Tag: Writer

Write Your Novel this Summer Challenge

Join the official Write Your Novel this Summer Challenge

Mandy Webster
novel writing challenge
Join the Write Your Novel this Summer Challenge and write the first draft of your novel between June 21st and September 21st.

I recently wrote a blog post in which I discussed author Stephen King’s view that you should never take more than a season to write a novel. In that post, I posed a challenge to my readers to “write your novel this summer.” I’ve been thinking about this challenge, and I think it might be fun to make it a real “thing.”

How cool would it be if a bunch of us banded together to support each other in knocking out that first draft of the novels we’ve all been meaning to get around to? It could be kind of like NaNoWriMo, only we get an entire season rather than just one month. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to write a novel in one month, November is just about the worst month of the year to do it in! Continue reading “Join the official Write Your Novel this Summer Challenge” →

Guest Blog Posts

Author Amanda Martin discusses her Daily Blog Challenge

Mandy Webster
Two Hundred Steps Home, by author Amanda Martin
Amanda Martin is the author of Two Hundred Steps Home.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to author, Amanda Martin, from the WriterMummy blog. Amanda is the author of Two-Hundred Steps Home, as well as the following guest blog post. Thanks, Amanda, for sharing your blog with us and for helping to lighten my blog load while I’m writing my Master’s thesis this semester!

Guest Post

The lovely Mandy has let me come to talk about my Daily Blog Challenge on my WriterMummy blog. Thank you Mandy! It’s always nice to get a change of scene.

I decided late in 2012 – on 30th or 31st December – that 2013 needed structure. My husband was made redundant (or laid-off, as one would say in the U.S.) in October and both my kids are still preschool age, so we lurch from day to day with virtually no plan. My ambition for 2013 is to have a novel accepted by an agent and/or self-published via Smashwords, and I hoped forcing myself to write every day would help motivate me. So I had the (crazy) idea to join Post-a-Day 2013. Continue reading “Author Amanda Martin discusses her Daily Blog Challenge” →

Blogging

I do my best blogging at the coffee house

Mandy Webster
The view from my comfy chair at Cafe de Arts in Waukesha, WI proved very inspiring last weekend.
The view from my comfy chair at Cafe de Arts in Waukesha, WI proved to be inspiring last weekend.

I love blogging while sitting in a coffee shop. Whenever I meet my writer friend for a day of coffee and writing, I always end up putting my intended work aside to write at least one blog post. At our last session, I ended up writing three different blog posts before the afternoon was done.

Maybe I should just plan on going out to a coffee house once a week to write all of my blog posts. When I blog at home, my blog posts often come out concise, professional, and utterly boring. At the coffee shop, I get creative ideas and write posts I think people might actually want to read (I hope.) Continue reading “I do my best blogging at the coffee house” →

Random Rants

Are all writers slobs, or is it just me?

Mandy Webster
Clothes for poor people
Most of my regular clothes come from other people’s giveaway bags. They look very much like this. | Clothes for poor people (Photo credit: Maarten Utreg)

I can’t get dressed until after I’ve eaten. On mornings when I have to actually get dressed to go to work, I get up, shower, and put on fresh pajamas. I eat breakfast and have my coffee. I put my work clothes on about five minutes before I actually leave the house, so there’s no danger of spilling anything on myself.

When I buy clothes, I don’t buy clothes just to wear around the house. I can only justify the expense of new clothes when I’m buying them for work. My work clothes hang on one side of the closet. When a shirt gets too ratty for me to wear to work, I shift it to the other side of the closet into my regular wear wardrobe. I don’t eat while wearing my work clothes, ever. Continue reading “Are all writers slobs, or is it just me?” →

Places to Write, Random Writing Rants, Restaurants, Wisconsin

Dreaming, drinking coffee, and pretending to write

Mandy Webster
The Cafe de Arts has an interesting selection of artsy sandwiches to accompany your coffee while you hang out pretending to write.
The Cafe de Arts has an interesting selection of artsy sandwiches to accompany your coffee while you hang out and pretend to write.

I’m writing to you this morning from Café de Arts in Waukesha, WI. It’s a cute little café in a big, old Victorian house with a huge sunflower painted on the side. I so want to open my own business in an old house in my town and paint the house purple with a huge sunflower on the side. I even have the house picked out. It’s a foreclosure that’s been sitting empty for about three years, just calling me to buy it.

