May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Monday, April 28, 2014
Horror story prompts
I don't particularly like writing horror stories, but I might just have to try the genre so I can use these!! Check it out!
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Empathy
What makes you cry?
I can give you a list of things that bring tears to my eyes: certain books (Fearless, The Fault in Our Stars), seeing people being kind without getting anything in return, people who are impoverished but still give to others, and being able to serve others. Maybe for you it's seeing hurting animals or hungry babies. Perhaps it's when your boyfriend cheats on you or you feel like a failure at school. Whatever it is, you can channel that into your writing.
It's the same for joy and anger and despair. People can relate to each other a lot more easily than they think. If you pour your struggles and victories into your work, the audience will feel the truth behind your words. We've all experienced something similar.
I believe empathy is the most important thing in writing. If readers don't empathize, they won't care. If they don't care, they won't read. It doesn't matter how awesome or heroic the characters are - if the readers don't empathize, they won't read your books.
On a similar note, something I have to remind myself of constantly is reader targeting. Many of my friends and family are interested in reading my work and I want all of them to enjoy it. Is it impossible for a wide audience to be touched by just one person's story? Of course not. But it is ambitious to expect your work to touch and affect everyone in the same way. I want boys and girls, teens and adults, to enjoy my writing alike and that just isn't always possible.
Does that make sense? I'll try to say it a little more succinctly:
If I focus on making a specific character easy for everyone to relate to, no one will relate to them.
Not everyone is the same. Focus on making your character human and don't worry about everyone drawing something from your story. Not everyone will. But I can guarantee you this: the people who need to be touched by your story, will be.
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
I can give you a list of things that bring tears to my eyes: certain books (Fearless, The Fault in Our Stars), seeing people being kind without getting anything in return, people who are impoverished but still give to others, and being able to serve others. Maybe for you it's seeing hurting animals or hungry babies. Perhaps it's when your boyfriend cheats on you or you feel like a failure at school. Whatever it is, you can channel that into your writing.
It's the same for joy and anger and despair. People can relate to each other a lot more easily than they think. If you pour your struggles and victories into your work, the audience will feel the truth behind your words. We've all experienced something similar.
I believe empathy is the most important thing in writing. If readers don't empathize, they won't care. If they don't care, they won't read. It doesn't matter how awesome or heroic the characters are - if the readers don't empathize, they won't read your books.
On a similar note, something I have to remind myself of constantly is reader targeting. Many of my friends and family are interested in reading my work and I want all of them to enjoy it. Is it impossible for a wide audience to be touched by just one person's story? Of course not. But it is ambitious to expect your work to touch and affect everyone in the same way. I want boys and girls, teens and adults, to enjoy my writing alike and that just isn't always possible.
Does that make sense? I'll try to say it a little more succinctly:
If I focus on making a specific character easy for everyone to relate to, no one will relate to them.
Not everyone is the same. Focus on making your character human and don't worry about everyone drawing something from your story. Not everyone will. But I can guarantee you this: the people who need to be touched by your story, will be.
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Writing prompt!!!!
I have been neither reading nor writing anything of interest to all you wonderful people so I shall fill in with a few awesome writing prompts. :)
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Let it go
I am constantly learning to write. Not how to write, just to write. I am discovered something very important about myself:
I go mad if I don't write.
It's true.
I start getting agitated. I blame it on all the characters and stories building up inside of me, demanding release. Don't they deserve freedom? Shouldn't I be the liberator?
If you are a writer, you know and understand the struggle you face if you keep the story locked inside. Let it out. Let it go.
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
I go mad if I don't write.
It's true.
I start getting agitated. I blame it on all the characters and stories building up inside of me, demanding release. Don't they deserve freedom? Shouldn't I be the liberator?
If you are a writer, you know and understand the struggle you face if you keep the story locked inside. Let it out. Let it go.
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Thursday, February 20, 2014
A little writing prompt
I'm so sorry I don't have a longer post but I thought you might enjoy this writing prompt I found on Pinterest:
Of course, with the mention of Pinterest, there is the obligatory plug for my own writing board: Be awesome! Be a book nut! which you can find here.
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Of course, with the mention of Pinterest, there is the obligatory plug for my own writing board: Be awesome! Be a book nut! which you can find here.
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Writing is only half the fun
We've all heard it before:
The more you read, the better writer you become.
Or something like that.
