When classical music and YA literature collide
Hey nerds! Okay, that sounded weirdly hostile. Let's try this again. Hey nerdy WordPressians! In honor of me coming out of hibernation during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), I'm doing a special writing-themed post to provide encouragement to all you poor souls. Hopefully these bullet points will either give you validation or inspiration? 1. You … Continue reading You Know You’re a Serious Writer When…
Hello, fellow WordPressians. Your Music Mother has come to deliver you the quiz you never knew you needed: Which string instrument are you? There are five possible results: violin, viola, cello bass, and piano. Simply write down the letters you choose, and because each choice correlates to a different instrument, the letter you choose the … Continue reading Which String Instrument Are You? A Personality Quiz
One piano, one musician, and...twenty pages of sheet music. Things can get a little heated when you're expected to memorize all those notes in only a few weeks! Remember, though, they're just black dots on a page—they can't hurt you if you don't let them. Here are a few quick tips to help your memorization … Continue reading Quick Tips for Memorizing Long Piano Pieces
Look, we've all been there before. You have this great idea for a book, but then you realize you have to make a plot to go with it...and you die a little on the inside. Maybe you do a simple Google search like "How to plot a novel", click on the first article, and die … Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Plotting Your Novel Without Thinking
For musicians, but especially pianists, life is always about dedication, practice, and constant improvement. You have competition after competition, recital after recital, playing the same pieces over and over again until they are the best they can be. The question is, when, really, are you ready to show the world what you've got? What things … Continue reading 8 Key Signs You’re Going to Win Your Piano Competition
We as people firmly believe that writing is just as much of an art as music, and no one ever plays a piece to the best of their ability their first run-through. Unless they were sight reading, which still means the level of the piece wasn't the hardest it could be. Though, that's a conversation … Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Editing a Book Without Dying
All things considered, it's a pretty well-known fact that here at Nerd Overload, we love to talk about classical music and playing instruments. In fact, it's so well-known that if you don't know this, have you even read our tagline? We don't cater to country fans, but you can't do everything! So it should come … Continue reading The Five Stages of Playing an Instrument
Of all the things that go into a story to make it feel complete and not just a bundle of ideas, the villain is arguably the most important element. Coincidentally, it's also one of the hardest pieces to write, as well as the most enjoyable. There's something satisfying about creating a big baddie who wants … Continue reading How To Write a Threatening, Complex Villain
For many people, learning to play an instrument is a daunting goal on their bucket list, both revered and feared. It's something that takes a lot of time, devotion, and energy, and it will probably empty your bank account. But if you feel like you are ready to start learning an instrument like Joan of … Continue reading How To Learn an Instrument The Easy Way
Are you staring hopelessly at your manuscript yet again? Are you stuck at a plot point, wishing your plot would float magically towards you on a silver platter? It's a common question on every writer's mind: How can I make my plot even better than it is? How can I create a plot in such … Continue reading 6 Ways to Create a Better Plot