Welcome
This blog came from the need to share my reviews, and my experience as an author with all those interested in similar topics, but also with those who strive to become authors themselves. I work as a proofreader as well, and I regularly organize book debates and promotions. I am an author and on this blog, I will be writing about my work and my process too. Part of my blog will be dedicated to Ellie Ann also because her work is the reason I succeed in mine.
How To Be A Better Writer
As a better writer, you can progress in education, better conduct business communication, and more enjoy messaging with interesting people. By writing you can also express your thoughts and emotions. You can start your career. Better writing will have a positive impact on your business and private life. Researchers from the New Zealand University of Auckland have discovered that writing has a major impact on health. According to their results, this can double the process of healing from physical injuries.
Talent helps, but is not enough for success. Every person has better and worse days. Accordingly, the inspiration for writing variates. The easiest way to break your block is by writing anything, regardless of how it goes down. Inspiration encourages us to write, but writing also leads to inspiration. You can start by rewriting a newspaper article. It also helps editing already written texts. It’s important to find a way of light work.
How to start?
A lot of people asks say same things to me over and over: “I would like to write my book, I have a lot of inspiration and ideas, but it’s all unconnected. I do not know how to integrate them into a whole,in order for the story to get some quality meaning. Where and how to start?”
So far, I’ve met two types of writers. The first ones, they attempt to create the story structure, and then develop the details of the written elements. Others just start to write according to their inspiration. Randomly write different scenarios, and descriptions of characters and surroundings. In the end, they review the written record and link the appropriate elements to a coherent story.
I think that another approach will better suit all of those who asks me the questions above. There will also be unusable elements, so you will be more curious. However, whatever you do not use for the current story, you can put in your future stories. You can’t write a bestseller in one breath, during you first time. But will get to know you and your inspiration better and all of that will make you a more quality writer.
What about Internet?
The Internet gives you a glimpse into a number of dictionaries, useful information and ideas, insight into others’ experiences, etc. It can therefore be a very useful tool for a disciplined writer. On the other hand, many writers draw attention to forms of online entertainment. On the Internet we often look at e-mail, new news, some entertainment movies, etc. This can greatly slow down our work, and we will not feel satisfied at the end of the day.
So, if you have trouble with discipline, try to avoid any distractions and always write in same time in order to teach your brain to concetrateevery day in the same time on your writing task. Once you get aquaitent with some discipline, you will be able to writte with quality whenewer you want, with the Internet or not.
Tips That Will Help You Write Better
For years I wrote and edited my work at the same time. I read this advice in a book, and it sounded stupid. Still, I tried, and it turned out to be effective. You wonder what the secret is? People use the left part of the brain for logical tasks and the right half of the brain for creativity.
By continually exchanging tasks we can not take advantage of the deeper potential of our mind. When we allow half an hour of creative writing, without any interruption, we can get deeper inspiration. Then we can spend half an hour devoting ourselves to editing the written, and with more concentration to perfect your text. So, the first tip is:
1. Write first and then edit
I advise you not to overdo it. Long attention to the same operation leads to a counter-effect. It’s a great idea for me to work on a project for about 40 minutes. I take a few minutes of well-deserved breaks and then proceed with another type of task. Try different approaches, and see what suits you.
2. Emotions
Emotions give color to your words and produce similar feelings in the readers. Some writers are afraid to express their emotions so that they do not become unprofessional or misunderstood. This is especially difficult for people who have experienced criticism. I will not lie to you, sometimes the writers are really misunderstood. Just remember that the greatest risk is when we do not risk it at all.
The importance of emotional writing can be compared with the experience of a movie. Do you want to watch an action that is completely calm and predictable? Personally, I do not think we’re watching movies and read books in order to be bored. We want to have fun, something to feel and learn.
3. Curiosity
Imagine getting a birthday gift that you have to unwrap for at least an hour. You would have been interested in what is in it, but it is very likely that you would just give up and look at the other gifts. It’s similar to the texts. Longer introductions can bother the reader, and they will give up before the story goes to an important part.