But does this apply to anything? Can we read Berenstain Bears everyday and still become better authors? That may seem like a silly example but the point is that we only become better writers if we read good literature. This does not limit our reading lists to classics such as Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. It certainly doesn't mean pouring over The Scarlet Letter and War and Peace. However, if we are to expand our writing horizons, we must be unafraid to sail the waters of literature. We cannot read Twilight, The Hunger Games, and Percy Jackson a million times and grow any more adept with the pen. Classics do provide us with the mental stretching we need and modern works give us the break between stretches. I love a good romance novel or fanfiction as much as the next girl, I've just realized it isn't expanding my view and abilities as a writer.
I've recently tackled A Wrinkle in Time, a well-known classic that isn't all that hard to read. Little Women and The Wind in the Willows are both examples of good literature that is simple in structure and topic.
Explore the library. Expand your reading. Enjoy the hard work of other authors.
Then apply it to your own work.
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
The more you read, the better writer you become.
Or something like that.
But does this apply to anything? Can we read Berenstain Bears everyday and still become better authors? That may seem like a silly example but the point is that we only become better writers if we read good literature. This does not limit our reading lists to classics such as Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. It certainly doesn't mean pouring over The Scarlet Letter and War and Peace. However, if we are to expand our writing horizons, we must be unafraid to sail the waters of literature. We cannot read Twilight, The Hunger Games, and Percy Jackson a million times and grow any more adept with the pen. Classics do provide us with the mental stretching we need and modern works give us the break between stretches. I love a good romance novel or fanfiction as much as the next girl, I've just realized it isn't expanding my view and abilities as a writer.
I've recently tackled A Wrinkle in Time, a well-known classic that isn't all that hard to read. Little Women and The Wind in the Willows are both examples of good literature that is simple in structure and topic.
Explore the library. Expand your reading. Enjoy the hard work of other authors.
Then apply it to your own work.
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Thursday, January 2, 2014
What I've learned about writing
All my knowledge about writing (and I will admit that is very limited) can be accumulated into four words:
Write from the heart
All the perfect grammar, impeccable spelling, plot devices, and character traits add up to nothing if it isn't genuine. If all you're doing is making up stories, forget it. It must be real.
I realized this while writing from the perspective of a young man. Being a young woman several significant years younger than this character, I realized I could never make him realistic. I have no brothers, several older cousins I'm not that close to, and no close guy friends to glean information from. This being so, I have had to step back and think about things I do know about. Girls, sisters, parents, horses, writing (duh), optometry, shooting, hiking. These are things I know about. An eighteen year old guy isn't going to be believable, but a fifteen year old girl with three sisters? Sign me up! I have first hand experience and I'm not afraid to use it!
So be real.
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Write from the heart
All the perfect grammar, impeccable spelling, plot devices, and character traits add up to nothing if it isn't genuine. If all you're doing is making up stories, forget it. It must be real.
I realized this while writing from the perspective of a young man. Being a young woman several significant years younger than this character, I realized I could never make him realistic. I have no brothers, several older cousins I'm not that close to, and no close guy friends to glean information from. This being so, I have had to step back and think about things I do know about. Girls, sisters, parents, horses, writing (duh), optometry, shooting, hiking. These are things I know about. An eighteen year old guy isn't going to be believable, but a fifteen year old girl with three sisters? Sign me up! I have first hand experience and I'm not afraid to use it!
So be real.
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
New Years Pintresolution
Don't you just love Pinterest? I am constantly scouring boards for pins in the name of 'inspiration', when really, I'm just procrastinating because I'm afraid to write the second page of my book. I recently found this pin on my quest.
Isn't that inspirational? Don't be afraid to write just because it isn't your best work. Not every page has to be a masterpiece. Relax! And write!
And a shameless plug for my own board, Be awesome! Be a book nut! from Dr. Seuss's quote which you can find here.
New Years Resolution: NaNoWriMo. Thoughts?
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
P.S. What do you think of the blog's new look? I'm trying to stay up-to-date and keep it looking sharp.
Isn't that inspirational? Don't be afraid to write just because it isn't your best work. Not every page has to be a masterpiece. Relax! And write!
And a shameless plug for my own board, Be awesome! Be a book nut! from Dr. Seuss's quote which you can find here.
New Years Resolution: NaNoWriMo. Thoughts?
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
P.S. What do you think of the blog's new look? I'm trying to stay up-to-date and keep it looking sharp.
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