How Writers Find Readers-Part 2
A writer with one book out needs to focus to spreading the word in the most efficient way possible. Podcasts, TedX talks, and speaking gigs are the way to go.
A Road Map for Writers and Authors: Part 1
Are you a writer, or are you an author? Here’s the difference. A writer has one story to tell, and although it may take years to finish a book, a writer will feel content when that book is done. An author–someone who aspires to have a career as a creative person–will feel driven to learn […]
Scene and Summary | What’s the Difference?
Scene and summary are the key building blocks of any novel. Some novelists devote more of their page count to scenes. Other writers use fewer scenes and more summary. Sometimes, publishers want writers to cut a book’s length, and writers are forced to compress moments in the tale when they might have wanted to let […]
What Stories Should You Write?
Most writers begin writing because they know they have one story to tell. Their goal is to “write a book.” But, most of us have more than one book we could write, and we have a wealth of material to draw on. We also have different themes that occur in our lives. Possibly, we […]
Free Yourself from Writing Autobiographically
If you can free yourself from writing autobiographically, the whole world opens before you. But how can you do this? So often the stories that spring naturally to mind arise from personal experience. This is only natural. Our deepest emotional impressions occur in childhood. Childhood provides a rich source of emotionally-laden story material. Often, however, […]
Swedish Writer MM Justine Shares How She Turned Her Dream of Becoming a Writer into 3 Published Books
Since its inception, the focus of this blog has been to encourage writers to turn their dream of becoming a writer into a reality. This week I’m featuring an interview with Swedish author, MM Justine. The points she makes about taking online classes, reading to understand what other writers were doing, and benefiting from reader […]
Tension: Two Easy Ways to Pack Tension in a Scene
Tension is a sensation in the body. Fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals are hardwired to be on the alert. Possums play possum. An elk herd circles the calves. Octopi retreat into grottoes. Gorillas pound their chests. And, as for humans, what signs of danger raise our hackles? When we see movement out of the corner […]
Writing Models: How Close Study of Top-Notch Writers Can Up Your Game
Writing models can help you turn a so-so draft into a work of art. In the old days, before bookcases filled with how-to books that made the act of writing seem simpler than it ever is, aspiring writers learned the craft by closely studying the work of other writers. In 1971, after the death of […]
Music vs. Silence: Does Listening to Music Get in the Way of Writing?
Does music help you write, or does it get in the way? Music has the power to stop the chatter in our heads, and it can shift our mood. Because music opens us to feelings, listening to it can help us get into that zone of deep concentration from which inspired work arises. But, music can […]
Rejection: Why Actors Expect It And You Should, Too
When we begin writing, we’re in touch with our deepest and most creative selves. It’s joyful. It’s fun. We’re walking the tightrope of success–and in constant danger of falling off. Those falls come from rejection. But rejection also brings many positives: life lessons about balance, reframing, and disaster preparedness. In this post I’m going to […]
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