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Wakeless River Blog
Welcome to the Wakeless River Blog.
Here you’ll find my thoughts about books, writing, and navigating a literary life.
Or maybe they’ll find you.
The End is Only the Beginning
When you’re writing your novel, story, or screenplay, the end of your story may seem like an eternity away. It might even seem like the easiest part of the process to ignore, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Your ending doesn’t have to be epic or grandiose; it just needs to wrap up…
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A Tale of Three Genres
Sci-fi, fantasy, and sci-fantasy are three of the most popular genres out there in books, movies, and video games. But what makes them different? And what makes them similar? Are they all just sci-fi with different names, or do they each have distinct differences? There are plenty of stories that mix and mingle the elements…
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The Story Your Bookshelf Tells
Your bookshelf tells a story all its own. If you’re like me, yours is probably stuffed with books that don’t fit on it anymore because you can’t bear to part with them — even if they have no practical use in your life anymore. If your bookshelf could talk, it would tell the story of…
Latest Posts
- The End is Only the BeginningWhen you’re writing your novel, story, or screenplay, the end of your story may seem like an eternity away. It might even seem like the easiest part of the process to ignore, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Your ending doesn’t have to be epic or grandiose; it just needs to wrap up… Read more: The End is Only the Beginning
- A Tale of Three GenresSci-fi, fantasy, and sci-fantasy are three of the most popular genres out there in books, movies, and video games. But what makes them different? And what makes them similar? Are they all just sci-fi with different names, or do they each have distinct differences? There are plenty of stories that mix and mingle the elements… Read more: A Tale of Three Genres
- The Story Your Bookshelf TellsYour bookshelf tells a story all its own. If you’re like me, yours is probably stuffed with books that don’t fit on it anymore because you can’t bear to part with them — even if they have no practical use in your life anymore. If your bookshelf could talk, it would tell the story of… Read more: The Story Your Bookshelf Tells
- Poetry, Songs, and LoreCreating worlds and crafting stories can be an enjoyable and rewarding process. However, crafting your world down to the smallest detail can take time and energy, and sometimes it’s hard to figure out how everything fits together in your universe. This is where lore comes in. It’s a great way to add depth and weight… Read more: Poetry, Songs, and Lore
- Bring On The Backstories!What makes a character seem real? Why do we empathize with some characters and not others? Backstory. Every character has one, even if we don’t know it (we’ll come back to this later). It’s what gives them depth and makes them relatable (or not). A well-rounded character needs a backstory. Why are they the way… Read more: Bring On The Backstories!
- The Black Hole on the Blank PageIf you have ever tried to write without starting from something tangible, you know it isn’t easy to do so. You might even spend more time deciding on what to write than actually writing it. So why do we keep saying never start with a blank page? There are many reasons. One of them is… Read more: The Black Hole on the Blank Page
- The Nine Notes of a Well Sung StoryEvery song starts somewhere. We don’t think of it as ‘starting,’ unless we expect to sing the song. Birthday parties, concerts, even alone in our cars, we know the beginning of a song. We know, too, when it gets good, when the pitch changes, and when the singer hits that note. The one we probably… Read more: The Nine Notes of a Well Sung Story
- Stunning Stories in Summer SettingsHey, now! It’s finally summer! And what better way to spend this glorious season than by immersing yourself in the world of some of your favorite authors? Summertime and the reading’s easy. Whether you’re in the mood to read on the beach or just lounging by the pool, summer offers plenty of options for escaping… Read more: Stunning Stories in Summer Settings
- Change: Why It’s Good for WritersChanges are rarely easy, whether you’re the one making them or experiencing them secondhand. Change, though, can be an opportunity to grow in ways that may not have been possible before the change began occurring. I’ve been lucky enough to experience both sides of this equation over the past few years, and I’m here to… Read more: Change: Why It’s Good for Writers
- The Many Benefits of Co-AuthoringCo-written books can be exciting and fun to write, if you’re with the right partner. They can also be a challenging and rewarding experience, as long as you follow some basic co-authoring guidelines. With writing, some people prefer to work alone, while others would rather get in the same room with other authors and start… Read more: The Many Benefits of Co-Authoring
Fantastic Fictional Writers
Anyone who’s ever wanted to be a writer can tell you it’s difficult to make the dream a reality. It takes plenty of hard work, dedication, and perseverance, and even then there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to pay your bills with just your writing. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile to try! There are plenty of well-known writers in real life and in movies and books who have succeeded and inspired many more aspiring writers along the way.
We often revere writers for their unique ability to craft fiction, whether it’s as a novel, play, or movie script. Some have also made their mark as some of our favorite movie and book characters. Here are some of our favorites.
Anne Shirley
Not only was Anne Shirley a writer, she was also one of literature’s most adorable characters. No one could resist Anne’s eccentricities. She was rather unlike any other young girl in 1900s Nova Scotia, which is why audiences love her so much.
The first book of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s series focuses on Anne’s journey from an orphanage to live with Marilla Cuthbert and Matthew Cuthbert on their farm in Avonlea. She becomes friends with Diana Barry (another writer) and Gilbert Blythe (who eventually wins her heart). The spunky redhead who lived on Prince Edward Island spent much of her time writing stories—usually about plucky orphan girls—and later became an author in her own right.
Throughout the books, we see just how much Anne loves writing by seeing how hard she works at it. She even begins working on a second novel. It never gets published, but it shows us just how important writing is to Anne. She continues to write poetry throughout her life. This passion for words makes Anne Shirley one of literature’s most beloved characters. And what better way to honor her than by showing your own passion for writing?
Atticus Finch
Atticus Finch is one of those special literary heroes who’s become a cultural icon. In Harper Lee’s beloved 1960 novel, Finch is a high-minded attorney defending a black man accused of rape in 1930s Alabama. He’s an ideal father to his kids, always teaching them tolerance and love. He is also determined to set aside his own financial interests in order to defend Tom Robinson, an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman.
Finch was more than just a lawyer. He was also a writer. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, he wrote letters to his children. These letter spoke of the lessons he wanted them to learn throughout their lives, saying
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.”
That sure sounds like good advice for fiction writers as well!
