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Sometimes in spite of our best writing intentions, life gets in the way. This past week, a family member–my eldest son’s significant other, a 30 year-old named Nikki–suffered a major stroke. My plans immediately took a back seat as we fervently prayed, paced and figured out what to do next. Nikki was Life-flighted to a […]
Now that you’ve achieved your 50k NaNoWriMo novel word count, you’ll want to rest your writing. No, you don’t stop writing—even if it is holiday madness time. But resting that hot mess of a draft will help you when you begin editing after the new year. Writing Tip for Today: Here are three easy ways […]
Writing the ending to your NaNoWriMo novel can make the whole month feel worthwhile. As soon as you type, “The End,” you can start celebrating! Writing Tip for Today: To help your NaNo novel cross the finish line in the best shape possible, consider these tips: No Rushing, Shoving or Pushing As you write […]
Writing Your NaNoWriMo Climax Scene Writing a NanoWriMo novel leads, step by step, to the climax scene. We’re in the last two weeks of the endeavor, so many are nearing that pivotal scene in the work. Writing Tip for Today: Here are a few ideas for writing your NaNo climax scene: The Last Battle […]
Writing NaNo Novels: Flash Dialogue Last post, we discussed how to assemble a few flash cards to give you direction in writing your NaNoWriMo novel. Today, let’s take the “flash” concept and apply it to writing your NaNo novel’s dialogue. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some easy ways that FLASH DIALOGUE can generate […]
Anti-outline-writers often feel frustrated when it comes to pre-planning a novel, but it’s possible to write your NaNoWriMo novel as a pantster with a little help. As we head into NaNoWriMo season, writers everywhere hear a lot about plot points, beats and storyboards. How about Flash Cards? Writing Tip for Today: Here’s a simple method […]
Writing Subplots that Sing Novels that include at least one subplot tend to be more nuanced and reflect better real life. A mystery often features an ongoing love interest. A love story might include a murder subplot. A fantasy saga might juggle several subplots. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s take a look at some […]
Use It or Lose It? Handling Feedback In a good critique group, writers handle feedback with better results when they “use it or lose it.” These writers adopt the suggestions that make sense for the work and let the rest fall to the wayside. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s discuss the feedback a writer might […]
Re-Writing Your Scene Part III In the last posts, we talked about assessing your scene’s purpose and how it will play if it is put into action. Now, let’s talk about re-writing your paragraphs and sentences to make the scene sparkle. Writing Tip for Today: What are some revision techniques for polishing a drafted scene? […]
Re-Writing Your Scene Last post we discussed rewriting the “Big Picture” aspects of a scene. If the big questions aren’t answered—the why, conflict and tension of the scene—the little stuff isn’t important. Except that the little things matter too. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s look at other elements of scene rewriting. Unpack the Action As […]
Linda has always been a daydreamer, artist and storyteller. In addition to doting on grandbabies, collecting too many cats, gardening and walking on the beach, she loves to write and to help writers develop their skills. [READ MORE…]
