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(Note: This article isn't about mental health or avoiding treatment for mental illnesses. If you're sick, schedule an appointment with the appropriate doctor.)
You’re a writer—and chances are, you’re insane. Not in a clinical, diagnostic way (hopefully), but in the delightful, sideways-thinking, deeply imaginative sense of the word.
We’ve all heard the clichés: “Writers are a little crazy,” “You have to be mad to write,” “All the best authors are nuts.” These sayings exist because there’s some truth in them—not that we’re unwell, but that writers simply do not think like everyone else. And that’s not only okay—it’s a superpower.
Writers see patterns where others see chaos. They hear dialogue in their heads that no one else can hear. They dream in metaphors. They obsess over obscure facts. They feel everything too much or too little, and then they write about it.
So stop trying to be “normal.” Embrace your particular brand of madness—because that’s where the magic happens.
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Did you know there are apps in the Google Play Store that can make your writing and reading life easier. While I initially purchased my tablet to store recipes via My Cookbook, I quickly figured out that my new tablet was far more useful than just saving my holiday roll recipe. Here are my top 5 picks for writer and reader apps.
1. Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle is obviously the first choice for reading, especially if you spend a lot of time downloading free and paid kindle ebook. This app basically turns for tablet into a library and a book at the same time. If you’re an author or a reader, you probably already have this downloaded onto your phone and/or tablet.
Read more: 5 Android Tablet Apps that Make Writing and Reading Life Easier
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Stop me if you’ve heard this one – There Are No Rules in Fiction.If you’ve heard this, you are not alone. Unfortunately, that statement should not be taken at face value. There are rules in fiction. A more accurate statement would be – There Are Fewer Rules in Fiction.
Understanding What They’re Talking About When They Say There Are No Rules in Fiction
When someone tells you that there are no rules in fiction, what they mean is that you can use sentence fragments, grammatically incorrect dialogue and punctuation you wouldn’t see in a term paper, thesis or college essay. In other words, you don’t have to write your fiction like you would a school assignment. It doesn’t have to be rigid formal English. Every sentence doesn't need a subject and a verb. In fact, you can have a single word sentence if it makes sense in the context and is understood, but that’s the thing. You’re readers need to be able to understand your fiction, and it needs to be grammatically correct within the context of your book, free of spelling errors and punctuated correctly or reasonably so.
Read more: Dispelling the Myth: There Are No Rules in Fiction
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Preplanning a novel can involve as little as naming your main characters and writing a one-sentence overview of your plot or as detailed as full character biographies and a full outline that includes each chapter from the first chapter to the last chapter. While preplanning and outlining your novel can make the actual process of writing the novel faster, it doesn't help you if you get so caught up in the planning details that you never actually write your novel.
What You Must Have to Write Your Novel
- The names of your main characters
- The names of your primary secondary characters
- Any supporting characters that come to your mind
- A one-sentence overview of your plot
- A paragraph explaining the premise of your novel
- Any additional genre-specific notes, like cities, worlds, breeds or character races
Read more: To Preplan Your Novel or Not to Preplan Your Novel
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The biggest problem writers face is not writing. I can't tell you how many writers and authors I know that do not write on a weekly basis. I'd say daily, but I think that's unreasonable for the vast majority of aspiring, new and existing writers and authors. I don't write every day, but I do write most days. This is called having reasonable expectations.
Open Your Word Processor
The first step to writing is opening your word processor or paper notebook. I understand this is common sense, but I'm seeking to answer the question of which one you should open in order to best meet your writing needs. Of course, if you opened a paper notebook, don't forget your pen. If you're opening a word processor, do you want one that only works on your desktop? Do you want a multi-platform word processor that works on every device you have? Do you want to use writing software that's specifically designed for writing fiction? If you don't know, let's look at the available word processors and writing programs available.