And suddenly, just like that, we’re at the end of April, and another monthly round up of my thoughts, writing and other such things is out into the world.
A Shift of focus
Blogging for me has always been a side item in my writing life. Something to switch to from writing my novels or short stories. However, over the last two years of occasional blogs I’ve found myself enjoying writing more article type posts, especially when I’m busy. They’re easier and quicker to write when I’m busy, and act as a nice project piece to my ongoing novel work.
So, I’ve decided to write more of them!
I’m hoping for an additional two blogs every month, although that will depend on how much time each takes. I’m positive though, it will be good fun to put more thoughts into the world!
This month’s posts
Missed any of my posts this month? You can check them all out below!
I can do this (Monday Inspiration)
Remind yourself: I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. If you don’t believe in yourself then who will? So repeat after me: I can do this.
Slow and Steady
The last two months of writing have been… slow, to say the least. It’s been a tough section to try and get through in the book, mostly around trying to get three key plot threads tied up and organised so that the next section of the book can happen. One thing I’ve found through this … More Slow and Steady
The Basics of a Fantasy Story
The fantasy genre may be a vast, magical landscape, but there are always three core areas of any fantasy story that are key – worldbuilding, magic systems, and themes. If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at writing a fantasy story, these areas are a great place to begin your fantasy journey – check … More The Basics of a Fantasy Story
How To: Endings
Endings of a story have a special place in my writerly heart. Finding the right ending to a story, especially a longer project that I’ve been working on for a while, is a large reason why I write. So, how do you write a good ending? I’ve got some top three tips to consider when … More How To: Endings
Try again Today (Monday Inspiration)
It’s not about winning, it’s about trying. It’s showing up, even though the last writing session knocked you back. Or the last rejection made you cry. It’s about standing up, dusting yourself off and trying again. Your dream is only possible if you keep trying. So try again today. First Posted in 2020
Quarantine (From the Archives)
Day 45. Day 45 started much the same as Day 44 and Day 43. Both boring days, with no interlude aside from when the food was un-ceremoniously shoved through the access slot next to the door. Kell stared at the ceiling, focussing on her breathing. She’d spent the first fifteen days of Quarantine being angry, … More Quarantine (From the Archives)
Wordcounts aren’t everything
Wordcounts are a stable of any writer’s life. They’re an excellent way to measure progress through a draft, and a good way of working out how your pacing is working through a story. But they’re not everything, and here are my three reasons why: You can pick other goals I’ve spoken before about writing goals, … More Wordcounts aren’t everything
Writing On Caffeine – Character Voices
This month in my newsletter, Writing on Caffeine, I’m looking at how to write characters, specifically how to craft a unique voice for your character. It’s one of my favourite writing adventures to work out what each character’s voice is! In this newsletter I’ll be talking about what makes up a good “Character Voice” and … More Writing On Caffeine – Character Voices
You are where you need to be (Monday Inspiration)
You might not have written your novel by the age someone else had finished three. You might have found this story later than you intended, or had taken a path that was not the shortest to get here. That’s okay. You are where you need to be, right now. And the story you will create … More You are where you need to be (Monday Inspiration)
Writing on Caffeine
This month’s edition of Writing on Caffeine was looking at the antagonist, why they’re important and how to write a good one!
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Other things
I’ve been watching a lot of TV recently, and a fair bit of music. Here are my favourites from April!
Line of duty
Line of Duty is back for a new Series and as always I could write a small essay about how wonderful the screenwriting and cinematography elements are on this show (I probably will one day!). It is just that good. If you haven’t watched it before, I highly recommend it.
Drive to Survive
I am not one for Formula 1, but husband is interested and when we saw this pop up on Netflix we picked it as one of our dinner TV shows. Even though I’m not a Huge Sports Fan, it was an interesting watch!
Wandavision & The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
We’ve also dived into (and then binge watched) the whole of Wandervision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. As a MCU fan, having even more TV shows in this universe was always going to be a hit, but I genuinly enjoyed these shows as excellent shows in their own right.
Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
As anyone whose followed me for a while knows, I do love a good Taylor Swift album. I love the imagery she uses in her songwriting, and she has a number of happy bops which are great mood pickups. Her newest “re-recording” album Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is another excellent set of songs which I have had on (almost) constant repeat during April.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Paul Skorupskas on Unsplash
Alex.J.Cobalt is a fantasy writer from the UK. When she’s not working away at her fantasy novel series, she posts free flash fictions on her website, along with regular blogs about writing.