Write the most important immediately in the beginning. Let the reader experience valuable words, and wish for more. Then try to fill in the promises at the beginning of the text, and surprise your readers with something amazing.
4. Personal style
Copying the style of famous writers do not make much sense. We appreciate their works, but we are always in the search for something new and original. Gradually develop your writing style and you will succeed. Over time, your texts will be recognized even without your signature. When you succeed in doing so, do not close your mind to new ideas and changes. A good writer never stops learning, playing with his imagination, and upgrading existing skills.
Introducing Some Of Ellie Anns’ Work
I guess if I will be writing about me and my work, if I will give out advice about the writing process, career, contacts, and various tips, maybe I should first write about my inspiration. So I decided to introduce to you the work of Anns Ellie.
And just a disclaimer – she is not my only inspiration, but she is an author which work I truly love, and she is a woman that decided to write about fiction, fairy tales and thrillers just like I did. There aren’t many of us in this type of work, and I think anyone who decides to try a genre that is not standard should get quite a support.
„Breaking Steele“
This is the first book in the series and is written by Aron M. Patterson and Ellie Ann. The main character is Sarah Steel, and she is Assistant District Attorney, the youngest and hottest one yet in the courtroom. The twist is this: Sarah is a perfectly innocent successful girl that doesn’t know something quite important – she is a killer. This book is followed by „Twisting Steele” and “Melting Steele”, and all of them made a great impression on the reading public.
„The Silver Sickle“
The story is written in collaboration between Ellie Ann and Troy Aaron Ratliff. This novel is full of suspense, romance, and action. The whole story is told to us in the third person and the chapters are divided between three main characters. This innovative way of storytelling keeps readers glued to this book right until the end of it. I was personally amazed.
„Slice of Life: A multimedia Fairytale“
This was quite ambitious and large project. It is done in a collaboration between illustrators Hezekiah Jones, Theo Love, Emma Lang, Biaka Zaidarhzauva, and Gary Morgan, and between authors Lance Schaubert and Ellie Ann. It is quite an intriguing and innovative idea to combine all the multimedia in order to tell a story. This is a story comprised of illustrations and narrative, with audio and music scenes. Quite a unique experience.
„The day of screams and blood“
A great short story written solely by Ann Ellie, and it is a prologue to the next one – “The Silver Sickle”. This prequel got some amazing reviews and audience was hooked up to read the main one that goes after this. It gives beautiful backstory to the third novel from Sarah Steele saga.
If You Are Stuck While Writing
Do you like to write? Does this come naturally, just like breathing the air? Does your environment praise every e-mail or post on the blog? Then, I congratulate and salute you, because you are probably a person who in his walking state uses at least a quarter of your time to think and write.
Regardless of the fact that all the new technology began to shut down the writing as such, now we are all constantly writing something – e-mails, commentaries on Facebook and Twitter, we suffer smilies and abbreviations where we do not need it, and all of that is still not „writing“.
Although it seems at first glance that the writing of the KING of this 21st century, this true writing is not. A list for a drink or SMS is not a creative writing, such as a good blog text, story, novel, song… And it means that if your reach is a comment, like, or a text message, you are surely not a writer. But, if you write in a year like 40.000 words, then that is serious. So it means that you’re infected with a disease called creative writing. So, it means this article is for you. Here are tips and suggestions on how to start writing better. What is enough to start?
Clarity
Before you sit down to write anything, ask yourself: why do I write? What do I want to do with writing? Are you writing to treat someone? Became famous? Cradled the soul? Defeat the injustice of this world? Or to avenge your professor from the middle school, who did not want to give you more than a passing grade? Best writing always has a clear and bold intention. Think about it and dedicate yourself to it.
Get to the point
If in your writing no one can separate the head from the tail if you are constantly writing something without making clear what you wanted to say, think again and write it down short because no one will settle down to read your chaos.
