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11 Tips To Write Better

3/6/2015

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Was one of your new years resolutions was to write more or writing something? How are you getting on, over six months into the year?

Here are my top 11 tips on how to improve your ability, content, style and voice. 
  1. Count your adjectives and don't overdo it. Seeing excessive use of description words in a simple sentence is real pet peeve of mine!  "Her long, dark, curly hair..." Eurgh, enough! This is my favourite tip, I can't stop thinking about it when I write!
  2. Find time to write regularly. You'll soon get into the swing of it. 
  3. Connect with other writers. Whether it's through a writing group, on Twitter, through a pen pal arrangement, an online critique forum, get networking. You can share ideas, tips, understanding of the trials of our lonely craft, and make some friends for life. 
  4. Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS, as my school teacher used to say). Tight writing is clearer and easier to read. Make sure only the words you need are on the page. 
  5. Avoid cliches. This is a hard one, but an important one. If you're not sure, Google the phrase and see how it appears. 
  6. Write something you enjoy writing. There's no point forcing yourself into a genre or story you're not passionate about, so don't just jump on the latest band wagon of zombies, vampires, 50 Shades...
  7. Read up on writing and expand the kind of books you read. The more new material you digest the better your written word will become. This doesn't work if you're only reading The Beano or the Daily Mail though, sorry! And read as a writer - analyse what you're absorbing and see if you could suggest any improvements. 
  8. Set yourself a realistic but challenging word count target each day. When you cruise through it you'll feel great!
  9. Keep your eyes and ears open when you're out and about. Be curious... A snippet of a conversation overheard might become a keystone to your story, a particular characteristic of the person sat next to you on the bus might be just the ticket for your protagonist, or you might spot a perfect scene for your romantic encounter! 
  10. Watch your rhythm. Vary the pace and lengths of your sentences to make it a more interesting read. This can work wonders for building or decreasing tension in a scene. 
  11. JGTBTO! Just Get The Bloody Thing Out! As the saying goes, you can't edit an empty page. 

Keep writing, all!

Lou x

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Born To Be A Tourist
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Do You Have Rule-Ridden Reading?

5/3/2015

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Chris Hill, a fellow book/writing blogger posted recently about the rules he imposes on himself when he reads and chooses literature. Some of his rules are a little unsociable (I cannot borrow books) or environmentally unfriendly… albeit good for the authors. However, there are others are verging on OCD and concentration issues (I cannot start reading another book until I have finished the one I am reading) which I do find myself nodding along to.

Reading Chris’ blog made me wonder. I have introduced a fair few rules in my lifestyle, not just to test my husband’s patience, but to control my human nature. I am doing them for a good reason, and not because I just love rules! 

1.       Lunch or dinner must be carb free. I know I have the ability to collect the bad kind of pounds, so this is diet control.

2.       I’m in bed before 10.30 on a ‘school night’. I’m a nightmare if I lack sleep so this one’s good for all!

3.       I don’t watch the news. Catching the headlines on the radio once a day is enough and doesn’t depress me like televisual images of trouble and horror tend to.

4.       Every appointment must go in my diary. I write it down so I don’t have to remember it.

5.       I blog once a week. This rule is a little flexible – let’s say it’s written in snowfall. Content posted could fail to appear some weeks (years - kidding!)

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You get the point. Some rules seem to work in my happy, busy life. But do they apply to reading, further than the 'only reading one at a time' one?

Thinking about it, I don’t have any real rules to guide me on my journey diving into a new or old book. Reading isn’t a game; it’s a pastime, unless you’re into reading competitions, of course! The Summer Reading Challenge has multiple rules attached… Apart from that, life’s too short for rule-abiding in books.

- I re-read.

- I borrow and buy.

- I pass good one (and sometimes bad ones) on – bad ones to strangers in places I don’t want the extra luggage, good ones to friends or family.

- I will try different genres. I surprised myself enjoying 'Rebecca', a classic, and have been more open to older literature since.

I try to mix up genres and authors as I go, but this is less of a rule, more of a preference. I became sick of John Grisham when I was a teenager for reading his law court based dramas back-to back. I tend to prioritise books my mum recommends (she has good taste and knows what I’ll like), but again, this is nothing like a hard, or even soft, rule.

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If having rules dictate your reading material works for you, fine, it’s just not for me. It worked for Lewis Carroll!

As long as you’re enjoying reading, that’s the main thing.

Now, off to Amazon… well, it IS World Book Day!

Lou x

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Born to be a Tourist - the home of my 2015 A2Z Blog Challenge

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Published - As A Student!

10/10/2014

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I recently had a clear-out of a cupboard which wasn't really mine, but was full of my stuff. Dear parents, thanks for letting me store stuff!

