Archive for writing advice – Page 2

Good Timing

It’s a few days into the New Year and I’m sat at the table with my laptop; it is the sort which comes apart at the touch of a button to become an even more portable tablet and an increasingly useless keyboard. It’s not new. It used to be but like everything, myself included, it gets old and the once-shiny black cover on top is now showing signs of age. I receive frequent reminders to increase my cloud storage capacity and, when I was using it recently, I even suffered the humiliation of being chided about how small the laptop was…

Before the first of those words leapt onto the screen I was sat on the sofa with legs outstretched and a cuppa down by the side of me. It sounded great when I pictured it, it still felt great when I was in that moment right up until the point when I tried to type on a tablet and… well, I just couldn’t. It was so uncomfortable. Maybe it was just me that was uncomfortable due to a week or so of consuming (throwing away) lots of vegetables, drinking (drowning in) alcohol and having one or two (tubs) of Celebrations. And so, it was with a bellyful of indigestion (regret) that I sat down to continue the series of blogs that I hope you are finding enjoyable and challenging.

No sooner had I sat down I was thinking about time and the passing of it. The new calendar heralds a New Year and an opportunity for change but what intrigued me is the relation that time has to writing. For instance, the publisher may post this particular piece in April thus rendering the spirit in which I produced this article redundant. Alternatively, the blog could be posted tomorrow but may only be found and read twenty years later by someone searching on the publisher’s website. Or, there is always the possibility that the blog is never disseminated at all and it is left to a family member to read over, just some rubbish his or her great-grandfather produced years before. George Orwell’s Animal Farm was too politically volatile to be published until many years later while Margaret Attwood challenged herself to set her writing a century prior to the time when she actually produced it in Alias Grace. In George Orwell’s case, such was the inability of people in power to change their ways the novel was – and still is – just as relevant today whereas a quick glimpse of the housekeeping methods in Attwood’s novel will illustrate just how much other things can change over the years.

My point here, to paraphrase Roland Barthes, is that writing is completely independent of the author and that ‘the passing of time’ can have untold effects on not only the writing but on the critical thoughts applied when reading a text. The attitudes shown towards Othello for his race in 16th century Venice were more subtle and less shocking than those in To Kill A Mocking Bird or A Colour Purple. Despite these novels being produced 300 years or more later it is the social environment in which they are set which dictates the views of the people occupying these habitats. Reading these novels today it is extremely frustrating to believe that the attitudes towards education of ethnic minorities, education of women and the general treatment of ethnic minorities could be so ignorant in such a recent time.

Society and language are forever evolving; phrases, housekeeping processes, methods of transportation, means of communication, clothes, fashion, music… the list is endless. Let’s revisit the first paragraphs of this blog, what do we know? Its a few days into the New Year thus establishing the time of year. I possess a laptop which would certainly date this as being within the last 40 years, the last twenty if we consider whether they are widely used or not, or even the last ten years if we think about the type of laptop it is with its removable keyboard. I even told you that it was a few years old so an educated guess would place the laptop between 2-8 years old. From the information above you could probably come up with a reasonable estimate as to what year this piece has been produced. Writers do this all the time, maybe unconsciously at times. The changing of seasons, description of a child’s growth or a character’s signs of aging can certainly keep the reader up to date with any changes to the timeline which have been applied by the author.

This week I would like to ask you to look around your home, look into your daily habits and look at the people around you happily going about their daily business. What do you see that you wouldn’t have seen twenty years ago? What do you see now that makes you happy or sad that it is a part of modern culture? What do you see that you don’t think will be around in twenty years time? Now try writing a piece which:

a)    Laments the loss of something taken for granted today.

b)    Imagines a best or worst case scenario following an increased reliance on one particular piece of technology / social habit.

Happy New Year (whenever you read this) and happy writing!

A blog by Steve Marshall

Writing… When Does It Begin?

In last week’s blog I asked everyone to have the courage to write. To write something, anything. Writing may come easier to some than to others so it got me thinking about where writing begins. 

Is it the first chapter? 

