Muse Guide: WR1

Writers resources entry; test your grammer

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You could be any form of writers in the world today, a
content writer, an article journalist, a ghost writer, a creative writer, an
investigative writer, a freelance writer, a copy writer a script writer. However,
one thing unites these set of writers together and that is their command of English
language. As a writer myself i understand that my use of English should be good
or rather outstanding- if possible- to be ever be considered a good writer. Command
of English itself can never be separated from a foundation of English known as English
grammar. So a constant work out is a must to keep our writing edges sharp and
writing-efficient all times. However after days of working out on our English
grammar, I believe it is of importance to test ourselves to be sure our learning
therapy works.   </div>
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Here at museguide it is of utmost importance to us that our writer
fans always get the best and hence stay on top of their game. That is the
major reason why i decided to share this amazing tool to help you test your
grammar. I stumbled upon this tool on twitter where one of my followers
mentioned me on a tweet about this great tool. I checked it, thought it was an
amazing tool. I instantly retweeted it, had it been you follow museguide on twitter
you would have noticed this tool first hand. It’s not too late to follow us
though via @museguide. <a href="http://englishgrammarpass.com/exercises/grammar_vocabulary/1Ob87wlFfV.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> for the link to the amazing tool </div>
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Abd-afeez Abd-hamid for Museguide</div>
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Writers resources entry; test your grammer

You could be any form of writers in the world today, a content writer, an article journalist, a ghost writer, a creative writer, an ...

Are you suddenly out of steam? Read this!

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Many a time we would find ourselves in a situation where by
we couldn’t find the solution to our creativity cravings. A writer would be
seen by his writing desk with his pen and paper, or his computer system; if he
happens to be a digital freak like me. How about a painter, he would stay for
hours at his work station brush in hand with a blank drawing fabric in front of
him. How about a digital designer, staring at his blank computer screen with is
CorelDraw awaiting response from him? The truth is, he who claims to have never
found himself in such circumstances lies. So as a creative individual, how do
you get around such frustrating phase in one’s prolific life of creativity? I
will be putting you through some simple steps that mostly work.</div>
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1)     
Don’t be
held hostage by deadlines:- Deadlines are like wicked commanders, they make
you push yourselves to complete missions. However they would shy away from
responsibility when you run out of gas. Take the most out of deadline by making
sure you stick to a healthy schedule. Don’t ever over work it, nor should you under
work it. When you stick to a healthy schedule, you won’t fall victim to a
knocking deadline because falling far behind schedule means deadline knocks far
ahead of anticipation, the only means to catch up would be to over work
yourself. That would only exhaust your gas.</div>
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2     
Please,
take a break:- Don’t be the workaholic that bore himself with below par
pieces because of stress. Creativity is never forced, the more your heart and
mind is into it, the more beautiful its handwork. When you discover that you
are suddenly out of gas. That should be the right time to take a break. What
should you do when you take such break? When you take such break, the sole
purpose of the action is to clear your head and relief stress. Definitely, fun,
recreation and relaxation should top your list of priorities. If you are a
proactive individual like me, you would bend such break towards fun activities
that could nudge your muse into a state of motivation or confidence. Take for
example, if am stuck on a story and decided to relax by reading an amazing
novel. Do you know you could be gifted a grand spark of motivation as such. Let
your muse dictate how you would spend your break, in as much as you would want
a drift away from the cognitively exhaustive work station, you shouldn’t wander
too far in other not be at such stance where you totally lose sight of your
impeding or half done master pieces.</div>
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3      Brainstorm yourself after the break:- Now
is the time to now brainstorm yourself so that you maximize the usage of your
newly found energy. By taking that break and relaxing amply, your muse would
have earned its lost energy. In other to maximize the usage of such energy, all
you have to do is equip your muse with nasty weapons so they would turn to
needed gangsters for that deadline.  The
weapon in question would be the new ideas from your brief brain storming
session.</div>
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4      Get back to your work station and use that
tank full of gas:- Now is the time to test how abundantly you are refuelled
for that work of muse waiting patiently in your workstation.</div>
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Good luck to you as you get to
test out my outlined solution to that moment of block. Remember the muse in you
is greater a fire than an ocean of water can quench. Keep doing the creative
stuffs you are good at and remember that MuseGuide will always be here for you
to see you through your adventure as a musing individual.  Have a blessed week.</div>
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Abd-afeez Abd-hamid for Museguide</div>
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Are you suddenly out of steam? Read this!

