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Reader question: How much do I plan when I write?
[aesop_image imgwidth=”100%” img=”http://marisa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/6776877812_176f899533_b.jpg” credit=”Plan B by Sebastien Wiertz via Flickr” alt=”Plan B by Sebastien Wiertz via Flickr” align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”center”] A couple of my friends are reading my novel draft as I write it. And this then leads to some very interesting questions. Am I a good novel writer? I don’t know – that’s a question for you to answer once you read what I write. But that isn’t the question I am getting. The question I am getting is usually along the lines of “Was X planned?” The general answer is “No.” I think this question arises from the fact that many people are taught, either in school or university,…
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The Unconvential Guide to Freelance Journalism: Part 1- demystifying the entire thing
A couple of weeks ago, a former university friend of mine (she was doing her BA, I was doing my MA) got in touch with me and asked me to meet her for coffee. I said “Sure!” And we did and she asked me a question: “How do I get into freelancing?” This was someone who has a job at a pretty top end publication but for whom it is a bit too stressful and not quite working out to be what she wants to write about. So I understand why she was asking me the question. I understand why she was considering the freelancing option. But I had to…
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Why you shouldn't let your muse get drunk on champagne/how to braintrain your muse
Muses and alcohol… when you need control, that’s not a healthy mix. So this came about because someone I know who requests writing advice on a regular basis, said she had a muse problem. The person she had based her muse on was going through a change of circumstances and that meant that she felt uninspired to continue writing – the change didn’t fit the story. So I thought I’d clear up some things about muses.
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Inspiration (or is there a muse?)
Yes. And no. What there is, is this wonderful awesome thing in your head called a brain. There was a reason in Greek mythology as to why Mnemosyne (nem-o-seen) was the mother of the muses. She was the goddess of memory and she named everything. Cognitive science now tells us that memory and emotion are important in the process of creativity. So let me use Sedition (the novel I am writing) as an example so you can understand what I am trying to tell you here.
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How to write a book: Part 2: And the number one secret for writing a book…
… The Library. Yours at home, the public one in your city/town, the state one, the one at the university several doors down from you, the boxes under the stairs, the geeky flatmate’s comic book collection, the one online via Google Books, the one on your Amazon wish list, the one on your Kindle, the charity book sale, your neighbour’s garage – it doesn’t matter which one really, just whether you use one. Did you see the two writing tricks I just used?
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Encapsulation 101: creating a tagline for your business
Marisa Wikramanayake describes the process of creating taglines and slogans and announces a competition for the best tagline suggestion/vote for her business.
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Things You Should Know About Being A Writer: Part 1:
Marisa Wikramanayake starts a list of things every writer needs to know but isn't always told and starts posting them in sets of five points or tips each. This is the first post with the first five tips on writing, reading, experiencing, expression and practice.
