The Writer Left

words and art for work and play | and a little extra for everything else

[itssunniesworld]

Day 9

I already wanted to post about my progress yesterday but I fell asleep while doing so lol

Basically I’m still stuck on planning the chapters. I just finished Planning chapter 30 and I don’t think there will be a lot chapters after that. Just a little crack and a little twist and some deep thoughts. I’m pretty happy with how far I’ve come so far.

Anyways

It’s my birthday next week and I’ve decided to celebrate that a little and post some sneak peaks out of the first three chapters. So look forward to that.

End Result:

Chapters 21-30 planned

Chapter 4 still in progress

[thewriterleft-blog]

I will. I will look forward to that.

[cursedgarfield]

Vintage Garfield the Cat Plush Small No Tags Good Condition

[thewriterleft-blog]

Every Garfield plush or stuffy I’ve ever seen looks like it was abandoned in the upstairs bedroom of a haunted house.

Do you think they collect any residual evil? 

[gentle-reminder]

gentle reminder

you are loved, you are wanted, and you are meant to be alive right now

[thewriterleft-blog]

We need these reminders every day in order to maintain the motivation needed to create.

[daily-prompts]

prompt 1001

How to Write:

Sit down at your computer, light a candle, and let the ghosts speak.

[thewriterleft-blog]

Why do I always wait to do stuff like this until I’m alone at night?

[thewriterleft-blog]

(via Good Morning Midnight, Flat Black, and Other Dark Matters)

Good lyrics are essential to Good Morning Midnight’s latest album, Both Neither and Both. Seven years of songwriting and a short stint at the University of Iowa inform this sophomore album.

[thewriterleft-blog]

The two minutes it takes to read this will improve your writing forever..... - AEI

... is the name of this post, reproduced below in its entirety: You’re busy, so I’ll keep this quick. Following are the simplest tips I

Reminders for some, epiphany for others. Either way, it’s worth the 30 seconds it takes to read. Also, great title!

[listing-to-port]

What happened after the thought experiments

1. The cat hopped out of the box and wandered off to look for its food bowl, which it knew was around here somewhere. It had no idea how lucky it was. Meanwhile, a single pale ghost peeled of its sheaf of lives and went mewling up until it joined the clouds. It was not until ten years later, and on its last life, that the cat had cause to remember the incident.

2. The younger twin returned from space, grizzled and radiation-burned, still disorientated from the final burst of deceleration. By now the older twin was near death; it had been a long journey. Nevertheless, deep space is not a healthy environment. Thw twins entered the hospice together, and told each other stories of their years apart as far as they were able. It was the twin who had been to space who died first.

3. The accident was widely reported and led to a number of high-profile resignations. Seven people who had been responsible for maintaining the trolley failsafe systems and track security were found guilty of neglecting their duty. They recieved a mixture of fines and prison sentences. The man who had pulled the lever was eventually judged to be innocent, although some held his decision to be politically motivated, and the families of the deceased refused to accept the verdict.

4. The tortoise’s victory was widely reported, and it even signed a small sponsorship deal with a shell polishing company. However, opponents became increasingly reluctant to allow it a head start in subsequent races. Without its crucial advantage, it began losing. The sponsorship deal was not renewed and eventually the tortoise was largely deserted, even by its supporters. It took to performing stunts to try and win back fame, but ended its career in ignominy after a failed dismount killed a passing playwright.

5. Unfortunately, the hotel with infinitely many rooms was found to contain infinitely many cockroaches. It was shut down on public health grounds. The issues involved in evacuating an infinite number of guests were found to be severe, eventually leading to the formation of a tourist singularity which consumed most of the hotel’s host planet and permanently disrupted the orbits in its home system. Fortunately, infinitely many guests also escaped. Their subsequent search for accommodation led to an unusual period of economic growth and hotel-centric culture in that part of the galaxy.

6. The ladder continued through the garage at relativistic speed and slammed into the warehouse behind, converting its considerable kinetic energy into a large explosion. At the inquest, nobody could quite recall why just making the garage slightly bigger had not been considered as a viable option for ladder storage. It seemed that they had all been overcome by a sort of delirium of scientific enthusiasm.

7. They were very nice jars. After the brain-in-a-jar operation had been shut down by horrified authorities, the custodians charged with winding up operations took a few of them home, where they were repurposed as fish tanks, terrariums and fancy dress astronaut helmets.

8. Having finally produced the complete works of Shakespeare, the monkeys were out of a job. Nobody was interested in what they might produce next. They came to the conclusion that they had accidentally typed some morally unacceptable combination of syllables. Subsequently, they used this insight to develop a language and a culture based on being as far distant from that used by Shakespeare as possible. With one exception; the worst insults and most taboo curses were, of course, wholly Shakespearian. Fortunately, Shakespeare had provided a fine selection to choose from.

[thewriterleft-blog]

I’ve always wondered what happened with Earth 2 and not-water.

[thewriterleft-blog]

(via Meet the Woman of a Thousand Muses)

Artists aren’t in competition. We inspire each other.

[webcomicname]

[thewriterleft-blog]

Oh dear god, NO.

[thewritershandbook]

20 Basic Plots

1. QUEST - the plot involves the Protagonist’s search for a person, place or thing, tangible or intangible (but must be quantifiable, so think of this as a noun; i.e., immortality).

