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  • 1 month ago
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fattributes: “Cinnamon Roll Layer Cake ”

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Cinnamon Roll Layer Cake

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mogifire:

why not both?

Source: mogifire

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  • Question: Hello! Would you mind doing an example of not using filter words in a first person point of view? While I know that you can just switch out the pronouns for I/me/my, I just want to see it in action and when you should (and shouldn't) use the filter words. Thank you! - awritingdragonfly
  • Answer:

    thewinterotter:

    the-writers-society-deactivated:

    Hi there! I would love to! I think I’ll start out with an example with filter words and then cut out the filter words to show you the difference.

    For those of you who haven’t seen my post on Filter Words.

    Now, for the example:

    I felt a hand tap my shoulder as I realized I had made a huge mistake. I knew the consequences would be unsettling, but I had no other choice. I saw the light of my desk lamp bounce off of the officer’s badge before I had even turned around. It seemed like I always found my way into trouble.

    It was the first thing off the top of my head, so it’s a bit rough sounding….

    Now for without filter words (And a bit of revision):

    A hand tapped my shoulder as it dawned on me: I had just made a huge mistake. The consequences would be unsettling if I didn’t get out of this mess, but I had no other choice. The light of my desk lamp bounced off of the officer’s badge. I always found my way into trouble.

    By taking out filter words, you get right to the point.

    I’d also like to add a few more notes that I didn’t have the chance to post previously.

    Some Examples of Filtering:

    • I heard a noise in the hallway.
    • She felt embarrassed when she tripped.
    • I saw a light bouncing through the trees.
    • I tasted the sour tang of raspberries bursting on my tongue.
    • He smelled his teammate’s BO wafting through the locker room.
    • She remembered dancing at his wedding.
    • I think people should be kinder to one another.

    How can you apply this?

    Read your work to see how many of these filtering words you might be leaning on. Microsoft Word has a great Find and Highlight feature that I love to use when I’m editing. See how you can get rid of these filtering words and take your sentences to the next level by making stronger word choices. Take the above examples, and see how they can be reworked.

    • FILTERING EXAMPLE: I heard a noise in the hallway.
    • DESCRIBE THE SOUND: Heels tapped a staccato rhythm in the hallway.
    • FILTERING EXAMPLE: She felt embarrassed after she tripped.
    • DESCRIBE WHAT THE FEELING LOOKS LIKE: Her cheeks flushed and her shoulders hunched after she tripped.
    • FILTERING EXAMPLE: I saw a light bouncing through the trees.
    • DESCRIBE THE SIGHT: A light bounced through the trees.
    • FILTERING EXAMPLE: I tasted the sour tang of raspberries bursting on my tongue.
    • DESCRIBE THE TASTE: The sour tang of raspberries burst on my tongue.
    • FILTERING EXAMPLE: He smelled his teammate’s BO wafting through the locker room.
    • DESCRIBE THE SMELL: His teammate’s BO wafted through the locker room.
    • FILTERING EXAMPLE: She remembered dancing at his wedding.
    • DESCRIBE THE MEMORY: She had danced at his wedding.
    • FILTERING EXAMPLE: I think people should be kinder to one another.
    • DESCRIBE THE THOUGHT: People should be kinder to one another.

    See what a difference it makes when you get rid of the filter? It’s simply not necessary to use them. By ditching them, you avoid “telling,” your voice is more active, and your pacing is helped along.

    The above list is not comprehensive as there are many examples of filtering words. The idea is to be aware of the concept so that you can recognize instances of it happening in your work. Be aware of where you want to place the energy and power in your sentences. Let your observations flow through your characters with immediacy.

    Ok, sorry for the lengthy answer, I know you just wanted an example…. sorry!

