Welcome to October—otherwise known as Cram Like Crazy for National Novel Writing Month (maybe we should call it LiCraFoNaNoMoWriMo—it’s got a certain ring, right?). Maybe you’re a NaNo veteran. Maybe you’re a tentative first-timer. Or maybe you’re not interested in writing 50,000 words in 30 days, but just want to figure out should you outline […]
August 29, 2016 by 75 Comments Writer's Help6 Reasons You Need to Make Way More Writing Mistakes
Writing mistakes are frustrating—especially when that mistake is novel-sized and cost you months of work before you realized it was, indeed, a mistake. Because frustration is a negative emotion, we usually do everything in our power to, first, avoid making writing mistakes and, then, when we inevitably do make them, distance ourselves from them as […]
December 14, 2015 by 71 Comments Writing InspirationNot Feeling Creative? 4 Ways to Reignite the “Wonder” in Your Writing
Writers are supposed to be magical beings who live somewhere in the glorious wilderness between insightful reality and abandoned creativity. Sometimes that’s exactly what the writing life feels like: heady with inspiration, swirling with visions of people and places beyond the prosaic world in which we actually live. Everything has meaning and wonder. Who needs drugs, […]
July 19, 2015 by 35 Comments Writing LifeWhom Should You Be Writing For? Yourself or Your Readers?
Whom should you be writing for? It’s a question all writers have to face sooner or later. Usually, we tend to think of the answer in terms of audiences: young adults, women 18-55, general adults, or super geeks of the sort to have read every back issue comic from the Silver Age. My simplest answer to this question […]
June 12, 2015 by 45 Comments Outlining Your NovelScared of Plot? How One Author Embraced Story Structure Without Sacrificing Creativity
I was never a believer in plotting. “Me?” I’d say. “I’m too right brain.” Years back, I attended Squaw Valley Community of Writers, and was one of only two writers fortunate to be assigned to Robert Stone for my one-to-one. He told me my writing was beautiful, but that it needed a story to serve. […]
June 5, 2015 by 32 Comments Writer's Help3 Ways Doctor Who Can Help You Become a Fantastic Writer
BBC’s Doctor Who began broadcasting over fifty years ago, and after a few years off the air, it has been rebooted to a new generation and is more popular than ever. Personally, I love the show. And as a writer I am always impressed with the writing–well developed stories and excellent characters. I know a lot of […]
December 17, 2014 by 264 Comments Writing InspirationNow! Learn How to Conquer Your Writer’s Block and Summon Inspiration (In E-Book Form)
The one essential of the writing life is inspiration. You’ve got to keep those ideas flowing–or you’re out of luck. We’ve all battled writer’s block from time to time, and, brother, it ain’t very much fun. So what if I told you I knew a way to beat writer’s block 99.9% of the time? It’s […]
November 15, 2013 by 22 Comments Writing Inspiration6 Tips to Come Up With Great Ideas for Writing
Idea creation may seem a random and even mystical process, but there are simple and practical ways to increase your chances of how to come up with great ideas for writing. All writers know it’s impossible to have great ideas all time. Sometimes you feel stuck, and it frustrates you, doesn’t it? What is an […]
November 10, 2013 by 58 Comments Writing Inspiration7 Suggestions for How to Choose Your Next Story Idea
The most important decision a writer will ever make is which story to write. Sometimes this will be an easy decision: the “right” story will be staring us in the face. But sometimes the choices can be overwhelming, and we find ourselves wondering how to choose our next story idea. If you’re like me, you […]
November 1, 2013 by 9 Comments Writing InspirationUsing Genre to Help You Brainstorm Unique Story Ideas
Ideas are essential for fiction. What seems like a new idea to you might be an ancient idea to everyone else. You have to examine the background or meta-story of your chosen genre. However, all is not lost, as you can mashup genres to revitalize classic or cheesy story ideas. Why Have New Ideas? The […]