Many a time we would find ourselves in a situation where by we couldn’t find the solution to our creativity cravings. A writer ...

Writer's tutorial entry: how to Get Letters Published inMagazines.

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When I first began writing seriously in 2010, 
I began to focus on the fiction market for 
women's magazines. 
As I became more involved in the 'womag' 
scene, I discovered that several of these 
short story writers had had letters published 
in national magazines. I thought, why don't I 
have a go at that too? I kept seeing the 
same writers' names crop up in the letters 
page of lots of national magazines. 
Fuelled by envy and an attitude of, 'Well, if 
she can do it, so can I', I channeled my 
energy, put fingers to the keyboard, and 
tried again. 
This time I made sure I studied the tone of 
the magazine I intended to submit to, and 
what type of letter was likely to be picked 
for publication, plus the subject of it. For 
example, I learned that positive feedback 
about a previous feature was popular. 
I kept my submissions short and snappy, 
breezy and bright. 
My hard work paid off. I was absolutely 
delighted to see my letter published in 
What's on TV magazine, closely followed by 
another letter! I was even more delighted to 
receive a payment of £10 for little more 
than a paragraph. 
A slot on the WOTV letters page is called 
'Rant of the Week'. It provides readers with 
an opportunity to let rip about programmes 
that contain bad acting, or a dismal script - 
whatever gets your goat. This is an area 
where negative comments are actively 
welcomed, but to keep to the point - they 
last thing they want is a three-page 
plodding missive about how the TV licence 
money is being wasted! 
I've also had several letters published in 
Woman's Weekly and the some opinion 
pieces for the 'You're Telling Us' page in 
Take a Break. 
However, some of the questions can be a 
little too saucy for my taste, and can range 
like this: 'Do you prefer to make love or 
watch TV?' and 'Do you let your hubby see 
you naked?' 
While some see this type of query as 
harmless and a bit of fun, I don't respond, 
as I prefer my private life to remain just that 
- private. 
The 'You're Telling Us' weekly question can 
be found on the TAB Facebook page . 
Some publications offer a prize to the star 
letter only. 
I attempt it, and often I don't win the prize, 
yet I'm still pleased to see my piece 
published - it gives me a boost of 
confidence, as it proves I can tailor work to 
the magazine's requirements and that my 
standard is good enough to be chosen for 
the letters page, if nothing else! 
Even if the prize isn't great, I still enjoy the 
challenge, to see if I can get published in a 
new mag. It took me a few good goes before 
my letters eventually got published in Tesco 
magazine and The People's Friend. 
Picking a magazine you are interested in 
helps. For instance, because I'm a 
vegetarian, it was fairly easy for me to 
submit two letters for the glossy monthly 
Vegetarian Living . They were published! 
If you have a hobby, e.g. computers or 
cooking, pick a suitable magazine that 
accompanies it. For instance, my hubby 
Keith is a very good cook and baker. 
He's had several recipes published in Take 
a Break's My Favourite Recipe magazine. 
As I love writing, I submitted to Writers' 
Forum magazine - I was thrilled when they 
printed two of my letters. 
Some magazines also publish short poetry 
on their letters page - I've had two poems in 
Yours . 
Don't forget that top tips, funny photos, a 
'pet of the week' type feature and beauty 
queries are much in demand, too. 
Although you won't be able to earn a 
regular salary from this, the odd ten pounds 
here and there soon adds up. 
Bear in mind that no matter how many 
letters you submit, you won't be chosen 
every time. Consider the fact that the editor 
or team will become familiar with your 
name. They may feel you are trying to earn 
money out of the publishing company. 
However, saying that, I think they do 
appreciate regular contributors - just don't 
swamp them! After all, you are supposed to 
be a reader, not a writer. 
Publications are always looking for well- 
written, entertaining, intelligent letters that 
fit in with the editorial style of the 
magazine. Always be cheerful and polite 
and don't waffle, as they only have a 
certain amount of slots available for letters. 
Work can be edited, changed or even added 
to - to me, this doesn't matter, as I want to 
be published and I want to be paid. 
I know of one writer who was furious when a 
national weekly edited her piece before 
publishing it. She rang them up, only to be 
told, 'We're very sorry, but we only have so 
much space on the page.' 
So don't be precious about your work - 
journalists have their articles and features 
edited every day, and they don't seem to 
mind! 
Some editors let you know beforehand if 
your letter has been selected, some don't. 
I recently won a prize of a jigsaw puzzle, 
yet I hadn't a clue who had awarded it to 
me or what publication my letter was in. All 
I had was a letter saying 'Congratulations!' 
from the makers of the jigsaw, which didn't 
really help. 
Eventually I realised I must have been 
awarded star letter in Down Your Way, a 
Yorkshire-based nostalgic magazine. 
Pleased as punch, I rushed out and bought 
it, only for a complimentary copy to arrive 
in the post later. 
You can't always rely on a complimentary 
copy being sent to you, though - that was 
very rare! 
So, what's stopping you from having a go? 
If I can do it, so can you. Get writing, get 
submitting, and good luck! 
This article is courtesy of Sharon Boothroyed. 
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Writer's tutorial entry: how to Get Letters Published inMagazines.

