How To Write Graphic Novels

Writing From The Heart

2006-05-07T16:25:00.000+08:00

We are all created with our talents attached to us. We each have characteristics that other people don’t have. We have our own special abilities that make us different from other people. The only thing required of us with respect to these talents is that we should discover them and develop them into advanced skills. Although we are all created with our own special gifts, we also have some gifts in common that can be found in each and every one of us; however, in most cases these common gifts are the things that most of us take for granted. As a result, only a few people have developed the skills in the related fields. One field that we take for granted is the field of writing.

Writing is common to all of us. Most of us know how to write. It was first taught to us when we were children; yet, why is it that only a few people have learned the art of writing? It is because most of us don’t find it as interesting as sports, movies, or music. The art of writing is basically same as the other fields of interest in the following way: It too should also be developed by constant practice and study. And the most important thing is that it should be learned by heart.
Writing, as well as other talents that we have, can also help us earn money. Doing a freelance writing job can develop our skill. The most important aspect of writing work is the development process. We are unable to appreciate what we have done until we develop our skills and perceptions to a much higher degree. So, freelance writing is the opportunity to develop our skills and our perceptions.

Writing can be an outlet for emotion. It can act as a channel from the soul of the author. It can show the reader the real personality and emotion of the writer. It can also show the past, the present and the future of a certain person. Writing can open one’s door to reality. The one thing that you should know to be an effective writer is that you should write from the heart. Although research is needed in writing, one should not pull all of his knowledge from his head but he should pull it also from his heart. One should understand that for writings to be realistic and true, a person should write with her own emotions bound up in the writing. In this way he is communicating his thoughts and feelings not only to himself but also to others.
By Clive Green

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The Way of The Zen Writer: 10 Techniques to Rediscover Your Writing Bliss

2006-05-07T16:23:00.000+08:00

Most of us have suffered from writer’s block, feelings of self-doubt, and just general worry about whether or not we can make it as a writer in the real world. Often when one or more of these things becomes a problem it can cause us to stop writing, sometimes to give it up all together. We may let our internal editor, or our parent(s), spouse, friends whomever win when it comes to our writing, or maybe we are successful in a financial sense but our writing has become about requested projects, and meeting the deadline. In short writing the thing we love becomes a chore rather than a joy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 10 techniques you can use right now to rediscover your writing bliss.

1. Give your creativity another outlet occasionally. For example take a ceramics, watercolor, or beading class. Learn to be creative in other ways besides writing. You’ll be amazed at how much this enriches your writing as well as your life in general.

2. Write something completely different from what you normally do. Are you a novelist? Write something non-fiction like an article or report instead. You might just discover a whole new way to look at your writing. If you normally write non-fiction try your hand at a short story or poem.

3. Take a field trip. Get in your car or ride the bus somewhere you’ve never been before, maybe a part of town that has little shops, art galleries, or a large park where you can follow a stream or river and just ruminate.

4. Go for a walk, at least 30 minutes long. Take a camera along with you and snap pictures of people, trees, flowers, or anything that catches your eye. You might see something you can use later in your writing.

5. Remember those pictures you took on your walk? Make copies or a second set of prints and use them in freeform collage (see my article Using Freeform Collage to Boost Creativity).

6. Create what I fondly call a “bitch list”. During those times when it seems like you just aren’t getting the support you need from your significant other, friend, or relative, or maybe even your co-workers sit down and write out a list of all the things they’ve done, or said which are bugging you. Use this opportunity to throw a mental temper tantrum, let your inner child out and allow him/her to have a good pitch objects, screaming meanie fit. No one needs to see your list. If you are a spiritual person you can even use this opportunity to say a prayer for change, burn the list in a fireproof dish, then let the wind have the ashes (make sure they are completely cool before doing this). It’s amazing how cathartic this can be when you are feeling frustrated and mad.

7. Remember crayons and coloring books? I’ve always thought it was a shame that we leave such things behind once we’re supposedly grown. This technique requires you to find pictures you like, these can be family photos, drawings from books, or pictures from magazines. Once you find them make black and white copies and keep them in a folder or three ring binder for those days when you are not feeling supported as a writer. When it’s time, pick one of the pictures and color it in with crayons, colored pencils or even paints. Play some relaxing music while you’re at it. I think you will find the act of doing this will help your writing mind to come up with new ideas, as well as help you to feel nurtured and supported.

8. Take a candlelit bath or shower. I personally prefer a bath for this exercise, but a shower can work too. Depriving some of your senses by taking away artificial light allows the mind to relax and quiet down, and hence allows the space for new ideas.

