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Icy Sedgwick

Folklore & Fantasy Fiction

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write tip

Why should, and shouldn’t, you do NaNoWriMo?

October 29, 2018 by Icy Sedgwick 6 Comments

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, has become a 'trial by fire' for writers. Here are 8 reasons why should, and shouldn't, give it a go.

You pretty much can’t avoid NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) every November. And with just three days left of October, it’s time to decide if you’re in or out. Whether you’re an author yourself, or just someone who knows one, you see that acronym pretty much everywhere soon. If you haven’t, the general point of NaNoWriMo is […]

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Filed Under: Writing Tips Tagged With: #mondayblogs, About Writing, NaNoWriMo, write tip, writing advice

How to choose locations to boost your story!

December 12, 2016 by Icy Sedgwick Leave a Comment

Where you set your story is just as important as what happens in it. So let's look at how to choose locations to boost the world-building of your story!

Knowing how to choose locations is the easiest way to ensure the success of your world-building. After all, writers often spend a great deal of their time concentrating on developing authentic dialogue. They need fleshed out, 3-dimensional characters. And they spend hours creating a coherent plot, contained within a sensible structure. But what about setting and location? […]

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Filed Under: Writing Tips Tagged With: About Writing, creative writing, how to choose locations, location, setting, world building, write tip, writing fiction

5 Simple Ways to Boost your Writing using CPD

November 14, 2016 by Icy Sedgwick Leave a Comment

CPD, or continued professional development, is rife in the workplace. But can you apply its principles to your ongoing writing career?

Years ago, if you practised the skills needed for your job, you were ‘learning your craft’. Nowadays, it has a fancy new title, and most professionals are all too aware of ‘continued professional development’, or CPD! The idea is that you continually build and improve your toolbox of skills you need to do your job. You’re continually on top […]

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Filed Under: Writing Tips Tagged With: #amwriting, #mondayblogs, About Writing, CPD, write tip, writing advice

3 Reasons Why Writers Should Stop To Feed the Ducks

September 22, 2016 by Icy Sedgwick 4 Comments

Do you feel like your writing is missing something? Try stopping to feed the ducks to see how taking a pause can improve your fiction!

Writers by their very nature are often solitary, and often very ‘indoorsy’. Unless they make the effort to do so, it probably never crosses their mind to feed the ducks in their local park. It’s a great shame, because an incredibly simple act can actually have 3 benefits for their storytelling. This post is inspired […]

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Filed Under: Writing Tips Tagged With: 52 dates for writers, About Writing, feed the ducks, write tip, writing advice

Can Visiting Art Galleries Improve Your Writing?

September 19, 2016 by Icy Sedgwick 16 Comments

Art galleries might not seem like an obvious destination for writers, but they can help you hone your observation, find ideas, and improve your visuals! Click here to find out how.

Art galleries don’t often figure on anyone’s radar, let alone a writer’s. Instead, they’re just somewhere to go when the weather is bad. Or someone has come to visit your hometown and you’re not sure what else to show them. But art galleries and exhibitions can actually provide an excellent opportunity to improve your observational […]

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Filed Under: Writing Tips Tagged With: 52 dates for writers, art galleries, visiting art galleries, write tip, writing advice

3 easy ways to use authentic emotions in your writing

September 11, 2016 by Icy Sedgwick 2 Comments

Authentic emotions are what connects your writing to your readers. Click here to discover 3 easy ways to bring emotion into your writing.

Emotions are the bridge that connects the writer to the reader. In her excellent book, 52 Dates for Writers, Claire Wingfield points out that fiction really needs authentic emotions. That’s not just for your characters – that’s also for your readers. Instalment 7 of 52 Dates for Writers revolves around problem-solving for you as a writer. […]

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Filed Under: Writing Tips Tagged With: 52 dates for writers, characters, emotional resonance, emotions, readers, write tip, writing advice

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Who is Icy Sedgwick?

icy sedgwick

Icy is a folklore blogger and host of the Fabulous Folklore podcast. She is based in the north east of England, where she was born and raised amid the folk tales and legends of Tyneside and Northumberland. Icy is fascinated by history, cinema, art, and the occult, and griffins will always be her favourite mythical beast. She also writes dark fantasy novellas, Gothic short stories and the occasional weird Western, and she holds a PhD in Film Studies!

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