Is it the moment we commit the first word to paper? 

The moment we sit down and open the laptop with a freshly made cuppa? 

The conversation down the pub when we first reveal the world changing title of our novel? 

Or is the nucleus of the idea that starts the process? 

It could actually be any of these, and yet, could equally be none of them.

The meaning of intertextuality can be misplaced and is often introduced today as referring to another text. However, in The Post-War British Literature Handbook, Michael Greaney summarises it as follows:

‘Every act of writing, however ‘original’, involves some adaption of existing words, styles of expression, generic conventions and so forth. Writing thus emerges not from the author, but from what [Roland] Barthes calls the ‘immense dictionary’ of literature and culture that pre-exists the writer. Barthes even argues that the author – though at this point he prefers to use the term ‘scriptor’ – does not produce the writing but is an effect of the writing.’ (2010, 95-6)

In this regard, every word from every book that has been read and comprehended could maybe find its way into the formula of the story being produced. The form of the novel, poem or short story in question is also the result of understanding the ‘rules’ that are the make-up of the catalogue of literature that comes before us. Maybe that doesn’t apply to you, as what you are planning is ground breaking and will subvert the form of more traditional presentations of your tale, however, you must first know and understand these rules in order to challenge them, which of course comes from all the authors that come before you.

It is also true that writing, much like spoken language, is often a result of the social environment in which we inhabit. The language we use on a daily basis is heavily influenced by our national language, culture, social class, understanding of the world around us, religious beliefs, our values and many other contributing factors. To muddy the waters further a middle-class, white, single, British male may wish to write as a married, Mexican, Catholic, working-class woman. In this far-fetched but not impossible scenario, the author would have to navigate the aforementioned influences on the character created as well as wrestling the natural impulses brought about by their own experiences.

This brings me to the last of the possible beginnings to one’s writing (mentioned here anyway) and that is the author’s own experiences. Close your eyes and cast your mind back. 

Do you remember your first kiss? 

The first time you visited Rome? 

How about the most traumatic event you’ve ever witnessed? 

Maybe you’ve worked with people who suffer from mental health disorders or perhaps you’ve even lived through a difficult period and have come out the other end all the better for it. 

Human emotions, romantic notions, tragic events, sharing drugs in damp festival tents… the list goes on! All of these and so many many more contribute to who we are and who the people around us are. If you already have a character in mind to write about, I challenge you to question whether this character reminds you of someone you know. If it does, great! It may actually help you flesh out the character to the point where readers will accept them all the more readily.

The key to producing writing is not about producing a plan any more than it is scribbling the first sentence. You need to possess a vocabulary, so read. Read different things all the time and discover the various ways in which other cultures, past or present, accept language. Talk to people. Everyone has different experiences, sometimes of the same things, but there is so much to learn from everyone. Finally, never under estimate your own experiences as they can often bring life to the characters you are creating and the environments in which they inhabit.

At this point, I feel it may be useful to challenge you to consider the above and attempt to apply it. Why not try writing a piece of approximately 1,000 words (or less) beginning or ending with one of the following lines:

  • That was the last time I truly felt happy.
  • It was the funniest thing I ever saw!
  • The very thought of it still sends a shiver down my spine.

Good luck!

A blog by Steve Marshall

A message from the author of the blog:

I hope that the blog continues to inspire you all to engage with writing as a process, a process to be shared and continually improved. I encourage you all to post something, a piece of writing in response to this blog perhaps and I also ask that anyone commenting in response does so with courtesy, support and constructive criticism. As ever, if there are any particular topics that you wish to see covered then please submit them by reply and I will add them to my list. 

Happy writing!

Writing…Does This Count?

If you’re brave enough to tell anyone that you are a writer then the first question you’ll face is: 

‘So, what have you written?’ Typewriter

While some people have built up a nice healthy portfolio full of published and unpublished works, others will no doubt be about to take their first steps into the unknown. This brings us to the second dreaded question:

 ‘What are you going to write about?’ 