Cleaning
Albert Einstein once said: “If you can not explain something to a six years old child, it means you do not understand yourself.” Imagine writing something for kindergarten children – restless, “with a lack of attention”. Try to explain to a kid what you do, for example. Practice this a bit, and you will see that the results will be surprising! Clean your language from unnecessary words, misunderstandings, and confusion.
Anger
Have you noticed that writing does not go hand in hand when you are nervous, angry when you hate someone, and when you try to squeeze out some meaningful word at all costs? Have you noticed that it never works properly? The best state for writing is to relax. Take a shower, lie in the tub, go for a walk… anything that will put you back in balance. When the body is calm, the brain works best.
What To Avoid While Writing
This is the initial mistake of the writers is lying to their audience. We all know that a good title and introduction are attracting attention, but this should not be manipulated. If you really have a good idea that attracts attention, make it thoroughly elaborated through the text. So the first thing you should be careful about as a writer is:
1. Do not lie to your readers
We can fool a reader once, but he will never trust us again and will share his negative experience with others.
2. Avoid using adjectives
Adjectives do not have the power of expressions like nouns and verbs have. Use them only when they are inevitable. So your sentences will leave a much better impression. In doing so, the most attention is paid to the following. Never use two or more adjectives in a row. Some writers thus try to strengthen the impression of the sentence, but unsuccessfully. In fact, they leave the impression of persistent sales attempts, so readers quickly lose trust and interest. See the following two examples.
3. Do not repeat what is already written
No one is interested in a text that is just spinning in loops. It’s a waste of time for writers and readers. On the other hand, a good text is always appreciated, regardless of its length.
Sometimes you will come up with great ideas, and you will want to repeat them in the text. Do not! It does not matter if you want to help readers find it essential. If the idea is good and well presented, it will be noticed. Repeating the impression of the same idea weakens it, and the whole text becomes boring.
4. Reduce your ego
I know this is easier said than done. We all have an ego, and it has its meaning. The problem is when we emphasize it too much. Readers feel it, and they often do not like it. They get the impression that we wrote more for ourselves than for them. The biggest problem arises when we place our views on others, believing that we are definitely right.
How can you notice your ego in written words? Be sure to read the text several times. I recommend doing this at different times of the day, and in different moods, so you will also notice and correct some grammatical errors. When viewing, pay attention to the word “I”. Greater expression of the ego is always accompanied by a greater occurrence of this word.
5. Reduce the use of “etc.”
It is practical to finish the sentence with this acronym. Especially when you do not know what to list more. Unfortunately, it gives the impression that you do not know enough about the topic you are writing about. Try to list the most important, and explain how to identify the rest. It generally leaves a leaves a bad impression. You are the writer of that text. If you don’t know what goes instead of “etc.” who will?
3 Reasons To Ruin Yourself As A Writer
I’ve been running away from writing for my soul all my life. I never had time. Enough loneliness. The idea that you can not live from writing can be repeated as a mantra. Part of the writing need was satisfied as a professor, a lecturer, a book event organizer, copywriter. And then my life was upside down. And now I began to write and enjoy writing. Errors were numerous, but these were the most important – they represent common illusions that will make you impossible to become a good writer. Do you recognize them?
1. It’s all up to you.
One of the most widespread deceptions is that your work depends only on you. You are convinced that writing is a form of self-expression, some kind of extension of your brain, your soul’s parts are transferred to paper. To write well, you just need to be authentic, and if they do not like that, they go upstairs.
The trouble is that here, as with all deception, there is a grain of truth. Originality is, of course, a good thing, but only to the extent that people enjoy what you are doing. To be a successful writer, you need to stop thinking about who you are and to think about what the audience wants.
2. Conquering an audience requires time
One of the last shelters for a writer struggling to survive is the idea that it is only a matter of time to acquire an audience (to be known). This sounds reasonable. Nobody became known overnight. Not even a woman who wrote Harry Potter.
True, acquiring an audience can be a very slow process, but not because people do not know who you are, or are unable to understand your ingenuity, after so many years of writing (and publishing, thank God on the internet). The right reason is that you are a beginner who is doing everything wrong, and it takes time for you to find out how things work. In other words, you do not have to wait for the world. The world is waiting for you.
