writer’s toolbox

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Elizabeth: Procrastination is my Super-Power

Now_Later_ProcrastinationI saw a sign the other day that said “I put the PRO in procrastination” and thought it described me perfectly.

Despite well thought out plans and schedules, my natural tendency is to put off tasks, especially creative tasks, until the last minute (or close to it).   Whether it’s waiting until the very last second to get up in the morning, or starting a writing task in earnest just before a deadline, procrastination is definitely my super-power.

A quick sweep of the internet turned up a number of quotes warning of the dangers of procrastination and making the case for getting to work and getting things done. Continue reading →

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Jilly: Writer’s Toolkit – Giving Critique

Giving CritiqueOver the last couple of weeks Kat and I have been beta reading Justine’s Royal Ascot contest entry (the first 7k words of her book). In her most recent post, Cultivating A Good Writer / Beta Reader Relationship, Justine offered her top six tips for managing the process from the author’s point of view.

Writing a good critique takes time, but it’s a smart investment, and not only because you’ll be asking your friends to return the favor some day. Analyzing what works and what doesn’t in another writer’s manuscript is a great way to improve your own craft. Here are my half dozen suggestions for delivering a quality beta read: Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Procrastination Level: Expert

Writing progressIf procrastination was an Olympic sport, I’d be the reigning gold medalist.  Seriously, without a set deadline to aim for, I’m likely to find a thousand and one things to do other than what I should be working on.

As I mentioned in my last post my classmates and I recently finished the first acts of our current novels.  We’d been working on them in earnest for the past eight weeks, although in my case, I had more words in my head than on the page.  Continue reading →