Jane Austen Addict Blog

Writing Tips from Fitzgerald, Ishiguro, and Vonnegut

If you're feeling stuck or just craving inspiration, or if you'd love to get a peek at the creative process of a favorite author, these are for you, thanks to 1st Books* and Boing Boing: 

8 Writing tips from F. Scott Fitzgerald (courtesy of 1st Books*) 

My favorite of Fitzgerald's: “I think it’s a pretty good rule not to tell what a thing is about until it’s finished. If you do you always seem to lose some of it. It never quite belongs to you so much again.” Read the rest of his tips here.

6 Writing tips from Kazuo Ishiguro (also courtesy of 1st Books*)

My favorite of Ishiguro's: “Focus on the relationship, and the characters will take care of themselves." Read the rest of his tips here.

8 Writing tips from Kurt Vonnegut (courtesy of Boing Boing)

My favorite of Vonnegut's: "Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them–in order that the reader may see what they are made of." Read (or hear; they have the audio!) the rest of his tips here. 

*I recently discovered 1st Books, and I LOVE this blog. It's all about writing, and it's filled with inspiring pieces about the creative process. 1st Books is hosted by New York Times best-selling author Meg Waite Clayton.

 

Writing With Power, Thanks to Wonder Woman (and Amy Cuddy).

After the New York Times recently profiled Amy Cuddy's famous TED talk on "power posing," I followed in the footsteps of 4 million other folks and watched it. And it is brilliant. 

The big takeaway is one of those rare things: It's not just a quick fix: it is a profound practice that creates instant results.

Here it is, the "Wonder Woman" power pose that everyone should do two minutes a day. And especially before any situation in which your work or who you are or how you present yourself is to be evaluated by others. You'll walk in feeling confident, powerful, the master of your world.

But how about those times when it's your own inner critic that does the evaluating? I've been doing the Wonder Woman pose before sitting down to work on my novel, and I'm happy to report that it's very effective.

I'm thinking of trying the costume as well.

[photo from Harvard Business School hbs.edu]

Holiday Readathon Challenge + Giveaway!

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winner: Michelle of The True Book Addict! Thanks to everyone who entered, and happy holidays to all.

At this time of year, it is easy to get caught up in stress. At this time of year, it is easy to forget that this time of year is really all about love. To help me remember, I turn to my favorite books and films. They melt away my stress and affirm my faith in love.

During the holidays, what is your go-to book or film for affirming your faith in love? 

Your answer could win you signed copies of both of my Austen Addict novels. 

Leave your answer in the comments below.

Tweet your answer @austen_addict for an extra chance to win.

This  giveaway is international. 

Here are just of a few of my go-to's for affirming my faith in love:

• PERSUASION by Jane Austen, the novel and the film starring Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root
• PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen, the novel and the miniseries starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle 
• NORTHANGER ABBEY by Jane Austen, the novel and the film starring Felicity Jones and JJ Feild
• LOVE ACTUALLY, the film starring Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, and many more
• BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, the film starring Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers
• NOTTING HILL, the film starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.

What are yours? Enter your answer below, tweet for another chance, and good luck!

Go to WhoRuBlog, sign up for the Holiday Readathon, and enter a lot more giveaways!

(If anyone encounters a glitch while posting a comment, please contact me at laurieATjaneaustenaddict.com)

The Holiday Readathon is almost here!

Can you believe it's that time again? The annual Holiday Readathon, hosted by WhoRuBlog, is all about celebrating the joy of reading and sharing that happiness with others. Plus there are tons of prizes you can win.

Sign up for the fun at WhoRublog. Be inspired. Answer the mini-challenges of participating guest authors and bloggers. I'll be participating and doing a giveaway, too, so stay tuned...