While having a good root in boxes and through files, I found a dirty, old, thin newspaper. It was more of a gem than it sounds - my first article in print! My university (Keele) published a weekly newspaper, "Concourse", and I managed to get a book review printed in an issue during my final year. The piece is nowhere near perfect, but it made me quite nostalgic. I left university in 2006, so it's been eight years since I last saw this. 

After this first publication, feeling the early buzz of getting my name in print, I wrote another three or four articles. From memory, one was on the history of popcorn (following a film festival on campus), and another was extolling the virtues of studying abroad - check out "Why you should study in Canada", an updated version of this article which I posted on my travel blog recently. I forget what the other article was, but I was, and remain, excited to see my name in print. 

Finding old pieces you were proud of or enjoyed writing is a great excuse for keeping all you create. Has anyone else ever found some age-old writing they've written and been transported back years or decades? 

Lou x

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Born to be a Tourist - my travel blog - have you checked it out yet?
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Honeymoon Holiday Reads

9/8/2014

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Now, you may or may not know that my husband-to-be (12 days to go!) doesn't agree with reading books on holiday, when there's so much else to see and do (and I agree for the most part), but I sneak in a few pages when I can. This book-shunning is also a welcomed attitude when I enjoy flying solo! Those terminals in Miami and San Jose have become my 'safe reading harbour' in the many times I've flown to Costa Rica to see him. 

I leave on Thursday for Costa Rica again for our wedding - and I've chosen my holiday read. It's not entirely on-theme for the trip, but it'll be a good read, I am sure. The third part in a trilogy... I loved book #1 and #2 was alright. Here's hoping the author's back to her debut best!

This trip, I will be reading MAD ABOUT THE BOY ~ Helen Fielding (otherwise known as "Bridget Jones no.3")

I've also downloaded my first novel to my tablet. I tried out a short story earlier in the year and decided firmly I preferred paperbacks to ebooks, but as you can imagine, suitcase space is at a premium, especially when I have a wedding dress to transport! So, yesterday, I chose THE FAULT IN OUR STARS ~ John Green from my Google Play shop. Again, nothing taxing, but I think it'll be a good 'un.

Anyone else read these yet?

Bring on the uncomfortable seating at my flight's gate! I've been known to read an entire book while waiting for a departure (The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho, August 2012).

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist
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Rough Day

27/6/2014

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I'm having a bad day. A toughie. Things don't always go the way you want them to, but it's detrimental in more ways that one. Sometimes chaos intrudes in my brain and it makes me not want to write. I'd rather be tucked up with my duvet watching the next episode of Dexter, the DVD box set I'm working through just now. 

However, I am a writer. I am a blogger who posts on Fridays, so I would be letting myself down if I didn't post something here. 

So what can I share when I'm feeling 'meh'?

Here is a list of things which make me feel better, even if it's just the thought of it, when times get rough. 

A cuddle and a cup of tea - that fixes many things!
A good joke  (OK, ok, here's the latest one I've heard... What do you call a donkey with three legs? A wonky....)
Pizza
Starting a good new book
Being productive  - cleaning can even help here!
A baby elephant smiling
Playing a game with my boyfriend - not that kind... even "I SPY works for us!
Jumping in puddles in my wellies
Spending time with my family
Baking a cake
Random stranger conversations which make me laugh. I was called 'babe' by a 70 year old school caretaker yesterday!
Walking through crunchy fallen leaves
Food in fun shapes
Pretty stamps (I don't collect them, but I love coming across them)

Simple things... 

And making a list is still considered 'writing', right?!

Check out Positive News online if you're having a touch day yourself - and then write about what inspires you!

I feel better already! Enjoy your weekend, guys!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist
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Books Are My Bag!

20/6/2014

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My wonderful local library, Towcester Library, are holding a book sale. This was no ordinary sale... Anyone can go along and grab a jute bag and fill it with books! Amazing idea - and it only cost £3 per bag. I say "per bag" because I could have walked away with one on each arm, but I showed great restraint in only filling one. That's more than enough to last me until the end of the year and through my next holiday, hooray!

I was a little disappointed there was no one volume there which was on my 'to read' list already, but all the better in a way - my 'to read' list has become longer and I am going to be trying new authors as a result of some literary gambles. Nothing could be worse than Don Quixote, the novel I'm reading at the moment for part of my 30 Before 30!

So how did I pick my books?

Three of them are a present for my fiance: Surviving Extremes (just his cuppa tea), Villainous Victorians (he loves history) and a book on how to improve your swimming technique. He wasn't too overjoyed with me choosing the last one for him - he's a good swimmer already - but I think he was 66% pleased, so that's not bad!