As he’s typing, he’s playing with new ways of describing events in Maycomb County. Writing (and editing) becomes an essential part of how Atticus sees the world around him. He’s always trying to make sense of what he sees by using language. Finch was a writer who used his skills and talents to defend those who were powerless. And isn’t that exactly what fiction writers try to do as well? We tell stories about people who don’t have power—or don’t have enough power—in order to bring them into our readers’ lives and give them a voice.
John Dunbar
The acclaimed 1993 film Dances with Wolves stars Kevin Costner as John Dunbar, a Civil War soldier left for dead by his own side in a dangerous frontier. After finding solace with a Sioux tribe, he stays. Dunbar becomes involved in their day-to-day lives while keeping a journal of his interactions and eventual acceptance.
While not technically a writer himself, John Dunbar is one of fiction’s most memorable characters because of his actions. His words, however, play an important part in his tale. Through the journal he keeps during his time in isolation, he learns to examine himself and the world around him.
The book itself serves as a reminder that all our experiences are subjective. It’s hard to know how much of what we see is real or imagined. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or false, what matters is that it happened. And from those experiences, we learn who we are and where we belong in life. It’s a journey every writer takes at some point; whether you’re writing about your own life or creating something entirely new for your readership.
Kilgore Trout
The character of Kilgore Trout, created by Kurt Vonnegut, is one of his most notable literary creations. As a literary genius, he also shares many similarities with his creator: both are from Indianapolis; both attended Cornell University; both served in World War II; and both published their first novels in 1950. Perhaps not coincidentally, that was also when Vonnegut published his first novel, Player Piano. In fact, Vonnegut’s works often include references to Trout and some note that Trout may be an alter ego for Vonnegut himself.
A down-on-his-luck author, Trout receives little respect and recognition for his work–much like Vonnegut during his lifetime. Despite never attaining fame or fortune for his work, Trout remains steadfast in his love for writing and learning from others who share similar interests. He remains hopeful that we will recognize him for what he has given to literature; if not while he is alive, then perhaps in future generations.
We can say the same about Vonnegut, who is now remembered as one of America’s greatest writers. Both are great examples of how persistence pays off in life. The more you persist through hard times, the more likely you are to achieve success later on. Keep going even when things get tough because your time will come!
Jack Torrance
The psychotic writer in The Shining is just one of many classic examples. Jack’s descent into madness is linked to his isolation and obsession with his craft, though he was battling far deeper demons. He suffered from alcoholism and a family history of violence that haunted him. Taking a new job as the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel was not likely the best plan to overcome his writer’s block. The hotel owner needed to fill the job since the previous one died there. The last caretaker murdered his little girls with a hatchet, his wife with a shotgun, and himself the same way.
Jack’s writing, though. Through it all, he’s writing. We don’t know what kind of play he’s working on, but we know how important it is to him—and how much pressure he feels to get it right. As his isolation deepens, Jack becomes increasingly unhinged.
Many writers have felt this was at one point or another. Words just won’t go to the castle that you’ve built for them. That and the angry spirits that haunt your every waking hour are bad for concentration and wreak havoc on your word count. Jack’s battles play a large role in The Shining. Alcoholism runs rampant through American literature. It’s an unfortunate part of our culture and one that writers shine the light on often. Jack is no exception.
Dr. Watson
Who is Sherlock Holmes without Dr. Watson? Without his right-hand man, there would be no crime-solving duo, no mystery to solve. The famous fictional detective first appeared in 1887 in A Study in Scarlet, but he was only a minor character—mostly acting as a foil for his colleague and friend Dr. John H. Watson. But it wasn’t until Sherlock Holmes appeared in The Strand Magazine starting in 1901 that Arthur Conan Doyle realized just how much readers adored Dr. Watson (as well as Sherlock).
Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick’s written accounts of their adventures form much of what we know today about Holmes. Sherlock Holmes regularly called John Watson his faithful friend and biographer.
Holmes can be an understandably difficult subject and on more than one occasion, Dr. Watson tried to remove himself from the toil of cataloguing his friends’ exploits. He would often voice his dissatisfaction with having to recount their adventures, but was always drawn back in by Holmes’ pleas for help or by Sherlock’s own secret machinations.
The Hobbits
The hobbit from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series writes many letters during his adventures—letters to his nephew Frodo, to King Elessar (Aragorn), and even one to Smaug. He also keeps extensive journals during his travels, writing about what he sees and learns along the way. To top it off, Bilbo also writes poetry in secret that reflects on his adventures.
He wasn’t able to spend much time in his home during his adventures with Thorin Oakenshield and company. Upon return, he settled in and continued work on his red leather-bound diary. They eventually expanded these collected memoirs to include the whole of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The book that Tolkien is most famous for, however, was not written by Bilbo Baggins. In fact, it was written by another hobbit: Frodo Baggins.
After Bilbo left Middle Earth, Frodo inherited his uncle’s estate and made Bag End his permanent residence. There, he wrote a detailed account of what happened during his journey with Gandalf and other members of The Fellowship. This record became known as The Red Book of Westmarch or The Red Book of Arda (the latter being an Elvish name for Middle Earth). It was used as a reference point by later writers who chronicled events in Middle Earth history after Frodo completed his own chronicle.
Grady Tripp
There’s always another book. Professor Grady Tripp, while managing a failing marriage and an affair with his boss, is learning to make tough choices. The main character in Michael Chabon’s Wonder Boys takes on student-turned-writer James Leer as his protégé, despite all of his own complications. In doing so, he finds that there are many things more important than writing—at least for him.
He learns how hard it is when you are trying to balance your career and life at once; but it doesn’t stop him from trying again and again. In the little failures, we prepare ourselves for tremendous breakthroughs, or tremendous failures that don’t feel as bad. Grady Tripp teaches us we can always make time for what’s important to us, even if it means giving up something else. It’s a great lesson in prioritizing our lives so that writing becomes more than just a hobby—and less of an excuse.
Ford Prefect
Ford Prefect is Arthur Dent’s friend and saves his life when the Earth is unexpectedly demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Ford is a seasoned galactic hitch-hiker and a field writer for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. He appears in every version of Hitchhiker’s, including novels, radio series, television series, comic books, a 1981 stage show and feature film.
His name comes from a Ford Prefect car that was sold in Britain in 1951. In many versions of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, it is stated that he has an IQ of about 150 (the same as Douglas Adams). In some versions, it is also stated that he was born on Thursday 16 February 1974 (which was Adams’ own birthday).