3. You are convinced that you know what you are doing.
Since when you know about yourself, you wrote. However, you did not receive Pulitzer or the like, but those teachers in the primary, with all the family and friends, were stunned. Maybe you even did something for newspapers, Blog, commercials, so you have something to put in a biography. And now you’re convinced that it makes you different.
Hmmm. I will never stop wondering how many writers live in this belief. They quite sincerely think that knowing all the letters, grammar, and fake smiles of friends and family, are enough to be good writers. It’s not like that. The difference in writing for friends, and the writing of glory and recognition throughout the world, is like heaven and earth. You need to dedicate years of living and working to perfect your pen, and even then it’s not certain if a good writer will come from you.
11 Reasons To See Age Of Ultron
First, to know, I give this iconic movie 7/10. I greatly enjoyed it and highly recommend it!
*spoilers.
*like, not joking, this is laden with heavy spoilers that will sour your viewing experience as fast as a botulism outbreak spoils your appetite for chicken nuggets.
#11: Good Soundtrack.
It was the only thing I thought was missing from the first Avengers. Danny Elfman uses a full, classical orchestra to nail the simultaneously epic themes with personal solo themes for some of the characters. Phenomenal tension building. It is quite epic and makes the movie more complete.
#10: A heartfelt romance.
I thought the most sincere scene in the movie was between Banner and Romanoff at the farm. The script nailed everything that was supposed to be said, and the actors NAILED everything that couldn’t be said. Out of anyone in the team, I saw those two connecting on a not-work level and it was so satisfying and sweet when they did. Loved her pick up lines, too.
P.S. If only the stupid, “you’re not the only monster on the team,” had been left out of that conversation…as if being sterile was why she thought she was a monster…I loved everything about that conversation except that conclusion. But I can still love it for what it is and just pretend she never said that at the end. 😉
#9: Brilliant Intros.
The beginning was my favorite fight scene. The intro to Ultron was my favorite of his scenes. The intro to The Vision was my favorite scene in the movie. Joss is a mastermind at creating team chemistry and connecting all you need to know about a character in their first scene. Setting their ‘mood.’ Introductions are the most important part of storytelling because people won’t give you a second chance if you don’t have them hooked. In the first 20 minutes, I loved everything, from the easy banter between the team to the fast-paced action to the plan on how to get inside the bunker and steal the object. He captured me deftly.
We often see in movies that people drag the story, making it hard to concentrate on something that seems not that important, or already seen. But here, everything is given to you right when you need it. You are not bored, you are not angry and too hungry for more because someone dragged the story. No. You have everything you need and a great reason to want it more – it was awesome!
#8: Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff.
She’s the superhero I love to see. Cunning, independent, talented, sharp, humble, confident, beautiful, and baton-wielding. When she spoke, people listened.
The only brilliant thing that was missing was another woman to balance her out…which I thought Scarlet Witch was going to be. I thought Scarlet Witch would be weird, quirky, primal, joyous…kinda like a superhero Luna Lovegood. Not sure what her character was. But Natasha’s so cool she can carry the whole movie by herself. Can’t wait to see her solo film!
Needs a Cape, right?
#7: Seeing each Avenger use their powers.
Thor did something only Thor could do. It was smart. Hawkeye’s character was developed and he was used in a way that no one else could (and did you notice the two people he honors with his son’s name?) The characters were settled into their powers and knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses. That’s fun to watch.
#6: Getting the Civilians to Safety.
When the climax comes, the goal is not to KILL ANTAGONIST, the stated goal (and the one they spend the most screen time on) was getting civilians to safety. It was humane and very relatable.
#5: Humor.
I can’t wait to watch it again because I probably missed half the quips because I was laughing at the last one.
#4: Action.
The pacing in the action scenes was different. Not the movie’s strength, but it didn’t pull it down either. And some shots were spectacular. It was sometimes hard to follow and the structure was off. But when it was on it was on. If you’re a fan of great CGI action then you’ll love it.
