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When a drafted novel is in the “hot mess” stage, the word count may exceed original expectations. Many times, this problem boils down to the sentence and paragraph level, where repetition, overexplaining and unnecessary description inflates the total word count. But you can fix it! Writing Tip for Today: Let’s talk about ways to trim […]
Rewriting your scenes will require attention to each chapter’s ending scene. At the end of every chapter, you need your readers to turn the page. Reader engagement will be higher if your last scene in a chapter pulls readers to the next chapter. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s examine a few ways you can improve […]
Diving into a rewrite has often panicked me. All those great suggestions in critique group make no sense as I stare at my document. I’ve needed to learn ways to reimagine the scene to improve its impact. Writing Tip for Today: Here are a few ideas for re-imagining a scene: In Media Res In media […]
Of course, your rewrite will be a snap—you don’t have a hot mess of a draft. Right? For the rest of us, rewrites can feel overwhelming. Where do you begin? Writing Tip for Today: Here are a few tips for beginning a rewrite of your novel or memoir: Stand Back Storyboard Last post I mentioned […]
Any writer who has completed at least one draft of a novel should celebrate. You have done something that few who aspire to publish have done. But what are the next steps? Writing Tip for Today: Let’s talk about next steps in rewriting: Organize Your Manuscript If you’ve received feedback from an editor or […]
It’s a story’s pivotal moment—the one where everything changes for your character. One moment, this protagonist thinks all is lost, then somehow finds inner strength to meet the biggest challenge. But how do you write this? The key word is in the somehow. Writing Tip for Today: Stories are more satisfying and believable if character […]
One of my students struggled with some proposed changes to her novel. We meet weekly, and I asked her to reimagine and write a pivotal scene. When we next met, her work was outstanding—and she’d used roleplaying to make it believable and exciting. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s look at some ideas for using roleplay […]
Do you have work that has languished in a drawer or been rejected? I have at least three novels that are sitting around. Instead of immediately self-publishing or throwing the pages into the fire, it could be time to take a second look at the protagonist. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some ways to […]
Last post, we talked about how to keep the tension going higher with each scene. Now, let’s discuss how to write effective scenes where characters argue or uncover revelations about each other. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some tips for writing argument or revelation scenes: No Speechifying. One of the most common mistakes I […]
A writing adage warns writers not to burn down the tree in the first chapter. Think of this as a plea to save writing your story’s jaw-drop moments for the best spot in the story timeline. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some ideas for building tension by saving those high-stakes moments: Tell Yourself the […]
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…]