The most memorable character from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Ford Prefect is also a struggling writer. He makes his living as a field researcher for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. He has also just finished writing an entry on Earth for that publication when he meets Arthur Dent and saves him from certain death. In fact, it was Ford who wrote much of what appears in The Hitchhiker’s Guide, including its entry on Earth. He remains an important figure in The Hitchhiker’s Guide community.
Jessica Fletcher
Jessica Fletcher, played by Angela Lansbury, is a successful author of mystery novels who uses her detective skills to solve murders on television. One of literature’s most beloved sleuths is best known for her ability to weave together a (very) good mystery from random tidbits of information. If you need inspiration for how to turn your own life into a gripping novel, Jessica Fletcher will be happy to share her secrets with you in Murder She Wrote. The show ran for 12 seasons and garnered multiple Emmy awards and nominations.
In it writer Jessica Fletcher uses her journalism background to solve crimes by interviewing suspects, uncovering clues and piecing them all together until she cracks each case wide open. Her writing skills make her successful as a detective. They also come in handy when she has to write up an obituary or even craft a letter of recommendation for one of her friends.
In fact, she even uses them as an excuse to get out of some social obligations by claiming that she needs more time to work on her next book!
Whether you want to write fiction or non-fiction, there are plenty of lessons that can be learned from Jessica Fletcher’s career as both an author and amateur sleuth.
-R.E.
The Power of Rhyming Picture Books
Picture books are one of the best ways to entertain and educate kids. They’re also among the most cost-effective methods of teaching your child unfamiliar words, concepts, and skills. Rhyming picture books in particular can make reading more fun because they add in rhythm and meaning to each page. This helps your child get ready to read out loud by adding some music to the process.
Rhyming picture books are some of the most entertaining children’s literature available today, which makes them an absolute staple in elementary school classrooms. However, rhyming picture books have value beyond their entertainment and educational elements. They can also help kids to develop important skills that will serve them well into adulthood.
Literally Important
This small world of ours is a pretty big place. It’s hard to know what exactly is going on inside it. Why are some countries rich and others poor? Why do some have access to clean water while others don’t? How did our universe come into being? And why does a hot meal taste so good after a long day?
Through reading, children can access the answers to these and almost every other question. I respect children – and adults – who mispronounce words as they no doubt learned the word by reading it. That’s the best way to learn words. I love when a child with a question looks for the answer in a book. Reading makes us better thinkers because it exposes us to more ideas than we would otherwise have been able to experience in our own lives. It expands our horizons and allows us to see things from different perspectives (even if only slightly). Reading helps us become better, more well-rounded people.
Travelling to far-off lands or exploring the surface of the moon through literature is as easy as turning the page. Further, exciting facts and questions arise, leading to the urge to read more and learn more. And isn’t that what childhood is all about? Give your child a head start on life by reading to them as often as you can. It’s never too early for a child to learn about science, history, geography, math – and many other topics – by reading together.
The Language of Learning
Fun and educational rhyming picture books promote a young child’s language development. For a child, reading rhymes is engaging, easy to understand and fun. Learning how to read and write can be tedious work at any age. Building interest in phonics through fun stories is a great way to get them thinking about what they’re learning. Plus, when children are having fun while they learn, they remember better!
Frequently introducing kids to reading, rhymes, or poetry helps instill a love for reading from an early age. Studies show that parents who read with their kids every day have children who excel in school by third grade. When parents read to their children every day—particularly before age 5—they give their children an early language head start. Kids who hear and see 2 million words by age 3 are more likely to read at grade level by age 8 than kids exposed to 500,000 words or fewer.
The Science of Rhyme
Rhyming picture books are a lot more than just a cute way to get kids to enjoy reading. In fact, there’s an entire branch of pedagogy dedicated to studying them. Language acquisition takes time and practice, but rhyme can help speed up both processes. As children read rhyming picture books repeatedly, they’re subconsciously building their skills in language processing—meaning that when they read chapter books without rhymes or rhythm, it will be easier for them to make sense of what they’re seeing on paper. Reading is already difficult enough. It only makes sense that you should use everything you can find to help your kids master it faster. And if you want to give them every advantage possible, give them a book with a good beat. It might even save you some trouble down the road.
Rhyme helps us remember things. Think about it. When was your last time you heard a catchy song or riddle, and didn’t have it stuck in your head for days after? That’s because our brains naturally like to scan for patterns. Rhymes are very similar to patterns. Therefore, rhyming phrases are easier to remember than non-rhyming phrases that mean essentially the same thing. They stick with us. And once something sticks with us, we don’t forget it easily.
Rhyme also improves reading skills is by introducing rhythm into reading patterns. This forces kids’ brains to work more deeply when they encounter an unfamiliar word (like pronouncing quarter instead of carrot), resulting in increased memory function and improved recall. Further research has shown that rhyme also results in greater understanding on part of both young readers and listeners. The more fun your child has with a book, it seems, the more likely he or she will be to remember it later on! So whether you’re reading about cowboys at breakfast time or trying to convince your daughter that superheroes aren’t real after bedtime, try using some poetry! It might just help her sleep easier at night.
Images Feed Imagination
One common misconception about rhyming picture books is that they’re only for early readers. While they’re certainly helpful for kids learning to decode words, they can offer more than just a fun read—they also encourage children to engage with their environment and use their imaginations. For example, when kids see pictures that depict something specific, but with a twist or incongruity, it encourages them to pause and think about what else is happening in those images. It creates an opportunity for kids to draw on their own imagination. This type of engagement with language can spark important connections between words, images, and meaning. This is important to improving memory retention later on. Reading rhyming picture books can help foster creative thinking skills and open up new opportunities for kids to experience reading as a pleasurable activity.
When parents or teachers read rhyming picture books to young children, they’re helping develop their imagination. One way that works is by showing them images. As you flip through a book and see pictures, your mind automatically does its best to see words that go with those pictures. Imagination is one of our most important mental skills, so it’s encouraging to know how easy it is to boost it in young kids! The more you feed your child’s imagination, the better prepared they will be for learning throughout life. So give some rhyming picture books a try—it might surprise you just how quickly your little one can learn from them.