9. Watch a movie that has information on your current writing topic. If you are a novelist watch a movie in your genre. I’m not suggesting you steal someone else’s idea, but merely that you may come up with a new angle on your story by watching what someone else has created. If you write non-fiction you can still do this by finding a documentary on your topic, or even a fictional movie. It’s amazing how you can get ideas about your own project just by watching someone else’s angle on the same topic.

10. Create a list of ideas. Maybe coming up with ideas to write about is a problem? If so during those times when you are feeling especially full of ideas make a list of topics to write about or plots for stories or both. Then when you are feeling as if you will never write again you can pull this list out and use it to move on to another project. You can also do this during a particularly large and frustrating project, some ideas will require less work to complete than others. You could pick one of your ideas and write an article just so you have that feeling of having completed something while you’re still working on your larger project.

I have used all of these techniques to help me get back into my writing bliss, and they all work. Even if you choose to only try one or two of these ideas I know you will rediscover your writing bliss in no time!

Regina Paul is a freelance writer, and the author of GETTING OUT ALIVE, a science fiction romance, as well as two novellas and numerous articles. She is currently at work on her next novel, and her first non-fiction book. For more information you can visit her website at http://www.reginapaul.com

Mail me! dylan@topgraphicnovelreviews.com

Book Writing Tips That Will Set You Free From Fear of Failure!

2006-05-07T16:21:00.000+08:00

Have you been guilty of procrastinating on your book project, lately? Like the author, many writers hinder themselves with wrong thinking about writing and completing their books.
Knowledge and know-how can be formed into nine easy steps that will destroy the power of procrastination. Using the amazingly easy steps below writers can conquer the giant procrastination and speedily write their best book now:

1. Act Now. Action will paralyze fear each and every time.

2. Avoid marathon writing. Know you don’t have to become a hermit to write and complete a successful book.

3. Commit to the tracking approach. Doing a set amount –even if it’s only an hour- each day builds a cumulative effect.

4. Know you don’t have to write chapters in order. You can jump around and fill in the blanks to gain momentum.

5. Maintain your momentum. Don’t give in to writers block. Move on to work on the chapter you feel passion bubbling for at that moment.

6. Rewrite & Re-organize. Be a professional. Don’t be lazy and save all the editing for your editor. Make your manuscript the best it can be.

7. Learn to Delegate. Don’t succumb to the idea that you have to do it all yourself if you want it
done right. Discern your talents and delegate the rest. Let go faster and profit sooner.

8. Work Efficiently. Embrace technology. If you don’t know how something works, find out. Take a class. Read articles. Learn how to use your software to make things easier and faster.

9. Print Out & Back Up Daily. Don’t believe a computer crash can never happen to you. Save your work somewhere besides your computer hard drive – floppy disk, cd, DVD. Make a hard copy of your manuscript. Print out changes as you work.Even so, nothing can happen until that first draft is completed. Procrastination is ultimately based on fear of failure. It has stopped countless of book projects and stolen the vision of many more. Don’t allow procrastination to become a giant towering over your book dreams.

Step out of your comfort zone prepare your marketing plan, mine your existing knowledge and create a framework for each chapter, speed write your book and you’ll be surprised at what you accomplish by following the above simple steps of the Write Your Best Book Now writing program.

© Earma Brown, 11 year author and business owner helps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Author of 'Write Your Best Book Now'

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Writing A Fast First Draft

2006-05-07T16:19:00.000+08:00

When my work is going too slowly I know exactly what the problem is: my internal editor is switched "on", and I'm trying to write too perfectly. In other words, I'm editing as I write. Once I switch that baby off, though, I'm flying. It's a good trick for you to learn as well because writing a fast first draft may be the key to finishing your book! Here's why:

Rewriting is Easier Than Writing
When you're working on a revision, you have real stuff to contend with: there are words on the paper or on the computer screen. Often our biggest obstacle is that blank screen. To get past it you must write quickly and put anything down, even if it's all the wrong stuff. When you finally do go back to edit, reading will spur you to further action because you'll immediately ask yourself, "How can I make this better?"

Your Book: a Reality
When your first draft is done, suddenly your book is real. It's no longer an abstract idea in your head. You now have something to offer, even if you wouldn't show it to anyone just yet. It's something you can look to with confidence. If you happen to meet an agent or an editor, for instance, you can say without hemming or hawing: "I'm working on a book and I have something I can show. It's in the rough stages, but I can polish it up and send you the first three chapters if you're interested." And you can do that. You don't have to go into panic mode because you haven't written a thing.

