The Chronicles of Joya

Wednesday – Help Yourself Day

April 4th, 2012

Hello. How are you? Great, I hope! Let’s have some creative fun. Ready?

Say three numbers 1 to 50. Pick up a book you love and find the first word on each of those pages that leaps out at you and make a story, song, poem, drawing or painting using those three words.

Happy Wednesday!

Liane x x x

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Tuesday – Creative Flow and Ideas Day

April 3rd, 2012

Yeah, it’s Freddie. Did you miss me, man? Well I’m back to help get those creative juices flowing. Ready?

A friend lends you a book. You don’t like books. You try to refuse but he insists so you take it. You sling it on the bed and lay down beside it determined not to read it. You know your friend doesn’t read books either so why did he have this book anyway. Your curiosity proves too much and you reach out for it. You open it and your eyes bulge.

Why? Over to you, guys. Happy Tuesday! Freddie xx

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Thursday -Writing Tips Day

March 29th, 2012

I love writing dialogue. When I sent my editor the first draft of THE CHRONICLES OF JOYA she gave me a great tip about speaker attributions (he said, she muttered, she groaned, he chuckled, she screamed).

Her tip was stick to he said and she said. Why? Because the reader’s mind will skim over he said and she said. When you write he requested or he uttered you risk taking your reader out of the story.

Her other tip is write Paul said and not said Paul. After all, you wouldn’t say said he, would you? If you record both ways, you’ll hear the first sounds more natural.

Write a scene with these new skills and watch your writing shine. Happy Thursday! Liane x

Ps. If you want to know more great editing skills, check out her book Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. And if you have any resistance or block to writing, read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Fantastic books.

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Wednesday -Help Yourself Day

March 28th, 2012

If there’s one thing I’ve learned – and keep forgetting! – is our body is like a car engine. We wouldn’t leave our car engine running 24/7 every day, would we? What a waste of fuel, battery power and noisy too.

So today’s tip is to treat your body like a car for a week. Check if it’s getting high grade fuel – plenty of water, enough rest. A car engine doesn’t like to continually tick over. Get the fan out, put your feet up and close your eyes for ten minutes. Recharge that engine.

Think of three things which relax you and do at least one of them today. Go on, treat yourself.

Happy Wednesday! Liane x

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Tuesday – Creative Flow and Ideas Day

March 27th, 2012

Yo, what’s happenin’, guys? Freddie’s back with you again. You miss me? Let’s get those creative juices flowing. Ready?

You lean forward on your bike and for some reason it doubles its speed.

What happens next? Over to you, guys. Happy Tuesday, Freddie xx

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Monday – Fun and Laughter Day

March 26th, 2012

Monday again! Here are a couple of jokes from Eleanor in Winchester. And, Eleanor, that is great news about your writing. Well done.

What is a French cat’s favourite pudding?

Chocolate mousse!

What happened when the cat ate a bowl of wool?

She had mittens!

What do cat actors say on stage?

Tabby or not tabby.

And if you want to have a giggle, check out my outtakes on www.youtube.com/lianecarter

Happy Monday! Liane x

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Thursday – Writing Tips Day

March 22nd, 2012

Dorothea Brande said a wonderful thing which really helps me. If you find yourself not in the writing flow set yourself two tasks:

1. Get up earlier every morning and just scribble away before you have time to think about it.

2. Set yourself an appointment at different times each day to sit and write for ten minutes.

Have fun with these suggestions and open to any more that might be just right for you.

Happy Thursday! Liane x

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Wednesday – Help Yourself Day

March 21st, 2012

Ever tried meditation? It can relax you and is a great for your brain. It has to do a lot of work, you know! Just set the alarm on your phone for five or ten minutes and sit and just close your eyes and chant a word over and over in your mind. I like to use the word “om”. Have a pad and pen by your side because when you give your mind this recharge it throws you great nuggets back. I receive reminders in the middle of my meditation to do things, great ideas for books and lines for songs. Have fun.

Happy Wednesday! Liane. xxx

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Tuesday – Creative Flow and Ideas Day

March 20th, 2012

Okay, Freddie’s busy giving me insights into the story for the second in the series of THE CHRONICLES OF JOYA. So I’ll get you started on a story today.

You lay outstretched on a golden eagle. Your arms spread across his wings. He swoops into the air and his feathers tickle your skin and the wind rushes at your face.

What happens next? Over to you. Freddie will be back next Tuesday. Happy Tuesday! Liane x

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Thursday – Writing Tips Day

March 15th, 2012

How can you make your story come alive? How can you make it jump off the page? One way is to avoid adverbs. What are they? Those words which tell us how we did something.

How did he drive? Fast.

