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Ksenia Anske

March 27, 2017

Things I read every day before writing

by Ksenia Anske


Photo from Scene and Structure by Jack M. Bickham

Photo from Scene and Structure by Jack M. Bickham

Photo from Scene and Structure by Jack M. Bickham

Photo from Scene and Structure by Jack M. Bickham

I have compiled a sort of a little help-guide for myself which I read every day before diving into writing. Then I thought, this would be cool to share with you, in case you were looking for a list like that. Or maybe you have a list of your own and could share it with me. I have pulled this from a ton of books I had read, so ask me questions if some of the terms sound unfamiliar. Depending on where you are in your writing career, you will either laugh at this (been there, done that) or feel like your brain is starting to smoke (I tried explaining this today to two non-writers who finally begged me to stop—it was like math, like programming, too complicated).

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TAGS: It really is like math, Isn't it?, Crazy, I know, Yet it seems my mind is in love with it, as opposed to real math, although, once upon a time, I was prepping to go into economics school, really, and I studied above my grade, algebra, all that, and I was good, guess it finally came handy


November 27, 2016

How to plan your book: from idea to manuscript (Part 2)

by Ksenia Anske


Art by Elizabeth Amento

Art by Elizabeth Amento

Art by Elizabeth Amento

Art by Elizabeth Amento

Okay then, to the summary page (you can read Part 1 of this post here). After I'm done planning it all in the structure part, I move on to the summary part and start working my way through it from top to bottom, expanding from the title to the scene beat sheet, and filling it out. This time, because I don't have anything for Rosehead, I'll use TUBE as an example.

When you scan through this list, you will see abbreviations, and your eyes will probably cross from looking at them (I know mine did, when I got to looking at plotting terms used by other authors). Don't despair. What works for me might not work for you. Steal what you like, and get the rest elsewhere. There are as many ways to write a book as there are writers. I'm simply sharing with you what works for me NOW. Because a few years down the road this will change, and I'll be in some other place entirely.

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TAGS: My fingers are numb, from typing, Jesus, You see the things I do for you?, I love you THAT much, I know, send vodka, URGENT


June 23, 2016

12 books to read if you liked Irkadura

by Ksenia Anske


Irkadura.JPG
Irkadura.JPG

"What books have you read like Irkadura? I really loved it." — Katherine

Dear Katherine, I'm ecstatic that you loved it! Irkadura is not an easy book to love. People either love it to death, or can't read it at all. I have already sent you a list via email, but then I thought, "Wait a minute. This is a great list to share with my readers." So here you go, darlings. The books below are not exactly like Irkadura, and many have made a powerful impact on the world literature unlike Irkadura, which hardly compares, but they have the same kind of darkness and bite and directness and yearning, and I loved every one of them, so I'm sure you will too. There is no particular order to how I've listed them, I was just typing titles as they came to mind.

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TAGS: That is a red beret on my head, I know, I wanted to put on something Soviet, but I don't have anything!, Like an ushanka, or something, and take a picture in the snow