Banishing Fear
In the course of writing a fast first draft, you will learn not to be afraid of words. Your command over words will naturally increase and the more you learn about the words, the more you learn about writing. In fact, you're learning how to work. You know you can just throw words onto a page and see if they will stick. This will also make it easier for you, when you begin the editing process, to trash pages of work if you have to. Writers are usually hesitant to cut the words they've struggled so hard to create. But you won't have this difficulty because you'll know: you wrote these words once--you can write more!

How Fast is Fast?
The speed with which you finish your first draft will depend on you. Some people can pound out a draft in a month and for others that's just not possible. Maybe you can do a few pages a day, shooting to complete a draft in six months. The idea is to move along, writing as fast as you can, but it's more important to be in the flow. You want to feel as though you are a storyteller or you're giving a presentation and you are pouring your words out to an audience sitting right in front of you. Pretend you're on a bicycle: to stay upright, you must continually pedal and stay in motion. Do this and you will ride the flow all the way to your book's completion.

© 2006 Sophfronia Scott

Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com

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Writing As A Hobby

2006-05-07T16:18:00.000+08:00

Do you enjoy writing? If so, you can use your writing skill in various ways. Sharing your knowledge with others is a wonderful experience. Many others might be able to get benefited from your knowledge, like the way we get benefited from reading other people’s writing. You can do these writings as a hobby or a business.

1. Write short stories or novel.
Do you have an imaginative mind? Then you can create your own characters and write beautiful stories. These stories can be purely imaginary or based on something what you believe or you have experienced.

2. Writing poetry.
Do you have a poetic mind? If so, you can create a beautiful and touching poetry within minutes. Many will enjoy reading your poetry.

3. Writing non-fiction books.
If you believe you are an expert in a particular field you can write useful books on the subject in detail, which will be very useful for others.

4. Writing useful tips.
If you have experienced situations in your life and learnt a lot from them, sharing your tips with others is a fantastic way to help others who are in need. It will be a timely help for them if they are also facing similar type of situations.

5. Writing inspirational stories.
Have you come across any people or situations which inspired you? Then you can write inspirational stories based on this. Who knows it may inspire someone else who reads your inspirational story.

6. Writing informative articles.
Do you believe you have some amount of knowledge in one subject or more? Why not write some how-to informative articles and submit them into various article directories? Others might be able to benefit from your information. If you can make them as booklets you can give it away for free or for cash.
Lakshmi Menon is a writer and also involved in Internet Marketing and recommends you to visit her website for more details. http://www.net4homeincome.com/

By Lakshmi Menon

Questions? Dylan@topgraphicnovelreviews.com

Three Reasons to Start Journaling...Today!

2006-05-07T16:16:00.000+08:00

In days gone by it was common to keep a diary or personal journal. Today few people do it and fewer recognize the astonishing power of keeping a daily journal. If you can read and write, you have access to the most amazing source of personal power and absolute magic!
When I first suggest journaling to clients, they claim they couldn't possibly find the time. I contend that they simply haven’t realized the value of journaling and don’t yet see it as a priority.

As the saying goes, “It takes 21 days to turn a behavior into a habit.” So, how about journaling for 15 minutes a day over the next 21 days? Try it, and watch it dramatically alter your life! After 21 days, most of my clients say they couldn’t imagine being without it. Many journal for a half-hour or more. The following are my top three reasons to keep a journal:

1. A journal will clarify your goals.
As you write a few thoughts each day, your ideas about what’s important, what is worthy of your energy and your time will become much more defined. You'll automatically discover what you really want in life. Then, your inner compass can point the way to your best path.

2. A journal helps eliminate impulsiveness.
Some ideas sound really great in our imagination, but when written on paper they take on a new meaning. It's easy to blurt out "I hate my boss!", but writing about what it means to quit your job, change careers and start over will quickly result in one of two things: The temptation will fade away, or you'll start formulating actual plans to make the necessary changes. Either way, you win!

3. A journal affirms the events of your life.
Writing about your life saturates it with meaning and power. Journaling about your child's first steps or first tooth, the passing of a loved one or friend, the appearance of a particular opportunity or choice adds substance to these things and provides an historical context to your life experience.
Journaling has been referred to as a form of meditation. It has been known to spark romance, solve world problems and change the thinking of nations. It has the power to quiet the mind and focus your thoughts. It can heal anxiety, change your breathing and bring a smile to your face. At the very least, journaling will give you a few minutes to catch your breath before stepping into another day.

A Closing Thought: Using quality paper and a fountain pen or another beautiful writing instrument is a wonderfully-sensuous tactile experience. However, if you think that journaling with a pen and paper just isn’t your thing, I would request that you try it for a week or so. If it still feels awkward, email me at kcope@designed-alliance.com and we’ll brainstorm some alternative methods to journaling and find the one that’s right for you!

