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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:
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 commentsbelow let us know what hashtags do you use to share your writing?
Writing is the perfect excuse to travel. If you’re looking to write deeper stories, live abroad and if possible learn the language there. In doing that, you’ll strengthen your understanding of people and widen your worldview. Here are three ways that living abroad makes you a stronger story teller.
Why People Do What They Do
We really do view the world differently based on our culture. American tourists abroad will often get a lot of flack for exactly that reason. They’re considered individualistic and inconsiderate. And, comparatively, I can’t say that is entirely wrong. Compared to many other countries, American culture is defined by a strong sense of the individual and personal needs over the needs of others.
By living in another country, people undergo what many call “culture shock.” For me, this felt like a coming to terms with discomfort caused by unfamiliar cultural pressures. This forced self-awareness gives the “why” to people’s actions. Suddenly, you have to rethink even basic things. “Why do I do this?” becomes a constant question. So, it was by living abroad that I have developed a deeper sense of self-awareness. And as I’ve become more self aware, my writing has improved.
Knowing why people act how they do, subverting that, and juxtaposing it makes character interactions compelling. So, if you’re struggling with dialogue, or character development in general, try a different scenery. You’ll be shocked by what you find.
World Building Inspiration
One of the complaints that agents give is that they’re tired of “euro-centric” narratives. So, knights and castles? It’s a bit overdone, you know. The market is looking for something fresh, something new. You’ll find things so different from what you’re familiar with, and that’s inspiring. Every culture needs basic things: food, water, shelter. And yet, people addressed those basic needs so differently around the world. Going abroad helps you step away from the familiar. You can combine the familiar with the new, or you can pull entirely from the new. It makes the worlds you build feel 1. more real and 2. more inclusive. Nothing’s worse than a white-wash novel full of people, places, and things that are all the same. The world is filled with unique things, so things in your book should be unique as well.
It could be a festival, an art form, a fighting style, really anything could capture your attention while travelling. While in South America I was often amazed at the graffiti around the cities. Literally. Anything. You’ll see how people and culture come together and shape each other, and you’ll better under stand how you can write a culture in the context of a book.
Despite the fact that I’ve mainly focused on fantasy ideas with this, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to travel even when writing a modern fiction because with that it’s all the more important to make sure you’re getting the facts from the source.
Stories Different From The Ones You Know
Stories change around the world, as does the manner of storytelling. Your writing will feel fresh if you implement some of the writing techniques from various countries or cultures. American story telling is… for lack of a better word, very linear. This happens because of this and that leads to that. But, this isn’t true of all narrative styles. Some are more meandering, you’ll get at the finish but it might not be a straight path. Others dance around the central topic without ever brushing it explicitly. The best way to familiarize yourself with different approaches to narratives is to read literature from other cultures. Which is, in my opinion, best done in that language if you can manage it.
For something less European, you could certainly read the works of Machado de Assis. Although I recommend the original Portuguese, I know that many people reading this likely won’t speak Portuguese. As such, here’s a link for purchasing his book Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas and, one of my all time favorites, Dom Casmurro. If you haven’t read them, they’re worth the read!
So, what do you think? In what ways has travelling helped you become a better writer? Comment below and don’t forget to follow the page for more updates.
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?
C.W. Spalding 
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