Category Archives: Fiction

What Is Writer’s Block?

Writer’s block is a mainstay in a writer’s life, irrespective of how gifted the writer is. Sometimes, it becomes unbearably difficult piecing thoughts together, much less putting pen to paper or punching words on a keyboard. Writer’s block is the inability to figure out what to write or how to embark on a writing exercise.

This uneasiness does not compromise or question the expertise of a writer. It is merely a mental or psychological closure a writer encounters due to churning out too many pieces within a period. It is a creative hibernation or slowdown of a writer’s pen-power but not a winding down of his prowess.

Interestingly, the term ‘writer’s block’ can be traced back to the 19th century. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, an English poet, described his ‘indefinite indescribable terror’ of his inability to produce works that commiserated with his talent. A few years afterwards, French writers expounded on the sufferings affiliated with writing. They blew it up to create a myth that writers possessed tormented souls and could not write without misery.

Nevertheless, creativity is the grundnorm of writing. Hence, it requires thought-provoking priming of the mind to be able to raise and articulate issues, information, ideas and hypotheses a writer intends to deduce, as well as bring to the fore. Since writing is more of a creative task, it is pertinent to note that certain factors may confound a writer’s creative power, thus limiting the ability to perform their gigs. Some of these factors are:

CAUSES OF WRITER’S BLOCK:

Perfection: In the world of creatives, you are as good as your last job. Hence, every creative—whether a writer, singer, fine artist, fashion illustrator, etc.—is faced with a self-inflicted rivalry with his most recent job each time he gets a call for a new one. This makes the task of starting another work very consternating.

Stress: The feeling of a mental or physical tension and weakness can create an opaque glass before a writer’s lens. It becomes highly difficult to indulge in any mental or physical exercise when one is stressed out, and writers are not immune to this.

Depression: This causes a loss of interest in all kinds of activities, irrespective of how talented one might be in it or the gratification it offers. It negatively affects our immediate environment’s feelings, thought processes, and reactions. A depressed writer cannot write, no matter how knowledgeable he is on the brief or how enticing the reward is.

Pressure: Sometimes, we are persuaded or gaslighted into doing what we do not feel like doing at a given time, even when we are very good at it. When this happens, the mind becomes limited to exploring new ideas and perspectives, thus limiting our creative flow.

Fear: The uncertainty of how the outcome of a job will be can create a blockage in the mind of a writer. Often, a writer is probed with the inner question of the client’s review of the writing and the general perception of the readers. Furthermore, the fear of rejection by publishers, including negative reviews, can affect a writer’s zeal.

REMEDIES TO WRITER’S BLOCK:

Exercise: Exercise is a natural buffer to stress. It rejuvenates the body and mind, increases stamina, enhances focus, stirs productivity, and enhances memory. Acrobatic exercises like jogging, running, etc., helps in the growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus, which controls the imagination of new scenarios. Regular exercise can help a writer improve the creativity and imaginative mind required for writing.

Reading and Research: A knack for reading and carrying out our research should be part of a writer’s DNA. A writer who is not an ardent reader will be wanting in knowledge, insights and perspectives. Reading and researching boost a writer’s confidence and equips him with the ‘technical know-how’ required to excel in the pen profession.  

Switch tasks: Based on the popular axiom that variety is the spice of life, swapping actions and scenarios can be what a writer needs to snap out of writer’s block. It is advisable to explore adjacent creative activities like drawing, painting, playing, taking a walk or even more socially engaging things, like spending time with friends and family, attending events and programs, etc., can remedy writer’s block

Take a break: Sometimes, burying our heads on a keyboard or writing pad can be very monotonous. As a writer, sometimes it is necessary to take a trip away from the writer’s world and explore other adventures like travelling, swimming, picnicking, excursions, etc. These will suppress writer’s block and usher in fresh ideas and perspectives that will prove highly valuable to a writer’s craft.

Gain mastery, not perfection: Mastery is the core of competence, and it is built over time. Just as a toddler learns to talk by talking, a writer who intends to be a master of his craft must keep writing. As a writer, do not be caught in the race for perfection but walk on the lane of mastery. More so, it is only when the ink keeps flowing that competence is consolidated, and mastery becomes the new order.

A writer on the lane of mastery gives room for criticism and corrections, while a writer chasing perfection grows a swollen head and takes criticism as voices of envy. Suffice to say that there is no writing that cannot be improved upon, irrespective of how gifted the writer is. Mastery will always leave room for that precious improvement a writer needs to scale his work to the next level, but perfection may not – i.e., if it’s even attainable.

A memoir is a personal, non-fiction writing where the author (memoirist) writes about their life, using first-person narrative. It is a book that tells the events in an author’s life. Unlike biography and history writing, this book reveals first-hand accounts of experiences in an author’s life.

It focuses on a particular aspect of the writer’s life, which could be their personal or professional life. It could also come in form of an informative book, such as a personal food recipe or a travel experience book.

To effectively collate your experiences to produce a compelling Memoir, you need a well-structured outline. Therefore, as you prepare to write your memoir, you have to organise lots of incongruent experiences to arrive at what is known as a narrative arc.

How to Outline Your Memoir in Four Steps

 1. Arrange possible events in chronological order.

Doing this helps you understand how everything happened. This is not to say that your final work would be well-arranged, but it would give you a sense of how each event happened. Nonetheless, you can twist the memoir to fit any style later.

