What doesn't kill you...
"I will do whatever it takes to keep us together. Nothing can keep us apart. You're mine now." She'd love him just as he loved her. She had to. She didn't have a choice.
In love and happily living the life she always dreamed of, Venna Caldwell doesn't know she is the object of a secret obsession. Until one night when she's home alone and her stalker finally acts on his fantasies, dragging her into a sadistic nightmare that she barely escapes. Running for her life, from a man who will never stop hunting her, Venna reaches out to her estranged half-brother, grasping desperately at what little hope she has left. How far will she go to keep out of the clutches of the unrelenting monster that's hungry for her?
With her ability to grab the reader by the shirt collar, Jess Wygle delivers a fast-paced and intensely psychological thriller that will make you think twice about the people around you.
I am purely speaking from experience. I am not formally trained in writing, and I still consider myself an amateur. These are just tips/techniques I’ve used that have helped me grow as an author.
1. Write. You can’t get anywhere if you just let your ideas sit inside your head. Even if you’ve never actually put anything down on paper (or on digital ‘paper’), you have to get your feet wet.
2. Reread. Go back and take a look at what you have written. The more often you proofread, not only for grammatical and spelling errors, but for loop-holes in your story also, the sooner you’ll be able to correct a common mistake throughout the story and won’t continue to make it.
3. Read. It may seem silly to do a lot of reading while you’re writing because some may say it leads to plagiarism or stolen ideas, but it can be very inspirational and aspirational. Try reading a genre you don’t read often to get a better feel for different writing styles and elements used.
4. Have two sets of eyes. It doesn’t matter how many times you read through your own work, you’re never going to catch all of your own mistakes. It’s important to let someone else have a gander before distributing your story out. Better safe than sorry.
5. Write some more. It’s not easy to write when you’re not ‘inspired’ and it definitely reflects in your story, but the only way to get better is to keep at it. You don’t have to use what you don’t like, as long as you keep at it.
6. Take advice. We all start out as amateurs and need guidance. Take what you can get because not everyone has the opportunity to be picky.
7. Swallow your pride. Not everyone is going to like what you write and some will be more vocal about it. You can get a lot out of negative criticism if you learn to read between the lines, even if it’s painful to do so.
8. Get involved. Being a part of a community of other writers is a great way to get support. But to get support, you’ve also got to do some supporting of your own. There are a number of online communities as well as local book clubs and blogs that help first-time writers and indie authors.
9. Put yourself out there. Showing off your writing to the world can be scary as it’s a pretty intimate, personal hobby/lifestyle. You can’t be afraid. Nothing reflects better than pride in your own work. It’s yours. Own it.
10. Write. Have I mentioned you need to write…write…write…write…and write some more?
Author Bio:
Jess Wygle is a short story author and novelist. Her titles include Keep it Safe, Evol, Not Alone, Long Awaited, and Where’s My Accident. Primarily writing thrillers, she has included non-fiction and romance in her repertoire.
Jess is married to her husband, AJ and has a young son named Landon. She’s also mother to a one-year-old red fox lab. This self-proclaimed movie buff has a knack for photography. She’s currently enrolled at a local college studying education and has plans to teach English at the high school level as she works her way up the bestseller list.
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Some good advice :) I've never tried writing except poetry in the form of songs :) but I want to give it a try :)
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