Wow, Thursday again. The days are blending into one another and I'm lucky to keep up with where I am. How about you? How are you doing? I think this week's question is one that could cause some anxiety, but I'm going to answer it anyway... Ready?

If I looked into your fridge right now, what would I find?

Let's see...cheese, Roger's salami, milk, orange juice, eggs, guacamole, sour cream, Roger's yogurt, and a store brand pizza. I think that's about it. I know that there's no hamburger or other meats.

It's not perfect, but at least it's not penguins eating tacos!






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Hi, all! Long time no Wordsmith Wednesday, eh? There's lots of life that's been happening, but I am so, so pleased to be back this week to tell you about a course that I just finished. As in, I finished it less than an hour ago. It was the Write a Novel course put together by Russell Nohelty of The Complete Creative.

As someone who has read a lot of novels, has proofread/edited quite a few novels, and has even helped write a couple of novels, I wasn't sure if this was the course for me, but when I was asked if I'd be willing to beta it, I couldn't find one good reason to say no. It turns out that I'm very glad that I said yes.

Russell's course is broken down into 7 modules with each module having multiple videos covering different subtopics within each one. I loved this format because it allowed me to take the course over multiple days, stopping and starting where I needed to. The videos ranged from about 5 minutes to 20 minutes. For those of us with crazy lives, this is such a fantastic way to be able to learn without feeling as if you're missing out on something.

At the end of the course, Russell provides multiple resource downloads, including an outline one that I can guarantee that I'm going to find insanely valuable as I continue to write the final book in The Tether Saga.

Now, like any true review, let's break it down...

The Good:
I love the multiple video format. Like I said above, it makes it so easy to watch whenever you can steal a few minutes from your day. On top of that, Russell breaks everything down in a clear, concise manner. Every time I had a question, he answered it in the video before I even had a chance to jot it down to ask him later about. I came away feeling as if I had really learned and to me, that's the true value in something like this.

The Bad:
Russell covers a lot of material in this course, including his entire process, editing/finding an editor, but the one thing that he didn't mention and that I think would be a valuable addition would be a segment regarding covers. Perhaps where to find covers and things of that nature.

The Summary:
I believe that Russell is launching this course at an insanely reasonable $47. For that price, you get over 2 hours of instructional video and honestly, outside of the editor module (which I didn't need since that's one of my many hats that I wear), there wasn't a single video/module that I didn't get something from. I honestly believe that this is a course that any writer can gain some valuable knowledge and insight from. My suggestion? This is a great course to get a lot of knowledge as well as a feeling for his other, more expensive courses. Go sign up now!

To check out this fantastic course, just click the words sign up now.

Edit: I just found out from Russell that this course is FREE until March 15th when the price will go up to the $47 that I mentioned earlier. Do NOT miss out on this opportunity!

More Edit: Since I wrote this, Russell has added sections on book formatting, covers, and blurbs!





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Writing Tools - Image Courtesy of Bas Bleu

I have a confession to make. Life scooped me up this past week and I didn't get a chance to do any educational reading! So, instead of a book review for this week, I want to share some of the tools that may help with your own writing.

1. Write or Die - This isn't one that I use myself, but I know a few people that do. Essentially, it's a way to set a word/time goal for yourself and if you make it, you're rewarded and if you don't, you can set up punishments.

2. Words to Use Instead of Said - There is absolutely nothing wrong with using the word said, but if it's starting to feel as if that's all you use, why not mix it up a bit? I've found this list to be incredibly useful when I'm stuck in the said rut.

3. Story Structure - Are you looking for a story structure chart to help you outline that new book or story? This one has just about anything you could ever ask for.

4. Know Your Characters - It's important to know and understand your characters. How else are you going to know if something is in or out of character for them? I've found that a really fun way to get to know each one is to interview them. Check out this link for a set of interview questions that can get you started!

5. Editing Challenge - You've written the book. Maybe you've participated in NaNoWriMo. Now what? It's time for editing. If you have no idea where to start, this 30 Day Editing Challenge may be just what you need.






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