Kimberly Cope founded Designed Alliance Partners in order to fulfill her lifelong dream of assisting others in attaining greater levels of direction, meaning and results in their lives. Designed Alliance is a Coaching and Training organization that partners with individuals and organizations by providing support, tools and resources to live the live they’ve always dreamed of. You can visit us on the web at: http://www.designed-alliance.com

By Kimberly Cope

Comments? dylan@TopGraphicNovelReviews.com

A Few Writing Tips

2006-05-01T13:13:00.000+08:00

The most important thing of writing is course...the writing! Get in the habit of writing. Write whatever that comes off your head. Pen them down! It is no use visualising and thinking about it in your head but not penning it down

Once you've written it down, you can look at it. You have some thing. If you are serious about carving a career out of writing(be it comics or novels) you have to practise! I read somewhere, that some of the best writers (Eg: Joe Vitae) force themselves to write something everday. It can be anything but the thing is you MUST WRITE! This way, you accustom your mind to writing and subconciously 'fine tune' your brain to writing. I did not have the discipline to do it BUT I try to write something at least once a week.

A journal would be of some help if you really can't sit down and write about random topics. Journals are a great form of pratice also as it is very personal and when you look back and read some of the past entries, you will sometimes get hit by what you wrote and up pops an idea.

Your first impulses are not always fantastic. We tend to repeat ideas before realizing they were also carbon copy of last year's best seller. The first draft is often rarely great. Your different characters should sound like individuals. In the course of doing up a first draft characters often sound more like the writers themselves. So you need to tweak things and fix the loopholes and oddities. It is essential to write but it is more so to re-write and re-write and re-write. Never fear rewriting nor see it as a chore. See it as an event for your to hone and perfect your writing skills and sharpen your storyline. Actively seek out to edit your text.

Where can you get ideas from? Very simple! Watch movies! They have the best dialogue,plot and storyline. If you noticed there are always the standard formula for horror,comedy and /or romance. Why reinvent the wheel? Increasingly, we are seeing graphic novels being adapted to movies. How about that? Imagine your creation turning into a major motion picture! Sounds pretty good eh? Not unless your name is Alan Moore that its...

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PS: You are free to use ALL the articles here, just be ethical and place a link back to this site.

Resources For Creating and Writing Graphic Novels

2006-05-01T13:06:00.001+08:00

Resources
A much cheaper prospect at honing your writing skills. Learn from a professional editor and writer how to avoid the most common mistakes that will brand you as an amateur. Costs Just $12.95.

A book that I bought myself from clickbank. If you are serious about writing a proper novel (or graphic novel for that matter) AND if you have some money to spare you could get this. The "NewNovelist"

Submit your novels for publishing

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating A Graphic Novel. This is the definitive guide.

More Resources Available at http://www.topgraphicnovelreviews.com/how_write_graphic_novels.html

How To Write Graphic Novels

2006-05-01T12:57:00.000+08:00

There are really many factors to consider when writing a comic strip or a graphic novel. You have to decide on your writing style,drawing style,publishing woes,distribution etc...
It is never an easy ride.

Writing
The best way in this case is to find a partner and pool your talents together. Creating a graphic novel is rarely a one man show. Most importantly, as a WRITER, you must start honing your writing skills and let people critique your work. The more criticisms the better! Look for criticisms and embrace them for they will always spur you on and help you your skills. Do remember that you cannot please everyone.

Publishing
Where do you submit your work after you have completed your grand masterpiece? My website has the resources that shows where exactly to go and what to do.
Here are some useful tips on publishing.

Formatting.
In what type of format must you submit your work? What if you have changes? How do you submit cover art, author photos and other information? What about ISBN numbers? You would have to decide on which platform you want to do your work from the very start.

Editing.
Are the books edited or proofread and are there fees charged for editing or proofreading? What experience do they have? You might consider using the editing service or hiring a freelance editor to proof your work for you prior to publication. Editing is a must if you want to make sure your first graphic novel goes well.

Promotional Benefits.
Does the publisher promote its authors? Does it contact the media for you? Does it have a media contact list or a mailing list where you can announce your book? How does the publisher feature its most recent releases? There is nothing wrong with this approach, but be sure you know what the company policies are so that you are not disappointed.

Book Covers.
Book cover graphics are a real draw at bricks-and-mortar bookstores; It is more so for graphic novels! Very often, it is the cover art that draws the reader and like them have an idea of how the artwork would look inside. So do invest some time, effort and money to get a top drawer cover for your graphic novel.

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