When I first began writing seriously in 2010, I began to focus on the fiction market for women's magazines. As I became more involve...

Writer's tutorial entry: 15 writing tips your teacher probably didn't teach you

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1. Start Before You Are Ready 
If you wait until you feel 100%, you may 
never start. Always start writing before you 
are absolutely ready. You'll find that you 
know more than enough to start. 
2. Write As You Speak 
It's tempting to want to sound more 
professional or intellectual in your writing, 
but simplicity wins every time. Avoid 
complicated sentence structures and too 
many adjectives. Instead simply write as you 
speak. You can always edit your writing for 
clarity later. 
3. Write Full Copy 
Writing an outline or rough dot points can 
only take you so far. Write a full copy, long- 
hand draft that is complete and ready for a 
final edit, straight off the mark. 
4. Avoid Perfectionism 
Your writing will never be perfect, so striving 
for perfection is a fruitless task. Accept that 
your writing is good enough and keep going. 
You will improve over time and become a 
better writer but no one is ever perfect. 
5. Write to Your Ideal Reader 
Imagine your ideal reader and write to him or 
her. Your ideal reader might be based off a 
real person, or be someone completely 
imaginary. The important thing is that you 
have a clear image in your mind of exactly 
who this person is. By keeping your ideal 
reader in mind, you will be writing directly to 
your audience. 
6. Eliminate Redundant Words 
Avoid overwriting by using fewer words to 
express the same sentiment. Doing this will 
tighten up your writing to achieve better flow 
and more impact. 
7. Write Every Single Day 
Writing every single day will help you avoid 
writers block by maintaining a flow to your 
writing practice. It will also ensure that 
you're constantly improving and becoming a 
better writer. After all, practice makes perfect. 
8. Create a First Draft 
Without editing, write your first draft freely. 
Doing this will help you maintain your flow. 
Creating and editing are two separate mental 
processes so it's essential to keep them as 
separate tasks in your writing schedule also. 
9. Don't Wait for the Perfect Moment 
The perfect moment to write may never 
come, so don't sit around waiting for it. The 
best moment to start writing is right now. 
10. Read Your Writing Out Aloud 
It's tempting to edit your writing by reading 
silently, but saying the words aloud is 
essential. It will help you eliminate the 
awkward sentences and errors you didn't 
catch first time around. 
11. Read the Work of Great Writers 
Reading is an essential step in learning to be 
a better writer. Read the work of great writers 
you admire to get inspired and learn how 
they structure their writing. 
12. Start a Writing Routine and Stick to It 
Every great writer has a good routine. Find 
what works best for you and stick to it. Pick 
a time of day and a place, and write like your 
life depends on it. 
13. Live Your Life 
Great writers live interesting lives. An 
interesting life will give you great inspiration 
and material for your own writing, so get out 
there and do great things to become a better 
writer. 
14. Don't Wait for the Perfect Conditions 
You don't need a special desk, the perfect 
view, or a sunny day to write. All you need is 
a pen and paper. Stop making excuses and 
write no matter what. 
15. Join a Writers Group 
Join a writers group to meet like minded 
people who share your interest and ambition 
for writing. A writers group will provide you 
with the much needed support, guidance, and 
motivation you need to become a great 
writer. 
This article is courtesy from Trent Steele 
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Writer's tutorial entry: 15 writing tips your teacher probably didn't teach you

1. Start Before You Are Ready If you wait until you feel 100%, you may never start. Always start writing before you are absolutely ready...

