Revising Fiction : It’s Not Just About Dusting the Commas
The rough draft of my first novel needed resuscitation. If EMTs could have shocked it with a defibrillator, that might have brought it to life. Revision gave me a chance to do just that. The sad truth is that I knew how to write, but I did not know how to revise. That is to […]
Self-Doubt and Overconfidence: How They Undermine a Writer
Self-doubt sneaks into our creative lives when we least expect it. Even if you think you’ve conquered this demon of creative destruction, self-doubt can wriggle away and take another form. In this post I’m going to talk about why writers and other artists experience self-doubt, and then I’ll suggest strategies to manage the stress it […]
Putting Feelings into Words
Finding the right words to express our characters’ emotions is one of the biggest challenges writers face. It’s all too easy to “tell”, rather than “show”. Telling is easy. As people living ordinary lives, we all know what it means when someone feels angry, depressed, or sad. However, when we write fiction or creative nonfiction, […]
Ten Questions for Lori Lacefield
In this column I’m asking subscribers to share their knowledge about writing, publishing, and marketing their books. I’m calling it “Ten Questions.” Thank you, Lori Lacefield, for letting readers know about your strong, flawed female characters. You’ve written novels that focus on justice and its opposite.–Marylee MacDonald Lori Lacefield’s Author Tip: “I’d highly recommended taking Mark […]
The Poetry of Fiction: Michael Byers and Percival’s Planet
Two things set good writing apart from mediocre or just plain boring writing. One is the writer’s ability to sharply observe the world and render those observations in language that’s free of clichés. The other is the author’s knowledge, and mastery, of English grammar. A few years ago I offered a novel workshop to my […]
Discoverability and New Authors: How to Find Readers for Your Books
“Discoverability” was a new term to me, but I heard it at the Digital Book World conference, and now I can’t stop thinking about it. “Discoverability” perfectly sums up what authors feel when they finally get their book finished, edited, and uploaded to Amazon. “I wrote my book! Yeah, me! But, uh oh, now what?” […]
Ten Questions for Dave Wickenden
In this column, I’m asking subscribers to share their knowledge about writing, publishing, and marketing their books. I’m calling it “Ten Questions.” Thank you, Dave Wickenden, for letting readers know about your thrillers. You’ve written topical novels that spring from the same worries and concerns all of us share.–Marylee MacDonald Dave Wickenden’s Author Tip: “After I […]
Genuine Heroes and Heroines : Part 3
What makes us care about a heroine or hero? Why do readers make the emotional investment in one protagonist and not another? In previous posts I’ve talked about flawed or dark main characters and protagonists who are average Joes or Janes. In this post, I’m going to talk about heroes and heroines whose heroic qualities […]
Ten Questions for Janice J. Richardson
In this column, I’m asking subscribers to share their knowledge about writing, publishing, and marketing their books. I’m calling it “Ten Questions.” Thank you, Janice J. Richardson, for letting readers know about your fun mystery series.–Marylee MacDonald Janice J. Richardson’s Author Tip: “Start with fingers on keyboard. Ready, set…go! Don’t agonize over the plot, wording, […]
Ten Questions for Jack A. Saarela
In this new column, I’m asking subscribers to share their knowledge about writing, publishing, and marketing their books. I’m calling it “Ten Questions.” Thank you, Jack Saarela, for getting this off to a great start.–Marylee MacDonald Because he believes it’s helpful to hear a manuscript read aloud, Jack Saarela recommends the free Natural Readers’ text-to-speech […]
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