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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/12284-Never-Give-Up.html
For Authors: November 22, 2023 Issue [#12284]




 This week: Never Give Up
  Edited by: Lornda Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

Have you ever thought your writing is terrible? You might want to rethink it. Find out an interesting way to make your writing shine. *Idea*


Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor

         We’ve all been there with our writing. The words are flowing onto the page at a fast pace and without warning, it all comes to a sudden stop. You try to gather your thoughts on how to move forward but they’re non-existent. You might want to abandon the story idea, thinking it’s garbage.

         You remember the expert’s advice to help shake it off. Take a break “they” say, skip a scene, or revisit your plot. What happens when you’ve tried all these tricks and still nothing hits you to start writing again?

         First, it’s best not to think everything you’ve wrote is terrible. Try this interesting idea instead.

         Alan Moore, a fiction and comics author, encourages writers not to read good books to help them write but to read bad ones instead. Why? Because you can learn a lot from a bad book and therefore, improve your writing. There’s nothing wrong with reading a good book. The problem is you will want to copy what they’ve done, and how exciting is it if you’re writing the same thing?

         The bad books usually have flowery prose with too many details, adverbs in the dialog tags, passive characters, an uninteresting protagonist, or nothing happens with the plot.

         What are some of the top bad books to get you started? Prepared to be surprised. Remember, these are the novels, not how they transpired into film:

Twilight – Stephanie Meyer
Fifty Shades of Grey – E. L. James
The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown


         If you still want to give up on your story after reading something bad, here’s one last piece of encouraging information to help.

         Author Douglas Hall, wrote his first novel in 1968 on a dare from his wife. When he finished it, he thought it was awful. Did he give up? No. In this case, he did start over because he knew the characters were not believable and the plot was weak. His wife asked if he could do better and challenged him to rewrite it. She became his editor. On September 20th, 2023, he released his next book, Murder in Season. Guess how old he is? 94. He did not give up.

         The next time you want to abandon a writing project, try reading something horrible. You'll come to the conclusion your writing isn't that bad. The best part? You’ve got until you're ninety odd years old and beyond to publish your masterpiece.


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*Bullet* References:

Alan Moore's Advice  Open in new Window.

Douglas Hall Bio  Open in new Window.

Douglas Hall News Article with Latest Book Release  Open in new Window.



Editor's Picks

 McKenzie's Choice Open in new Window. [E]
An FBI agent finds out some cases just can't be solved without a little help.
by MollyWorks/Saundra A. Fisher Author Icon


 That Haunting Love Story Open in new Window. [13+]
Violet is interested in her supervisor. What will happen? Not what you expect!
by The Puppet Master Author Icon


Image Protector
The Last Enchantment Open in new Window. [18+]
Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.
by A E Willcox Author Icon


 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor


Image Protector
Detectives Open in new Window. [ASR]
It takes skill, patience and hard work to solve a deep mystery. 2nd Place, Journey Genres
by THANKFUL SONALI Library Class! Author Icon


 As Bargained Open in new Window. [E]
An unlikely pair strikes a bargain for an unlike result.
by Jtpete 1986 Author Icon


 
Image Protector
The House Open in new Window. [E]
What Awaits In The House On Willow Street
by Pennywise Author Icon


 Stranded Dog Open in new Window. [E]
Random kindness starts a friendship. car, check, shade Flash Fiction
by Bryce Kenn Author Icon


 
Image Protector
The Time Crystal Open in new Window. [E]
Izzy must learn how to restore the forest's fading magic. Word Count: 654
by Krista Author Icon


 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor


 What Makes a Good Writer? Open in new Window. [E]
A bit of fiction about a strange experience with a famous writer.
by Dan I Am Author Icon


 
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Word from Writing.Com

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Ask & Answer

*Questiong* What’s your opinion? Does reading bad writing help you improve your writing? What has helped you when your writing hits a wall?

*Thought2* I have no feedback since this is my first 'For Authors' newsletter. For fun, I thought I'd highlight the Top 10 Writers According to Readers.

1 J.R.R Tolkien
2 Stephen King
3 William Shakespeare
4 Leo Tolstoy
5 George Orwell
6 Charles Dickens
7 James Joyce
8 F. Scott Fitzgerald
9 John Steinbeck
10 Agatha Christie

*Exclaimb* Agree or disagree?


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