This is the perfect time to tell them about your complicated novel in which extra-terrestrial communities are unable to share the spoils of their respective planets so want to break away and form a separate solar system… too Brexit? Point taken! But embarrassment, or not having already produced the text, shouldn’t prevent you from sharing the idea. Their input could actually prove invaluable.

I consider myself a writer. No, I am a writer. Why? Put simply, it’s because I write. Some may like it while others may not but I am producing writing; whether it is disseminated or not is beside the point. It is important to engage with the act of writing and try to make sense of the world or, as Graeme Harper in On Creative Writing puts it: ‘to make art form communication, and communication from art’ (2010, 112). However, understanding that every piece of work is not going to be a masterpiece is key to being strong enough to learn and develop. Emily Bronte, Oscar Wilde and Mary Shelley are just a few examples of ‘one novel wonders’, but that does not mean that their other writing was any less valuable to honing their skills or indeed to the great back catalogue of British literature in general.

So, to finish this particular piece, I would like to paraphrase the great ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ himself – Joseph Belafonte – and challenge you to pick up a pen and write. Do you have a good idea? Pick up a pen and write. Are you angry or frustrated with the world around you? Pick up a pen and write. Do you harbour a dark and twisted mind which needs a creative outlet? Pick up a pen and write! Write. Record. Type. Do whatever you need to do in order to make a start on the very thing you’ve always thought yourself capable of. Before long, you’ll have answers to the two questions at the beginning of this blog and can tell your friends, family and even strangers exactly what you have written.

A blog by Steve Marshall

A message from the author of the blog:

This blog is the first of a weekly series aimed at new and budding writers in the hope that it challenges and encourages in equal measure. I hope that existing writers are also able to take something away from the blog or maybe even give something back to those who have been inspired and aim to follow in your footsteps. I would truly value any comments, ideas, experiences and feedback that anyone is happy to share.

Tips for Self Publishing with Jelly Bean

Do you have a book to publish?

Do you want to self publish your book?

How to Self Publish with Jelly Bean

Know Your Product
Your book is a product  and you are hoping to find buyers for it, just like any other product. But to make sure it is the best it can be  you need to know exactly what it is; are you sci-fi? Non-fiction? What is your book about? Is it a quirky encyclopaedia of the world’s weirdest garden sheds? Or a poetry collection focusing on the struggles of motherhood? Think about the objectives of your book. Knowing your product enables you to make it the best it can be in all aspects; marketing strategy, promotion, finding niche markets, editing, cover design etc.

Where
Before publishing  think about how and where you are going to sell your book. Do you want to approach retailers and bookshops or is your book just something small you want to keep for yourself? Either or, this will dictate the kind of services you require from Jelly Bean Self Publishing. For example, if you want to try and get your books into stores and libraries you will need as ISBN. These kind of thing will all shape what kind of book and deal you want to arrange with us. As a result, we recommend putting some forethought into how you’re going to sell.

Who
Think about who will read your book. If it’s a children’s book  the answer is obvious. The steps to capturing your readers might involve going to school’s to do readings or organising a reading event for children and parents in the area. Jelly Bean Self Publishing author Molly Arbuthnott reached out to schools in the UK and ended up getting orders of her book Oscar the Ferry Cat through her reaching out! So hitting the right market is really important and can really help improve your book’s success in terms of moving copies. See here for more information about Molly’s story…

How
How will you sell? Marketing. Marketing is how you will sell. People need to know your book is out there, and they aren’t going to find you   you need to find them. Here at Jelly Bean Self Publishing we do offer small marketing support, but a lot of it lies on the author’s shoulders to self promote if you want your book to do the best it can.

Attending literary events (or events to do with what your book is about) and doing readings, getting on to social media, interacting with readers and writers who follow you online, entering yourself into competitions  all of these are ways to self promote that cost little-to-nothing. If your book has a niche  make yourself known in these circles. If your book is niche – this can be both an advantage or disadvantage. You might have lots of people in the waiting for a book like yours or your niche might not exist out there  so be aware of either or and do some research if you can.

We recommend thinking of marketing as a little business; overseeing the practicalities of what will bring sales in is so important in ensuring your book’s success.