They Feed Practical Growth, Too
Sometimes a picture really can be worth a thousand words. For children growing up in today’s busy world, picture books can provide an easy way to learn about their new environment. As you know from your own childhood experiences, most children don’t find their curiosity satiated by two-dimensional cartoons on a screen. They want to get out there and explore! A great picture book offers children a glimpse into actual life situations with which they might not otherwise be familiar. They can help them understand how other people live and think—and even help them empathize with those who differ from themselves.
Being able to read pictures is a fundamental skill that all children must master. This is especially true in countries where it’s hard to get a hold of books, and most people have never even heard of stories like Goldilocks and The Three Bears. In these places, parents often use picture books (and other media) as their principal method for passing on knowledge and culture. If you can’t teach your child how to read words, you might teach them how to recognize images. For example, if you show your child an image of a man holding his palm stretched wide before him while shouting, he may guess it means ‘Stop!’. He just doesn’t know what those four letters spell.
Reading the World Around Us
We continue, throughout life, to rely on these easily distinguishable images to relay information. In my part of the world, a red octagon means ‘Stop!’ as well. When I approach one while driving, I stop. It’s not because I’m reading the words on the sign. It’s because I’ve learned to associate that shape with its meaning. Children are no different – they need to learn how to understand simple images so they can go out into the world and navigate their way through it safely.
We live in a world saturated with languages. Luckily, we can communicate across the spectrum with mathematics, music, and pictures. But how do we learn to read pictures? The best way is through rhyme! The easiest way to read words is by sounding them out. When you add rhyme into picture books, you’re giving kids an extra tool for learning how to read them. And as they grow older, they’ll be able to use that skill whenever they want to understand what’s going on around them or just have fun reading a book! We fill rhyming picture books with easy-to-understand imagery that will help your child grasp concepts like colors, shapes, emotions and actions without having to learn any new language first!
Picture That
Picture books are a powerful tool in teaching young kids about the world around them and how it operates, and rhyming picture books can be even more beneficial than others. By combining pictures with rhyming lines of text, rhyming picture books convey information while providing an enjoyable way to learn. By improving reading skills, rhyming picture books make it easier for young learners to grasp concepts taught in other subjects, as well as enhancing problem-solving skills and analytical thinking abilities. In addition, reading a rhyming book can help children develop an understanding of language structure—helping them learn how to use words effectively and become better communicators.
-R.E.
7 Habits of Highly Successful Writers
It’s no secret that being a writer means spending lots of time alone with your thoughts. If you want to be successful at your craft, it’s important to develop good habits to help you stay productive. There are a few habits that highly successful writers share. It’s important to find out what they are before you start on your own writing journey. You’ll save yourself time, energy, and effort if you adopt the same habits. Here are seven that you can use to gain inspiration and motivation while also improving your own skills.
Start making these habits part of your daily routine and see how much more productive you can be as a writer!
They Make Writing A Habit
Just as in every other field, writing requires time and effort. No one becomes a bestselling author overnight, and even seasoned writers often find themselves stuck for a good line or an interesting idea. Yet successful writers do many things that their unsuccessful counterparts don’t. They have daily routines and systems that ensure they’re writing each day. They write at least 1000 words per day, and they make writing a habit foremost.
As much as we’d like to believe otherwise, writing isn’t something you can just turn on when you need it. Spend a certain amount of time every day practicing your craft if you want to become proficient. If there’s one thing that successful writers do differently than their peers, it’s making sure they stick to a regular schedule.
Part of being a successful writer is making writing a habit. Mark Twain famously said:
“I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”
Many successful writers cite a daily writing habit as being critical to their success. It’s easy to see why. A habit makes doing something more likely. In fact, there’s an entire field called habit psychology. The people who practice it tend to stay in the field. Writing every day will get you closer to achieving your goals than any other strategy. It might feel like a lot of work at first, but once it becomes part of your routine, things will flow much easier.
They Set Goals
It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to finish a project, but how can you make sure you’re not over-committing yourself? Smart writers establish realistic word counts or time goals. It may be tempting to skip those numbers and work on your own schedule. Keep in mind that if you want to reach your destination (like getting published) on time, you need to focus on writing with purpose. Write a target number of words or pages for each day. Then, figure out how much time each task will take so that you can stick with it. This way, all those hours spent writing won’t go to waste. You will meet your deadline before you know it!
Some people say that you should only write when inspiration strikes. Professional writers understand that even on those days when they have no interest, they are better to at least try it. It’s not uncommon for writers to need to warm up with a few easy or fun writing exercises before being able to access their inner genius. If nothing else, writing for 30 minutes each day will help ensure that you don’t lose your creativity and motivation.
Motivation and discipline take some effort. Motivation gives us energy when we feel like giving up. Discipline keeps us moving forward even when we don’t feel like doing anything at all. Remember:
1. Set a time goal.
Don’t just write for as long as it feels good—write until your time is up! This will help keep your mind focused on what needs to get done instead of what could get done.
2. Set a word count goal.
Or target several pages to fill out by a certain date. The important thing is that you establish an end point and then stick with it.
3. Make a habit of rewarding yourself.
Don’t set yourself up for failure by promising something unattainable (like an expensive dinner if you write 1,000 words in one hour). Do something nice for yourself, like reading your favorite book while enjoying a cup of tea.
They Celebrate Their Small Wins
Most writers have days when they feel like they’re not getting anything done. When you’re in a slump, it’s easy to focus on everything that’s left to do instead of what you’ve accomplished. Taking minor victories and celebrating them can boost your confidence and productivity. Whether you’ve written 2,000 words or 20 words, congratulate yourself for doing something right!
These little wins help build momentum and keep you writing consistently. They also act as proof that all those hours spent hunched over your keyboard weren’t a waste.
Please sit up straight. Your back will thank you.
If you want to be successful, celebrate every step along the way!
Recognizing your small wins and celebrating them is an important part of maintaining a positive, forward-thinking attitude. This keeps you grounded and focused on what really matters. Some people like to celebrate with a bit of chocolate or a day off from work, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Research has shown that moderate indulgences are actually beneficial for long-term success. Even if you don’t think you have much to celebrate about, focus on writing one good sentence per day. Within five years, that’s 85,000 words! Celebrate each one. You’ll marvel at how far it gets you.
