Schedule your down time as strictly as you do your writing time. Your brain needs downtime to rest, think, make connections, and refill.
Treat down time as sacred time where you invest in yourself.
@lianabrooks.bsky.social
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialSchedule your down time as strictly as you do your writing time. Your brain needs downtime to rest, think, make connections, and refill.
Treat down time as sacred time where you invest in yourself.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialUnless there is a lot of money on the table or some other demonic deadline, don’t lose sleep over writing. It’s not healthy.
There’s no advantage to stressing yourself out and making yourself miserable while writing a book.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialIf you're in the market for an editor to help you determine where you are with your book, hi! I'd love to work with you!
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialHaving a support team of crit partners, beta readers, and editors lets you gauge how ready for publication the book is. But there are there ways to tell. If you're making edits that no longer have a major impact on the book, you're probably done.
Move onto the next step.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialWith writing, you want progress, not perfection.
Everything you write, from scribbles on scrap paper to fanfic to novels, makes you a better writer. Every edit to your book will teach you something.
There's a temptation to edit a book forever. Don't. Enjoy GOOD ENOUGH.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialMiddle drafts are chaotic beasts. You're moving scenes around. Adding things. Cutting things. Setting up plot twists. Elevating the emotions.
Don't expect the book to look perfect until it's actually done and ready for printing. Even then, it's not going to be flawless.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialStart with lower stakes and then escalate as the book progresses. Forcing the characters to choose between their original goal and a new one creates the friction of indecision that you can use to power the plot.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialThink about what your bad guy is doing, plan that out, and then you know what your hero is reacting to. Until the hero has an idea of what’s going on and makes their own plan, the villain controls the plot.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialNot sure what your next move is? Need some help figuring out your plot? Schedule a Zoom meeting with me and we can chat face-to-face about all your publishing problems.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialIf you're writing a novel and want help, whether it's help writing your first book or editing your latest passion project, feel free to drop me an email. I do have a few spaces for new editing clients this year and very reasonable rates.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialThe protagonist is the most important person to the reader. The villain is the most important person to the author. Your antagonist has to be strong or your hero never can be.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialOnce again recommending authors take 45 minutes and watch Mary Robinette Kowal talk about MICE and writing.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialI have an opening for a new client October 19th.
If you'd like to claim it, email me!
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialEvery scene you write, every paragraph, every sentence makes you a better writer. It doesn't matter if anyone else reads the sentence. What matters is that you had the discipline and courage to write it.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialThe problem with writing the endings of books is that you can't just randomly freewheel and make everything up. You need to use details you've already written into the book.
All of it can be fixed in edits, but it helps to keep a list of names, colors, symbols, ect.
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialI have an opening for a new client October 19th.
If you'd like to claim it, email me!
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialAre you interested in writing a book and you don't know where to start? Let me help!
I have openings for new coaching clients and I'd love to help you make your author dreams come true!
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialI have an opening for a new client October 19th.
If you'd like to claim it, email me!
@lianabrooks.bsky.socialAre there things I don't edit? Yes.
I avoid horror that centered on torture, mutilation, ect. I don't like books with kids who die. I don't take non-fiction if it's not a field of study I'm familiar with. And I don't edit erotic, but I do have a list of editors I can recommend.