Category: Creative Writing

Advice and guidance for creative writing

Screenwriting Grammar Mistakes article photo
Advice, Creative Writing, Grammar, Screenwriting

7 Common Grammar Mistakes

Phil Owens

Ensuring your writing is grammatically correct can be a huge irritation and a time-eating monster, or it can be costly to pay someone to do it for you. Do you really need to make sure each and every sentence complies with grammar rules?

YES, YOU DO! At least, you do if you want to be taken seriously as an author or screenwriter. The reason for grammar (and punctuation) rules is for clarity. Without them, what we think we’ve written could be read as something entirely different. Here’s an example of why the good old Oxford comma is important (contentious, I know);

“We had a party with the dogs, Taylor Swift and Justin Beiber.”
Or, “We had a party with the dogs, Taylor Swift, and Justin Beiber.” Note the additional comma.

The first sentence can be read that Taylor Swift and Justin Beiber are dogs, while the second one clearly states that the two pop stars were at the party with the dogs. Of course, if what you meant was to express your opinion of the two pop stars, then the first sentence is entirely correct.

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Advice, Creative Writing, Screenwriting

How To Write Show Vs. Tell

Phil Owens

“Show, don’t tell” must be one of the most often heard pieces of advice writers hear. But what on earth does it really mean? I think it’s easier to start with an example; “John felt scared,” is a perfect example of ‘telling.’ The same thing but done as ‘showing’ would be, “John cowered.” By using the second example, you are showing the reader how John felt; it puts a picture in the reader’s head. And, this is the golden rule to try and follow. Continue reading “How To Write Show Vs. Tell” →

Freelance working photo
Advice, Creative Writing

Upwork Dissected – A Personal Review

Phil Owens

After emigrating from the UK to Italy in April 2015 I needed to find work, and it wasn’t long before I discovered the Remote Working websites. There seem to be hundreds of these sites, but I found there were only a few that didn’t cost money to apply for work and were useful. These days, I have a stream of regular work from my long-term clients, but when I’m bored and looking for a gig, I have a look through Upwork.

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Marketing for your book photo
Advice, Creative Writing

Marketing Plan For Your Book

Phil Owens

Marketing is probably the most important thing for you to do, apart from actually writing something that is. You can write a hundred books, and even get them placed on Amazon, and other online stores, but unless you actually tell people they are there, you’re not going to get many visitors.

You need to be thinking about this a good few months before your book hits the shelves. I use the What, How, and Where Plan for my marketing:

What are my objectives?
How am I going to achieve these?
Where am I going to market?
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Advice, Creative Writing, Screenwriting

Screenwriting And Creative Writing Competitions

Phil Owens

Writing and Scriptwriting Competition LogoI’m very happy to announce the launch of a new Competitions section on Cyber Write. I’ve been working hard in the background and combing the internet to find details of lots of competitions for both Authors and Screenwriters.  This section, in its nature, is very much a work in progress, and I will be adding both screenwriting and creating writing competitions as I become aware of them.

As a writer, entering competitions is a great way to hone your craft, and winning one (or even being a finalist) gets you great exposure. Getting to the finalist’s stage is something you can add to your resume, which helps get your manuscript/script noticed. That’s not to mention some of the fantastic prizes you can win, many of which simply aren’t available to unpublished writers.

If you know of any competitions that you would like to recommend, then please let me know. And if you host a competition and would like me to feature it in the calendar, then drop me a line.

 

What type of editor photo
Advice, Creative Writing

The Different Types Of Editing Roles

Phil Owens

With more and more independent writers publishing their work in electronic form, the old traditional publishing roles have become somewhat blurred. Proofreading is one of those roles that now seems to cover all sorts of disciplines from simple spell-checking to full-blown editing.

Many independent authors are wary of employing an editor for fear of losing ownership of their book. In reality, the opposite is true. Working with a good editor will ensure that your “voice” stands out clearly while making sure that your story flows to the best of its ability.

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Writing a book photo
Advice, Creative Writing

So, You’re Thinking of Writing a Book

Phil Owens

You have an idea for a brilliant book in your head, and it won’t go away. When you tell your friends about it, they all say you should get it written and published. So, what’s next? How do you get from an idea to publishing a book that people want to buy? Hopefully, this and my other articles will help you achieve just that.

The following is by no means the only way of doing things, there are others, many, in some cases, that work just as well. But one thing I soon discovered when I first started writing was that trying to absorb too many techniques into your process is a sure-fire way to get confused and frustrated. You’re a lot better off trying a method and seeing if it works for you. If it doesn’t, then move onto the next one. You won’t be completely wasting your time, as each time you try a new technique, it will help you expand your storyline.

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