Easy-Bake Writing

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          Hello! I’m Matt! And this is my Morning Mix. One of the most important things about being a writer is knowing yourself. While some writers prefer silence, I prefer sound. I enjoy writing in the mornings when the world is asleep. I grab a cup of coffee, turn on MTV music videos and write from 5 a.m.-8 a.m. I am currently working on two different forms of writing. I have my second novel in the series for Irish Town. I am also working on a memoir.

            I call this Morning Mix because part of writing is freedom. Let your mind wander. You are a part of a writing community that writes early in the morning. You will be writing with me and if you subscribe to my email, you can contact me with questions or comments. I will be available in the mornings. I will be working with you. Enjoy my writing space!

 

Writing Music Right Now!

-Halsey

-Selena Gomez

-Maria Cabello

 

Types of Writing

-Fiction (Imaginary)

            Flash (Short, like really short, stories. 500-100 word stories)

Short Story (There is no set length. The reader must be able to read it in one sitting.)

            Novella (15,000-40,000 words)

            a. Picture Book (300-500 words)

            b. Middle Grade (150-200 pgs.)

            c. Young Adult (150-250 pgs.)

            d. New Adult (150-300 pgs.)

            e. Literary (This is heavy intellectual stuff, so there isn’t a page count)

- Creative Non-Fiction (Real)

            a. Personal Essay (Your life- Get Real!)

            b. Memoir (If you’re going to recall your life, pick interesting events)

-Non-Fiction (Real)

          a. Essay (Health Books are booming right now! Everyone is a hot mess)

 

Easy Bake Writing Secrets

-Start with an inciting incident. Most readers give up on a book 5-10 pages in.

-Use dialogue (characters talking) to drive forward your plot.

            i.e. DON’T: “How are you?”
                 DO: “My mom died in those clothes.”

-Write interesting characters. Sometimes a simple story can be made awesome by just its characters. Make it so the reader feels forced to know what happens to your characters.

-Know your audience. Know whom you’re writing for. Every writer will tell you they’re writing for themselves, and that may be for a select few, but most writers want their voice to be heard. Think hard about whom you want to be writing for.

-Less is more. Simply, don’t walk the dog. One of the hardest things about writing is the description. How much is too much? Does it affect the pace? How do I want the reader to feel? Etc. Truth is, you want your events to be small, but not too small, don’t walk the dog. 

            i.e. DON’T- “The flowers smelled of perfume. The baby was sleeping. The parents were sleeping. The dog was walking through the house.”

                  DO- “The house smelled of perfume, while the family slept. The only soul moving in the house was the dog.”

-NO ADVERBS! Any word that ends with an “ly” DO NOT use. It’s lazy writing.

            i.e. DON’T- “The dog walked slowly.”

            i.e. DO- “The dog crept with each toe making sure he wasn’t heard.”

-A novel is a series of short stories with the same characters and themes. Just connect a bunch of short stories.

-Set realistic expectations (15 min/day)