How did she talk? Quickly.

Instead of using these words dig in your mind for strong verbs. Instead of He drove fast, how about He sped? Change She talked quickly to She gabbled.

Here are a few reasons we use adverbs:

1. We’re being a bit lazy. It’s easier to just write She hit him hard instead of using something more expressive … She pounded her fist into his cheek.

2. We use adverbs because we don’t think people will understand us or what we are trying to convey if we don’t. Believe in your readers. Trust their intelligence.

3. We use adverbs because we doubt our writing. Believe in yourself. All words like slowly, quickly, sarcastically and powerfully can be avoided by jumping into the character’s mind and acting out the scene yourself.

Have fun and happy writing! Liane x

Add comment »

Hello. How are you? Great, I hope! Let’s have some creative fun. Ready?

Say three numbers 1 to 50. Pick up a book you love and find the first word on each of those pages that leaps out at you and make a story, song, poem, drawing or painting using those three words.

Happy Wednesday!

Liane x x x

Yeah, it’s Freddie. Did you miss me, man? Well I’m back to help get those creative juices flowing. Ready?

Why? Over to you, guys. Happy Tuesday! Freddie xx

I love writing dialogue. When I sent my editor the first draft of THE CHRONICLES OF JOYA she gave me a great tip about speaker attributions (he said, she muttered, she groaned, he chuckled, she screamed).

Her tip was stick to he said and she said. Why? Because the reader’s mind will skim over he said and she said. When you write he requested or he uttered you risk taking your reader out of the story.

Her other tip is write Paul said and not said Paul. After all, you wouldn’t say said he, would you? If you record both ways, you’ll hear the first sounds more natural.

Write a scene with these new skills and watch your writing shine. Happy Thursday! Liane x

Ps. If you want to know more great editing skills, check out her book Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. And if you have any resistance or block to writing, read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Fantastic books.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned – and keep forgetting! – is our body is like a car engine. We wouldn’t leave our car engine running 24/7 every day, would we? What a waste of fuel, battery power and noisy too.

So today’s tip is to treat your body like a car for a week. Check if it’s getting high grade fuel – plenty of water, enough rest. A car engine doesn’t like to continually tick over. Get the fan out, put your feet up and close your eyes for ten minutes. Recharge that engine.

Think of three things which relax you and do at least one of them today. Go on, treat yourself.

Happy Wednesday! Liane x

Yo, what’s happenin’, guys? Freddie’s back with you again. You miss me? Let’s get those creative juices flowing. Ready?

You lean forward on your bike and for some reason it doubles its speed.

What happens next? Over to you, guys. Happy Tuesday, Freddie xx

Monday again! Here are a couple of jokes from Eleanor in Winchester. And, Eleanor, that is great news about your writing. Well done.

What is a French cat’s favourite pudding?

Chocolate mousse!

What happened when the cat ate a bowl of wool?

She had mittens!

What do cat actors say on stage?

Tabby or not tabby.

And if you want to have a giggle, check out my outtakes on www.youtube.com/lianecarter

Happy Monday! Liane x

Dorothea Brande said a wonderful thing which really helps me. If you find yourself not in the writing flow set yourself two tasks:

1. Get up earlier every morning and just scribble away before you have time to think about it.

2. Set yourself an appointment at different times each day to sit and write for ten minutes.

Have fun with these suggestions and open to any more that might be just right for you.

Happy Thursday! Liane x

Happy Wednesday! Liane. xxx

Okay, Freddie’s busy giving me insights into the story for the second in the series of THE CHRONICLES OF JOYA. So I’ll get you started on a story today.

You lay outstretched on a golden eagle. Your arms spread across his wings. He swoops into the air and his feathers tickle your skin and the wind rushes at your face.

What happens next? Over to you. Freddie will be back next Tuesday. Happy Tuesday! Liane x

How can you make your story come alive? How can you make it jump off the page? One way is to avoid adverbs. What are they? Those words which tell us how we did something.

How did he drive? Fast.

How did she talk? Quickly.

Instead of using these words dig in your mind for strong verbs. Instead of He drove fast, how about He sped? Change She talked quickly to She gabbled.

Here are a few reasons we use adverbs:

1. We’re being a bit lazy. It’s easier to just write She hit him hard instead of using something more expressive … She pounded her fist into his cheek.

2. We use adverbs because we don’t think people will understand us or what we are trying to convey if we don’t. Believe in your readers. Trust their intelligence.

3. We use adverbs because we doubt our writing. Believe in yourself. All words like slowly, quickly, sarcastically and powerfully can be avoided by jumping into the character’s mind and acting out the scene yourself.

Have fun and happy writing! Liane x

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