Today, we’re continuing with our series of video/audio trailers, offering a sneak peek into the first chapter of Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success. We’re also continuing our month of prize giveaways, building up to the Grand Prize, worth over $400, on September 26th. Be sure to leave a comment on this post […]
July 24, 2011 by 34 Comments Writing InspirationWhat The Story Knows Best Really Means
When writers start talking about the autonomy of their stories, non-writers are likely to give us looks that range from confused to concerned, especially when our comments include the following: “The story knows best.” Or— “Nothing was working for me until I quit fighting my story and let it do what it wanted.” Or— “I […]
March 27, 2011 by 41 Comments Editing Your NovelWhy Writers Should Trust Their Story Instinct
Have you ever found yourself wishing for a writing mentor—someone with the savvy, experience, generosity, and overall story instinct to reach down and guide you in your own writing journey? Well, today’s your lucky day! I’m about to introduce you to the wisest writing mentor you’re ever likely to meet. Yourself. Yep, you read right. […]
October 21, 2010 by 2 Comments Writing Inspiration5 Ways to Tap Subconscious Creativity
Today, I’m honored to be hosted on the Conquering Writer’s Block & Summoning Inspiration blog tour by Elizabeth Craig. Be sure to stop by her blog to read the guest post “Tapping Subconscious Creativity.” Below is a sneak peek: Our work (and our lives) would be pretty useless without the logical sides of our brains. […]
July 4, 2010 by 69 Comments Prose5 Pros and Cons of Using the Thesaurus
Writers are surprisingly divided over the value of using the thesaurus. Some consider it their secret weapon; others regard it as a crutch. So which is it? Stephen King’s opinion, from his 1988 essay “Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully—in Ten Minutes” is now well known: Any word you have to hunt for […]
May 30, 2010 by 68 Comments Writing Inspiration8 Ways Writing Longhand Amps Your Muse
Whenever I crack open a hefty volume of Dickens, I’m inevitably overwhelmed by the realization this entire 800-page novel was composed by writing longhand. The writer’s bump on my middle finger throbs just thinking about it. Without doubt, our 21st-century technologic additions are a decided blessing. But we’ve also lost some things along the road to […]
October 25, 2009 by 36 Comments Writing InspirationWant to Take Your Story to the Next Level? Punch Readers in the Gut!
Writing is not only an intellectual endeavor for me, it’s also very much a physical one. When I’m on to the right story, the right location, the right situation, the right theme, my body tells me. I feel a surge of excitement in my solar plexus that literally sends the message Yes yes yes! to […]
May 18, 2009 by 10 Comments Writing Inspiration5 Ways to Capture Brilliant Ideas for Your Novel
I think it’s safe to open this post with a broad, sweeping generalization: We write because of inspiration. Not only because without inspiration we wouldn’t have anything to write about, but also because inspiration is the writer’s version of runner’s high. It’s this top-of-the-world, explosion-of-joy experience that makes the personal sacrifices and hard work of […]
April 19, 2009 by 24 Comments Writing LifeLearn How to Project (and Find) Yourself in Your Writing
Have you ever found yourself looking up from the pages of a book and wondering how much the words you’re reading are a reflection of the author’s own personality and life? We’re all familiar with famous examples of autobiographical fiction (such as Dickens’s David Copperfield) in which it’s easy to draw parallels between the make-believe […]
June 22, 2008 by 9 Comments Writing Inspiration5 Ways to Open Yourself to Inspiration
If you’re like most writers, coming up with story ideas is rarely a problem. More than likely, your brain bubbles over with more ideas than you’d be able to use in two and half lifetimes. I’ve yet to meet a writer who decided Hmm, I’d like to be an author—and then sat down to brainstorm […]
