To have and to hold, for better or for worse …

I spent eighteen years as a professional dog walker, before retiring in the autumn of 2024. During that time, ‘technology’ continued to leap forward in great bounds like a playful golden retriever. However, it made no odds to my daily working life, other than my being able to order a delivered lunchtime pizza from my phone. *

*(This is mentioned for illustrative purposes only – there was no way I could afford pizza for lunch. And anyway, have you ever eaten pizza in front of several slavering dogs with pleading eyes? That’s one big guilt-trip right there.)

However, if you count my wee writing hobby as a ‘job’ – a very poorly paid, but fun ‘job’ – then I’d have to say technology in recent years has made a big difference.

For a start, technology has made me lazy. And for all its time-saving advantages, it has in many ways actually presented more time-related pressures.

Artificial Intelligence is wonderful, up to a point. I refuse point blank to use it for actually writing the content of this blog (it’s kinda obvious, isn’t it? 😉 ) or my attempts at books. However, what it does give me, is the ability to create wee, amusing cartoons and a programme that highlights over-use of certain words, punctuation errors and the like.

AI also helps big-time in research. For example, last week I disappeared down a rabbit hole of discovering what would be involved in inheriting a haveli in Rajasthan: what would be the tax implications; what grant funding would be available; the size of inner courtyards – all that sort of malarky. (Stay tuned, folks for my first attempt at a published novel. 😉 )

However, to a degree, I do miss spending my day in the Reference section of a large city library, poring through books to enhance my knowledge. And perversely, I feel compelled to use all that time saved by cramming more ‘stuff,’ more deadlines into my waking hours. I’m not really one for daytime television.

And … duh! ‘Technology’ has afforded me the privilege of entertaining you for these past couple of minutes.

But for every ying, there’s a yang. And that means you’ve just wasted another two minutes of your valuable time in reading this nonsense.

Never mind, time-saving ‘technology’ will help you balance it all out in the end.

🙂

Most fantasy worlds look cool.
Very few feel real.
Here’s how to create an immersive world your readers can truly experience—using the Greystar Universe as an example. 🧵
#FantasyWriting #Worldbuilding #Fantasy #FantasyAuthors #WritingTips #CreativeWriting #FantasyWorld #BookWriting #WritersLife

https://bmallane.com/how-to-build-a-fantasy-world-that-feels-real-greystar-universe-guide/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Do you have a book idea that's just begging to be written, but the writing itself feels daunting? A ghostwriter can transform your concept into a complete manuscript, and you keep all the rights! It's a great way to get your story out there. Learn more: hmdpublishing.com/services/ghostwriting #ghostwriting #selfpublishing #indieauthor #writingcommunity #bookwriting

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ահա և Սուֆրաների կերպարը, շատ սիրուն ստացել ա

առաջին նկարում Սթիվի կերպարն ա, երկրորդում Լյուսիի(դիմագծերը էդքան էլ նման չի էղել բայց կերպարը շատ նման ա)

#theHiddenDragon #bookwriting #book

մոտավոր ստացել եմ Անտոյի կերպարը, երկրորդ նկարը կապ չունի, էդ նկարում պարզապես շատ լավ ստացվել ա Անտոների աչքերի գույնը, դրա համար եմ էդ շեյր անում
Առաջին նկարում էլ Էրիկայի կերպարն ա ։Դ

#bookwriting #book #theHiddenDragon

How I Wrote My First Novel

Maybe it's not great art, but it was a lot of fun and I learned many things. Continue reading on The Writing Cooperative »
https://writingcooperative.com/how-i-wrote-my-first-novel-cf6e5d15db8

#novel #books #bookwriting #writingtips #novelwriting

What is the best way to find like-minded people on mastodon?

talk to me about #moderncouples #relationships #bookwriting #author #publisher #modernlove #lovelanguages #consciousrelating

Ever Wanted to Tell Your Story?
https://wp.me/p84YjG-a4d
#writingabook #writestory #authorlife #creativewriting #writersofinstagram #writingtips #aspiringauthor #bookwriting #tellyourstory

https://zsoltzsemba.com/ever-wanted-to-tell-your-story/

Ever Wanted to Tell Your Story? But Don’t Know How?

Ever wanted to tell your story?

Not the polite version you tell people when they ask how life is going.
Not the edited version you share online.
The real one. The one that stays with you when everything is quiet.

Most people carry a story like that.

Very few ever write it.

They convince themselves their story is not interesting enough.
That it is too small.
That someone else has lived it better.
That it is already too late.

That belief stops more books from being written than lack of talent ever will.

If you have ever thought, “one day I should write this down,” then you already understand something important. You know stories matter. You just do not know how to start or how to keep going once doubt shows up.

That is where most people get stuck.

They wait for confidence.
They wait for motivation.
They wait for the perfect moment.

That moment never arrives.

What actually works is having a clear method you can rely on even when you do not feel creative. A way to move forward that does not depend on mood or inspiration.

That is why I put my writing process into a practical guide.

I did not create it as theory. I created it because I kept meeting people who wanted to write a book and had no structure. They had ideas scattered across notebooks and notes apps. They had strong emotions and no clear direction. They started chapters and never finished them.

This guide shows you how I actually write books from beginning to end.

You start with inspiration, but you do not stay there.

You learn how to turn an idea into a working title.
You learn how to build characters that stay consistent.
You learn how to map a story without killing creativity.
You learn how to write forward instead of rewriting the same chapter forever.
You learn how to finish.

The guide includes worksheets that force clarity. Not vague prompts. Real questions that make you define your story and your characters, so you stop drifting halfway through.

One of the core ideas I teach is allowing yourself to write into difficult corners. Real stories are not neat. They create problems that force decisions. That is where voice and honesty appear.

Most people quit right before that point.

You do not need permission to tell your story. You do not need validation. You need a method that keeps you moving when doubt shows up.

Doubt always shows up.

The difference between writers and everyone else is not talent. It is finishing.

If you are tired of thinking about writing a book and ready to actually write one, this guide will help you do it.

You can find the full writing guide here:

https://payhip.com/b/1S5r6

Read what is inside. Look at the structure. Imagine where you could be if you stopped waiting and started writing.

Your story does not need to be perfect. It needs to exist.

And you are the only one who can write it.

A KEYWORDS
write your story, how to write a book, writing your life story, beginner writing guide, storytelling, creative writing, writing process, author advice, write a memoir, writing ins

writingabook #writestory #authorlife #creativewriting #writersofinstagram #writingtips #aspiringauthor #bookwriting #tellyourstory