Tag Archives: Planning

How to Find the Fat in My Manuscript?

Posted on August 9, 2016 by D.R.Sylvester

I “think” I’ve finally worked this out, so it’s a good time to share. For any writer who’s stuck looking at their thousandth draft, and unsure where to begin cutting, this one’s for you. The synopsis that I’d been writing, summarizing … Continue reading →

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Progress is Progress, DAMMIT!

Posted on April 19, 2016 by D.R.Sylvester

Says I, a person who is currently progress-challenged. I’ve been editing about a page worth of synopsis every other day, and there’s still a looong way to go. It’s all-good though: I know that this tid-bit of forward movement, as slight … Continue reading →

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Plotting Fiction – Part 1, with Millie Ho

Posted on August 22, 2015 by D.R.Sylvester

So writing a book can be an isolating experience. It isn’t a team sport, at the end of the day, and no amount of love from friends and family can really assure you about what you’re doing, because… They’re not doing … Continue reading →

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Three Act Structure, and why my second act might be the problem…

Posted on April 30, 2015 by D.R.Sylvester

So a few months back my alpha reader (hi mum!) had a look over the first sixteen chapters or so, and told me some things. The first 9 chapters or so were great, but then it started to… nothing. It … Continue reading →

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Writing Treasure Hunt – To Pulp, or not to Pulp?

Posted on March 4, 2015 by D.R.Sylvester

This here Writing Treasure Hunt is going to be a recurring segment, where I find hidden (writing-related) booty to plunder, and share it with ye. Yarrrrr! The treasure I’ve unearthed this time around is a post about a post about a tutorial… Itttt’s more … Continue reading →

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Why Writing your Synopsis in Excel is Excellent

Posted on February 27, 2015 by D.R.Sylvester

Here is a screenshot of a short section of my story synopsis. Mmmm tasty spreadsheets. If, like me, you are attempting to edit a godawful-sonnova-dogdamned draft, one that you wrote over a series of years, and you’re onto your forty-thousandth draft with no … Continue reading →

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I need a writing cave. A grotto. A… tent?

Posted on January 7, 2015 by D.R.Sylvester

Or a teepee. Pretty much anything really (although an Igloo might not work in this climate). I just need something to get my creative self out of the house and into a work-conducive environment. I’ve been inspired by seeing Chuck’s … Continue reading →

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Minecraft for Planning Story Locations

Posted on October 31, 2014 by D.R.Sylvester

So, I hopped back in our server for the first time in a long while, and got started on a little building. Nothing much, just making a house to keep my stuff at the moment, but I thought “Hey… Why … Continue reading →

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How to Fit Writing In

Posted on October 16, 2014 by D.R.Sylvester

So, you’re busy. Maybe you’re working a forty hour week. I know a lot of you will be doing more than that. Fifty? What about a sixty hour week? How many fingers am I holding up? Now who has parents … Continue reading →

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Scrambling towards “The End.”

Posted on September 11, 2014 by D.R.Sylvester

I’m on the home stretch of the rewrite now, people! Nearly at the end of the second last chapter, 394 pages, 119,600 words in, and I’m scribbling my way towards the end (again). Re-write number two is nearing completion! After this I … Continue reading →

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