Writers tutorial entry; how to make your dialogue sparkle

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One sign of a fine cabinetmaker, I’m told, is the 
deftness with which he handles his nails. 
"Of course," he added, quickly "the finest 
cabinetmakers are often female." 
To resume my metaphor... each nail should do 
its job without calling attention to itself. The 
same might also be said about the dialogue 
tags we use when writing fiction. (For example, 
'he added, quickly’.) 
Technically called ‘inquits’ or ‘turn ancillaries’, 
dialogue tags act as stage directions to convey 
to the reader, perhaps subconsciously, who is 
speaking and - sometimes - in what mood or 
manner. 
The modern convention is that inquits should 
be invisible, like carpentry nails. To decorate 
our dialogue with colourful tags like ‘he 
snortled’, ‘she chortled’, ‘they fumed’, (or worse, 
'she beamed'), is perceived today as clumsy. 
The reader trips over them and falls out of the 
story. 
True, florid tags can be used to good effect 
when writing comedy or farce. ('"Yes, no, 
maybe. Who knows?" he verbigerated in 
despair’). But if you don’t intend to be funny - 
or the humour doesn’t work - the reader will 
yearn to hide your thesaurus. 
Solution #1 : 
Don’t use dialogue tags at all if it’s obvious 
from the context who’s speaking. If it’s not 
obvious, a volley of innocuous inquits like ‘he 
said’, ‘she said’, and the like, may be forgiven. 
They're stage directions, supposed to be 
invisible. But they’re boring. Sometimes, you do 
need to convey the manner in which a 
character speaks, and without using too many 
adverbs - the sign of an amateur. So... 
Solution #2: 
Characterise the speaker, and mark who’s 
speaking, by using a variation of the Pathetic 
Fallacy. This is the poetic device of granting 
human emotions to non-human phenomena or 
objects. It’s also a nifty little trick when writing 
dialogue. 
NOT: ‘"Sir, you insult me," he glowered.’ 
Properly speaking, ‘glower’ cannot be used as a 
verb for a speech act. (We’ve all done this, and 
worse, but - if overdone - it becomes hilarious.) 
INSTEAD: "‘Sir, you insult me!" His eyebrows 
lifted with menace.’ OR ‘The shadows darkened 
in his face.’ OR ‘The room grew cold.’ OR 
‘Thunder crackled in the hills. The storm was 
growing closer.’ 
It is now clear from the obliging behaviour of 
the environment both who is speaking and in 
what manner. The Pathetic Fallacy has come to 
our rescue. 
Solution #3 : Let characters convey their moods 
with actions not with adverbs . 
NOT: ‘"That is very foolish," she said, 
reprovingly.’ 
INSTEAD: ‘"That is very foolish." She made a 
close inspection of her fingertips.’ OR ‘She 
clicked her ballpoint pen.’ OR ‘She bit her 
finger-roll in half.’ 
We have now replaced the adverb 'reprovingly' 
with action. The scene has acquired energy - 
plus a little extra characterisation. 
Use this device too often, however, and readers 
will cry ‘How well s/he writes!’ rather than 
‘what a good story!’. No matter. A story, so 
grossly over-written, might win the Booker 
prize... 
(Even if it's unlikely to win a story 
competition.) 
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Writers tutorial entry; how to make your dialogue sparkle

One sign of a fine cabinetmaker, I’m told, is the deftness with which he handles his nails. "Of course," he added, quickly ...

