Anyone can read a book, right? We all become better readers just by reading, right? Learning to put letters together into words and understand what they say—learning to read—that’s a learned skill. But once you’ve pretty much mastered that by fourth grade, you can read anything. There’s no skill to reading a novel. What is there […]
December 18, 2017 by 32 Comments How to Become a WriterTop 10 Writing Posts of 2017
We’re hurtling toward the end of the year, which means it’s time to hit pause, amidst all the winter festivities, and take a look back at 2017. For me, this has been a vastly different and vastly important year. As I talked about in the post “6 Lifestyle Changes You Can Make to Protect Creativity,” […]
November 13, 2017 by 25 Comments How to Become a Writer5 (Not-So-Little) Additions to the Great Novel-Writing Checklist
Learning how to write a successful novel is largely a matter of memorizing and mentally tracking the vast number of “parts” that make a story run. Honestly, this alone is sometimes the hardest part of the entire job. There’s a lot to remember—which is why, today, we’re going to look at the second part of our […]
May 22, 2017 by 91 Comments How to Become a Writer5 Misconceptions About Writing That I Used to Believe
Are we modern-day writers lucky or what? We enjoy unprecedented access to the wisdom of all the writers who have gone before us. I’m not kidding. the wealth of excellent information at our fingertips is insane. But you don’t get nothing for nothing, and the something we’re exchanging for all this great advice is a pretty hefty load […]
May 15, 2017 by 88 Comments How to Become a WriterWhen Does Writing Get Easier? The 4 Steps to Mastery
“When does writing get easier?” This is one of the most common questions writers have asked me throughout my career. The bad news is that, all these years, I’ve been giving the wrong answer. The good news is that the right answer is pretty fantastic. In years past, when people asked me this question, I was as […]
January 23, 2017 by 112 Comments How to Become a Writer6 Bits of Common Writing Advice You’re Misusing
Recently, I found myself reminiscing about some of the early books on writing advice that transformed and molded my understanding of storytelling and writing. They opened my eyes, honed my craft, and changed my life. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without the solid writing advice I’ve received from the writers who have gone […]
February 15, 2016 by 94 Comments How to Become a Writer5 Important Ways Storytelling Is Different in Books vs. Movies
These days, everyone is writing movies. Including novelists. Not screenplays, mind you, but even if you’ve never touched a Celtx program and will never see your story on the big screen, you’re still writing movies. Our society is saturated by visual storytelling. It’s the cool kid on the block, da boss. Whether we’re talking Hollywood movies, TV shows, […]
December 28, 2015 by 81 Comments How to Become a WriterHow to Study Plot and Character in Your Favorite Stories: 5 Easy Steps
What if I told you the best way to learn how to create amazing plots and characters in your own stories was by purposeful osmosis? First, of course, I might have to explain that “purposeful osmosis” means reading lots and lots of books and watching lots and lots of movies–and consciously studying what it is about […]
August 13, 2014 by 3 Comments How to Become a WriterThe 10 Commandments of Reading Like a Writer
“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.”—Lemony Snicket If that’s true of people in general, it’s doubly true of writers. As the ever-quotable Stephen King proclaimed, If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. Most of us become writers […]
July 19, 2014 by 5 Comments How to Become a WriterWhy You Should Be Mercilessly Hacking Apart Your Favorite Stories
Today, I’m guest posting over on Storyfix, with the post “Why You Should Be Mercilessly Hacking Apart Your Favorite Stories.” Here’s an excerpt: You shouldn’t be reading this blog. No, seriously. As awesome as Larry’s blog is and as generous as he is for sharing his story sense with all of us, this is not […]
