Write With Ozzy

Category: Writing

  • Your Idea Isn’t Worth Anything (Until You Tell the Story)

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    Ozzy
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    This topic arises frequently in writing communities, especially among those just starting out. “I have this amazing idea. Do you think it’s good?” “Would you read a story where…?” “Is this too cliché?” And, my personal favourite: “Has this been done before?” (Answer: Probably. But not like you’d do it) Here’s the truth: Your idea…

  • Write It Down… So It Can Grow

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    Ozzy
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    Ideas are funny things. They feel big when they first arrive—loud, full of potential, impossible to ignore. But if you don’t give them somewhere to go, they start to shrink. They blur at the edges. Fade under the weight of daily life. Or worse, they grow too loud in your mind—too perfect to risk ruining by writing…

  • Writing When You’re Not Writing

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    Ozzy
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    Your brain doesn’t stop just because your fingers aren’t on the keyboard.

  • Leave Yourself a Trail

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    Ozzy
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    Scrolling back and fixing things interrupts flow. Here’s how to avoid it.

  • The Myth of the Lightning Bolt

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    Ozzy
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    Where Ideas Really Come From Writers love to talk about “the moment it hit me”—that flash of inspiration, that perfect idea arriving out of nowhere like a lightning bolt straight to the brain. It’s a good story. It’s cinematic. But it’s not the truth. At least, not the whole truth. Because in my experience, most…

  • I Have an Idea. How Do I Start Turning That into a Book?

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    Ozzy
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    Your idea might not be a novel yet, but it’s where every novel begins. Something sparked. Something took hold. That’s worth something. But now you’re standing at the edge of a long road, and you’re not sure how to take the first step. So let’s talk about it.

  • Writing Through the Dip

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    Ozzy
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    Every project has a point where it stops feeling like a good idea. At the start, you’ve got momentum. Energy. A shiny new premise that feels like it might be The One. The words come fast, or at least willingly, and there’s that sense of excitement—this time, it’s going to work. The words flow from…

  • Style and Structure Are the Essence

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    Ozzy
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    “Style and structure are the essence of a book; great ideas are hogwash.” – Vladimir Nabokov

  • There’s No Such Thing as a Wasted Draft

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    Ozzy
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    I’ve got entire folders full of unfinished stories. Scenes that trail off. Characters who never made it past chapter three. Worlds built and then left behind. Ideas that sparked brightly and then just… faded. I have a trilogy, the first ‘real’ writing I ever started – a full draft of book one, outlines for books…

  • Writing Advice is Not a Rulebook

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    Ozzy
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    Not every tip you read is meant for you. Some writers outline. Others don’t. Some write for a single, rigorously guarded hour every day. Others write in headlong, eight-hour long marathon sessions, then do nothing for a week or two. Some edit as they go. Others draft messy and clean it up later. The only…