2. Start writing your narrative arc.

A story arc can also be referred to as the narrative arc. It is a term used to describe the plot of your story.

Are you a newbie or wondering why it is called an arc?

It is called an ‘arc’ because of the different grades of actions that are discussed to make up the memoir.

That being said, in this step, you will start writing your narrative arc by rearranging the events into a captivating story. There are two ways to do this:

You can either follow the chronology of the events as they happened to you or alter the chronology and use a backstory to tell the missing story later in the future.

A backstory is necessary so that there are no plot holes in your story. It also helps to carry your readers along.

3. Choose the Perfect Ending.

No matter where you choose to start your story, always have the end in mind. A good book or memoir is always written to fit a certain conclusion. So, while you’re writing, consider the ending you want to give your readers and let your story structure lead to that point.

4. Centre the Story Around You.

Like every other story, your memoir has a ‘main character’ and that’s you! Never make the mistake of shifting the focus from you. Represent yourself accurately at all levels of your memoir.

PS: Finalise the Story Arc of Your Memoir.

However you choose to organise the story arc of your memoir, use the outline as a roadmap to every stage of your story. The way you present your story will determine if the book will be interesting or not.

Conclusion

Before writing the first draft of your memoir, outline the key elements and structure. This will particularly be important if it’s your first time writing this kind of book project. Use the four steps you’ve learned in this article to organise and tell your story more effectively.

Do you wish to write a memoir but don’t have the time? Contact us now!

Compared to other forms of writing, interview-based articles are a little more complicated. This is because of the numerous answers they have to handle and the effort it takes to make these answers coherent enough. The goal of every interview article is to engage readers with insights from the subject’s personality.

Nothing sustains your readers like a well-presented interview article. So, here are a few tips for writing interview-based articles:

i.          Have an organised list of questions: Since every interview article starts with an actual interview, you must first draft a list of well-curated questions. You can do this by researching on your subject, the topic of the interview, and the type of questions to be asked. You can also watch previous interviews that your interviewee has had to find out what questions were asked and others that weren’t. From your research, you can come up with specific questions that will provoke unique answers and make your subject eager to speak.  

ii.        The ace interview session: Once your questions are ready, you can confidently run the interview. Remember that your subject needs to be comfortable and so do you. During the interview, stay in control in order not to overshoot your time range. While you may need to take notes, it is more important to record the interview. This helps to ensure that no information is lost. Don’t be overly optimistic.

Also, try to make the interview session lively. It doesn’t have to be too serious or too friendly; you just need to keep the environment free of tension. This will make the interview interesting and engaging.

iii.       Choose a format: Every article has a format and a style. You can choose to write your article in the form of questions and answers, or a narration, or merge both formats. The choice is yours, just ensure you give your readers a great and meaty experience.

iv.        Clean and polish your article: Once you have decided on a format, write your article following the best practices for the format you have chosen. Your article doesn’t have to be perfect; you just have to put something down first and polish it later. Make sure you take out stall words (like, umm, ermm, you know, and so on) and make your thoughts coherent enough without changing the subject’s message.

Your questions can be written in no particular order. Just start the article with questions that will trigger engaging answers to hold your readers’ attention.

v.         Proofread your article: Like every other article, proofreading is the final stage of writing. You’d want to read through your article thoroughly to ensure it is free of errors. You also want to make sure that your article doesn’t say more than your subject. Remove assumptions and ensure you spell names correctly.

These tips for writing interview-based articles will certainly help you become a better writer.

Are there other tips you employ when writing interview-based articles? Kindly share them with us in the comment section.  

A perfect title is an essential tool in hooking your readers’ interest because it is part of the first things they will see. This may not be an easy task but you must put in all the effort required in creating a book title that sells your book, one way or the other.

So, your book title must be interesting enough to trigger your readers’ imagination. This is because it needs to hook the readers with the message it conveys.

Here are a few tips to consider in choosing a title for your book.

1. Setting

Every book has a location and a time that makes up the setting. It is creative to coin a possible book title from your book’s settings. To use this method, your book title should reflect or establish the time, tone, or place where your book is set.

2. Keep it short and straightforward

Having a short title is one of the features that can make your book memorable. Unlike lengthy titles, which may lose your audience in a short time, a short title is more powerful and sticks with your readers better.

You may consider titles that are two to five words long. This is short enough to grasp your readers’ attention, and it is easy to find when searched for.

3. Character Names

Are there unique characters in your book? You can name your book after any of your unique characters. It will provide a solid title that will capture your readers’ attention. To determine the perfect character to use, find out who best projects the story. You can also include the character’s unique features, obstacles, or mission in your story or book.

4. Consider your storyline

Your title needs to define what your readers will be getting into. It must correlate with the content of your book. What do you want to achieve at the end of the book?

A book title should intrigue your readers and raise their expectations.

You can ask questions like, ‘What problem is my book solving?’ It will help you to understand your storyline.

5. Be Original

An important thing to note is that you should not use existing titles. You need your book title to be unique and original. Using a current title hinders visibility, especially if the old title already has a high level of visibility.

(Except it is your deliberate strategy to leverage the prevailing name, but be sure you are within the law)

To help you create an original title, carry out proper research on existing book titles, then incorporate unique points from your book into the proposed book.

A captivating book title will grasp your readers’ attention.

To write the perfect book title for your book, practice these few tips or contact us now!