The Chronicles of Joya

Thursday – Writing Tips Day

February 2nd, 2012

What’s one of the best tips for writing? Write as you speak. If you copy the style of someone else you lose the flavour, the intense passion waiting in the wings of your subconscious to spring forth and surprise you.

Choose the best day of your life. Write about the experience and pour all your emotions on to the page. Don’t try to imitate an author or a style. Don’t try to impress or use flowery words. Write from the heart of you. That’s where your genius lies. Go on.

Happy writing! Liane x

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Wednesday – Help Yourself Day

February 1st, 2012

Hi, it’s Teal again. How are you all? Great I hope! Today I thought we could look at goals.

What do you want to do? What goals do you want to achieve? These four steps can help you get there.

Step one: Write them down. Go on. Everything you want to get done this year.

Step two: See, feel and hear yourself when you’ve got it. So hear the praise, see the smiling faces, jump up and down at how excited you feel! Imagine you’ve reached them all right now.

Step three: Write down what you need to do to get there. Do you need to ask people for help? Enrol on a course? Invest in a book?

Step four: Write down all the obstacles that might get in your way. If you know what they are ahead of time, it’s easy to kick them out of the way and not be thrown by them.

Happy goal setting! Teal xxx

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Tuesday – Creative Flow and Ideas Day

January 31st, 2012

Yo, Freddie’s in the house. Happy Tuesday, guys. Ready to get those creative juices flowin’? Come on, then.

You fancy a piece of chocolate cake. You grab a slice and it’s sticky in your hand. You lift it to your nose and inhale the smell something not quite right.

What happens next?

Over to you, guys. Laters, Freddie xx

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Thursday – Writing Tips Day

January 26th, 2012

The senses are a phenomenal tool to use in writing. In THE CHRONICLES OF JOYA I’ve used taste, touch, smell, sight and sound to transport the reader into the story.

Write a scene about a party utilising the senses. Use verbs which heighten the reader’s involvement in the story. Here are a few examples to start you off.

… the chocolate coated her tongue.

… the fireworks exploded in green and red spirals in the sky.

Have fun. Happy Thursday! Liane x

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Wednesday – Help Yourself Day

January 25th, 2012

Someone told me a wonderful saying …

Your mind is like a parachute. If you don’t open it, it won’t work.

How true is that? And how often do we avoid opening it? We’re too tired, or just want to veg out or switch off.

Just for today give five minutes extra to opening up your parachute.

And if five minutes reading is all you can spare, spare it! Your mind will be eternally grateful. And so will your heart. The heart loves a good read to feed on.

Happy Wednesday! Liane x

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Tuesday – Creative Ideas Day

January 24th, 2012

Yo, Freddie’s in the house. In celebration of Liane’s dad, let’s get those creative juices flowing about a big gentle giant with a big laugh.

You meet this man and he towers over you with the kindest smile. You tell him your name and he laughs and laughs. Then he tells you a secret.

What happens next? Over to you, guys. Happy Tuesday! Liane x

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Thursday – Writing Tips Day

January 19th, 2012

Having a bit of a block with your writing? Here are a couple of reasons why you may have writer’s block and some solutions.

1. You’re tired. Many times we get a block because we need a break. Take a walk – that’s how Stephen King managed to overcome his block with ‘The Stand’. He walked in nature. When you do mundane tasks you allow your subconscious – the hub of your ideas – to bring ideas forward to you.

2. You need a fresh perspective. If there is someone out there who can help, why not ask them? Run the idea past a friend. Someone outside the situation - without the attachment to the work - may give an idea you would never have thought of.

Happy Thursday! Liane x

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Wednesday – Help Yourself Day

January 18th, 2012

Go out and treat YOURSELF to a present.

What do you really want? What could you buy that would take you closer to what you want to achieve? After all, if you’re not willing to invest in yourself, why should anyone else?

If you’re a writer, there’s a wealth of great knowledge out there. Why struggle alone when so many have walked the path before you and can make your life easier? Learn from those who’ve gone before. For those of you who aren’t writers, the same goes for you. What do you want to achieve? What would you love to do? Is there a book out there, a set of paints or tools, or a course you could embark on? Take the plunge and invest in yourself. You’re worth it.

Happy Wednesday! Liane x

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Tuesday – Creative Flow and Ideas Day

January 17th, 2012

Hey, Freddie’s in the house. You miss me? Well, it’s been a week already. Okay, this week I’m going to stretch your imaginations and bring a bit of fun to lighten up your day. Ready?

You step out onto a roof which is covered in a sea of pink and yellow bananas. When you take your next step, the bananas begin to move.

Enjoy. I’m outta here. Laters, Freddie x

Add comment »

Thursday – Writing Tips Day

January 12th, 2012

Renni Browne gave me some fabulous tips when I was editing THE CHRONICLES OF JOYA. One of the most invaluable was record it. When you’re writing away you don’t always write the exact thought in your mind as you’d intended. You read back over what you’ve written and it looks fine. Or you may spot a few errors and change them. But do you notice everything? Do you have the best piece of communication in front of you? More than likely not.

