An Introduction

Hello! My name is Gracie, and this is the Writer’s Corner.

Like so many of you, I have dreams of becoming a published author. Since I was a child, I’ve been scribbling away at blank pages, killing pens left and right… and giving myself a pretty bad case of tendinitis.

But medical bills aside, now that I’m older, I’ve come to the realization that man cannot write in a vacuum. As much as we all hate to think about it, no artist can simply pound away at shadowy keyboards and expect to pop out the next great American classic. We need editors and insight; people to point out mangled sentences and gaping plot holes. It’s for these reasons that I decided to create this blog.

Now, I’m no J.K. Rowling. I haven’t gotten anything published, nor have I done anything to deserve great praise. But you know what, that’s okay. That just means that I’m like the rest of you: I’m still learning. This will be a blog for aspiring authors, by aspiring authors; a place we can all come together and talk about our love of the craft, and what tools we can use to improve our use of it.

So, what exactly can you except from this blog? Well, we’ll be covering three main points:

1.     What good writing looks like, and what steps you can take to improve your own

2.     How to attack writing various topics and genres

3.     Where to find markets that are looking to publish the kind of work you want to write

There will also be frequent book reviews and recommendations from any and every kind of genre. And while most of these books will be those I think will enlighten and inspire, I’ll also be pointing you in the direction of reference material I think will help you perfect your craft.

But, most importantly, there are going to be writing challenges.

Each Monday, I’ll be post a challenge. This might be anything from writing a short story, giving your top secret manuscript to a friend, or just doing some good, old fashioned research. You and I will have seven days to complete it, after which I’ll be submitting my work to Deviantart. While you don’t have to do the same, I highly recommend making an account if you have not already done so. Though literature based accounts aren’t the most popular, the site is a great place to find new friends and to get good feedback on your work. For those of you who already have an account, feel free to send me a Note at throntre.deviantart.com! I’ll be sure to watch you, and to help give you feedback on your latest work!

So come and join me in the Writer’s Corner. We may have some laughs, and hopefully a few adventures. And maybe, just maybe, we can help get each other published.