Alex.J.Cobalt

Reading is as important to be a good writer as it is to practice writing. You can see how other stories are constructed and written, how they’ve dealt with the same plot pains you have, how they’ve created tension and pacing.

Reading also allows you to be a reader again, just a reader enjoying a story. In the midst of writing and editing, you need to see stories from the reader’s perspective. The person who doesn’t see the pain and the edits and the old drafts, just the finished story that they love.

#Mondayinspiration is a chance for me to share my own motivational post it notes with the writing world at large. In the hope, maybe that someone else finds it as helpful as I do!

• Smoking Remnants (From the Archives)
  Ia looked down on the smoking remains of their village. Even from up here, in the safety of the mountains, she could taste the ash on the air. The anger inside her was … More Smoking Remnants (From the Archives)
• My Thoughts on An Echo of Things to Come
  When I started An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington, I was certain of two things. Firstly, reading a huge fantasy story that I hadn’t read before on an e-book was … More My Thoughts on An Echo of Things to Come
• Writing On Caffeine – Worldbuilding and Plants
  Don’t forget that this month in my newsletter, Writing on Caffeine, I’m talking all about how to build the natural world into your novel. The natural world is a huge topic, so I’m … More Writing On Caffeine – Worldbuilding and Plants
• Why you need to go outside
  If you are active on any kind of social media, you are likely to see photos of beautiful writing setups, cosy desks, achievements of those who have written ten thousand words in a … More Why you need to go outside
• Reborn (From the Archives)
  Gerald purred against Lily as she stroked him gently. For once the normally crazy cat was subdued, exhausted from staying up all night because of the fireworks. It was a new year. Lily … More Reborn (From the Archives)
• Top Tips for creating power structures in your fantasy books
  Identifying how power works in your world is important because, let’s be honest, power is what drives society. Who has it, who doesn’t have it, and what those in power do with that … More Top Tips for creating power structures in your fantasy books