someone asked for more

someone asked for more

5 Ways to Find Your Novel Title

1. Find it in the text itself

Maybe there is a really good phrase hidden in your work that encapsulates the work as a whole. I love when I come across the title while reading. Write down good contenders as you go along editing.

2. The Motif / Imagery

If there is a running motif or image in your work, that alone can be a good title or at the very least, be a part of the title. 

3. Eponymous

If your story relies heavily on a single character (or family and you use the surname), and the name is interesting: use it! There are very dynamic names in literature that could stand alone on the cover.

4. Eavesdrop

The amount of good titles I’ve heard in phrases of conversation I overhear is incredible. Sometimes, strangers string together the words better than you could just by brainstorming.

5. Figures of Speech

Whether you straight up use the figure of speech or adapt/subvert it to fit your story, these can be really good and eyecatching IMO.

How I Wrote A Novel.

This, in a nutshell, is what I did to get a book with my name on it.

NOTE: This is just my personal way of making the words go. Other people have different ways to make their words go. In the world of words, there are no right answers. There’s just lots and lots of tea/coffee/tear stains.

1). The Idea

When I get an idea for a story, I open up a document, label it “Brainstorming,” and start making a bullet list of events that consist of the plot.

It has to be an idea with tangible weight. A stray bit of dialogue or something vague like Halloween, that doesn’t give me much to work off of. Halloween creatures living on the same street where it’s Autumn every day- now that’s something I can build from.

What kinds of creatures are they? What do they do? What do their houses look like? The best ideas are the ones that spark more.

2). First Draft

This is the easy part- and the most challenging. Easy, because there’s literally no bar. I just sat there and typed. But it’s a huge mental challenge.

When I was in first draft mode, I wanted that story out. I thought that by making it such a rough, far-away version from the concept in my head, I was only delaying the day where I’d hold it in my hands. Turns out, that’s what got it to take on physical form in the first place. So I quieted down, grabbed my laptop and some hot tea, and typed.

3). Dissecting the First Draft

After I finished draft one, I printed it all off and highlighted the scant amounts that were passable for the next phase. Dialogue, descriptions, setting- anything that didn’t look like it was up to par was scratched out and omitted.

I call the above pictures A Slow Descent Into Madness.

4). The Second Draft

On a fresh document, I rewrote the story altogether- and it make a difference. I was coming up with things I hadn’t even thought of previously. And it was surprising how much better the plot was than the first time around. But it was still rough.

5). Draft Three

My method was to start with the bigger, more obvious issues and work my way down. Any plot holes I found were noted, and my outline was constantly under revision. I cut out entire scenes and made mental notes on ways they could be fixed/replaced.

This is where I started cutting chapters in half to make the story flow better- but I didn’t bother writing in usable chapter titles. Instead, I improvised:

6). Drafts Four and Five

These were dedicated to correcting the smaller, less obvious plot holes. This was the point where the story finally started to look close to what would become the final version.

7). Drafts Seven Onward

With the story line looking how I wanted, I then moved on to sentence structure. That one song that looked terrible? Rewritten. Over-the-top descriptions and excessive prose? Gone.

8). Editing and Proofing

This is where I had outside help. Besides this useful tool, I had two people check for spelling issues and the overall story. Once it was in decent shape to be made public, I asked for some additional help.

9). Betas

My betas were in the age range that my novel was geared toward, along with a couple of teachers and parents (as it was middle grade). I gave them the full manuscript, along with seven basic questions like “Which characters were your favorite/least favorite and why?” and “Was there a part of the story that didn’t make sense?”

I gave my betas three months to read a 42,590 word story, and by the end they gave me back the review sheets.

10). Final Adjustments

After I read over the reviews, I let the comments sit for three days so that I could proceed with a clear head. I smoothed out any flaws, scanned over the MS twice to make sure everything was right, and that is how I got to the end of writing my first novel.

Next comes publishing- which is a different beast entirely.

For future reference. Wow, what a comprehensive post.

I have no idea what the story of this anime is, and it’s pretty obvious who the protag is, but I’m gonna add character to the girls to the left with no face

introducing these two background characters in this slice of life romantic comedy/drama - they love each other a lot, and the girl to the left is grumpy because her girlfriend to the right forgot to give her her good morning kiss.

taller girl on the right is oblivious because she was so excited when they got up because she’s treating her girlfriend to a surprise date at the amusement park that she forgot to give her a good morning kiss. they’ll have their first smooch of the day at the very top of the ferris wheel 💋

the guy to the right of the protag (with the glasses) is a simple office worker who loves his family very very much and cannot wait to get back home to his children

The guy on the far left is wanting to get home to make dinner. He lives alone, but he promised his kitten they would have some grilled fish as a treat! He loves her very much.

The tall one behind the two girls just got back from a job interview. He didn’t get the job but he’s confidant he’ll get the next one. He needs to provide for his son and two daughters after all.

Person to the left of the pink hair girl is a retired hit-man struggling to adjust to a normal life but hes recently found a woman that works at a cafe down the street from his new job and things seem to be going well.

the man on the far far right is anxious as it’s his and his boyfriend first date aniversary and that’s the longest he lasted in a relationship, he is confident that this one will last tho

This is so pure.

Everyone is the protagonist of their own story.

Everyone is the protagonist of their own story.

How do I? How do I react to this image? I don’t like this. h oW AM I SUPPOSED TO F E E L

I feel like i dont discuss this enough.

I can fucking cut it off

Vintage/Retro Bowling Alley Carpet Patterns

BEDTIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCKING: YES IT’S TIME.TO GET UNCONSCIOUS

Ana: Hey! I got some new lore, and possibly a ski-

Soldier 76:

PFF

Interspecies lesbianism

It’s cute guys

nothing but respect for MY lesbian big cat couple

Butch/Butch couple

This is actually hella interesting, bc in simple terms, tigers are extroverts and lions are introverts. There’s more to it, but that’s the gist.

Whenever zoo’s tried to put lions and tigers in the same enclosures, the tiger would eventually try to groom the lioness and play constantly. The lioness would lose patience and snaps at them

So basically what I’m saying is that you have a regal and refined gf who stands at the edge of a balcony during parties, sipping champagne

Then you have the other girl who drank all of the little flutes on the servers platter, and is now drunkenly pointing at her gf and telling everyone that that’s her gf and doesn’t she look beautiful I love her so much

So I had to draw them in human form???

You drew them in the corresponding ethnicities for their Geographic locations!!! Bless you, you have no idea how sick and tired I am of white human lion king characters.

This post is deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant as certified by the National Shitpost Registry.

there’s a website where you put in two musicians/artists and it makes a playlist that slowly transitions from one musician’s style of music to the other’s

it’s really fun

lady gaga -> napalm death takes a weird detour through epic rap battles of history

This is actually really useful for finding music that’s in between genres that I wouldn’t know to look for.

This has nothing to do with books but it’s COOL

being naked is not sexy. wearing a white 18th century shirt with poofy sleeves tucked into a pair of black high waisted trousers is sexy. there are no exceptions

POEM “Tale of the Luminaries” a/w 2018-2019 collection

god this feels like im being chased by a serial killer with a fucking boombox blaring this

Feel that your drawings are stagnating? Maybe there’s something missing? For those struggling with their styles and finding inspiration, this might be the thing for you!

_________

The “How to Make Your Art Look Nice” Series

Lighting | Flow and Rhythm | Thumbnailing | Mindsets | Reference and Style | Color Harmony | Contrast

is folk funk a thing

Oh no I invented ska

You’ve unleashed them