Writers tutorial entry; how to make your character more plausible

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Encouraging an emotional bond between a 
reader and the protagonist is one of the most 
important jobs a writer has. We do this through 
empathy - a deep, meaningful connection that 
forms when we put the reader into the 
character’s emotional shoes. Many writers 
struggle with how to do this, because it usually 
means showing the character’s vulnerability . 
This can be a tall order if one has a tough 
character who equates emotions with 
weakness, because their hard shell prevents 
anyone (including the reader) from getting 
close. 
As people, we connect to vulnerability. It makes 
us feel that we are glimpsing at what lies 
behind the mask a person wears day -to-day, 
and seeing into the heart of who they truly are. 
So making sure our characters experience 
vulnerability, no matter how tough, how jaded, 
how determined they are to hide what they feel, 
is incredibly important. 
The problem is, most people don’t like feeling 
vulnerable. In fact they protect themselves 
against it, and avoid it at all costs. This leaves 
writers with a conundrum: how do they show 
their character in a vulnerable light to help 
create that closeness with the reader, yet stay 
true to authentic human behavior? The answer 
lies in understanding universal triggers for 
vulnerability, and then placing the protagonist 
in the path of one. 
Here are some ways to make your character feel 
- and appear - vulnerable, whether they want to 
or not: 
Through not knowing what will happen next. 
People crave control, of having power over 
what the future will bring. Take that away and 
you are left with the feeling of not knowing, of 
having no influence or say in the outcome. By 
placing the power in another’s hands through 
choices, actions and decisions, you rob your 
character of control. The resulting feelings of 
frustration, anxiety and even despair are all 
ones that reinforce vulnerability. Readers have 
all felt a loss of control at some point and so 
will deeply identify with the character’s range of 
feelings. 
Through the mistakes they make. 
Despite our best efforts, we all make mistakes. 
Not only do we hate it when one happens, we 
tend to beat ourselves up about it, growing 
frustrated and disappointed for not being 
smarter, stronger or better. Characters who 
make mistakes feel authentic, and it humanizes 
them to readers. Besides, mistakes create great 
plot complications & conflict! 
Through personal failures. 
Not succeeding at what one has set out to do 
is one of the most heartbreaking moments an 
individual can experience, and it is the same for 
our characters. A hero’s personal failure, 
especially one that has repercussions for 
others, is one way to break down those steel 
walls and show our hero as vulnerable and 
human. 
Through a death or loss. 
A deep, personal loss is never easy. Often a 
person only realizes what they had or what 
something meant when it’s gone. Again, this is 
a universal feeling, something all readers can 
identify with. Written well, seeing the hero 
experience loss will remind readers of their own 
past experiences. Death is final, but other 
losses can be potent as well. The loss of hope 
is particularly wounding. 
By having one’s role challenged. 
Whatever the character’s role is (be it a leader, 
a provider, a source of comfort , etc.) and 
having it challenged can be devastating. Roles 
are tied to one’s identity: the husband who 
loses his job may no longer be able to provide 
for his family. The leader who made a bad 
decision must witness the resulting lack of faith 
from his followers. The mother who fails to 
keep her child safe feels unsuited for 
motherhood. When a role is challenged in some 
way through choices or circumstances, it 
creates self-doubt, making the character feel 
vulnerable in a way readers identify with. 
By casting doubt on what one believes. 
Each person has set beliefs about the universe, 
how the world works, and the people in it, 
allowing them to understand their place in the 
big picture and instilling feelings of belonging. 
When knowledge surfaces that puts trusted 
beliefs into question, the character suffers 
disillusionment, a powerful feeling that can 
make them feel adrift in their own life. 
Disillusionments are an emotional blow and 
everyone has suffered one at some point. This 
can be a good way to trigger that feeling of 
shared experience of vulnerability between 
character and reader. 
By experiencing fear or worry for another. 
This ties into that loss of control I mentioned 
above, because one directly or indirectly has a 
lack of influence over circumstances affecting a 
loved one. Fear and worry can also create road 
blocks about how best to proceed. It’s one 
thing to take risks that only affect oneself, and 
another to take risks that will impact others. 
The paralysis a person feels over what decision 
to make when it impacts relationships is an 
experience readers understand. 
By having one’s secrets brought out in the 
open. 
Secrets are usually hidden for a reason and are 
often the source of guilt or shame. When one’s 
secrets are revealed, the character is stripped 
of their security, and they believe others will 
view them differently as a result. Readers can 
empathize with this raw feeling of being 
exposed. 
This article was courtesy angela aukerman 
 
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Writers tutorial entry; how to make your character more plausible

Encouraging an emotional bond between a reader and the protagonist is one of the most important jobs a writer has. We do this through em...