They Make Reading a Habit
You can’t become a talented writer if you don’t read. Reading is The Best Thing a Writer Can Do. It helps to build your vocabulary. It improves your style. Reading gives you ideas for topics you never would have thought of and exposes you to different sentence structures that will make your writing more complex and interesting. You could simply tell yourself to read more, but research has shown that setting goals for yourself is an even better way. Successful writers don’t just read a lot. They make sure they’re reading what they need to read. Like works that push them outside their comfort zone and challenge them in their craft.
As many successful writers will tell you, reading is not only about books. It’s also about studying other forms of writing: magazines, newspapers, blogs, etc. Reading is an essential part of any writer’s life and there are plenty of ways to ensure you get your daily dose (and then some). You might not agree with everything you read, but it will help you develop a good sense of how to write better and what kinds of things succeed in your genre. Even if all you do is quickly scan articles, try to get into that habit and make it part of your daily routine. If you take nothing else away from these tips, remember: Read.
They Write What Excites Them
Be honest with yourself. Are you writing because you love to write or because you are being paid? If money alone motivates your writing, odds are that your passion will fade. At some point, so will your success. If you want to become a successful writer, it’s important to keep your passion. If you have a genuine interest in what you’re writing about, then don’t let go of that passion, no matter how difficult it gets.
You must continue pushing yourself until writing becomes natural and less laborious. That way, it will attract readers to great content rather than forced plot lines or dialogue. The best writers do not always come up with great ideas. They simply take their passions and make them into stories that everyone can enjoy. They write about what interests them.
When you love what you do, it’s a lot easier to get up in the morning and put fingers to keyboard (or pen to paper). It’s also easier to stay motivated and come up with great ideas when your subject fascinates you. The more excited about your topic you are, and if writing about it makes you feel like bursting out in song, then jump right in. That enthusiasm will carry through in your work. If you’re not sure where to start, think about things that make you happy or interested or angry. You can write about almost anything—just make sure that it excites you!
They Let Go Of Perfectionism
Don’t expect overnight success. Writing regularly will help hone your craft and build your confidence. Thirty minutes a day is just enough time to write something good—or at least something mediocre—while still leaving room for family, friends, and living life to its fullest. The goal is simply to stay productive. Don’t set unrealistic goals for yourself. Chances are you’ll quit soon after starting if it seems like an overwhelming task. Focus on being consistent. Getting in that habit early on will pay off down the road.
If you’re anything like me, your perfectionism can kill a great idea before becomes great. To be successful at writing, let go of that need for everything to be perfect before sharing it with others. You don’t have time to rework each piece an endless number of times. Focus on creating drafts as fast as possible so you can move on and improve those pieces later. Don’t give up when things aren’t perfect. Instead, learn from your mistakes.
If you want to write professionally—and I hope you do—you accept that rejection is part of being a writer. In fact, it would be more unusual if someone who writes regularly didn’t get rejected every once in a while. It happens. Just brush yourself off and keep going. The most important thing is to not take rejections personally. Instead, look at them as learning experiences and ways to improve your writing.
They Don’t Compare Themselves To Other Writers
Don’t worry about how well you’re doing compared to others. Comparing yourself to other writers can make you feel you are constantly falling short. Focus on improving your own writing skills and set realistic goals for yourself. Everyone is unique! A successful writing career will take time, hard work and patience. Know what works best for you and stay focused on your craft.
There will always be faster or more popular writers. The only person you should compete with is yourself. Armed with these habits, you’ll no doubt emerge victorious.
-R.E.
For the Love of the Library
If you’re a student and you don’t have a library card, stop reading this and go to the library immediately. You do not know what you’re missing out on. Sure, libraries contain books—lots of them—but their collections reach beyond bound paper. That makes them so much more than just bookstores or even secondhand shops.
Your library card is actually worth hundreds of dollars. It’s true–just not in the monetary sense. Your library card, which grants you access to virtually all the information in the world through book-borrowing, magazine-reading, and free internet browsing privileges, gives you access to more knowledge than you could ever use in an entire lifetime. The value of your library card goes far beyond books! Here are just a few examples of what you can do with your library card and where it can take you…
A Library Society
When libraries first hit American cities, they were more than just book repositories. These spaces served as a community meeting place for neighborhood residents to gather, as education centers for youth and as sanctuaries from a city’s overwhelming population. Today, many of these roles still exist in libraries across America. In fact, your library may provide resources and services you don’t even know about yet! (So maybe grab that library card again.)
As a society, we thrive when the masses have access to education. Without it, people cannot make informed decisions about their future and their country’s future. Libraries are more than just book repositories. They’re an essential part of our culture and our democracy. When you think about it that way, isn’t your library card worth a little love?
Unsung Heroics
Most library funding comes from taxes. Every time you use your library card, not only are you learning new things, you’re helping your community. There’s a reason they call it your library—you’re an important part of it!
So why don’t we know more about our local libraries? We can rely on them so much that we forget how valuable they are. Librarians work with government organizations (libraries receive much of their budget from local governments) which makes their position within our society seem less central than it actually is. If libraries disappeared tomorrow, the impact would be devastating. Libraries help us learn, grow, connect with others, fall in love with reading again…and sometimes even save lives. They provide vital resources at little cost to users—resources that would otherwise be inaccessible because of financial constraints.
World Wide Web
Many libraries now offer free internet access to all patrons, a boon for students and people looking for jobs. Although libraries receive taxpayer funding, it’s up to each municipality to determine whether they offer free internet; so it varies from community to community. Still, there’s no reason you can’t speak up for your local library when budget time rolls around.
If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where residents enjoy free internet at their local library, consider volunteering at a branch near you. It might be a good way to network with other like-minded individuals who want to see their community thrive.
Database Access
The biggest reason for library use today? Databases. Your public library card grants you access to a treasure trove of books, movies and other media. While many are familiar with these resources, they might not know that many public libraries provide patrons with several free databases that can be just as valuable as print materials. Whether you’re writing a report, doing research for a class or looking to contact someone you’ve just read about online, public libraries can provide access to e-journals and databases that would otherwise be out of reach. These databases often include scholarly journals and articles, which may not be available through other sources.
