Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog

Today we look at writing advice from Wilkins MacQueen - a cherished subscriber - who already knew exactly what she needed to do - even when she was seeking guidance from myself and others.   She says: "You have to understand as writers our sense of what works and doesn't is our best quality/judge. And at the end, what three things do you want to leave the readers with, giving them the great "aaaahhhh" finish? Satisfaction, that's what we need to deliver. What ending is the only possible ending? What have the forgoing 80 odd thousand words that lead to it pointed to, and won't disappoint those who traveled with you word by word this far. Make it worth the read."   What To Do When You're Nearly Ready To Set Your Writing Free Rob Parnell Most writers get nervous when they're just about to send out their work. It's natural to fear rejection, criticism - even praise. Many writers actually never get to ...

There's a lot of crass and simplistic nonsense about writing articles on the Net. Most of this information comes from self serving marketing wannabes who want you to believe that by using their system you will become rich overnight.  The reality is, of course, quite different. If you're interested in writing articles for profit, the first thing you must do is forget about the Internet .  The pay for Internet articles is either negligible or in most cases, non-existent. The only way to make (a dribble of) money writing articles for the Net is to crank out about ten a day - which some people actually do for a while - but this is not something most writers would regard as fair or fulfilling work. No, much better is to target good old fashioned magazines and newspapers. Okay, so it's harder to get in, but not quite as hard as you...

A week is a long time on the Internet. Seems like ages since I last did a newsletter. Can't believe it was only last Friday! They say there's a recession on - again.  All the more reason to start your writing career - and make a few more pennies to  keep the Big Bad Wolf from the door... Click on the Mark Timlin book to discover how a bestselling author writes novels easily and quickly to live the dream lifestyle! THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE: 11 Great Reasons to be a Writer Rob Parnell Today I thought I'd outline the perks associated with living the writer's life. Some of them are obvious but others less so. 1. You Get Your Name in Print Obvious. The career writer knows that many people spend their entire lives trying to get to this, stage one, of the writer's life.  You never take it for granted. It's what you slave for, yes, it's what you want but, more, what you really want is your writing in print. Having y...

I made the video below this week - as part of Write On . Robyn thought it was so good, I should upload it separately. Enjoy!  Go here for the Writing the Thriller course Why Fiction Matters Rob Parnell There are some strange folks out there who don’t like fiction. Or rather, they say they don't like it - which suggests to me three things. Either they're just not crazy about reading - or they have no need for an active imagination - or that they just don’t understand the purpose of fiction. Of course there will always be those who don't empathize with fictional characters.  Some people don't like watching movies - although they're clearly a minority - and may be psychotic! Some people say they never read fiction because it's not true, so there's no point. To any budding novelist this attitude is as heinous as it is incomprehensible.  My dad for one thinks that novels are too hard to follow so he never both...

Achieving what you want is made possible - or impossible - depending on what you know, what you think you know - and where you are on your path towards success. What follows is a guide to how to identify where you are on the 'wisdom cycle' that defines your relationship with your current goal. Knowing exactly where you stand will often help you! 1. Genesis & Generation This is where you first get the idea. It's fresh. It's inspired. It's all perfectly possible. Hold on to this moment. Enjoy the feeling of it because it rarely comes back with such intensity. It's the time when a novel - any big project - seems more than doable - so easy in fact it already exists! It's the time when, despite all outward appearances or reality, absolutely anything is possible. Use this first phase to dream - and dream big. See yourself in the position of power and success that...