Kelley Way’s Post

4 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 👇 https://lnkd.in/d9xD63GQ Based on what I learned from writing PERFORM in Times of Crisis with my coauthor, Cristobal Alonso. Thanks for having us share, Elena Ghiniță & The Recursive.

Writer's block is the worst. Even famous authors suffer through it. . Here’s Neil Gaiman's tip: Take a Break. . While many authors believe in meeting a daily word count goal, sometimes we have to take a break from a project to restart our writing flow. Gaiman suggests doing something totally different: “Go do something else. Chop wood. Go for a walk. Go for a run. Go for a swim. Go garden. Go play with small children. Go explore kittens. Go feed the chickens.” I’m sure he’d advocate something as simple as taking a shower. On occasion, the mind needs rest. You’ll come back to your writing energized. . Check out more tips from famous authors on my blog: Eight Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block https://bit.ly/3Jn24Pc . #TuesdayTips #thesavvyredpen #selfpublishing #elegantediting #preciseproofreading

Writer's block is the worst. Even famous authors suffer through it. . Here’s Neil Gaiman's tip: Take a Break. . While many authors believe in meeting a daily word count goal, sometimes we have to take a break from a project to restart our writing flow. Gaiman suggests doing something totally different: “Go do something else. Chop wood. Go for a walk. Go for a run. Go for a swim. Go garden. Go play with small children. Go explore kittens. Go feed the chickens.” I’m sure he’d advocate something as simple as taking a shower. On occasion, the mind needs rest. You’ll come back to your writing energized. . Check out more tips from famous authors on my blog: Eight Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block https://bit.ly/3Jn24Pc . #TuesdayTips #thesavvyredpen #selfpublishing #elegantediting #preciseproofreading

Imagine living for a day as an elf and write about the magical experiences you encounter. Click the link to explore this writing prompt further → https://lnkd.in/gJvtW-sR #WritingPrompt #WritingPrompts #DraftSparks

For people interested in just how a novel is put together, I've started a monthly series on how I wrote Hiram Falls (which my agent has just sent out to the first five book editors). My intentions are threefold: 1) I think it's entertaining, particularly the part (upcoming) where I deleted, on purpose, my first 25,000 words. 2) For writers or those interested in the writing process, it might be illuminating; I've learned a lot from the experience and from the many people who have helped. 3) When the book is finally published, readers will have a far deeper understanding of the story and its characters. (I also am including sections, anecdotes, snippets, sketches -- "my babies" -- that I had to cut.) Join me at https://lnkd.in/gReVtYtz It's free to subscribe. I respond to questions and comments. And I won't plague your inbox -- only publishing once or, sometimes, twice a month.

Dealing with Disappointment? Many writers have had a 'pet project' they've worked hard on, perhaps for years. Written, reworked, given to friends or relatives to read... the author then sends it to a publisher. At that point, hope can turn to disbelief and disappointment. The publisher may not reply - or sends a brief 'thanks but no thanks'. Why? What's wrong with the book? Publishers receive a lot of manuscripts. They simply don't have time to provide detailed reviews on every submission. Tips and feedback are invaluable, to hone skills, and to help the author write to a good standard. So... if you find your writing is hitting a wall, join a writers' group, go on a writers' retreat. Get some honest feedback from professionals. It might be time to put that beloved manuscript in a drawer, and do something else for a while!

As part of my evolving author platform, my website has been updated! Check out the new look at www.darylpotter.com I've also replaced my author bio. Gone are the lightning bolts, snakes, and wolves . In its place is a brief story that I hope inspires your next read, whether something I've written, or another writer's work! Like Comment Share

Perfectection shouldn't be the goal. We build up expectations and create false impressions that the polished, and perfect products that we see are the first and only versions to exist.  That presentation, written article, heartfelt speech at the all-staff get-together, or executive who confidently commands the room is never the first version to exist. Each is like a draft of a book. The first draft isn't usually fit to be shared; the second and third drafts deliver the fourth draft, which still needs thorough reviewing by a professional editor before publishing to the world. As someone who recently published a book, even after getting feedback from a challenge group and passing every sentence through the Grammarly tool to improve my writing, the first pass from the copy editor identified 65 changes—65 changes for a 40-page manuscript! But that is okay. Perfect shouldn't be the goal. #perfectionism #consistency

Should you really slave away in private writing that big paper when you could be schmoozing at a cocktail party, or writing a short blog post? I break it down at my blog post (see the link in the comments). #FiveMinuteLaw #BusinessDevelopment

Write a story where characters from different time-traveling series meet for the first time. Click the link to explore this writing prompt further → https://lnkd.in/ghs99Nqy #WritingPrompt #WritingPrompts #DraftSparks