Clay Sheldon

Writing Tip:
Watch out for critiques that will actively harm your work. Some/most critiques are extremely helpful and you should incorporate them into your work. But not all of them. As a writer, you need to filter the good from the bad, based on your own instinct.
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Writing Tip:
Never underestimate your own ability to ignore flaws in your writing. We all gloss over mistakes in our bias. This is why having an editor or a reader is so important. Because they'll see what our brain refuses to let us acknowledge.
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Writing Tip:
Don't stress out too much about reaching that 'perfect draft'. You'll have to come back multiple times, and that's okay. You'll know when a draft is done (for now) and when to pass it on to an editor/submit. But don't rush and be prepared to dive back in.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
Don't just jump right into your major project. Some folks can do that, but it can often lead your writing being sub-par when you start. Just like exercising, it's good to stretch and limber up. Do some warm-up exercises first. Small simple things.
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Writing Tip:
We don't notice our mistakes while we write. After all, if we did, we would have fixed them. Don't assume something you just wrote is perfect, even if you felt fantastic writing it. Always go back and give it an editing once-over. (at the right time)
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
If you're planning on long-term writing, get yourself a comfortable keyboard. Nothing can ruin a writing career much like wreaking your wrists on a wacky keyboard. Comfort and health are the key to a long writing career.
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Writing Tip:
Don't spoon feed everything to your audience. They can tell when you're babying them. Have some faith that they'll be able to put some of the pieces together themselves. It's a balance of course. Don't be too obtuse either.
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Writing Tip:
Unless you're creating some avant-garde art, your writing is likely intended for a large readership. So learn who those readers are. Learn the current reading culture, what people like and dislike. The more you learn, you more you can anticipate readers.
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Writing Tip:
Having a good mystery can be great to get your reader hooked, but you can't expect the mystery alone to be enough. You can't leave your readers confused and in the dark all the time. Then they'll just get frustrated and stop reading.
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Sounds like fun! Happy Birthday! 🥳

Lamya Cade, a red haired swordswoman wearing a red jacket, black top, black pants, and black shoes, laying next to her great sword in a hay cart. There is a small, round, white robot wearing a farmer hat driving the cart, while a similar robot sits beside her. The cart is going through the country side towards Kieva. Art by Ishida1694 Created by Zeggy Deviantart.com/ishidia1694 Infernulls.com Infernulls.bsky.social

An image of a white, round, small robot wearing an apron, party hat, and a blower surrounded by confetti while holding a coffee cup. It says "Infernulls Zeggy Birthday Contest! Win a digital book!" "How to win!" "Follow!" "Repost!" "Like!" "Comment!" "Instantly enter!"

Announcing #Infernulls Contest! It's my birthday today and I wanna do something for it.

Follow, Repost, Like, and Comment from February 21st to March 1st to enter for a chance to win an ePUB or PDF of Infernulls The Golden Letter for free!

Five winners will be picked

#BookSky #Promotion #Birthday

Writing Tip:
Don't let your characters be psychic (unless they actually are). An easy mistake is for writers to write a character that's SO smart, it's like they have a copy of the script. Nothing surprises them. Everything is going according to plan. Don't do that.
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Writing Tip:
Don't treat writing your work like a final exam. You don't have to ace it the first time. You're allowed to take breaks and come back to it whenever you want. And you're the best judge of when it's ready. So take the time you need. Don't rush.
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Very cool!

Writing Tip:
Have fun with your writing. If a joke comes to you while working on dialogue, consider throwing that joke in. It might fit in the scene if you're just thinking about it now. Write scenes you personally consider fun, or interesting, or that you want to see.
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Writing Tip:
Poke holes in your own story. Don't baby it, because your critics and readers won't. Be tough on your narrative, while still being fair to yourself. You want to find those plot holes before your readers do, so put your story through the narrative wringer.
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That works too!

Writing Tip:
If you write while listening to music, play around with your volume settings. You might find that you're more productive with the volume just a smidge lower/higher. Just don't blow out your eardrums in the process.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
If you're the type that gets distracted easily, turn off your social media off when you write. I know that's a tad contradictory reading it here, but the less distractions you have, the better your writing work will be. It'll be here when you come back.
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Writing Tip:
Have you been sitting for a really long time while writing? Stand up. Walk around. Stretch those muscles. I guarantee you that you'll find writing a little easier after doing that.
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Writing Tip:
Make a new folder on your desktop. Every time you find an inspiring photo or something visually impressive, save it to that folder. That way, you can revisit that folder anytime whenever you need an inspiration boost.
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Writing Tip:
Follow people who could inspire you on social media. Don't just focus on getting (often depressing) world news updates. Find artists and other writers. See what they're up to. Build a community with them. Get inspired! Just don't steal their stuff.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
A joke you write might be the funniest thing in the world to you, but may fall completely flat with your reader. That's one of the reasons why test readers are so important. You can test your sense of humor with them.
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Writing Tip:
When you experiment with your writing, you're bound to come up with a bunch of stinkers. But that's part of experimenting! Those who experiment with new cooking dishes will make things inedible, but that that doesn't mean it wasn't worth trying!
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Writing Tip:
Try everything. Don't just rely on the tried-and-true techniques that other more famous authors have implemented. Try new techniques. New styles. You might just pioneer something no one has ever tried before.
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Writing Tip:
Failure is a part of writing. Your first book isn't going to be a smash hit (unless you have enough luck to win the lottery). But that doesn't mean stop trying. This craft rewards constant persistence and patience. Keep on keeping on and you'll get there.
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Writing Tip:
There's no such thing as a 'perfect writing style' no matter what others might say. Style is more akin to personal taste. Everyone has a favorite. There is no wrong answer as long as you like the style and the content is understandable.
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Writing Tip:
It's okay to have quiet moments in your story. Not every scene has to be back-to-back action set pieces. Let your characters have a break. Chat. Shoot the breeze. Let them breathe so that the reader can too. Tension and release.
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Only way to know is trail and error, mostly!

Yeah, and the last thing we should want is to devolve into an angry mob that just goes after writers accused of using AI without reasonable proof. Because even if some of them DO use AI, there will inevitably be regular writers who get caught up in the paranoia, and that's not helpful to anyone.