If you’ve been following along in this space, hopefully you’ve found some tips to help with your writing project. You may even have purchased the Revision Road Map, the self-paced mini-course to help you triage and organize your revision. But what if you find yourself still struggling with your story? Something is not working, you justContinue reading “Is it Time to Hire a Book Coach?”
Category Archives: Drafting
Three Mindsets Needed for Writing
Writing a novel length work with the intent to publish demands many things of us as writers: studying craft, practice, hours of typing, deleting, experiencing the world, interviews, research, and the occasional banging of our heads against solid objects. But regardless of the details of our processes, there are three universal components of writing: Creativity,Continue reading “Three Mindsets Needed for Writing”
The Trick to Mastering Show Don’t Tell In Your Fiction Writing: Be Specific
The number one piece of feedback I give writers regardless of where they are in the writing process is: BE SPECIFIC Often, a sentence or a scene or the protagonist’s stakes are entirely too vague. Vague writing only leaves readers confused, disengaged, or having to fill in the blanks based on their own experiences whichContinue reading “The Trick to Mastering Show Don’t Tell In Your Fiction Writing: Be Specific”
The Importance of Your Novel’s Opening Pages on Your Novel’s Ending
While journalism and novel writing are two different animals, both need to hook the reader and impart important information from the get-go. Journalism (news articles, magazines, broadcast news scripts) stories are told in inverted pyramid style with the who, what, when, where, and why in what’s called the lede–the first sentence or graph. The storyContinue reading “The Importance of Your Novel’s Opening Pages on Your Novel’s Ending”
Writers: Don’t Let Doubt Kill Your Dreams
Doubt is an insidious little jerk. Seriously. Doubt tells us we aren’t good enough, makes us question our motives and abilities, convinces us we don’t have what it takes and probably should leave the writing to the Steven Kings or Ann Patchetts of the world. Doubt steals our motivation, stifles our creativity, and convinces usContinue reading “Writers: Don’t Let Doubt Kill Your Dreams”
What is Success for a Writer?
Is it the New York Times bestseller list? A Reese’s Book Club pic? Becoming a BookTok sensation? Earning enough to pay off your student loan? Earning enough to quit your day job? Walking the red carpet at your book’s big movie premier with all the hottest stars playing your lead roles? Those goals all soundContinue reading “What is Success for a Writer?”
Tips to Keep Writers on Track While Drafting
This month, I want to focus on how we can stay on track as writers. Writing a book is a long, complex process and it is easy to lose our way. If you want to finish your novel, read on for tips to keep you moving forward to “the end” of your story and yourContinue reading “Tips to Keep Writers on Track While Drafting”