    If you have any questions, feel free to ask at my ask box

    THIS IS SO GREAT. I dind’t even know there was a term for this (I should have figured, right, because writers have words for everything), but it’s one of those things that being aware when you’re doing it (and editing it right the fuck out) will improve your writing SO MUCH. Removing the filtering helps to draw your readers more intimately into the action of your story, and as the text above says, adds power and immediacy to every sentence. THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TIP I WANT TO SCREAM ABOUT IT.

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bludragongal:

faegeekgirl:

looking through the nausicaa artbook

me every day

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Writing With Color Navigation

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writingwithcolor:

Navigation 

This searchable navigation is to provide better access to the tags via the WWC navigation whether you’re on mobile or other devices. 

Please note that if the hyperlinks do not work on your system, they still exist and can be accessed from a browser or by search options. 

(Also, if the first result you see is the nav, scroll a little for more)

Also accessible via writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/tagged/xxx

-General

Series and Services

Books - Reading - Research

Writing - Topics

Race - Culture - People

Search hint: Add “women” or “men” to a race’s tag you’re searching to filter the topics to that race + gender. 

Like this: http://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/tagged/black-women

***

***

Sexuality

Religion, Faith, Beliefs

Social Issues - Special Topics +

Source: writingwithcolor

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  • 7 months ago
  • 293
Source: fixyourwritinghabits

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art-of-swords: “ 6 Things Films Get Wrong About Swords (An Inside Look) In fantasy novels and action movies, we like to see weapons at work but we don’t particularly care how they were created, sort of like sausage. We want to see our protagonist...

art-of-swords:

6 Things Films Get Wrong About Swords (An Inside Look)

In fantasy novels and action movies, we like to see weapons at work but we don’t particularly care how they were created, sort of like sausage. We want to see our protagonist double-wielding pistols while shooting holes in the faces of their enemies, but we certainly don’t need a whole montage on who handcrafted those guns. Yet for some reason, swords are different.

There’s a special place in our hearts for knowing exactly where and how each blade was forged before the hero pokes someone with it. Some swords have even more elaborate origin stories than the characters who wield them. All the stranger then, that no one writing our favorite books and movies ever bothered to google how these weapons are really made.

Chris Farrell, a bladesmith for 13 years and owner of Fearghal Blades in Austin was kind enough to sit down with the peeps at Cracked in what was likely the closest we will ever get to actual journalism and explain why everything films and novels have taught us about making swords is complete bullshit.

Source: Copyright © 2016 Cracked

(via howtofightwrite)

Source: art-of-swords

The Pros and Cons of Publishing with a Small Press

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  • 7 months ago
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its-a-writer-thing:

The great publishing question… Traditional or self-published?

We all want to land a huge publisher so we can sit back on our laurels, but anyone who’s thrown their hat into the ring knows it’s a hard road to being accepted… and an even harder one negotiating a contract that gives you decent royalties, plus enough control over how your book is edited, what cover it’s given, and how it’s advertised.

On the flipside, being self-published is easy, but when it comes to hiring a cover artist, managing social media, holding marketing campaigns, trying to get into your audience’s ever-changing mind… You feel like giving up, and even if you don’t, there’s no guarantee you’ll make it out alive.

But who said it was an either-or?

There’s a third option for those putting the final touches on their manuscripts: A small press. Authors like Carolyn Mathews, author of Transforming Pandora, used a small press to benefit from the experience of a large publishing company and the control of going it alone. This middle ground means you don’t have to grovel or bash your head in.

Pros:

  • You Have a Whole Team of Eyes

You’ve read self-published stuff before and you know what I’m about to say. Some of it is utter BBQ’d garbage, and unfortunately no one had the heart to tell them so. There are also some books with excellent potential, but who never really reached it. No author is safe from this mistake. Whether it’s bad typesetting or glaring plot holes, nothing is more valuable than an honest and objective eye to make sure your book really is as good as you think.

