I’ve read a lot of social media posts by and about writers and their angst with the process. Many don’t think they’re actually writing if they’re not actively typing or putting words to paper. They lament the fact that they only wrote (insert a number here) words within a certain timeframe. Some exceeded their goal…
Character Dressing
Your story idea is well underway, and the characters are firmly set in your mind. Yikes! They’re all naked! Unless your story takes place in a nudist colony, you’ll need to clothe those bodies, and quick! When and What? When your story takes place has a significant bearing on what your characters wear. You won’t…
Building a Story
Yay! You came up with an awesome idea for a story! It’s been swirling around in your brain for months, growing in size and complexity, and it’s getting more and more insistent in its pleadings to be released onto the page. You finally comply and begin the process but find yourself frozen in front of…
The Editing Conundrum
I’ve seen the question posed (in various forms) on social media sites that writers frequent. “I just finished writing my story. Can I send it ‘as is’ to my editor?” Or it might be something like, “How much editing do I need to do before I send my story to beta readers?” A writer may…
Conflict and Tension
Most of us are looking for less conflict and tension in our lives. Just head to the nearest bookstore and check out the Self-Help section. But if you happen to be a writer (this probably pertains more to fiction), your characters NEED conflict and tension–a lot of it! If a story flows merrily along from…
Genre Expectations for Readers
Whether your reader is scrolling online or strolling through a book shop, they have an idea of what to expect when they choose a book from a particular genre. As a writer, you will want to ensure your book finds its way to the proper shelf (virtual or otherwise) so that readers will be able…
Story Plotting
To the reader curled up with your book, it may appear to be a random collection of thoughts, conversations, and experiences. In fact, stories are carefully-constructed works that usually follow a specific formula. It’s known as a plot/story arc, where the events rise and fall and are eventually brought together and explained or resolved (denouement)….
Story Elements – Cut or Keep?
There’s a lot of world-building that takes place when a writer embarks on the journey of creating a story. The plot guides the reader along the path from first to last sentence. Interwoven in the plot are sensory details that make the story come alive for the reader. What’s important to keep, and what can…
Shimmer Bridge
Wednesday at five. Nancy and I sit on the berm at the edge of the beach; damp in our suits, sharing binoculars. Scanning north, our eyes strain for a glimpse of the Hudson; Rolling dust curls with Dad inside. Winged yellow Hornet; sun flashing off chrome. Now there! Now gone. Bare feet race across late…
About Chapter Beginnings
When a reader opens the cover of a book, they are embarking on an adventure the writer has created for them. What should happen at the beginning of that first chapter, and subsequent chapters? Let’s explore the possibilities. First Chapter The beginning of the first chapter of a story has specific requirements, different in some…
About Chapter Endings
Chapters are the stepping stones that guide a reader from the beginning to the end of your story. A chapter can be a mini-story in itself, with its own arc and exciting stuff happening in a little, literary package. When it comes time for the chapter to end, what do you do? What is a…
Antagonists – Why Bother?
Antagonists are such a pain. Why should a writer bother with one, or more? All they do is cause trouble! Exactly! A story needs to have opposing forces, conflict, and struggle. Otherwise, it won’t be a story worth writing–or reading. Creating your protagonist (main character) and sending him on his merry way might be the…
Writing Secondary Characters
As a writer, you send your main character out the door, down the path, and into the world of your story. But wait? Can they succeed if they go it alone? Frodo wouldn’t have gotten far without Sam as The Lord of the Rings fans know all too well. Your story needs someone to join…
Creating 3D MCs
When the main character in a story is created, the reader needs to be able “see” a fully-formed individual they can connect with and invest in for the duration of the story. He/she cannot be a teetering paper doll or a penciled stick figure struggling to grab and hold the reader’s attention. Let’s see what…
Writer’s Block Begone!