A single digital card gives you access to more than just e-books. It provides links to journals, newspapers and websites that are usually restricted behind paywalls. In addition, some offer full-text copies of older newspapers or magazines—perfect for those who want to learn more about history. If you have questions about how to find specific resources on your library’s website, ask at your local branch! Many librarians have experience with finding information in specific fields. They might even have tips on how to search better. And if they don’t know an answer offhand, they will probably know where to look it up.
Tech Support
The internet has been very good for us. The ability to look up any fact or figure in seconds has made our lives immeasurably easier and more efficient. Even with all of that convenience, many of us still feel like something’s missing—like we’re only getting a fraction of what we really need from our research sources. But why? Often, it comes down to a lack of context and perspective.
When you search for something on Google or Wikipedia, you might get 10 results back but only see a small bit of information about each topic. This can be an issue if you’re trying to get a big-picture view of things: What do all these unique pieces have in common? How are they connected? What do they tell us about where they came from and how they compare to other pieces we haven’t found yet? If you want more than simple answers, libraries can help.
Libraries have librarians on staff who can help you find information quickly and even provide expert tech support. Public libraries partner with many websites to offer free online research services and free study spaces. They give you context and insight into your questions that online searches simply can’t deliver on their own. They help connect everything together so it makes sense. As anyone who’s ever had an Aha! moment at their library will tell you, having insight into your life can be invaluable when it comes time to make decisions later on.
Reservations
One of my favorite things about a library card is that it can hold me over until I’m able to purchase an item or get around to reading something. In fact, many libraries will even reserve books for patrons if they’re checked out so that you don’t have to wait in line when they become available. If a popular book is not currently available at your local library, you can always reserve it. It’s as simple as checking out books. Once they became available (which usually takes 1–2 weeks), you’ll get notified and can swing in to pick up your next great read.
Many public libraries also provide e-readers for checkout so you can load up on free books while you’re there. Many library systems are adopting digital lending policies similar to those of their book counterparts. Having access to your local branch’s resources could put thousands of dollars’ worth of books at your fingertips. You can download eBooks from major and indie publishers. It’s important to note that some titles aren’t available because of publisher restrictions. Most popular titles are available in eBook or audiobook formats. It’s a great way to get started with digital books if you’re looking for an alternative to purchasing them outright.
Classes in Session
Most libraries offer some sort of classes for residents. If you’re looking to learn how to use technology, get a head start on college prep or improve your computer skills, check out what your library offers. If there aren’t any classes available, ask your librarian about having an in-house speaker come in for a presentation about something that would be beneficial to you and others.
Besides these types of activities, many libraries also have book clubs and support groups. Take advantage of them! They can be great opportunities to meet new people and form connections with those who share similar interests. If you find yourself stuck on a project or assignment, consider visiting your local library. Chances are good that they offer free one-on-one assistance. All it takes is a quick visit to their website or stop by during open hours to see what they offer.
Urban Landscapes
Libraries are increasingly becoming hubs for social interaction and gathering places, thanks to a growing number of programs aimed at bringing together different generations and cultures. As budgets tighten and spaces get smaller, it’s nice to know that some things remain constant. A library card will always open doors beyond bookshelves—beyond even our wildest imaginations. As people flock back into cities, public institutions (like libraries) are also getting a much-needed reprieve from urban sprawl.
The accessibility of libraries within city limits means people can step off public transportation and interact with others face-to-face rather than through social media alone. This is especially important for young children who need to be around other kids in order to develop socially. In fact, studies have shown that children who take part in after-school programs at their local library are more likely to graduate high school than those who don’t. They’re also less likely to get involved in poor decision making as teens.
Safe Spaces
Books aren’t everything in libraries, and they never have been. Growing up in the inner city meant fewer safe spaces for me to go to. The library provided a sanctuary away from all the chaos in the streets. It was a place where I could read, do homework, and even just play video games without having to worry about gang violence or peer pressure. It was like a second home for me growing up. To this day, I feel a sense of calm fall over me when I enter a library.
A library card represents more than access to books. It’s access to knowledge and opportunity that can be life changing. Libraries are safe places for people who may not have many other opportunities available to them. For some, it’s their only connection to education, recreation, and entertainment outside of their own homes. Many urban communities lack recreational centers and after-school programs designed specifically for youth, but public libraries are there to fill that gap. They provide an environment that fosters learning and creativity for children and adults alike.
Get Down to the Library
The next time you’re at your local branch, remember that your library card represents more than just access to books. It’s access to an entire world of information beyond what’s on those shelves! People who visit libraries often find themselves surrounded by books they want to read but might not have otherwise picked up on their own.
Libraries provide access to information that could change how we see ourselves, our communities, and our world. They offer new perspectives on current events, historical figures or other cultures from around the globe. The public library system is one of America’s greatest inventions—and it’s all available for free. Imagine what you can learn if you stop in today!
-R.E.
Lore and the Modern Gamer
Storytelling is exceptionally important to the modern gamer. It’s what sets the medium apart from others. We interact with games differently than we do with films or books. For this reason, storytelling in games can’t just rely on traditional methods of exposition or dialogues. It has to be presented as gameplay mechanics that are completely integrated into the experience without sacrificing content and quality of story. Games that tell marvelous stories keep players engaged and allow them to create connections with the characters and the world that surrounds them, making gameplay more enjoyable and more rewarding.
Video games have transformed over the years. So much so that we’re living in a new era of gaming–one in which we have lifted storytelling from the backseat to become a major player in the industry. With advancements in graphics and game design, developers can now create more detailed worlds than ever before, with more intricate plot lines and engrossing characters that come together to form stories that can leave players craving more even after they’ve beaten the game.
What is Lore?
Your favorite games probably have some sort of backstory that shapes their world and gives them additional depth. We know this as lore—the history, or story, behind a game’s universe. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Deus Ex are great examples of games with critically celebrated lore.
Game lore is, simply put, a game’s story and/or world information. Lore is when you play a popular role-playing game and interact with characters who tell you their life stories or how they came to be in your current location. When you explore new settings and learn about their backgrounds or read books that explain what happened before you got there, you are exploring the game lore. It is an important aspect for games because it helps players connect more with characters and overall gameplay experiences.
To truly immerse yourself into a game, being able to understand why things are happening around you can make all the difference. It adds depth and meaning to everything you do within that universe. You don’t just fight bad guys anymore; you actively engage the enemy. Your desire to eliminate obstacles and threats more than doubles when you have an emotional connection to the process. This can help gamers feel connected with each other as well. Friends are made over similar interests through online forums where everyone talks about how much they love a certain game based on its lore alone!
