- Details
- Hits: 636
Your novels are like your babies, so it’s only natural to tend to them as such, but how much is too much? When you have what I call Perfectionism Complex, you believe that your fiction writing must be perfect or everyone will hate it. This can leave some writers perfecting a manuscript so long that it may never get published, since in their eyes it is never ready. Most writers face some degree of wondering if their work is good enough. Here’s how Perfectionism Complex slows down the writing process.
Interruption Of A Steady Flow
If you get a steady flow going, the last thing you need is for anything to come along that stops that rhythm. Perfectionism Complex can do just that. Here you are flowing along and you think it’s a good time to run back and check for mistakes before moving on. Don’t do this! This is one of the worst times you could stop for editing. When your brain is ready to write, just let it flow. Do not let Perfectionism Complex slow down your writing process.
Writing Becomes Too Much Like Work
Perfectionism Complex can cause your writing to be a chore when you’re constantly going back over it while creating it. It’s a good thing to edit. It’s not a good thing for your mind to overly edit. If you find yourself picking too much at it, consider hiring out the editing side of things. This can help prevent your perfectionist brain from making too many changes and can also catch extra things you may not have thought of. Trying to do it all yourself can not only be frustrating, but may also slow things down significantly.
Less Time For Storyline And Character Development
Spending more time on perfecting the existing text can leave less time for developing the storyline and characters. When your goal is to have the perfect manuscript, the key lies in those two factors. Therefore, not only can it slow down your process, but it can actually do the opposite of what you’re reaching for.
Hyperfocusing On Perfectionism Over Quality
Having a Perfectionism Complex can leave you focused on the wrong things during the process of writing. In some ways, it helps some writers to hyperfocus on their text. However, when this focus is projected onto every aspect, it becomes a cumbersome task that can significantly slow down the writing process. Instead of perfecting every single word, consider the overall quality and how it pieces together.
When Perfectionism Complex is taking over your writing career, it’s important to look at the ways it may be slowing you down. Then, refocus and keep yourself on task to avoid some of the issues mentioned above. Knowing and understanding where the problem occurs and how to stop it from happening can help you combat this dangerous problem many writers face. Some may use techniques such as meditation before writing, listening to music while writing to stay in a groove, or having a Writing Buddy to keep them on track.
- Details
- Hits: 5277
Writing should be a passion; a talent most say they wish they could do. The general perspective of an author is that they are extraordinary, making words come to life so easily. For the majority, this is not the same perspective a writer has about their work, their skill, their talent. Yes, they are passionate about their words, but most are not confident.
There are several reasons why an author/writer has low self-esteem when it comes to putting fingers to keypad.
- Details
- Hits: 7122
Here are three possible software options for writers that will help you write your book.
Read more: 3 Free Writing Software Choices for Fiction Writers
- Details
- Hits: 6175
If you’re like me, you have a ton of fiction novels laying around. You probably have some you liked, some you didn’t like and some you’ve read multiple times. You may also have more than a few collecting dust. The good news is that you can use those novels to jumpstart your own novel. All you have to do is pick one in your preferred genre and open it.
Get Your Novel Started with a Novel
For most writers, the biggest challenge of writing a novel is getting started, and it doesn't matter if you’ve never written a novel or if you’ve written dozens of novels. A blank page is still intimidating even if you have an idea. You have a basic idea of the flow of the novel, and you know the setting and the name of the main character. All those ideas and thoughts are fresh in your head and you are ready to slam out thousands of words, until you open your word processor. The minute you see that blank page, all your brilliant ideas just disappear just like last night’s ice cream. Having a novel on hand can help you get rid of that blank page and alleviate your anxiety over starting a new piece of fiction.
- Details
- Hits: 5482
1. Amazon Fire HD 8 - $59.99 for the 16GB Model
The Amazon Fire HD 8 offers up to 10 hours of battery life, and comes with either 16 or 32GB of storage with the ability to add an SD card for up to 400GB of storage. It also has a reasonably decent processor at 1.3GHz, contains a front and rear-facing camera and offers dual-band Wi-Fi. At $60 for the 16GB version, it’s also extremely affordable. For those who want more storage, the 32GB model is only $90. Both of these prices are extremely reasonable. The only downside is the 8” screen, which is a little bit small in my opinion.
Amazon Fire 8 Accessories
2. Amazon Fire HD 10 - $119.99 for 32GB
The Amazon Fire HD 10 is another excellent choice for writers and authors. The big benefit to this tablet is that it comes with a 10” screen. Like the Amazon Fire 8, it also has a 10-hour battery life, which is essential for those long writing sessions in front of the TV or while you are away from your home. It has a rear and front camera, a 1.8GHz dual-core processor.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Accessories
3. Apple iPad Air 10.5” - 64GB $469.00
The Apple iPad Air is pretty pricey at $470 for the 64GB version. If you choose the 256BG version, you’ll be set back about $620. What the Apple iPad Air has going for it is the ability to use it on both Wi-Fi and cellular networks. This means you’ll never be without your Internet connection, and there’s no need to pair it to your phone in order to get Internet. However, the dual feature in the 64GB version is $600. It also has up to 10 hours of battery life and offers dual cameras. If you already own an Apple computer or laptop and iPhone, this may be the way to go if you need a tablet. Not to mention, if you’re looking to independently publish in the Apple Bookstore, you’ll need an Apple product, which is why I seriously considered one of these when I was looking for a good tablet. Yes, there are online publishers that offer access to the Apple Bookstore, but I didn’t find them to my liking. Not enough control, and they were definitely too slow in publishing the books and reporting sales.
Apple iPad Air 10.5” Accessories
4. Samsung Electronics Galaxy Tab S4 with S Pen, 10.5", Black - $529.94 64GB
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a lot going for it. It’s another tablet with a 10” screen, and it comes with a stylus. It also has 10 hours of battery life, Wi-Fi and front and rear cameras. It has 8 processors with 2.35GHz and 4BG of RAM, which means this tablet is going to be fairly fast compared to the others on this list. Unfortunately, it is pricey at $530 for the cheapest model.
Samsung Electronics Galaxy Tab S4 with S Pen Accessories
5. Galaxy Tab E 9.6” - $145 16GB
The Galaxy Tab E is the tablet I chose because of its screen size and affordability. It offers a 9.6” screen, which is fine for working in Google Docs on any other online word processor or novel writing application. It’s very portable, and thus far, I haven’t had any issues with it. It does come with an SD card slot, and I have a 4GB card in it. (That happened to be the SD card I had on hand when it arrived.) It has dual cameras and an average battery life of 12 hours, which means it lasts longer than the other tablets on this list. That comes in handy. It does have Wi-Fi, and it can very easily be paired with a phone for cell phone Internet access. This tablet sees my LG phone hotspot with no problems. This thing to keep in mind with this tablet is that it is older. Most accessory manufacturers are going to the S4 10.1 Galaxy, so make sure you have the 9.6” Tab E compatibility for any accessory, especially cases and screen protectors.
Galaxy Tab E 9.6” Accessories
If you're wondering why no Microsoft tablets make it onto this list, it's because I cannot, in good conscience, recommend a product that I know will force updates upon you, leave your tablet useless for hours and lower your productivity. As writers, we have to write when we are in the mood and/or motivated. Walking over to a tablet that has spontaneously instigated a 4-hour update isn't good for productivity or creativity. In the future, I hope to be able to recommend a good Linux tablet, but as of right now, there are no good Linux tablets on the market. The one Linux tablet that I did find looks to be vastly interior to the tablets mentioned in this list.