Writers' tutorial entry; how to hook your readers from first page

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In your novel, the inciting incident is the first 
sign of trouble for your protagonist: it’s the 
catalyst, the chemical reaction, that sets the 
plot into motion. But the inciting incident isn’t 
only important for your main character. 
Understanding how to harness it is also crucial 
to hooking your reader from the very first page 
and immediately investing them in the 
experiences, emotions, and personal struggles 
of the character. 
In this excerpt from Hooked: Write Fiction That 
Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets 
Them Go by Les Edgerton, you’ll discover that 
the inciting incident can be used as a trigger to 
focus the reader on the character’s journey and 
retain his or her interest throughout the rest of 
the novel. 
The Inciting Incident as a Trigger 
The inciting incident is the crucial event—the 
trouble—that sets the whole story in motion. It 
triggers the initial surface problem and starts to 
slowly expose the protagonist’s story-worthy 
problem. Now, the protagonist won’t fully 
realize the extent of his story-worthy problem 
in the opening scene, so the initial surface 
problem has to be so compelling that it forces 
him to take immediate action. The 
protagonist’s understanding of his story- 
worthy problem, then, will grow clearer to him 
as a direct result of what he goes through in his 
journey to resolve it. 
Also keep in mind that each of the 
protagonist’s attempts to resolve the initial and 
subsequent surface problems must end in 
failure. There can be partial victories, but once 
an action ends in success, the story is 
effectively over. Success, in this case, means 
that all the problems are resolved. That cannot 
happen until the final scene of the story. 
So, if we were to broadly outline the shape of a 
publishable story—the inciting incident and all 
its intertwined surface and story-worthy 
problems—it would look something like this: 
The inciting incident creates the character’s 
initial surface problem and introduces the first 
inklings of the story-worthy problem. 
The protagonist takes steps to resolve the 
initial surface problem. 
The outcome of the major action the 
protagonist takes to resolve the initial surface 
problem is revealed, triggering a new surface 
problem. The scope of the protagonist’s story- 
worthy problem continues to unfold. 
The outcome of the major action the 
protagonist takes to resolve the additional 
surface problem is revealed, and yet another 
surface problem is created. The story-worthy 
problem continues to become more apparent to 
the protagonist, as well as to the reader. 
Another outcome is revealed, and more surface 
problems are created. The story-worthy 
problem continues to become clearer. 
All lingering surface problems are resolved, and 
the story-worthy problem is fully realized. The 
resolution of the story-worthy problem is 
represented by both a win and a loss for the 
protagonist. 
Notice that this isn’t a point-by-point outline of 
a plot. Also, it isn’t like an essay outline, in 
which you provide the nature of the actions to 
be taken (that “topic sentence” thing), but 
rather, the outcome of those actions. Further, 
take note of the fact that this kind of outline 
provides only for the major actions (of which 
there are usually three) the protagonist will 
take to resolve the problem. That leaves room 
for dozens (hundreds?) of other, smaller actions 
he can take to achieve his goal. This outline 
also leaves plenty of leeway for you, as the 
author, to choose what actions your 
protagonist will take, thus allowing you the 
artistic freedom to get the protagonist to the 
outcome any way the author wants to. In short, 
it provides a roadmap of highways for the 
narrative car, but it doesn’t include the scenic 
routes. 
An example of an inciting incident that kick- 
starts a novel is the one Scott Smith provided 
in his best-selling novel A Simple Plan , which 
was made into a film of the same name. 
The story begins with a bit of necessary setup, 
giving a scrap of family history. The backstory 
is that the two chief characters in the story— 
Hank, the first-person narrator/protagonist, 
and his brother/antagonist, Jacob—never have 
anything to do with each other except once a 
year, when they visit their parents’ graves 
together. The backstory also describes their 
parents’ death in a car accident that was really 
a joint suicide. In this case, the backstory is 
crucial because it gives a plausible reason for 
Hank and Jacob to be together when the 
inciting incident occurs. It also works because 
it shows the reader the brothers’ relationship to 
each other, and that relationship is Hank’s 
story-worthy problem. This is a Cain-and-Abel 
story, and therefore the brothers’ history is 
important to the reader’s understanding of 
what’s about to transpire. The entire history 
takes a little less than three pages to detail 
before the narrative enters the inciting incident 
scene. Jacob, accompanied by his dog, Mary 
Beth, and by their friend Lou, picks up Hank for 
their annual pilgrimage. During the trip to the 
gravesite, a fox runs across the icy road. Jacob 
has a slight accident, and Mary Beth takes off 
after the fox. The three men go after the dog 
and discover a plane downed in a field. In the 
plane, they discover a dead pilot and a bag 
filled with three million dollars, and they figure 
out it’s probably drug money. 
The initial surface problem begins with this 
discovery. Hank, the straight-arrow brother 
with the pregnant wife, college degree, and 
professional job, wants to do the right thing 
and turn in the money, but Jacob, who’s a 
ne’er-do-well, high school dropout alcoholic, 
and Lou talk him out of it. Against his better 
judgment, Hank accedes, and the brothers 
plunge into a spiral of darkness until they get 
to the place where Hank kills his brother. 
Finding the money and the decision that the 
discovery forces Hank to make is the inciting 
incident, and it is delivered via a scene so that 
the reader experiences what Hank does, at the 
same time he does it; the reader experiences 
the same dilemma he does, emotionally. 
Hank’s surface problem is how to please his 
brother by keeping the money, while assuaging 
his conscience at the same time. Plus, he 
needs to avoid discovery of their crime and 
keep from going to jail and ruining his life. His 
story-worthy problem—his lifelong guilt over 
his good fortune in life and his brother’s wasted 
existence—(which is tied directly to the surface 
problem) has been forced to the surface by 
their parents’ deaths, which is why the brief 
backstory at the start of this story works. 
The protagonist’s action in agreeing to split up 
the money instead of turning it in—an action he 
takes in order to gain his brother’s love—is a 
flawed action, just as was Thelma’s in agreeing 
with Louise to not turn themselves in after 
Louise kills Harlan. In each of these two 
stories, both instances of well-meant-but- 
flawed actions by the protagonist are 
responsible for the surface problem and are 
similar in nature. And, in both instances, the 
surface problem exists to serve as the vehicle 
that drives the story-worthy problem along the 
journey. 
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Writers' tutorial entry; how to hook your readers from first page