Use Of Lore In Games
Game design is primarily driven by technology. This is not a bad thing as we have seen video games advance at an incredible rate over their short lifespan. Every gamer can tell you how much better games look today – even those who only started gaming in the past few years. However, there are many examples where game developers sacrifice story and lore for graphical fidelity or engine optimization. On paper having more robust graphics or more efficient programming may seem like it will sell more copies. Often, though, story and lore help to create a world that is deeper and more immersive than a beautiful game with dull writing could ever hope to achieve.
Lore allows us to connect with characters, much like reading a book or watching a movie would. The reason so many people love books such as The Lord of The Rings or movies such as Star Wars is because they have an engaging story line that pulls you into their world. Even if you do not understand everything about these worlds, you still feel connected to them. Just look at our list of 10 Great Video Games for Book Lovers. Good lore is at the heart of each.
The incredible lore in these stories offers enough depth for the mind and heart to swim in for years. Game franchises like Final Fantasy, The Witcher, and Batman: Arkham all rely on an immersive world for success. When people become invested in a story, they’re more likely to play through a game again or purchase additional games within that series. By cultivating deep lore for their games, developers can entice their audiences to keep playing.
A Good Connection
Game lore creates a connection between player and character. Often when you play a game, you are playing as someone else. You can’t see yourself in every protagonist, so you must be able to relate to them on some level. Having good lore makes that easier because it gives players something they can relate to or find interesting about each character. A deeper understanding of a character’s motivations can help build that bond.
A great example of how important storytelling is for making connections is the series Mass Effect. Each character has their own backstory, which helps players connect with them more than if there was no backstory at all. In fact, many people feel that the follow-up, Mass Effect 2, had even better characters because of how much more time went into developing their backstories.
Likewise, adaptations of popular media like movies and television shows have seen success because of the inherent relationships that the public has formed with the main characters. It’s hard to outperform built-in lore and years of head canon. Fans like heroics. They love heroes.
Layer the Player
Good lore can add layers of depth to your gameplay experience. If you’re exploring a dungeon and come across what appears to be evidence of something only hinted at in a previous town, the dungeon will have an added layer of satisfaction upon completion. The same is true for a side quest that only unlocks after completing another one.
This is exactly why I love games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles. The world feels so alive because it’s not just about fighting monsters or saving princesses (though those are still important elements). The world has its own story to tell, which makes it feel more realistic and engaging than many other games on offer today. And I don’t just mean big-budget RPGs either. Smaller indie titles like Pyre or Night in the Woods also have marvelous stories that make them stand out from other games.
Context Matters
If all you do is run around killing things, those actions mean nothing. When paired with good lore, however, those actions become meaningful because they exist within a greater narrative structure. This makes it easier to get invested in characters and events, which helps make games more fun to play. If you’re playing as an assassin tasked with killing an evil king, you’ll feel like that action matters because it’s part of a greater story arc.
That background also helps players contextualize their actions so that every decision feels more important. Imagine if instead of being told about how evil King Baddy was (and thus why he needed to be killed) we were just presented with his severed head on a pike and told that’s what happens when you complete your mission. That would certainly convey information, but not nearly as much as having access to his backstory does. In short, good storytelling gives players better reasons to care about what they’re doing in-game.
Play it Again
Good stories = replayability. A well-written story makes fans want to play through it again and again. Games with no sort of narrative flow risk people getting bored after one playthrough. This is a critical aspect of game design, especially for games with multiplayer components. If you can’t keep your players coming back for more, then what’s even the point? Good storytelling is essential for games looking for success beyond their initial release. It’s not enough to just have a good plot. You need players invested in what happens next. Otherwise, they’ll stop playing before they ever really begin.
Fun, Fun, Fun
At its core, gaming is fun. We should strive to make our games enjoyable even beyond just winning or losing. Good lore can provide that extra bit of enjoyment needed to turn a mediocre game into a great one. Even if your gameplay isn’t cutting edge, people will enjoy playing it if they like your world and story. And if you have both? Well then, you’ve got yourself a winner!
So how do we make sure we’re not creating bad lore? Simple, really. Just ask yourself whether what you’re writing about is interesting to YOU as a player before you write it down. If not, rework your idea until it is interesting and proceed from there. When designing lore for your game, remember that it doesn’t have to be complex or original. All you need is something simple and easy for players to get invested in. Remember why you started playing video games in the first place: FUN!
Lore is Timeless
Different people find different parts of various games to be well-developed and engaging. It’s clear that game developers should invest time into crafting storylines for their fans to enjoy when playing through an expansive fantasy world or complex simulation. There are other reasons storytelling is important to gamers too. As technology advances, there will probably come a day where we can literally experience everything our games offer inside virtual reality.
What does that mean? It means that video game companies will want to create worlds so compelling they leave us feeling like we actually visited another planet—or lived in another century altogether. And it makes sense; we already talk about movies like they’re authentic life experiences. Why not let players step inside them? I think gamers would be all in, so to speak. Especially if there is lore to explore.
-R.E.
Spring Cleaning the Writing Mind
Have you ever stepped away from your desk, finished a writing project, and felt like you’ve just put the cart before the horse? Like you need to start all over again, not because you’re doing anything wrong, but because your mind needs to be retrained and rewired to think differently about how it creates? Are your ideas stale and flat, having lost the zip that made them exciting to begin with? Spring cleaning might be exactly what you need.
With the mental health of writers, we must tend to our brains as carefully as we would tend to our bodies or our children’s welfare. Self-Care is Important for Writers. When you don’t take care of your brain, when you don’t clean up your mental workspace or organize your thoughts and ideas, bad things can happen—even if you have the best intentions. Even if you do everything right. Spring cleaning isn’t just for the house. It should be for your mind, too! These tips will help you give your brain the cleaning it needs!
Even Brains Need Clearing Out
We’ve been shut-ins for a while now, time to dust off those cobwebs, fling open the eye windows and let blossom a new world view. Writers’ minds, like their workspaces, need organizing and the occasional cleanup. We fill our brains with everything we find lying about as we traverse the world. A lot of it comes in handy down the line. The rest lingers and gets in the way when we’re reaching for something we need. So, what can you do? Just as your house is likely to be more pleasant if you give it some TLC every once in a while, so too will your brain. But what’s that look like?
