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!

• Keep Going (Monday Inspiration)
  Keep going with it. It’s hard, this writing thing. It’s hard to write a book, or short story, or even flash fiction. Sometimes you aren’t motivated, other times you don’t have the time. … More Keep Going (Monday Inspiration)
• Mask (From the Archives)
  Vineck pulled the mask over his face. The long beak of the mask stuck our a good half a foot from his face.  He adjusted the straps at the back of his head. … More Mask (From the Archives)
• Necromancer (A Teacup Story)
  Manela looked at the corpse at her feet. “Just do it,” Terak said. He always thought that this was easy to do. Necromancy was an art. It was the art of the soul, … More Necromancer (A Teacup Story)
• “How To” – Creatures & Animals
  This edition of my “How To” series I’m looking at creatures & animals that populate your fantasy world – how to make them unique, how to make them fit within your world, and … More “How To” – Creatures & Animals
• Write to Challenge Yourself (Monday Inspiration)
  You can write something that is hard. Something you’ve not written before. Something that makes you think why am I trying this. Repeatedly. With every line. Challenging yourself allows you to grow. It … More Write to Challenge Yourself (Monday Inspiration)
• Ancestor's Wisdom (From the Archives)
  “You think this is right?”  Kessy kept her forehead pressed to the floor. She could hear the Guardians talking amongst themselves, as to whether she’d be allowed to take on the Challenge of … More Ancestor's Wisdom (From the Archives)