Jelly Bean Self Publishing Black Friday Deal

 

Black Friday. Lots of Deals. Free Books.

Do you have a book that you want to publish?

Why not send your book to Jelly Bean Self-Publishing?

A great way to get your book off your computer and into the world, and with 10% off this Black Friday why wait?

Just send your manuscript to submissions@jellybeanselfpublishing.co.uk with the words ‘strawberry pencil’ as the subject to receive 10% off and we will be in touch.

Valid from 14th November to 28th November 2018.

Health Benefits of Reading

Here at Jelly Bean Self-Publishing, we want to start a reading revolution. Here are just a few reasons to put down your phone, turn off the TV, and for a few hours an evening enjoy an actual book…

In the modern world, where much of our interaction with words takes place on screens (mobile phones, tablets, computers, etc.), it is certainly worth reiterating the health and lifestyle benefits of reading a good book.

Not that reading off a screen is so bad – after all, it’s led you here! But it is estimated we spend up to a whopping ten hours (!) staring at screens every day.

  • Reading brings to life neural pathways in the brain. This in turn leads to the creation of new memories, and as such creates new synapses that strengthen our brains. So basically, reading is like taking your brain to the gym!
  • Reading can reduce anxiety and alleviate stress. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, reading offers us the magic of escapism. It frees our minds, which in turn lightens the pressures of day-to-day life.
  • Reading asks you to consider abstract concepts, developing critical thinking skills.
  • Has a friend ever bolstered you to participate in an activity you were apprehensive about? It has been proven that readers who admire a fictional character’s courage to partake in physical challenges that scare them (g. riding a horse, climbing a mountain, sailing a boat, etc.), are themselves better able to muster the bravery to try new activities in their own life.
  • It goes without saying that reading improves your vocabulary and communicative ability. If anyone’s going to impress their peers with a quick-witted remark, it’s an avid reader.
  • Reading gives us a sense of self-accomplishment, boosting self-esteem.
  • If you’re the sort of person to fall for fictional characters (aren’t we all?), then studies show you are a more empathetic person for it. In imagining life from another’s perspective, you yourself become a more caring, understanding person (go you!).
  • Reading a book in bed helps you sleep better. Conversely, the glare of a TV screen or a smart-phone makes it more difficult to drop off.

Do you know of any positive impacts of reading we’ve missed? If so, please feel free to get in touch. Thanks for reading, and keep up the good work!

 

  

JACK KEROUAC’S RULES FOR WRITING

The story of Jack Kerouac’s writing of On the Road is legendary: a three week, benzedrine-fueled burst of creativity. Thankfully for those of us not quite so enthusiastic about casual amphetamine use, JK was also good enough to jot down some more general-interest pointers:

  1. Scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for yr own joy
  2. Submissive to everything, open, listening
  3. Try never get drunk outside yr own house
  4. Be in love with yr life
  5. Something that you feel will find its own form
  6. Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind
  7. Blow as deep as you want to blow
  8. Write what you want bottomless from bottom of the mind
  9. The unspeakable visions of the individual
  10. No time for poetry but exactly what is
  11. Visionary tics shivering in the chest
  12. In tranced fixation dreaming upon object before you
  13. Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition
  14. Like Proust be an old teahead of time
  15. Telling the true story of the world in interior monolog
  16. The jewel center of interest is the eye within the eye
  17. Write in recollection and amazement for yourself
  18. Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea
  19. Accept loss forever
  20. Believe in the holy contour of life
  21. Struggle to sketch the flow that already exists intact in mind
  22. Don’t think of words when you stop but to see picture better
  23. Keep track of every day the date emblazoned in yr morning
  24. No fear or shame in the dignity of yr experience, language & knowledge
  25. Write for the world to read and see yr exact pictures of it
  26. Bookmovie is the movie in words, the visual American form
  27. In praise of Character in the Bleak inhuman Loneliness
  28. Composing wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazier the better
  29. You’re a Genius all the time
  30. Writer-Director of Earthly movies Sponsored & Angeled in Heaven