The brain is an untended attic of ideas and anxiety. We need to manage that space efficiently. For me, writing my thoughts and inspirations regularly has been incredibly helpful in keeping track of what I’m working on, what I’ve accomplished, and where I might be stuck. It keeps me accountable for my own work ethic and serves as a reminder that there are other things going on in my life besides just my writing project.
If you haven’t already started doing it, take five minutes today to write your three biggest accomplishments from last week and your three most important tasks for next week. You can also use these lists for your daily word count or just jotting down notes about story ideas you have when they come up.
A Good Cry
Write all your thoughts on any subject for five minutes without stopping. This can be about anything but try not to think too hard about what you’re writing. If a word doesn’t come naturally, then don’t force it. Just move on to another thought. Sometimes a stream session is like a good cry. You can feel the emotion tumbling like stone-rounding currents towards the roaring falls of your fingers.
You need to get it all out. Go fully into the ‘now’ of the words. If we aren’t willing to go there, how are we ever going to write characters who do? Cry or write, they both release tension and stress. Crying cleanses us emotionally while writing cleanses us mentally. So, take a deep breath and let those emotions flow through you onto paper!
Fling the Fluff
You don’t need everything you write. There are a lot of words in our heads, but very few of them are important and they’re not all going to make it into your story or essay. Learn how to let go—to discard what doesn’t serve you, what others don’t need, and what isn’t relevant. It’s something an excellent editor (like a good therapist) should be able to help you with.
Look at your writing and ask yourself if there are any unnecessary details to cut without hurting your piece. If so, find those places where you can remove fluff or fat, damaging nothing else. Then look at each sentence on its own merits: Does it really add anything? Are there any extra words that aren’t necessary? And finally, do you really need every single word? Don’t hold on to things just because they sound nice or feel right. If they don’t fit into your work, get rid of them!
Take stock of all the characters and ideas you have floating around in that beautiful brain of yours. Toss out what doesn’t work. Be ruthless here but try not to toss out anything that might be useful later on if you can help it. Rearrange what remains. Rearranging is key here. Move things around until they feel right, or you’re sure they shouldn’t go elsewhere.
Spring Clean
Physical space has an enormous impact on our mental health. If your workspace is untidy, disorganized, or visually chaotic, it can cause you a lot of stress and confusion. It’s not just about having your desk cleared off or shelves reorganized—even one minor detail that feels out of place can throw off your sense of well-being. The next time you find yourself overwhelmed by a project or just bored with writing entirely, set aside some time to clean up your physical space and notice how much better you feel. You might even start enjoying your writing again.
Throw away physical clutter. If you have too much stuff lying around on your desk or anywhere else that could easily distract you from writing, clear them out—now! Having less stuff will make it easier for you to focus and get things done. Like petting the dog.
Yes, Go Pet the Dog
If you’ve got pets, go spend some time with them. Animals have always brought out creativity in people and there’s no better way to get back into writing mode than spending some quality time with furry friends! Take a walk or just sit outside and watch them play for a while—you’ll marvel at how relaxed your mind becomes after just a few minutes of petting. Plus, who doesn’t love snuggling up to a purring kitty? Psychos, that’s who.
I’m not saying that going to take care of your dog is going to make you write an award-winning novel (although it might), but it can help clear your head and help kick-start new ideas. Plus, if you’re like me, sometimes just looking at my cat makes me feel better about myself… and I don’t even know why… but it does. It’s science. (Do your own research.)
Pets don’t bother with mind clutter. They keep playtime, food, and the unbreakable love they have for you. Nothing else matters. Be more like pets.
Add bright new thoughts
Like fresh flowers and seasonal fruit on the kitchen counter, bright new thoughts can help turn the tide in the mental battle between winter and spring. The only question is: where to get them? There are several places to find ideas for your next piece of writing—the most obvious being that story you’ve been working on for months or years now. But there are other sources of inspiration out there, too—you just have to know where to look.
Set aside time each day (or at least once a week) where you read something from an author who writes in a style that is the complete opposite of yours. Read poetry if you normally write non-fiction or read up on romance if all your work has been science fiction/fantasy related for years now. So much new inspiration comes from reading authors whose works are antithetical to yours!
Go back and reread one of your favorite books or stories but change some minor detail about it. This could be as simple as changing a character’s name, or it could mean altering what happens in pivotal scenes throughout the story. The point here is to see what happens when you alter even just one tiny detail and then let your imagination run wild with what might happen next!
Exercise Clears Mental Fog
If you’ve been playing along, you know the score is now mental cobwebs: 0, writers: 1.
Now that your brain has cleared out some of those mental cobwebs, it’s time for you to give your body a little TLC as well. Take a few minutes every day for some simple stretches and breathing exercises. Note how refreshed and energized you feel after just five minutes of stretching and deep breathing! Plus, these activities are significant for helping you get in touch with your body—which can be an important part of achieving mental health.
Studies show that exercise can improve your memory, creativity, and decision-making abilities. Just 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week can boost your mental sharpness. Aerobic exercise seems to be better than strength training for brain health, though both forms of physical activity will help you think more clearly.
Start with brief bouts of light activity and work up to more intense workouts if you’re able; it could take six weeks or more before you feel significant benefits from working out. Try not to skip workouts because you don’t have time — see it as part of your self-care routine. Exercise is good for all aspects of your mental health.
Clear your mind by taking a walk through the woods or around your neighborhood. Take notice of how things look different from last year, or even last week. This is called shifting gears, and it will help you become more observant of details in everyday life that you may have previously overlooked.
Set the Pattern
The most successful writers are the ones who understand that mental health is just as important as the physical health. This means making mental well-being a continued focus throughout the year, even when you’re busy working on your next project. Establish an organized routine, keep tabs on your priorities, and remember that your inspiration—your muse—lives in you.
Work isn’t everything; a healthy writer needs more than ample time spent in contemplation and reflection, too. It might sound simple, but it’s not always easy. Try not to let guilt get in your way, either; after all, everyone deserves some me time now and then. Keep this in mind and next spring won’t seem so far away.
-R.E.