Your eye reads what it expects to see. Your ear on the other hand is more difficult to trick. Your ear picks up what your eye misses. So, if you can afford it, invest in a dictaphone. Whatever you write, record it and play it back. Does it flow? Can its meaning be misinterpreted? Is it too waffly? Too sparse? If you’re writing dialogue, the ear is the perfect medium to find out if it’s fluid and natural rather than stilted and false.

Even if your budget doesn’t stretch to a tape recorder of some kind, at least read what you’ve written aloud. If you write articles, stories or novels it’s invaluable. After all, it took someone else reading Salem’s Lot to notice Stephen King’s error shooting local peasants when he meant pheasants.

And if you’re writing letters and emails you’ve more than likely received one that you’ve misinterpreted. It’s easily done with the written word. Chances are it wasn’t recorded. Make sure it doesn’t happen with what you write. Let your ear give it the cheer.

Happy writing! Liane x

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« Older Entries

What’s one of the best tips for writing? Write as you speak. If you copy the style of someone else you lose the flavour, the intense passion waiting in the wings of your subconscious to spring forth and surprise you.

Choose the best day of your life. Write about the experience and pour all your emotions on to the page. Don’t try to imitate an author or a style. Don’t try to impress or use flowery words. Write from the heart of you. That’s where your genius lies. Go on.

Happy writing! Liane x

Hi, it’s Teal again. How are you all? Great I hope! Today I thought we could look at goals.

What do you want to do? What goals do you want to achieve? These four steps can help you get there.

Step one: Write them down. Go on. Everything you want to get done this year.

Step two: See, feel and hear yourself when you’ve got it. So hear the praise, see the smiling faces, jump up and down at how excited you feel! Imagine you’ve reached them all right now.

Step three: Write down what you need to do to get there. Do you need to ask people for help? Enrol on a course? Invest in a book?

Step four: Write down all the obstacles that might get in your way. If you know what they are ahead of time, it’s easy to kick them out of the way and not be thrown by them.

Happy goal setting! Teal xxx

Yo, Freddie’s in the house. Happy Tuesday, guys. Ready to get those creative juices flowin’? Come on, then.

You fancy a piece of chocolate cake. You grab a slice and it’s sticky in your hand. You lift it to your nose and inhale the smell something not quite right.

What happens next?

Over to you, guys. Laters, Freddie xx

The senses are a phenomenal tool to use in writing. In THE CHRONICLES OF JOYA I’ve used taste, touch, smell, sight and sound to transport the reader into the story.

Write a scene about a party utilising the senses. Use verbs which heighten the reader’s involvement in the story. Here are a few examples to start you off.

… the chocolate coated her tongue.

… the fireworks exploded in green and red spirals in the sky.

Have fun. Happy Thursday! Liane x

Someone told me a wonderful saying …

Your mind is like a parachute. If you don’t open it, it won’t work.

How true is that? And how often do we avoid opening it? We’re too tired, or just want to veg out or switch off.

Just for today give five minutes extra to opening up your parachute.

And if five minutes reading is all you can spare, spare it! Your mind will be eternally grateful. And so will your heart. The heart loves a good read to feed on.

Happy Wednesday! Liane x

Yo, Freddie’s in the house. In celebration of Liane’s dad, let’s get those creative juices flowing about a big gentle giant with a big laugh.

You meet this man and he towers over you with the kindest smile. You tell him your name and he laughs and laughs. Then he tells you a secret.

What happens next? Over to you, guys. Happy Tuesday! Liane x

Having a bit of a block with your writing? Here are a couple of reasons why you may have writer’s block and some solutions.

1. You’re tired. Many times we get a block because we need a break. Take a walk – that’s how Stephen King managed to overcome his block with ‘The Stand’. He walked in nature. When you do mundane tasks you allow your subconscious – the hub of your ideas – to bring ideas forward to you.

2. You need a fresh perspective. If there is someone out there who can help, why not ask them? Run the idea past a friend. Someone outside the situation - without the attachment to the work - may give an idea you would never have thought of.

Happy Thursday! Liane x

Go out and treat YOURSELF to a present.

What do you really want? What could you buy that would take you closer to what you want to achieve? After all, if you’re not willing to invest in yourself, why should anyone else?

Happy Wednesday! Liane x

Hey, Freddie’s in the house. You miss me? Well, it’s been a week already. Okay, this week I’m going to stretch your imaginations and bring a bit of fun to lighten up your day. Ready?

You step out onto a roof which is covered in a sea of pink and yellow bananas. When you take your next step, the bananas begin to move.

Enjoy. I’m outta here. Laters, Freddie x

And if you’re writing letters and emails you’ve more than likely received one that you’ve misinterpreted. It’s easily done with the written word. Chances are it wasn’t recorded. Make sure it doesn’t happen with what you write. Let your ear give it the cheer.

Happy writing! Liane x

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