Wikipedia calls writer’s block a “condition.” Sounds serious, doesn’t it? Like a chronic malady that a writer struggles to keep at bay, the threat of a recurrence is always lurking in the dark shadows of that last sentence, paragraph, or scene. It’s something you might get a bit of respite from, but is guaranteed to…
The Ether Experiment
Droughtlander is finally over, and we can resume our spirited discussions and reactions to a new season of Outlander! So here are some of my thoughts about Episode One, Echoes. Claire appears to have recovered (at least on the outside) from the attack upon her at the end of Season Five. She is back in…
Backstory Thoughts
A question was recently posed to me about a creative way to insert facts and information from the past into a story. Readers don’t want an information dump, so how does a writer provide the pertinent details without a lot of backstory? After I offered up a few suggestions (I hope they helped!), I thought…
After ‘The End’
You did it! You completed an amazing writing journey, and you’ve got something you’re proud of and excited about–a novel, short story, memoir, etc. After long (endless?) hours of writing, tears of frustration, and feelings of self-doubt, you finally typed those last, two words–The End. Before you whisk it off to your editor, consider these…
Moose As Muse
I realized that a moose would become my muse on a hike in Glacier National Park years ago. The twelve-mile hike was exhausting, I was not properly prepared, and I considered turning back at more than one point in the trail. Then it happened. While taking a short break to listen to our guide, he…
Story As A Stone Wall
I happened across this photo of a stone wall project I completed a few years ago, and it made me think about how I might compare it to the construction of a story. Tools, materials, planning, and brain power translates to creating a wall (or a story) that will stand the test of time. I…
Free Shopping Spree!
Free is great, right? Who doesn’t love free? It’s especially fabulous when you are gearing up to write your first (or next) story. Settings, characters, and other story elements are free for the taking – in unlimited quantities! So forget about TP, grab your cart, and let’s shop ‘till we drop! Your Genre’ Aisle This…
Denouement – #16
It’s a French word, literally meaning, “untie the knot.” It’s the point in a story where the conflicts, entanglements, and challenges are resolved. Without giving too much away, I can tell you this – there are three (yes, three!), separate plots that have to be resolved and “untied” in The Ghost Writer. A complicated trio…
Rejections and Reviews
You did the hard work. You dreamed, plotted, wrote, and edited the story within you that needed to be told. Then you did more hard work – writing that query letter. Some think it’s more of a challenge than writing the book itself! I’m inclined to agree. Query letters and blurbs will be the death…
Captivate With Color
There are so many senses in which to immerse readers, and color plays a huge role in getting readers to feel like they’re right there in your story. In order to get the most out of each visual description, bust out that color palette and have some fun! Go Beyond the Obvious Sure, her dress…
So Much Surrendering
There is so much surrendering going on in this episode, it’s hard to know where to start. Part of the definition of the word is to, “cease resistance to an enemy or opponent.” There is a lot of it happening, but there isn’t a battlefield in sight. First of all, Jamie has surrendered his name….
A Wedding Gown – #15
There’s going to be a wedding, but not everyone is happy about it. Especially Lady Sophia, the newly-betrothed, bride-to-be. This match was not of her choosing, but that’s a topic for another blog. For now, the wedding is going to take place, and there must be a gown. This wedding is taking place in the…
Of Things Lost
If you’re a writer who has unexpectedly lost hard-won sentences, paragraphs, or drafts to the electronic technology demons, you know all too well the chest-clenching feeling of panic and heartbreaking loss that comes with a file that will not open or the fatal error message that signals whatever you’ve written is forever doomed to orbit…
Baking for a Baker – #14
Jenna’s an average baker. Nothing too fancy or complicated works for her. And she doesn’t really need to do much baking because Jim’s Bakery is downstairs from her apartment. Jim and his wife Rosa are of the same Slovakian descent as Jenna, and they’ve pretty much adopted her as their own since Jenna’s parents live…
Writers on Vacation
Even the most passionate, dedicated writer needs a break. Perhaps you’re in between projects, feel a bit bogged down by the process, or don’t have a clue where the plot of your story is headed. A vacation is a good way to step away from the writing process and give your mind a well-deserved respite….
Deadlines
Deadlines. We all have them, and probably chafe in varying degrees when they approach. Work-related deadlines, bill-paying deadlines, and the days of the week that the trash needs to be set out at the curb (yeah, that’s a deadline, too). Some are more constrictive than others, and some we can ignore or procrastinate about a…
Every Day Writer 