How I Overcame Discouragement and Revived my Passion For Writing (and How You Can too)
You and I want nothing more than to write every day, all the time. But in the whirlwind of life’s demands, you lose energy, focus, and determination. You feel it in your gut. That desire for writing is fading. And worse still, no one seems interested in your work anyway. “Why don’t I feel like writing anymore? Does my fiction matter? How do I get my passion back for writing? Can I get it back at all? ” Yes, you can, you sweet little pickled onion. Promise. Because I went through the same thing not too long ago myself. Just a few months ago, life pushed everything I love into the background and plopped health problems and bills and rent and even more adulting onto my lap instead. My passion for writing began slipping away and I felt so helpless against it. Worse still, I saw my peers skyrocketing and I felt even more alone, resentful, and lost. I didn’t write a single word for nearly four months. So what changed? How did I start writing two hours a day for my blog and make book sales along the way? The Wake Up Call I learned about a free seminar from a successful blogger named Jeff Goins. I downloaded his free eBook “The Writer’s Road Map: 12 Steps to Making a Living Writing” What I read woke me up. Jeff shared advice that, once I fiercely implemented, completely changed the writing game for me. I’ll share just three tips: Write every day even if it isn’t magnificent writing Real artists don’t starve as long as they work consistently...
4 Tips Writers Learn from Star Wars about Crafting Iconic Characters
Luke, Princess Leia, Yoda, Chewie, Han, R2-D2, Rey, Fin, Darth Vader… I don’t have to tell you which universe these iconic names hail from. (And if you’re anything like me, you’re counting down the minutes until you get to watch more of this universe unfold tonight!) Star Wars created awesome, ridiculously cool and iconic characters that took the world by storm. So how did creators like J.J. Abrams, George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan and others create such iconic characters? And how can you, a padawan writer, create characters as iconic and shimmering as these faces? There are four basic building blocks needed to create a character that resonates with your readers. So what are they?: a unique identity, an iconic friendship, an incredible feat, and emotional growth. So, let’s expand on these and how you can implement these building blocks in your work of fiction. 1. Unique Identity Crafting a unique identity for your character requires more than just a rebellious, wild personality. Unique identities are born from characters who take striking turns from unchallenged ideologies, paths, titles, or destinies. And Star Wars offers a plethora of unique identities exactly like this. Take Darth Vader, for example: Vader was once a young and promising Jedi named Anakin Skywalker who did the unthinkable. He disregarded the Jedi code forbidding romantic relationships and married his childhood love. Breaking under the weight of fear of losing his wife in childbirth, this powerful young Jedi turns to the dark side and becomes one of the most powerful Sith Lords of all time. Talk about a seeeerious turn from the straight n’ narrow!...
The 3 Big Differences Between the Sci-Fi and Fantasy Genre
Isn’t it true? In every science fiction novel, there’s starships, cold metal, and laser blasters? And in every fantasy novel, there’s magic and trees and elves? Aaaaand orcs. (didn’t forget ya rascally man-flesh eaters) But is it really that simple? Sorry, but there’s more to it. So what are the 3 differences between sci-fi and fantasy and why should these differences matter to you as a precious elven tree lord of a writer? 1. The Goal To quote Orson again (we’re on a roll here): The basis of every awesome science fiction story is the “what if…” debate. The “what if…” debate pits humanity (or aliens) against alien forces. Science fiction addresses an existing problem and explores solutions by saying “what if…” Let’s take Star Trek for instance. Star Trek explores the fascinating idea of human beings (and aliens alike) one day being capable of interstellar exploration. The “what if…” question, however, is renewed each episode. For instance, in The Devil in the Dark, the crew is attacked by a seemingly hostile monster. Through Spock, we learn this creature isn’t hostile, but a mother desperate to protect its young against attack from the crew. The “what if…” question for this episode was, “what if something we do not understand isn’t a monster, but very much like us instead?” Although science fiction, this series moved viewers to acknowledge the problems facing humanity and how they could overcome those problems. So, then, what is the goal of the fantasy genre? Fantasy takes the “what if…” debate in a very different light. The “what if…” debate pits our world...
Why a Blog/Vlog is the Best Platform for Promoting your Work of Fiction
You’ve got a killer piece of fiction on your hands but you have no idea how to promote it. Plus, you don’t want to be that “guy” who promotes his fiction to all his friends like a sleazy, self-absorbed fop. So how do you promote your work of fiction in a creative way that actually gathers attention? How do you gather a following for your work that soon blooms into an insatiable fandom? You use a platform to promote your work of fiction. So what in the double hockey sticks is a platform? And most importantly, dear sunfish, which platform is right for you and your fandom-worthy work of fiction? A Platform: A platform is as literal as it sounds. It’s a type of stage which allows you to do 2 things: It allows your voice to spread to an audience And it allows you and your work of fiction to gain visibility By using an online platform to spotlight your work, you cast your net around a greater potential audience. Now, you’re probably thinking that a reliable platform to curate your content is something like Facebook, Reddit, Medium, or even a website. But the problem with social media is that it isn’t a reliable platform to build your foundation on. Sure, writers like John Green, Rainbow Rowell, and Suzanne Collins all have Facebook pages, but they don’t rely on these platforms alone for building their platform. Why not? Because Facebook, Reddit, Twitter- they could all go down tomorrow. And if you create content solely on these foundations, you’ll lose everything you’ve worked on! Social media acts more like an invitation with an “address”...
The First 4 Steps Every Writer Needs To Take To Start Building Their Fanbase
Some writers think that eloquent words, unique characters, and wild worlds are enough to reel in the readers and have people bowing at your feet. But sorry, Jack. That isn’t enough. So what 4 solid steps can you take right now to start building your fanbase one screaming fangirl at a time? 1. Discover your Audience Reaching out to your audience begins with understanding who your audience is. And understanding who your audience is begins with understanding your novel. Answer these questions: What is your book’s genre? How old are the main characters? What is the protagonist’s age and gender? Who’s POV do we follow? What is the message of the story? What does the voice of your novel sound like?- Youthful? Aged and wise? What other factors inspired your novel and influence your writing?- A song? Video games? History? A television series? Once you have these answers you discover who your target audience is. If you’ve discovered that your book is for a young adult audience (like my books are) then consider what books the kids are already into. If you’re writing a fantasy or science fiction novel, young readers will probably already be reading books like these: Or if you’re writing contemporary romance, young adult readers will probably already be reading books like these: What popular books in your select genre have you read? Join groups celebrating these books. Why? Because in order to build a loyal fanbase, you must create genuine connections with freak fans who like stories similar to your own. 2. Reach out and Connect with your Audience Genuine connection...I’m Rae Elliott: Author, Blogger, Geek
I believe all teens can write fandom-worthy fiction. Read more about my mission in the About page and get started on your road to fandom-worthiness.
"This is a beautiful story of redemption, second chances, and the strength of love."
"A fun small-town fantasy story with a believable and authentically teenage main character."
"Rae Elliott quickly ushers the reader into this unique setting and...the characters are well developed."
Write Fandom-Worthy Fiction with the Help of Great Resources:
A writer's complete guide to everything worldbuilding.
Slam dunk your NaNoWriMo goals without living like a hermit!
Create well-crafted protagonists readers will adore.
Create unforgettable female characters that readers will applaud.
Barely Hare Books Has Been Selected!:
Rae is currently a Masterclass student of:
Rae is a member of Jeff Goins’:
