CandiceLocklee

While I don’t read it myself, I do agree that the world of fanfiction is an interesting one. I can see the appeal of writing stories based on worlds and characters that already exist, especially as a great way to build and test your own skills as a budding writer. As you mention, fanfiction can become published work of its own and the writers can become established authors of their own successful series.

I think anything that gets more people reading and writing can only be a good thing.

Also, thanks for the excerpt of ‘My Immortal’ – too funny!

Great article – lots of good advice and methods to keep up motivation that I need to try out for myself. It can definitely be a struggle to keep the motivation going, but I think pinpointing the underlying cause of it is a really good idea. Thanks for introducing me to the Now Write! series, too – lots of interesting exercises for anyone looking to write that first novel!

A great article that I wholeheartedly agree with! I’m afraid I am guilty of waiting around for the ‘muse’ to show up and provide me with the inspiration I need to start that story I keep putting off. I think developing a writing routine is the key – it reminds me of an article I once read that likens writing to a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger it will become.

By developing a routine, you’re giving yourself the chance to not only hone your skill but potentially stumble across some interesting ideas that could be put to future use. Free-writing is a great exercise for loosening up creative ideas and one I need to use more often.

This article once again reminds me to develop a daily writing routine and stick to it – you never know what can happen when you give yourself permission to just write and not worry about the end result!