How to Write First Lines that Hook the Reader
“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a giant insect.” - The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka.
How to Write Characters That Leap Off the Page
Last week, I talked about the need for writers to be bold in their work. This week, I’m going to switch the focus to characters.
Readers love bold characters. These are characters who may be larger-than-life from the get-go, or who grow into their boldness gradually. Why do readers like them?
Because they do things.
Why You Should Be Bold in Your Writing
I signed up for Pema Chodron’s most recent teachings at the Omega Institute. She gives teachings there annually, and they are recorded so you can register and see them even if you can’t get there live. You can still attend “live” while it’s happening, but it was over Memorial Day weekend and I was visiting friends so I wasn’t able to do that. And this time, instead of scheduling it as a three-day retreat, I’m listening to a little bit each morning.
Your Summer Writing Plan
It’s SUMMER! At least here in the U.S., when summer unofficially begins with Memorial Day weekend.
Did I do any writing over the long holiday weekend?
No.
Is that ideal?
How to Use Regret to Fuel Your Writing Practice and Overcome Procrastination
How to Use Regret to Fuel Your Writing Practice and Overcome Procrastination
Wait, what? Regret? Why would I want to use that? Don’t I want to try to avoid feeling regret?
Making a Scene: A 10-Point Checklist to Build Strong Scenes in Your Novel
As a book coach, one of the biggest problems I encounter with manuscripts I see is that the writer does not know how to write in scenes. Stuff happens, but the writer does not know;
How to enter a scene
How to create rising tension
How to build to the climactic moment
How to create a resolution of that scene that moves it smoothly to the next
What If? And So? Two Powerful Questions for Generating Your Story
Last month I reviewed several methods for structuring your story. Knowing basic story structure is crucial for creating a narrative arc that builds toward a satisfying climax and shows your main character’s transformational arc.
However, it’s not, as I’ve mentioned, a simple paint-by-numbers approach. You still have to figure out what happens, and how you will demonstrate that character’s arc of change.
Save the Cat! and Story Grid: Structure in Beats
This week, we’re wrapping up our April focus on different approaches to story structure. Today we’re focusing on two approaches that are a little more complex that the ones I’ve brought up already. This is only a brief overview, so if they intrigue you at all I encourage you to go to the websites, or get the books, and see if you find the approach useful.
Cause-and-Effect Structure: Story Genius and the Inside Outline
This week we’re going to take a look at two other methods of dealing with plot and structure, courtesy of Lisa Cron and Jennie Nash. Both of these focus on developing a cause-and-effect trajectory that meshes the character arc with the action plot, so the character growth and transformation happen as a result of what happens in the story. They differ in the way they structure their story “blueprints” but I know writers who swear by each (and I use them as well).
The Hero/Heroine’s Journey – Which Should You Follow?
The Hero’s Journey has been popularized for years now, with many books and writers using it as a framework for creating and analyzing stories. The Heroine’s Journey is less well known, but offers an important alternative to the aggressive, individualistic stories that populate the hero’s universe. Understanding both can give your story deeper resonance and connect with our primal human storytelling instincts, drawing readers in despite themselves.
Let’s Talk About Story Structure: The Basics
Ever since Aristotle came up with his three-act structure, writers have been trying to refine it to suit their stories. This month, we’re going to take a deep dive into plot and structure, and look at several popular ways writers have expanded on the topic of “how to structure your story.”
In a Writing Rut? The Power of Mixing It Up
Today, I’m throwing my established schedule into the air like a lot of pixie sticks, and letting all the Stuff I Gotta Do fall where it may.
Well, within reason. I’m still showing up for my 8:00-9:00 am writing time, since other people are depending on me to be there to turn on the Zoom call. I also still have other work I’m scheduled for at specific times.
But, external obligations aside, I’m mixing things up a little.
Why?
5 Reasons Why You Should Take a Break from Writing (and What to Do Instead)
This is actually my second attempt at a blog post for today. I had a whole other post half-written, when I realized:
a) It was too complex and esoteric for most people to care about
b) It was better suited to a Master’s thesis in literature than actual helpful writing advice
The Overthinking Trap (and How to Get Out of It)
Lately I have not been making the best use of my writing time. Oh, I put in the time, I just spend it doing things other than writing…
What Is Your Central Story Question?
Some of the most successful and complex stories can boil down to answering just one question:
Introducing - Feeding the Flames: Ultimate Accountability Package
You know when you have a Big Idea that you fall in love with, but it takes a while to germinate in your brain? And then you have to do the messy draft and figure out all the details, so the result actually resembles that beautiful idea? Yeah, that’s where I’ve been so far this year, and it hasn’t been an actual writing project.
Now I’m finally ready to share with the world. The Feeding the Flames: Ultimate Accountability Package is now available! I’m excited to offer this since it will be a great combination of what I hear so many of us writers want and need: accountability, craft development, and community.
How Do I Know if My Writing is Any Good?
I’ve had a few clients lately who have asked me this question. Some are relatively new writers, who are realizing that this writing thing isn’t quite as easy as it looks. Some are more experienced, who have been working for a while and not seeing the kind of success they envisioned at the beginning.
The Secret Weapon of Motivation: Coaching, Communities, and Writing With Others
The craft of writing can be learned. What often makes the difference between a writer and a non-writer are the ways in which they deal with the challenges of actually getting to the writing itself.
Creative Habits: Positive Energy from Shared Commitment
I was a lonely kid a lot of the time. Because of that background, it’s perhaps even more meaningful to me in adulthood when I find myself in a group that shares and enhances my own interests. It’s a stereotype that writers are curmudgeonly loners. I’m not convinced of that. And even if writers need to isolate in order to make the time to create, I find time and again that writers also treasure a sense of community. This can show up in many ways.