Tag: novel

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Building Your Vocabulary Using Colour

colour of flower

(Thank you for navigating to my author blog from Instagram.)

Learning the Colour of Things

I’m once again talking about another chapter in Sage Cohen’s book “Fierce on the Page” where she discusses learning the name of things, in a chapter called, “Learn the Name of Things.”

https://youtu.be/oDW8zg4aLaQ

A rose is a rose is a rose…

I purposely chose the featured image to be a subtle image of off-white and beige colours to show you how a writer can use very descriptive colour names to describe what they are seeing. For example, a writer could use these names: white, pearl, alabaster, cream, egg shell, chiffon, linen, and rice to describe the image featured.

When you build your palette of colours, you will see the world with different eyes. A leaf will no longer just be “green”, a leaf will be shades of emerald and forest green. You will now notice a dirt road covered with mud of burnt umber, red clay, and desert sand. The sky will change from cornflower blue in the morning to Atlantis blue in late afternoon.

colour of sky

Choose your colour wisely…

The more you layer colour into your descriptions, the more fun you’ll have. Next time you go into a hardware or paint store, grab some of those coloured strips and add some new colours to your vocabulary. Each month, pick a new set to learn. 

I hope you enjoyed this video. If you like what you’re seeing, comment below, navigate to my author site (click on the button) and subscribe to support me, or just keep coming back. I’d love to know what you think or feel.

Namaste,
CC

P.S. Follow my Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/ccsullivan_writer/ or check out my author website at http://ccsullivan.me/

To check out Sage Cohen’s book Fierce on the Page, you’ll find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Fierce-Page-Become-Writer-Succeed/dp/1599639939

Flower: Image by photosforyou from Pixabay 

Tracks: Image by Martin Winkler from Pixabay 

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Mosquito Nightmares

IMG_1368

Writing Journal Entry #2

I’m on holiday this week, from Paradise. It actually exists folks! Some of you know the attached photo from my other page, but it actually is what I’m looking at when working away in the mornings on my writing project.

But back to the nightmares for a minute. My better half does not get bitten by mosquitoes (it’s the gin), but I do. So he walks in and out, leaves windows open, lives a normal life. I wish I could. I walk around, paranoid. But, you see, they love me—with a vengeance. And that vengeance takes place at night when I’m unaware. The bitches. So, even though it’s gorgeous and a personal paradise called Home, it’s my own personal nightmare at night.

Now, back to this week’s goal (exercise). It’s called Moving and Trimming. My developmental editor, EJ Runyon (https://www.facebook.com/groups/172786866842998/), has gone through my novel, and is helping me to make my bottom heavy, info dump become more spread out throughout the story.

It’s a bit of a nightmare (for me), perhaps it was for her too. But, the exercise is to attack them bit by bit, one by one. Killing each info dump like it’s a mosquito. I’m good at that, and I have no remorse whatsoever. Not one bit.

But I have to remember to keep the balance. I can’t kill all of them and suddenly find out that some of the info was still needed. Just like mosquitoes (really?) But… dragonflies feed on them, and it’s my logo, so… I let some of those bitches get away. BUT my story survives, and that’s the point.

The trick is to move the words first, then trim. Don’t trim first then move because that’s when you might lose that bit that’s really important to move your story forward.

Have a wonderful writing day, folks!
<3 CC

(Image: Photograph by ©CC Sullivan)

#nightmares #vengeance #novel #goal #goals #moving #trimming #developmental editor #info dump #dragonflies #dragonfly #writing #writer #story #novel

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Develop a Scene, Write a Chapter: Lesson 1 with EJ Runyon

bridge-19513_640

I have been working on the last leg of my first book and going over all the extra words that need to be removed. It’s been quite the exercise. I’m actually loving it because it is teaching me to look at my sentences, how they read, and make it all tighter.

But this post is not about me…

EJ Runyon has been more than kind to “pay it forward” to me with 8 lessons toward the development of my chapters. I have sat down with her for my first lesson, and we went over certain aspects of my chapters to help make my writing and my scenes stronger.

I cannot emphasize how even one lesson with EJ Runyon has helped improve the flow of my paragraphs and words. And, wow, what a difference it made!

Please reach out to EJ Runyon and let her help you with the development of your story. You will not be disappointed with your lessons. Plus, she has the most soothing of voices. I look forward to my remaining lessons with her.

You can find free online lessons at her website Bridge to Story,
http://www.bridgetostory.com/classes/

Also, Skype with her for coaching or story edits. She’s a wonderful teacher! You will not be disappointed! http://www.bridgetostory.com/services/

Keep on writing,
CC

#book #novel #inspiration #lesson #lessons #chapters #chapter #scene #character #story

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Writing 1000 Words a Day… and the Daily Goal of Nothing (Lately)

Writing on my novel has not been happening very well lately. I have been in a limbo mode the past couple of weeks and I’m not sure whether it is because I’m avoiding writing my book or trying to get some writing done in other capacities. I think it’s the avoiding one. And, it’s not because I don’t have any inspiration because I do — plenty of it.

I normally do the daily goal of writing 1,000 words a day — or at least using that as my benchmark. If I only get a 100 words in, I am actually happy that I got something down. It takes very little to please me obviously (haha.)

I’m not quite sure whether these days it’s because I’m a little burned out, work is getting in the way, or have some form of ADD and want to do a million things at once while not doing anything at all.

It is frustrating and I feel like I’m on the edge of ‘something.’ Is that ‘something’ the abyss or a major breakthrough?

I hope I snap out of it because the “Finish My Novel Goal” for my second novel (and third) is the end of July. I best get cracking as we are already halfway there or so it feels.

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The Paradigm Shift of Acceptance

Serenity by © CC Dailly

“No one thinks in your mind except you.” ~ Louise Hay

(Acceptance: to receive, to release resistance, to surrender yourself to)

Releasing resistance is a difficult feat. It seems such an easy thing to read and think about, but to put it into effect is a totally different exercise.

“If we could fly, we’d all have wings, and some of us don’t know why…” ~ Michael Hutchence

What are thoughts of resistance? — procrastination? fear? reluctance? uncertainty? And why is it that those come to the surface so much more easily than acceptance? All I can say, right at this very moment, is that acceptance and releasing resistance is hard work. It also brings about the task of living in the ‘now’ while planning and envisioning for the future and, at the same time, letting go of the past.

When you are ready to receive, it comes to you. And, I believe that thought holds true for everything in your life.

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The Paradigm Shift of Expectation

In Writing… 

Sunrise by CC Dailly

Expectation and anticipation are the keys to manifesting your desires.

Those just happen to be the two elements that keep readers glued to the pages of your book. Master the art of keeping your readers on the edge of their seats and you will have mastered the skill of expectation and anticipation.

What will happen next to the protagonist? Will he take the chance to change his life or will he just settle and watch the world go by?

The same should be expected in the story of your own life.

Expectation creates a certain excitable feeling. You will feel those wonderful butterflies in your stomach when you live your life with expectation and anticipation. (I’ll leave out the worry and angst that goes along with that for now.)

Writing should be approached with the same feeling of expectation:
Expect to write a great chapter.
Expect that your character and your story will develop in exactly the way it should.
Expect that you will accomplish what you have set out to create.
Expect to write everyday for a few minutes or an hour.
Expect the unexpected.

I expect that you will go out there and seize the world now that you have read this!

(So easy to say; so hard to do.)

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