Category Archives for Articles
How To Be Creative Using Daily Writing Routines
I love writing!
But, as with everything else in life we enjoy, there’s always something we don’t enjoy about it. That’s just how it is.
I don’t like not understanding something. I also don’t like my frequent inability to make creative decisions—particularly when it comes to deciding what I’m going to paint, or write about next.
It’s become clear to me now that I’m not the only one experiencing this never-ending tug-o-war between my creativity, my daily routines, and the discipline to actually sit down and write my thing.
The struggle is real.Continue reading
The Best Proofreading Services You Can Find Online – The Good, the Bad, and the WTAF
I’ve been writing for several years now, but apart from a few major publications, I have rarely interacted with an editorial team or proofreading service.
What being published mistakenly taught me was that my writing skills were far superior than they actually are, and that there are a lot of websites releasing sub par material for convenience’s sake.
Until my collaboration with the Craft Your Content team, I assumed that a second readthrough of my material was all it needed before it was ready for publication. Even as I type this, I know that the editing team is shaking their heads in disgust…and I’m okay with that, because now I’ve seen the light. (Editor’s Note – We rarely shake our heads in disgust!)
Working with a legit editorial team has helped me improve my writing tenfold (though I still have a ways to go), and taught me that content isn’t ready for publication until it’s been picked over with a fine-tooth comb.
Unfortunately, not all of us can afford a fancy editorial team. However, there are several free (or affordably-priced), online proofreading services that you can take advantage of.
In order to find the gold standard in editing services, I took a recently published article of mine and submitted an excerpt of it to some of the most common proofreading channels. You will be able to see how each tool rates my copy with a series of screenshots, and from there, you can be the judge.
Ready to see my work get torn apart? Let’s do this!Continue reading
It Lurks, It Creeps: NaNoWriMo Approaches!
October 31st is often hailed as the scariest day of the year, but that may be because you don’t know about November 1st.
To writers across the country–and beyond–November 1st ushers in one of the most grueling, challenging, and rewarding writing exercises ever invented: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Like its name implies, the event takes place for all thirty days, and the terror only grows with each passing day.
Why is that? What is NaNoWriMo?
Well, a small group of people began it in 1999: write a novel that’s 50,000 words long and submit it by 11:59 PM on November 30th. Sounds simple, right? Considering that NaNoWriMo had over 200,000 participants in 2010, many people seem to think so.
But it’s much more challenging than you think. Continue reading
Never Assume
We’ve all heard the saying, “When you assume, you make an ass out of ‘u’ and ‘me’.”
Yes, it’s cliche. Yes, we’ve heard it so many times that it has kind of lost its luster. But don’t dismiss it that easily.
In this fast-paced world, where we are often rushing from one destination to the next, acting as constant content creation machines, and being bombarded with information, it may seem more attractive to cut corners out of convenience, expediency, and comfort. However, doing this invariably results in damaging relationships and even selling ourselves short. Totally not worth it.Continue reading