Another book chosen is intended as a present for a friend I'm borrowing a car parking space off next month. He loves to travel by bus and gets his money's worth of his pensioners bus pass, so the Great British Bus Journeys was irresistible as a little 'thank you' present. 

And the rest of the books - all for me! Whoopee! Cancel my social life, I'll be reading! 

I'm chuffed I found an Iain M. Banks novel (love him), and I know Small Island is a winner; I read it a few years ago and loved it - so glad to have my own (almost free) copy! Jodi Picoult is a throwback to my teen years, so it's a bit digressive, but I know I'll enjoy it. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry will bring back memories to anyone in my Mr Leslie English class at school - we studied it for SATs or GCSE (I forget which) and I can't remember any of it, so I grabbed this copy to remind me. It's one of those ones you should read, if I remember correctly. The rest are total mysteries to me, author and title. I hope I'll discover a new writer I love... if not, they'll all end up in a charity shop!

I'm starting to wade through the volumes this lunch time with Paul Torday - The Girl On The Landing. 

#ILoveLibraries
#ILoveBooks


15 books for £3. That's 20p each. Bargain. Thanks, Towcester Library! 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
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Born To be A Tourist

P.S. I pinched the title from an actual campaign - check out Books Are My Bag on Twitter or search #booksaremybag!

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Utterly Unputdownable? Help is at hand!

25/4/2014

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DISCLAIMER: I am a book lover to the core. This is just a bit of fun!!!

How many times have you read a book you'd say is unputdownable? My laptop spellchecker doesn't like that word, but you know as well as I do it's a word! There's even a book festival named 'Unputdownable'. Case closed. 

We've all got a claim on a book so good we spend all morning engrossed in it. I've missed offers of tea reading 'Room' in one sitting, for example. 

This can be quite detrimental to one's life, so I am here to help. Here's how to put down that utterly unputdownable book. 



1. Read until you fall asleep on it. Your wrist will go limp and you'll put the novel down. 

2. Get a dog (responsibly). Your hound will need enough attention to enable you to keep your nose out of that book. 

3. Start reading something not worth finishing. You'll lose interest fast. Huffington Post has some suggestions for awful books.  

4. Set a timer to limit your time spent reading. And don't ignore that alarm!

5. Decide you're going to become a quitter. You can make up your own version to how the story ends. 

6. Put Post-It notes through the pages to limit you to a certain number of pages per read. A great tip for those who forget to (or can't...!) count. 

Want to test out my methods? Real Simple has recommended 17 books you won't be able to put down. Go on, prove them wrong!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

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A Tribute to Sue Townsend

18/4/2014

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A week ago today, the literary world lost one of its greats. 

Sue Townsend 
(2 April 1946 – 10 April 2014)

Sue Townsend was an English writer, best known for creating Adrian Mole, the character which first introduced me to the comic and poignant genius of this woman. 

Did you know, the diaries of tortured teenager Adrian Mole sold more copies than any other work of fiction in Britain during its decade? The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ was a gift from my mum when I was an angst-ridden teenage with a secret diary of my own. Mum opened a door to the world of Sue Townsend, and I hope I can encourage you to begin reading her books too. 

You might be forgiven in thinking that Mrs T was all about just one spotty teenager, but you'd be wrong. Sue's work includes novels, plays and works of journalism. Her warm and touching writing opened up the world of books for me beyond Roald Dahl when I was a young teenager, and I have been a fan ever since. 

It made me wonder though, how many more of her books can I still look forward to reading? A quick look on Wikipedia revealed Sue's full fiction bibliography. Gotta love the internet!

Adrian Mole series
  • The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ (1982), her bestselling book READ IT!
  • The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (1984) READ IT!
  • The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole (1989) READ IT!
  • Adrian Mole: From Minor to Major (1991)  - an omnibus of the first three, plus a bonus section
  • Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years (1993) READ IT!
  • Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years (1999) READ IT!
  • Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction (2004)
  • The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole, 1999–2001 (2008)
  • Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years (2009)

I've still got a few Mr Mole books to read, then - I had no idea! Whoop, whoop!

Other novels
  • Rebuilding Coventry (1988)
  • The Queen and I (1992), a story about the British Royal Family living a "normal" life on an urban housing estate. I've wanted to read this one for long time, so it might be the next ST one I devour. 
  • Ghost Children (1997), a novel covering issues of bereavement, child abuse and women's self-esteem through their body image. 
  • Number Ten (2002) READ IT!
  • Queen Camilla (2006)
  • The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year (2012) READ IT - just before ST died. Recommended - hilarious as well as touching.