In your novel, the inciting incident is the first sign of trouble for your protagonist: it’s the catalyst, the chemical reaction, that se...

Writers' tutorial entry; how to find your unique voice

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Finding a writing voice can be a struggle, 
whether you’re writing a novel, short story, 
flash fiction or a blog post. Some may even 
wonder, what is voice in writing? A writer’s 
voice is something uniquely their own. It makes 
their work pop, plus readers recognize the 
familiarity. You would be able to identify the 
difference between Tolkien and Hemingway, 
wouldn’t you? It’s the way they write; their 
voice, in writing, is as natural as everyone’s 
speaking voice. Your voice should be authentic, 
even if you borrow a sense of style from your 
favorite author. But remember, voice and style 
are two entirely different things. 
When you find that unique voice, you might not 
even be able to explain how it came about—let 
alone describe what it is. That’s the beauty of 
writing and discovering as you write. 
Sometimes the best things just happen 
naturally. In his book Writing the Breakout 
Novel, literary agent Donald Maass discusses 
developing a writing voice, it’s importance and 
where it comes from: 
* * * 
“I am looking for authors with a distinctive 
voice.” I hear that from editors over lunch 
almost as often as I hear, “I am looking for big, 
well-written thrillers.” 
What the heck is “voice”? By this, do editors 
mean “style”? I do not think so. By voice, I 
think they mean not only a unique way of 
putting words together, but a unique sensibility, 
a distinctive way of looking at the world, an 
outlook that enriches an author’s oeuvre. They 
want to read an author who is like no other. An 
original. A standout. A voice. 
How can you develop your voice? To some 
extent it happens all by itself. Stories come 
from the subconscious. What drives you to 
write, to some extent, are your own unresolved 
inner conflicts. Have you noticed your favorite 
authors have character types that recur? Plot 
turns that feel familiar? Descriptive details that 
you would swear you have read before (a 
yellow bowl, a slant of light, an inch of cigarette 
ash)? That is the subconscious at work. 
You can facilitate voice by giving yourself the 
freedom to say things in your own unique way. 
You do not talk exactly like anyone else, right? 
Why should you write like everyone else? 
Science fiction writer Neal Stephenson has a 
unique voice. His cyber-sensibility comes 
through in his very choice of words. At the 
beginning of his 1992 novel Snow Crash , 
Stephenson introduces his pizza-delivery hero 
and, in this passage, his car: 
The Deliverator’s car has enough potential 
energy packed into its batteries to fire a pound 
of bacon into the Asteroid Belt. Unlike a bimbo 
box or a Burb beater, the Deliverator’s car 
unloads that power through gaping, gleaming, 
polished sphincters. When the Deliverator puts 
the hammer down, shit happens. You want to 
talk contact patches? Your car’s tires have tiny 
contact patches, talk to the asphalt in four 
places the size of your tongue. The 
Deliverator’s car has big sticky tires with 
contact patches the size of a fat lady’s thighs. 
The Deliverator is in touch with the road, starts 
like a bad day, stops on a peseta. 
Another distinctive voice in science fiction 
belongs to my client Nalo Hopkinson, a 
Jamaican Canadian who not only envisions the 
future, but who envisions the future of people of 
color in Creole-spiced prose that is as flavorful 
as gumbo. Her 1998 debut novel, Brown Girl in 
the Ring , won her the John W. Campbell Award 
for Best New Writer, a stunning collection of 
reviews, and is in its fourth printing. In her 2000 
novel Midnight Robber , Hopkinson pushes her 
voice even further. Its opening paragraphs 
introduce a storyteller narrator and the novel’s 
heroine, the Midnight Robber: 
Oho. Like it starting, oui? Don’t be frightened, 
sweetness; is for the best. I go be with you the 
whole time. Trust me and let me distract you a 
little bit with one anasi story: 
It had a woman, you see, a strong, hard-back 
woman with skin like cocoa-tea. She two foot- 
them tough from hiking through the diable 
bush, the devil bush on the prison planet of 
New Half-Way Tree. When she walk, she foot 
strike the hard earth bup! like breadfruit 
dropping to the ground. She two arms hard 
with muscle from all the years of hacking paths 
through the diable bush on New Half-Way Tree. 
Even she hair itself rough and wiry; long black 
knotty locks springing from she scalp and 
corkscrewing all the way down she back. She 
name Tan-Tan, and New Half-Way Tree she 
planet. 
That said, it is worth noting that the voice of 
many bestselling authors is as neutral as a 
national news anchor’s accent. Some say it 
takes blandness of style to break out; or rather, 
to rub so few people the wrong way that 
millions can read the author without any 
discomfort. My own feeling is that voice is a 
natural attribute. You no more control it than 
you can control the color of your eyes—nor 
would you want to. Plenty of breakout authors 
have a distinctive voice. 
To set your voice free, set your words free. Set 
your characters free. Most important, set your 
heart free. It is from the unknowable shadows 
of your subconscious that your stories will find 
their drive and from which they will draw their 
meaning. No one can loan that or teach you 
that. Your voice is your self in the story. 
* * * 
A writer’s voice can vary, too, particularly when 
crossing genres of fiction (and nonfiction). You 
probably wouldn’t write a romance novel the 
same way that you write crime. If you’re 
looking to develop a consistent voice, try 
reading a lot of works by one author—look for 
patterns (and inspiration). Some of my 
personal favorites are Cormac McCarthy, Chuck 
Palahniuk and Colson Whitehead. Generally, 
they keep a similar style and voice across all of 
their novels. 
It could be as simple as practicing free writing. 
It might mean trying exercises to find the 
particular voice you are looking for. For 
example, if your narrator is your protagonist, 
you might want to try develop a unique voice 
for him that stands out from your own. I like to 
come up with characteristics or traits of that 
narrator and create statements as if that 
character was saying them. “I’m a smoker.” “I 
have anger issues.” “I’m an insomniac.” What 
do these traits tell you about that character? 
What naturally flows from your fingertips as you 
write these statements? You can find out a lot 
about your character’s voice, or your own 
writing voice, by writing everything that comes 
to mind. By writing what’s natural. Just remember to keep writing. 
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Writers' tutorial entry; how to find your unique voice