2. ADVENTURE - this plot involves the Protagonist going in search of their fortune, and since fortune is never found at home, the Protagonist goes to search for it somewhere over the rainbow.

3. PURSUIT - this plot literally involves hide-and-seek, one person chasing another.

4. RESCUE - this plot involves the Protagonist searching for someone or something, usually consisting of three main characters - the Protagonist, the Victim & the Antagonist.

5. ESCAPE - plot involves a Protagonist confined against their will who wants to escape (does not include some one trying to escape their personal demons).

6. REVENGE - retaliation by Protagonist or Antagonist against the other for real or imagined injury.

7. THE RIDDLE - plot involves the Protagonist’s search for clues to find the hidden meaning of something in question that is deliberately enigmatic or ambiguous.

8. RIVALRY - plot involves Protagonist competing for same object or goal as another person (their rival).

9. UNDERDOG - plot involves a Protagonist competing for an object or goal that is at a great disadvantage and is faced with overwhelming odds.

10. TEMPTATION - plot involves a Protagonist that for one reason or another is induced or persuaded to do something that is unwise, wrong or immoral.

11. METAMORPHOSIS - this plot involves the physical characteristics of the Protagonist actually changing from one form to another (reflecting their inner psychological identity).

12. TRANSFORMATION - plot involves the process of change in the Protagonist as they journey through a stage of life that moves them from one significant character state to another.

13. MATURATION - plot involves the Protagonist facing a problem that is part of growing up, and from dealing with it, emerging into a state of adulthood (going from innocence to experience).

14. LOVE - plot involves the Protagonist overcoming the obstacles to love that keeps them from consummating (engaging in) true love.

15. FORBIDDEN LOVE - plot involves Protagonist(s) overcoming obstacles created by social mores and taboos to consummate their relationship (and sometimes finding it at too high a price to live with).

16. SACRIFICE - plot involves the Protagonist taking action(s) that is motivated by a higher purpose (concept) such as love, honor, charity or for the sake of humanity.

17. DISCOVERY - plot that is the most character-centered of all, involves the Protagonist having to overcome an upheavel(s) in their life, and thereby discovering something important (and buried) within them a better understanding of life (i.e., better appreciation of their life, a clearer purpose in their life, etc.)

18. WRETCHED EXCESS - plot involves a Protagonist who, either by choice or by accident, pushes the limits of acceptable behavior to the extreme and is forced to deal with the consequences (generally deals with the psychological decline of the character).

19. ASCENSION - rags-to-riches plot deals with the rise (success) of Protagonist due to a dominating character trait that helps them to succeed.

20. DECISION - riches-to-rags plot deals with the fall (destruction) of Protagonist due to dominating character trait that eventually destroys their success.

by Pavel Simakov

[thewriterleft-blog]

This is a mix&match game waiting to happen. 

[thewriterleft-blog]

Seven Drafts by Editor Allison K Williams - Fictionary

Editing advice from an actual big time editor! We are kicking off a new monthly blog series to share advice from editing experts. It is our pleasure to welcome editor Allison K Williams. Allison is a writer, editor, speaker, and coach. Allison has edited books published by Big Five publishers including Penguin Random House, and independent presses including …

Williams describes a structured method of editing that’s proven effective. My favorite of the seven drafts is “The Vomit”. 

[yeahwrite]

The Girls Write Now Anthology is OUT!

You guys! 

I’m part of this awesome NYC-based mentorship nonprofit called Girls Write Now (I’ve been a mentor for 2 years to the most awesome mentee), and our Anthology—which I also helped edit—is out! 

It’s full of stories, poems, and other pieces written by high school-aged girls of color, which are published side by side with pieces by their mentors, who are all women in publishing/digital fields. 

The stories are amazing, and all the proceeds benefit Girls Write Now and its effort to amplify the voices of young women of color. 

You can buy it here on Amazon!

[thewriterleft-blog]

Amazon needs someone to write the first review. It might as well be you.

[thewriterleft-blog]

Codfish Hollow in Maquoketa has made a name for itself as a music venue, and the big barn is built for fun of all kinds...

Codfish Hollow never fails to inspire. There are some picnic tables underneath the barn that are perfect for hanging out and journaling. The area is beautiful and the people are too.

This festival will be crazy and one of the best times to go to the Hollow this year.

[the-knights-who-say-book]

the knights-who-say-book theory of writing motivation states that little to no motivation to write can be generated without the encouragement of readers, but that after a certain point of reader interaction (depending on the piece) writing motivation begins to decrease proportionally to how fast it was produced

[thewriterleft-blog]

Three shall be the number of acts. No more, no less. The first act shall proceed unto the second act, which precedes the the third. A fourth act is RIGHT OUT.

[picsthatmakeyougohmm]

Hmmm

[thewriterleft-blog]

Take me on a journey that ends with a mattress in a telephone booth.

[thewriterleft-blog]

The Biggest Little Venue on Two Continents

Rio de Janeiro, London, Berlin, and Rock Island. All of these places have something in common: venues that consistently host international artists and cultural virtuosos. Rozz-Tox QC is the only in…

@rozztox is one of my favorite places to write.

[thewriterleft-blog]

Sometimes just being around books puts me in the mood to write. Libraries and bookstores are both favorite spots.