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…
Category: FWA
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Two at a Time
A writer’s mind rarely rests. If a writer isn’t in front of the computer, their brain is most likely composing, editing, or solving a plot problem. It’s more than enough for a mind to manage if there’s just one story floating around, but what happens if another one steps in and tugs at your sleeve?…
Secrets to a Series
Our first book was never written with the intent of becoming part of a series, but the characters had other ideas. They weren’t done telling their story, so (for my part) I had to figure out a way to keep it all straight going forward. Along the way, I’ve seen other writers voice the challenges…
The Inevitable Low Point
There’s no getting around it. Every successful story has to have a low point – the place where it all goes wrong, and there’s little hope in sight. Is there any point in struggling on? Highly doubtful, probably not. It would be so much easier at this point to give up and let whatever is…
Making Old New
With social distancing and sequestering still high on the priority ladder, it might be a good time to dig through the closet/flash drive and unearth that writing project you’ve been meaning to finish or thought was so bad that it was beyond repair. Dust Them Off! Pull those unfinished projects out and see which one…
New Year Writing Strategies
It’s the new year, and people are thinking about resolutions, changing their lives, and expanding their horizons. Those are great goals to aspire and work toward. I’ve even been working on a few of my own in various parts of my life. Then I wondered how I could apply those lofty ideas to my writing….
Story as Shopping
When I go to the grocery store, I like to have a list in hand. It helps me stay on track and (most of the time) keeps me from veering off into the chip/snack/candy aisle for something I don’t really need. That being said, I like to give myself the freedom to explore the “off…
The Great Balancing Act
It’s a tricky business, writing. A writer wants, and needs, to write. If only life were that simple. These days, a writer has to be so much more…editor, formatter, agent, marketer, webmaster, publicist, and many times a publisher. The days of writing a story and handing it off (so you can get started on the…
Invisible Masks
October, 2020. Not only is it the month of Halloween, it’s also October in the midst of a pandemic. Hence, the wearing of masks. For fun. Or not. The news, shopping sites, and the world of social media is flooded with all things mask-related. In light of the bombardment, I seized the opportunity to put…
Through the Door
If you’re a writer, it’s bound to happen. You’re in one of those treasured sweet spots where your story is all but writing itself! Then, without warning, it’s over, and you’re up against it. Now what? There is a way forward, a way to emerge victorious and keep your characters doing what they need to…
Every Day Writer 