August 2018: Writing Advice
~ N.J. Walters ~
~ N.J. Walters ~
CTR asked:
QUESTION: What is the one piece of writing advice that has stuck with you and why? (Something other than ‘write what you know.’)
N.J. Walters said:
One of the best pieces of writing advice I know: Do not compare yourself to another writer.
Comparison will eventually end up crushing your spirit and dampening your enthusiasm. And let’s face it, this writing business is tough enough with us make it more difficult for ourselves.
There is no one-size fits all when it comes to writing. I like to write in the morning before my mind gets cluttered with the details of living. Other authors are night owls, writing late into the evening. Some lucky ones can write any time of the day or night. One author might produce a book every year or two while another will release a half dozen in a twelve month span.
When it comes to the writing process itself I’m pretty much a pantser, which means I write by the seat of my pants. I don’t create a detailed synopsis before I sit at my computer and open up a blank word document. My process begins when the characters come to me and tell me who they are. I take notes on file cards, creating brief character sketches I can refer back to. Once I know the hero and heroine, have a few ideas about the plot, and know my opening scene, I’m good to go. Other authors work from meticulously outlined notes, not sitting down to write until they know the beginning, middle, and ending. Neither way is right or wrong. It’s simply what works for an individual author.
The thing is, we are all different. The trick is to find what works best for you. If you try to fit yourself into a mold created by someone else you will likely fail before you start. There will always be someone who writes fast, puts out more books, makes more money, gets more accolades. That’s just the way it is. If you want to write your only job is to write in whatever way works for you. Find your rhythm and then do it.
– Website – http://www.njwalters.com
– Twitter – @njwaltersauthor
Drakon Unchained
[Dragon Shapeshifter Paranormal Romance]
Victoria Marshall is living a lie. She works for a member of the Knights of the Dragon, a secret society that traps and uses dragons for their own gain. As a child, she made an unlikely friend—a drakon. He went missing, and she’s spent the past twenty years searching for him. The only thing distracting her from her mission is Luther Henderson, her boss’s new head of security.
Luther is also living a lie. One, if discovered, could lead to a fate worse than death. He’s attracted to Victoria, but can’t fully trust her, doesn’t know if she’s truly innocent or a true member of the Knights. It’s not only his life at stake, but those of the people he loves.
As they’re thrust deeper into the dangerous dealings of the Knights, they each have to share their secrets in order to survive.
Available in Ebook:
– Kindle – https://www.amazon.com/Drakon-Unchained-Blood-N-J-Walters-ebook/dp/B07FMG4W2W/
– Nook – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drakon-unchained-n-j-walters/1129098413
– Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/ebook/drakon-unchained
– iBooks – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/book/drakon-unchained/id1412732920
– Entangled Publishing – https://entangledpublishing.com/drakon-unchained.html
More Authors Dish about their writing advice.
Day One: https://coffeethoughts.coffeetimeromance.com/ad2018-aug1-advice/
Day Two: https://coffeethoughts.coffeetimeromance.com/ad2018-aug2-advice/
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