I call my first draft a “pile of words.” The first draft of anything is just about getting the words on the page, and those words don’t have to make a lot of sense. Between the time I shove that pile of words out of my brain and deliver a finished piece to an editor,… Read more »
Today I had the privilege of interviewing John Matthew Fox, author of The Linchpin Writer, a book on creativity. Since this is a craft book, the bulk of this interview will focus on applying his advice, which I think you will find extremely useful to your own writing projects. I know I found it useful… Read more »
Fiction isn’t journalism, of course. You don’t need to cram all five Ws (who, what, when, where, and why) into the opening paragraph of your novel or short story. Still, if you’re writing mainstream fiction, your readers ought to be able to establish some bearings early in the narrative. You need to set the scene. … Read more »
Time, or lack thereof, is the biggest hurdle most writers seem to face. It’s also one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves. And look, as far as excuses go, I’m the queen of them. Homeschooling three kids, a farm, family commitments, blah, blah, blah. But here’s the thing, I mean, the dishes and the… Read more »
I love kids. They’re like adults, but with no boring filters like civility or conversational norms. Sometimes what pops out of a five-year-old’s mouth is rude, sometimes it’s sad, but it’s usually funny. My youngest is in kindergarten and I got a chance to help them with their fall science fair this week and let… Read more »
Writing can be a struggle. You have days where you just don’t feel like it, or the words just don’t come. Distractions happen. Other important things on your to-do list come up, right? Does this sound familiar? This doesn’t have to be the case. Writing is a skill you can practice and improve on, and… Read more »
In my new book, The Linchpin Writer: Crafting Your Novel’s Key Moments, I talk about how movies can sabotage a novelists’ writing skills. Novelists can definitely learn storytelling techniques from movies, but you shouldn’t rely on movies too much. After all, they are a different storytelling medium, and books can do things that movies can’t… Read more »
If you want to write a young adult series, then chances are you love book series where you get to fuse with the character and journey with them through three, maybe four, and in some cases, many, many more books. But is it wise to plan all ten books in your epic fantasy and query… Read more »
Welcome back, poets! For me, revision has always been the hardest part of writing poetry. Should I cut lines out or add them in? Is the final line strong enough, or would the poem be served better by ending earlier? Is my title doing enough work? And how in the world do I know when… Read more »
It’s spooky season! I’ve got my costume ready, I’ve started preparing the treat bags for the neighborhood kids, and my house is covered in skeletons. The little gothic bat inside my soul has been stirring, getting ready for the most wonderful time of the year. This time of year increases my draw to all things… Read more »