#3: Iron Man/Tony Stark.
Everything that I love about the Avengers is wrapped up in RDJ. He’s brilliant. Couldn’t have enjoyed his character any more than I did in this movie. From creating “his girl Friday,” to the Archie reference when he created Veronica, I want to be him when I grow up.
#2: Crazy silly comic book plot.
Everything from the prophetic visions to the mysterious spirit water to the ability for a human to take a punch is straight out of the unbelievable fairy tale land of comics. It completely embraced the world without guile and every viewer needed to accept it all or you couldn’t accept anything.
#1: The Vision.
He’s my favorite part of the movie. He had gorgeous lines in the movie and he was gorgeous to watch. Intriguing. New. And had a killer introduction. I can’t wait to see more of him in the Marvel World!
9 Reasons You Should See Guardians Of The Galaxy
#1: So many metaphor jokes and hyperboles I could die of happiness.
Guardians of the Galaxy’s major strength is that it makes you laugh out loud. There’s something hilarious and zany in almost every scene. They were not afraid to be ridiculous. Occasionally it tries too hard but most of the time it nails joke after joke. James Gunn and Nicole Perlman (writers) let go of trying to make their characters cool–they wanted them funny.
It’s way harder to write comedy than drama. You can spend all day writing an angry character, it is quite harder to write a clever one.Each character had some funny quirks. Drax took everything literally, to my great amusement. Quill and Drax’s metaphor jokes made me laugh so hard my sides hurt.
#2: Surprised by wonder.
When I went in I expected it to be funny, to have great FX, to have a coherent plot and cool action. I didn’t expect it to be beautiful. GoG created a world, then stopped to look around and appreciate it. They took the time to develop some imagery that was laced with wonder and sweetness. They usually involve Groot.
#3: The Antagonists
The moment each villain was introduced I did an under-the-breath fangirl squee. Wait, that’s a lie. When they showed Ronan I gasped and gripped Eden’s hand and loud-whispered, “He’s awesome!”. Ronan could just stand there and look amazing–Nebula’s eyes were like a galaxy–Yondu’s personality quirks and softness for Quill made him instantly interesting, The Collector was just as weird and creepy as he should be, and Thanos…well, he was worth the wait.
Note: in the original comics Yondu Udonta was a Guardian of the Galaxy. He was a blue-skinned “noble savage” from Centauri-IV, the last of his kind.
#4: Gadgets
From the whistling arrow (BEST!) to magnetic booby traps, to the ship Milano (named after Peter Quill’s childhood crush), to the infinity stone, to dogs in astronaut suits, to the Xandarian barrier–this movie has cool toys.
#5: Character arcs
You know in some action movies they introduce a team, and the only difference between the characters are that they specialize in different weapons?
THE MARTIAL ARTIST. THE MARKSMAN. THE MUSCLE. THE TECH DUDE. THE THIEF. GUY WITH BIG GUN.
Yeah, they’re all the same.
GoG is not like that. Each person is unique and flawed, bringing their prejudices and history with them. It messes things up, embarrasses them, and they have to deal with it. They don’t band together because they’re a team, they do it because they need friends. “We’re all losers,” Peter Quill says. Rocket growls.
“I mean,” Quill continues. “We’ve all lost something.”
It’s awesome to see how much they find.
#6: Action
It’s a cross between Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Great action, with creative (and often funny) weapons and setting. Super well paced. You will be amazed when you finally see it. I don’t know when was the last time I witnessed something like that!
#7: Unique Yet Familiar
GoG kept a really strict action-adventure structure. Intro to protag, inciting an incident, option to back out, stakes deepen, three victorious actions, faces antagonist and loses, all hell falls on head, darkest moment, faces antagonist and wins … just like all action movies are supposed to go. So as I watched I felt safe knowing what was going to happen next, it was familiar, in a good way, like my favorite sweater. The plot was simple.
