some day. No writing is worthless, even if you end up not using it.

8.

Get yourself an Editor. Do it. Please. It’s worth it. Trust me. You need it. No matter how many times you read over your own work, there are still going to be errors and editors (in all their types) are a valuable part of both self and traditional publishing. So, go find an editor and get them to take a look at your book. In fact, I do have an editor listed on this very site. Deseretgear is an amazing editor!

9.

Once you’ve submitted your manuscript, all you can do is wait. Sometimes for weeks on end. Don’t become a skeleton, though. It’ll come, so find some other project to work on.

10.

Okay, for some people it takes really long, but don’t give up hope.

Thanks for staying all the way to the end. I hope you enjoyed the memes and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to follow us here at Rigmarole for updates and posts.

Categories
Friends Reviews

Review: Ruin of Kings

Check out this video by Deseretgear that reviews her qualms with Ruin of Kings. Review: Ruin of Kings is now active on Youtube. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to ring the bell and subscribe.

Des highlights the great amount of anticipation with which she began reading this book. Only to have that same expectation splattered against the rocks. Will you agree with Des’ observations? Only time will tell.

Categories
Friends Novel Publications writing

My WIP

On 5/19/2020 I finished my Draft 0, my dirty draft, of a WIP (work in progress) Fantasy. The dirty draft, which was written from the 10th to the 19th was 39,549 words. Now, almost a month later I’ve added almost 7,000 words and I’m not even through the first arc of the story. In this article I will go over my process and the content of my project.

Writing the Dirty Draft

What is a dirty draft? Basically, I’ve got a story and I’ve gotta get it pounded out on the page. So, I obsessively write, about 4,000-6,000 words a day to get the bare-bones of the plot and characters out on paper. Draft 0 is so flawed that it needs a heavy re-write, but I’ve worked through my basic character arcs and I’ve taken deep notes on what needs to be changed while writing draft 0. It’s the feel good part of the project.

To set up, I do a mood-board for each of the main characters and I write out a very short explanation of what’s going to take place. Here’s an example of my character boarding below. It consists of bare bones backstory, as well as images to inspire their character. Although I didn’t in this one, I also try to include physical ticks that they’ll do while speaking so that I can fall back on those when in doubt. This bare-bones explanation gives me plenty of room to work, but also direction when working.

Also, these aren’t my images, but they came off google! Credit to the original authors, although I couldn’t tell you who they were!

The Blurb

Once I finish the dirty draft, I try to hammer out a preliminary blurb. I run them by my Tale Foundry friends as well as my writing group (when possible) and make revisions as needed.

This is my blurb for now, but we’ll see if I do any major plot revisions that prompt a change in description. I don’t suspect it’ll be changing much, however. Not only does it feel good to make a blurb that sounds interesting, but you’ll need one later anyhow, so it’s good to get one going.

Digging Into Draft One

I am so grateful to Deseretgear who invited me to join their writing group. They’ve been a great help as I’ve written draft 1, not only to keep me moving but also to point out my reoccurring shortcomings. I wrote a .5 draft which I submitted to them, after fleshing out what I knew needed work. Once they gave me feedback, I added/removed the content that needed work.

So, now I’ve added around 7,000 words and will likely continue to do so. The average for YA fantasy is 60,000-80,000 words and by the time I complete these revisions I should be happily within that word count window.

For now, that’s all, but why don’t you comment below? What is your writing process? Do you write doing a dirty draft or do you have to dig right into the meat when you get started?