Which books have you especially enjoyed by the late Sue Townsend? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Have a look at the lovely obituary Sue's publisher posted, then get into your favourite online/local bookstore and grab one of her books. You won't regret it!

Enjoy the long weekend, 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

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Climbing the Literacy Beanstalk

11/4/2014

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This week on MISS WRITE I'm featuring the charity "Beanstalk".

Beanstalk is a British organisation who says their visions is "a nation of confident children who can read and grow up to lead successful lives."

I grew up with having a bedtime story every night - and if I'm honest, I'd still take one before bed if I could! Every child should have this opportunity, for family bonding as well as education and teaching them how fun books can be. I hope you enjoy hearing about their valuable work, and that it inspires you to give a little more (books, time, your skills - anything!) this week. 

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What’s your earliest memory of reading? Did you read by torchlight after your parents strictly put you to bed? Which author makes you think of your childhood? These are the memories every child deserves.

About Beanstalk

Beanstalk is a national charity that recruits and trains local people to volunteer to go into a local primary school to support children who are struggling with their reading. Beanstalk has been
working with schools for almost 40 years to help raise literacy standards. 

Why are we needed?

 • Almost one in eight children leaves primary school behind in their reading in England.

• Research has shown that literacy leads to low employment prospects, disengagement and is
closely linked with poverty, educational under-achievement, crime and long term unemployment.

Beanstalk helps by providing sustained one-to-one literacy support to children who are falling behind the expected reading level for their age. By sharing dedicated reading time with a trusted adult on a weekly basis, a child can build their confidence around literacy.

In Northamptonshire we are currently supporting over 100 primary schools and nearly 400 children across the county but we currently have more schools and children waiting for reading helpers than we do have volunteers.

What's the impact of the service?

Children are selected for a variety of reasons:

 • They may have low confidence in reading

 • They may have English as a second or third language

 • Their reading may be below the expected national curriculum level

 • They may have insufficient reading opportunities (e.g. no books at home, no one to help encourage them to pick up a book).

• They may be a "Looked After Child" who needs a bit of extra guidance.

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 Who are our "reading helpers"?

Our reading helpers come from all walks of life. They are independent, committed individuals with a genuine interest in helping children achieve. Reading helpers spend 30 minutes with each child twice a week, chatting, reading and playing games. They will have the chance to build up a great rapport with the children and tailor the sessions to their individual needs.

We provide training to our reading helpers before they start and further development training in areas such as dyslexia awareness and phonics. We ensure they have resources for their sessions which are suited to the children they’re helping by providing them with Beanstalk book boxes. 

 ‘ The children give me immense joy and pride in seeing children develop during the course of the school year is amazing. I enjoy their smiles, the fun, the stories and their humour’.

                        ~ one of Beanstalk's existing reading helpers

How can you help? 

At Beanstalk we look for people with a passion for reading who can give their time to help inspire the next generation of readers.

If you can spare a couple of mornings or afternoons a week during school term time this could be the ideal opportunity for you.

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Beanstalk needs reading helpers - badly. However, not everyone has this time to give. Please do check out Beanstalk on Twitter and Facebook  though, and see where it takes you. If you don't feel you can give any of your time, get in touch with Beanstalk anyway - there may be other ways you can help (e.g. donating money or books, or helping to spread the word about their excellent and worthwhile work).

Thanks Greg - it's wonderful to hear about such great charity work involving books and literacy here in Northamptonshire. I am all for this! Also, as a bonus, I think my readers will be pleased I'm back to writing and book themed topics after a couple of weeks of environmental issues and... bacon! 

See you next week!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

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My Writer's Bookshelf

21/3/2014

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This is my book shelf. 

I love books and just wanted to share my shelves with you this week. It's nothing special, a fiver off a car boot sale, but these shelves are special to me. 

You can see it's not all books... I don't have a lot of storage in my current place and my DVDs need somewhere to go!

I have many more books than this - my windowsill is also piling up with books I want to read in the future. My elephants are kept company by books I love. 

I try to keep the books I know I will read again, but sometimes my list of books I want to read (and therefore have a copy stored somewhere) is an even bigger pile!

The ornaments are treasures from my life. I collect elephant figurines, so there's a few here. I also have gifts from my boyfriend, a hardy plant (can't believe it's still alive!), and one of my favourite photos of me. I really feel like these three shelves reflect who I am!

I will always have a book shelf. I tried out the phenomenon of the ebook last week, and I still prefer paperbacks. Even if my living quarters get too small one day for an actual bookcase, I'll probably pile my books on top of the toilet or something - somewhere!!

What does your bookshelf look like?

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

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    I'm a writer based in South Wales, with an unhealthy obsession with stationery and baking. I mainly blog for my own sanity, but I'm also working on a novel. Still. 

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