But things within the structure were unique–the band of misfits, the epic backstories, the humor, the settings… all of that which made it into a film that flew by. I never once thought about when it’d be done or was pulled out of the world because of a plot-hole, something that has been quite rare lately. But both The Winter Soldier and GoG had very well developed, simple plots that let the creators do a lot within the constraints of a familiar structure.
#8: No homeland
I love that the Guardians weren’t protecting Xander because it was their homeland. They were protecting it because they were compassionate and knew it was right. The 12 percent of a planned scene really heightened each character’s arc.
#9: Groot
Come for Rocket…stay for Groot. Ents in space! What more could you ask for? “I AM GROOT.”
BONUS #10: ALL THE 80’S REFERENCES AND MUSIC YOU COULD EVER ASK FOR!
You will be amused by all the things they actually thought off when they were making this move. It is unbelievable! It made me happy, it made me laugh, it made me think of the stuff I forgot long ago but was actually interesting and clever. You wouldn’t believe what they did and made!
The Real Iron Throne, Interview With Artist Marc Simonetti
Anyone that ever read or saw Game of Thrones, knows all about the Iron Throne. It is the most wanted thing – the seat of a true king. Also, it is quite well known that the writer of the book series George Martin said a lot of times, that the artist Marc Simonetti was the only one who presented the Iron Throne the same way the famous writer sees it – massive, asymmetric and ugly.
We are proud to present you with an interview I did with the artist Marc Simonetti. We are talking about a professional and famous artist whose work can be found in various video games, films, publishing and producing companies. So, here it goes…
Did you ever and would you fantasize about sitting on or possessing the Iron Throne by yourself?
Hahaha… No thank you (he smiles). That is an uncomfortable thing and there is only a small group of people build that way – to survive and enjoy something like that. For me, the chair in my office is just fine.
How much time does it take to fully complete one painting?
It depends on the sole painting. It is not just the question of its size or the number of elements that will be represented in the painting. It is about the simplicity of the work itself, materials, tools, how much layers there is… The painting can be done in three days but the sketches that are done before, and finishing touches after, they can take weeks.
How do you manage to stay creative on your job?
I really think that is pure luck. All the projects I did, they weren’t just a job – I really felt them. All the work I did came from my mind, heart, love, and passion. I had so much fun and I truly believed in the work I did and in other people and ideas that were behind that work.
What’s your favorite color?
I don’t have one. Every one is beautiful in its own way. Ok, maybe just maybe violet.
Introducing Tale Of Frida
We are proud to introduce a new fairy tale horror digital comic “Tale of Frida”. It is an art piece created with great care and passion. The setup of this story is done quite simple and beautiful. The story revolves around a naive country girl that is scarred as a child, marked by a Lycan. She is quite determined to find a cure for her disease. The storyline follows her magnificent journey led by her determination to find her true calling in this messy, confused world full of unexplainable things, beings and events. In the same time, she is searching for a cure.
The story is set in Europe around the year of 1560 – a period of great instability in the Christian world, and a flourishing period in the art world. The period in which story is set is communicating beautifully with the narrative. We did our best to make our (anti)heroes and other characters in this story multidimensional, with a full personality and character traits. The artwork fits perfectly and it gave key pieces to this story, making our Tale of Frida beautifully whole and complete. The whole team is really proud of the job we did because it was done through love, passion, creativity, and professionalism. For all of you that are searching for something innovative and creative, but in the same time somewhat minimalistic, in the sense that we tried to keep the storyline fresh and clear of all the standard plots you can find, and other complications that are commonly used, we recommend you our Tale of Frida and we are quite hoping you will fully enjoy.
Tale of Frida is created by magnificent Alexis Alarcon, it is written by Alexis and myself, and the incredible artwork is done by the famous artist, our dear, and friend Nelson. It is an enhanced digital comic by Motionworks Entertainment. Tale of Frida is coming out this Fall so don’t miss it because we truly believe it will be something worth your time. The whole team behind this work is quite interested to hear all of your impressions about this work, so feel free to tell us once you read it.
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