With a small press, you don’t have to cross your fingers and hope for the best. You have an entire team of eyes on your work to ensure every comma is in the right place, the chapter structure isn’t confusing, and that your character hasn’t suddenly switched personalities with someone else. This gives you peace of mind that the work you send out into the world really is the best it can be, with plenty of insights to back you up.

  • Fewer Start-Up Costs

With self-publishing, the costs are high. You have to hire a proofreader, an artist to create a cover, a typesetter, someone to critique your work, and someone to manage your social media (if you’d rather not do it yourself). That’s not including the price of printing and distributing, purchasing advertisement, etc., etc. You have to spend money to make money, and while the reader might only spend a few dollars for your book, you have to spend a notable amount to create something worth reading and then getting it in their hands.

With a small publisher, these expenses are theirs, and they also have the connections to ensure the money goes to the most profitable places. In some cases, your small press may negotiate for you to contribute to the cost of publication, but in any case, choosing the right publisher will ensure you get more for your money than self-publishing.  

  • There’s Less For You to Manage

Publishers exist because, like it or not, publishing is a full-time job. You may check your social media every day, but there’s more to it when you have to hold marketing campaigns, interact with followers, create newsletters, make guest-posts and content for your blog, and tailor your website to actually catch the attention of your audience.

A small press can handle this for you, putting people on the job with the experience and education to not only take this burden off your shoulders, but do it better and more regularly than you.

  • You Have More Control

As already stated, traditional publishers call all the shots. Do you like your current title? Too bad, it’s being changed. Hate that color scheme of this cover? Sorry, it’s what the genre likes. Think this section of your story is valuable? It can still be cut.

Small presses are more flexible when it comes to the decision-making process, giving you more freedom to keep titles, revise chapters, and put your foot down about keeping a certain character. Mathews’ book is a late coming-of-age novel about spirituality, hard choices, and lost loves, and she received some resistance on the spiritual element. However, with a small press, she was able to keep what she sees as one of the most valuable parts of the book. Even if they drive a hard bargain, smaller publishing companies will at least put more serious consideration into your suggestions.

  • Royalties Are More Evenly Divided

On average, a traditional publishing company will offer 5-15% royalties to authors, but some small presses will offer up to 50%.

The author of Transforming Pandora made a deal with her small press to “contribute towards the cost of production and [not] get any royalties for Transforming Pandora until 1,000 copies [were] sold.” However, “The contracts for the next two books, Squaring Circles and Pandora’s Gift are better. I get royalties from the start.”

You can negotiate with your small publishing company to make a deal that best works for you, with a lot more promising results than you’d find from the traditional route.

Cons:

  • You Won’t Control Your Prices

Unfortunately, a publishing company is still a publishing company, and they only succeed if they’re able to make back the money they’ve invested in your work. This means most small presses don’t give authors control over the price their book is sold as.

Carolyn Mathews said, “I don’t have any control over the price of the paperbacks and ebooks, and can’t do any cut-price promotions – that’s all in the hands of the publishers.”

Mathews’ publisher has put her book on sale on Amazon for 99 cents until July 15th, but other ideas have had the breaks put on them. This is a gamble, since maybe you’re in the right – and maybe they are.

  • You Still Need Permissions

You wake up one morning with a brilliant idea of holding an author interview with your favorite podcast. It’ll drive sales; it’ll get your name out there! Hold the phone; don’t make contact with the podcast hosts yet. You still need to ask your small press for permission on things concerning your book, even after it’s been published. Running out there on your own will muddle their efforts and yours, and even if it’s a great idea, you still need to check in with the team before going forward.

  • You’ll Have Disagreements on What is “Necessary”

That podcast idea? Your small press might turn you down.

Like any cooperation, there’s going to be disagreements. While you’ll have more control over some elements of your book, your publisher may decide that a second round of proofreading isn’t what your book really needs. You need to be prepared to make compromises and accept some losses. Trust me, no author has ever been 100% happy with every element of the publishing process.

(via its-a-writer-thing)

Source: its-a-writer-thing