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Words4Every1 Writers’ Group:November 7th
Introduction
Words4Every1 Writers’ Group: November 7th
TIMINGS:
- 3:00 PM:11 Writing Tips and Tricks
- 3:30 PM: Writing Activity
- 4:00 PM: Editing Workshops
- 4:30 PM: Writing Activity
- 4:45 PM: Guest Speaker: Elaine Will
Introduction
Words4Every1 Writers’ Group: August 22ndTIMINGS:
- 5:15 PM: Break/Networking
- 5:30 PM: Readings/Performances
- 6:00 PM: Pub!
Introduction
Your Host
Hi, I’m Dane
- Social media marketing specialist of four years
- Author, poet and musician
- Debut novella – No Rest for the Wicked – available now
- Industry speaker/commentator
- General Arts4Every1 busybody
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
Last Time
Last Time- Writing Challenge: Hallowe’en
- Author Saqib Deshmukh talked about research and his journey as a writer
- Launched the Words4Every1 book idea
- Writing activities from Dane and Lorraine
- Awesome performances
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
Dramatic Irony- A form of irony that’s expressed through art
- When the reader knows something that the character doesn’t
- Can create different emotions – i.e. tension or humour
- A very basic example: “He’s behind you!”
- Shakespeare is often credited as the master of dramatic irony
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
Random Words- Can be a great way to get started
- Create a list of 6-10 random words and write something that includes them
- You could ask a friend to pick the words for you
- Alternatively, write down a load of words that you like, put them in a bag and pull them out at random
- You could also simply Google ‘random word generator’
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
Shifted Elements- Something unexpected, particularly as part of a phrase
- Allows the writer to play with reader expectations
- For example:
- He played the piano beautifully, delicately, artistically, magically and aggressively.
- ‘Eat, drink and be merry,’ becomes:
- ‘Eat, drink and pick a designated driver.’
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
Show, Don’t Tell- TELLING: ‘I saw the life guard rescue someone at the swimming pool.’
- SHOWING: ‘As I walked across the damp tiles, the smell of chlorine hurt my nose. I heard a shout. I could see somebody struggling in the water.’
- A ‘tell’ is a quick summary or a generalisation
- Telling is lazy and counter-productive
- The exception to this is journalism, when telling is the name of the game
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
The Four Virtues- DETAIL: Use it, where possible
- DIRECTNESS: Avoid tautology/circumlocution
- ECONOMY OF WORDS: Use as few words as possible
- VOICE: The unique writing style of the author
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
Defamiliarisation- Some things become so familiar that we don’t notice them
(habitualisation)
- Some writers believe that writing exists to recover these perceptions
- To make things unfamiliar:
- Avoid words that are associated with the subject- Propose alien alternatives
- Literature isn’t meant to be skimmed through, like art isn’t meant to be glanced at
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
Metaphors, Metonyms and Synechdoches- METAPHOR: Transferring characteristics of one thing to another
- i.e. ‘The back porch of my mind’
- METONYM: When something is referred to in terms of something it’s associated with
- i.e. ‘Lend me your ears’ means ‘listen to me’
- SYNECDOCHE: When a part of something is substituted for the whole
- i.e. ‘Biting the hand that feeds’
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
Intertext- Essentially, when one piece of text quotes another
- Can be used to great effect
- Examples:
- ‘As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...’- Coolio’s Gangstas Paradise, quoting Psalm 23
- ‘I feel so suicidal, just like Dylan’s Mr. Jones.’- The Beatles’ Yer Blues, referencing Bob Dylan’s Ballad of a Thin Man
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
Who owns your writing?- Well, it depends
- If you’re working for a publisher (i.e. as a journalist), your work belongs to them
- If you’re freelancing, the article belongs to you unless you sign away the copyright
- Freelancers effectively rent out their work
- Check your contract, if you have one
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
Watch out for libel!- Libel = a defamatory statement in a permanent form (i.e. the written word)
- Exposes the recipient to hatred, ridicule or contempt
- You don’t need to identify the person by name – if it’s obvious who you’re referring to, it’s still libelous
- You can also be accidentally libelous – compare the below:
- Mrs Brown returned to the house, where she lived with Mr. Greene- Mrs Brown returned to the house where she lived, with Mr. Greene
11 Writing Tips and Tricks
Change the way you write- This can be a great way to bypass writers’
block
- Different ways of writing:
- By hand- At a computer- On a mobile device- Speaking into a dictaphone- Using a typewriter
5 Marketing Tips and Tricks
Business Cards- Get some printed for your career as a writer
- Useful for when you attend events etc.
- Can be cheap (less than £10) using Vistaprint
- Include social networking links, e-mail address and phone number
- Also include buy links for your books, if available
5 Marketing Tips and Tricks
Logos and Branding- Consider creating a logo and using it wherever possible – here’s mine!
- You, as a writer, are a brand
- What colours will you use? What kind of language?
- People should immediately recognise your work
- Achieve this through the look and feel of your social media and website updates, as well as through your writing style
5 Marketing Tips and Tricks
Consistency- Consistency is key, across all areas – BE CONSISTENT!
- Same profile picture and header images on all social networking sites
- Same bio across all sites
- Consistency with timings, too
- Writing a weekly blog post? Post it on the same day every week
5 Marketing Tips and Tricks
Networking- Some of our guest speakers have already talked about the importance of
this
- Get out there and make some friends
- I can’t stress enough how important it is to meet and work with other writers
- The internet, social networking and Twitter in particular make this much easier
- If you’re not networking, you’ll get left behind
- I estimate around 60% of my book sales are to other authors
5 Marketing Tips and Tricks
Niches- Niches are your friend
- A niche: “A comfortable or suitable position in life or employment.”
- For example, Saqib Deshmukh is the guy who writes about Wycombe – nobody else can write about Wycombe like he can
- What is it that you have to offer that no-one else can?
- This will also help you to be discovered through search
QUESTIONS?
Activity
Writing Challenge:- Today, we’re live writing in the church!
- You’ll be given a starting point – absorb the atmosphere, incorporate elements of what you see around you and write something!
- Work either alone or in groups – it’s your choice!
- Here’s your starting point:
A caretaker is checking that the church is empty before he locks up for the night. He calls out, “Is anyone there?” From somewhere, there comes a reply: “No.”
EDITING WORKSHOPS
Activity
Writing Challenge: Over to Lorraine!- I have no idea what Lorraine has planned
- Let’s find out!
GUEST SPEAKER:ELAINE WILL
Elaine M Will is the Xeric Award-winning Canadian Author and Comics Artist behind the critically acclaimed
and Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission-recommended Mental Health drama Graphic Novel, Look
Straight Ahead. Elaine's current work includes the Joe Shuster Awards-nominated quirk Canadian history
Comic, Dust-Ship Glory.
BREAK:Please speak to Dane if you’d like to do a reading!
This Month’s Theme
This Month’s Theme- Childhood
- All interpretations welcome
- No particular word count – as many or as few as you need
- All genres and formats welcome!
- E-mail your work to dane.cobain@booktrope.com before the next session to be considered for the anthology
READINGS:Next Workshop:
3 PM – 6 PM On Saturday 12th DECEMBER
Guest Speaker:Dane Cobain/Hannah Parkinson
THANKS FOR
COMING
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