Finding a writing voice can be a struggle, whether you’re writing a novel, short story, flash fiction or a blog post. Some may even wond...

Writers' tutorial entry; a simple haiku formula

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Are you a fan of haiku? Or you are a curious literature muse wondering what haiku really is. Then I can bet it with you that this is the post you've been waiting for. Haiku is a very short poem of japanese origin. The most amazing thing about haikus is their rhyming scheme and the fact that such short poem could carry an enormous depth. I'll call haiku a short japanese literature wonder, or a three line poetic wonder. Haikus are easy to write if you know it's secrete. If you really want to know more about haikus and learn a very simple formula to write an oustanding haiku please&nbsp;<a href="http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Simple-Haiku-Writing-Formula">Click Here</a> thanks for reading. Have a nice day. Entry by Abd-afeez </div> 
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Writers' tutorial entry; a simple haiku formula

Are you a fan of haiku? Or you are a curious literature muse wondering what haiku really is. Then I can bet it with you that this is the po...

Writers' resource entry; Duotrope

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I've realised it's every writer's dream to publish their works. What is the essence of spending hours of your precious time on writting wonderful pieces that won't earn you a single penny. Looking for publishers is extremely tedious and discouraging, however, you shouldn't be discouraged, if your piece is really good, finding a publisher to accept your work won't be that tough. To this I'm willing to share you a wonderful resource. You can try out duotrope to help you find your publisher, right at the comfort of your home. 
"Write, re-write, submit..... 
The first two are up to you, but we can help with the third. Duotrope is an established award-winning writers' resource, and we're here to help you spend less time submitting so you can focus on writing. Whether you're an experienced writer or just getting started... whether your creative leanings are literary or genre, factual or poetic... our listings cover the entire spectrum." 
Visit Duotrope.com and feel the magic. Thanks for reading this.</div>

Writers' resource entry; Duotrope

I've realised it's every writer's dream to publish their works. What is the essence of spending hours of your precious time o...

Muse Guide