Being an author is hard, and it’s harder for first-time authors or people who need to work a separate job to support their writing habit. Money doesn’t come easy to new authors! But there are organizations that can help you survive the artistic lifestyle. The Canada Council for the Arts provides millions of dollars in funding each year to artists across the country, even to authors. While it’s more difficult for a fiction writer to get a grant than a nonfiction author, it’s worth understanding what support you could be eligible for from our government.
Tag Archives: Writing Tips
How to write dialogue that doesn’t drag
Writing convincing dialogue is one of the trickiest things to do as a writer. This is known. Figuring out how to write dialogue that conveys your meaning and propels the action of your work is hard, but not impossible. From using the right dialogue tags to accurately depicting emotions and dialects, this article will helpContinue reading “How to write dialogue that doesn’t drag”
Mood (writing) board
Mood: I don’t want to write. I don’t feel like it. The scene I have to write doesn’t match my mood at all and therefore I can’t write anything.
Sound familiar? Good. You’re having a very normal writer experience. The thing is, your mood—as a professional writer, that is—doesn’t matter. Like, at all. If you’re wanting to make a career out of your writing, you’re going to have to get comfortable mighty quickly with writing through discomfort or even your own discordance. But you can do it smartly, in a way that feels less like pulling teeth and more like productive work. If that doesn’t sound appealing, I don’t know what would!
Let’s talk trash: dealing with garbage in fiction
Whenever you’re diving into world creation, it’s important to keep in mind what kind of trash you’re also likely diving into. While you can easily see today’s trash, particularly what’s in your own area, it can be hard to imagine new landscapes of garbage. So that’s what we’re going to overview today: How to forecast your trash, where to find information about the trash of the past, and why it’s so important to get it right.
What can a librarian do for a writer?
Finding the right sources, whether you’re a journalist or a novelist, is incredibly important for professional writers. If that material search has ever taken you to the library, you’ll already know what a librarian can do for a writer. If you’ve previously preferred to do all your own sourcing yourself, I hope this article will help you see there are faster and more efficient ways to get what you want—at your local library.
What is a sensitivity reader and do I need one?
While I’m not likely going to get you excited about more editing, I hope to give you a better idea of what to expect from a sensitivity read, how to find the right readers, and why you should think about it like you do your editing: a sensitivity read gives you the opportunity to achieve additional accuracy. If you want a triple-A approach, that’s the one.
How to prepare your manuscript for editing
So you finished writing your first book and are ready for the next step—which is editing, of course. What can you do to make the editing process as smooth as possible? Use minimal formatting. Make it good, then make it pretty!
The top 10 things writers using CMOS should know
Every writer worth their salt works on their craft. Whether you’re reading competitors or doing grammar exercises, that writer brain of yours is learning. There’s a lot to learn, though, especially when you’re trying to match a specific style guide in your writing. Cheat sheet would be too generous of a name, but this article outlines the top 10 things you should know when using the Chicago Manual of Style.
7 ways to crush writer’s block
Oh, writer’s block, how we loathe thee. When writing’s got you down, here are some ways to break through to the other side.
How to self-edit (properly) in 5 steps
Oh, what? An editor saying you can self-edit? Don’t get too excited. You can do it, and you should do it, but you should not be the last person to do it. That said, there are some pretty standard steps involved when reviewing your work before you send it out into the world (or even to an editor!).
Right Your Writing 