I have a dream of opening my own writer’s studio/café/bookstore where I can hang out with other writers and discuss our craft in a homey setting. I’m picturing fluffy couches with books lining the walls, and a barista conveniently stationed in a cozy corner.

I’d hang out all day, writing in my notebook in between talking story with my customers. Sometimes, I would offer writing classes and workshops for more focused work. Ultimately, I would create my own little writing community where I can plug in to my local writing scene and keep my creative juices flowing while offering the same service to others. Continue reading “Dreaming, drinking coffee, and pretending to write” →

Blogging

What does your nightstand say about you?

Mandy Webster

My writer friend over at SlimeGreen recently shared a post where she discussed how you can tell a lot about a person from what’s on their nightstand. She shared a pic of her end table, along with an analysis of what her end table says about her. I love this idea, so I’m stealing it. Anyway, here’s a picture of my nightstand. I’m opening myself up to my readers. Please tell me (in the comments below,) what do you think my nightstand says about me?

nighstand
What does my nightstand say about me?

Continue reading “What does your nightstand say about you?” →

Education, Writing Prompts, Written Communication

Wednesday Writing Prompt: The Greatest Longing

Mandy Webster
English: ink and charcoal on paper
What is the greatest longing of your main character’s soul? | English: ink and charcoal on paper (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Quite some time ago, I mentioned that I would be posting writing prompts for you on Wednesdays, but somehow I never managed to follow through. But, have I got a good one for you today!

One of the writing exercises I had to complete for my Advanced Novel Writing course this week included a free-write in which I had to answer the following question:

What is the GREATEST LONGING in this character’s soul? Continue reading “Wednesday Writing Prompt: The Greatest Longing” →

Writers on Writing, Writing Prompts

Wednesday Writing Prompt: Are you a real writer?

Mandy Webster
"Writing", 22 November 2008
Do you consider yourself a "real" writer? | "Writing", 22 November 2008 (Photo credit: dr_ed_needs_a_bicycle)

Yesterday I promised that I was going to begin to share a writing prompt on Wednesdays here on my blog. So, without further ado, here is today’s prompt:

Do you consider yourself a “real” writer? Why or why not? What makes a writer?

For today, I chose a topic that will likely make a better essay or blog post than a short story. However, I think it’s a topic we should all be considering if we take our writing seriously. Continue reading “Wednesday Writing Prompt: Are you a real writer?” →

Education, Essays, Written Communication

My Dream Career: A 5-paragraph essay

Mandy Webster
English: Hands collaborating in co-writing or ...
Could I survive on writing alone? Or would I get too bored? | Image via Wikipedia

Earlier this morning, I wrote a post on teaching the 5-paragraph essay. In that post, I promised to share the essay I wrote for my Written Communication students this week. So, here it is…

My Dream Career

If you could have any job, what would you do? This is a typical first date question, job interview question, or composition class free writing topic, one whose answer may provide a great deal of insight into the life of the respondent. If you were to ask this question of me, my answer would surely provide insight into my psyche simply because the way I would answer is far different than the average American. Continue reading “My Dream Career: A 5-paragraph essay” →

Random Writing Rants

Finding my niche

Mandy Webster
Cover of "Diamond Willow (Frances Foster ...
Cover of Diamond Willow (Frances Foster Books)

I’m one course and a thesis paper away from completing my masters degree in professional writing at Mount Mary College, and I’m feeling pressed to decide on a specific career course. So yeah, I’m a writer: but what kind of writer am I? I’ve written poetry, short stories, parts of novels, but for a long time I’ve struggled to find that one niche that I am really passionate about. Until I recently discovered YA.

Okay, so I’m sure I’ve read plenty of YA novels in the past. I’ve occasionally read some of my son’s books, and he’s getting into that age range. And, I’m quite sure I read tons of YA when I was a YA myself. But until recently, I haven’t really studied the genre.

While taking my poetry course this past fall, I read Crossing Stones,  a novel in verse by Helen Frost, and I just LOVED that book and form. I then read a few of her other books: The Braid, Diamond Willow, and her latest, Hidden. All great reads. I found a lot of inspiration in these books and began to wonder if I could write something similar myself. Continue reading “Finding my niche” →