Jun 10
“Open the book to page 99, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you,” Ford Madox Ford
You can’t always judge a book by its cover, but you might consider judging a book by its page 99. While you probably know how important first lines are in grabbing the reader’s attention, Ford Madox Ford believed that page 99 was the true test. Read more
Writing feeds my soul. I do it because it makes me happy. But too often my writing time gets whittled away by other things. I have my excuses—it’s because I do so many things: run a business, keep my clients happy, take care of the house, act as servant and maid to our three cats. It’s easy to get scattered and before I know it, the day’s over and I’m asking, “What did I do to feed my soul today?”
My intent is to write first thing in the morning but that doesn’t always happen—often I end up squeezing a bit of writing in between work-related projects. So, how do I switch gears and jump-start my creative process if I only have a few minutes? Read more
I woke up feeling blah this morning. A gray Northwest day still affects my spirits despite the fact I’ve lived here for nearly half a century. Did I just say half a century? Now I’m really depressed. But I have to get out of my funk because it’s my writing time. Husband is gone for a few hours (we both work from home), and that’s always the best time for some productive writing. The question is—how do I inspire myself instead of continuing to stare out my window and count shades of gray?
I make a list. For me, list making is almost as satisfying as eating dark chocolate. Okay, maybe writers do exaggerate. Off the top of my head, I write down four of my favorite ways to get my creativity and inspiration back on track. I’ll share them with you as long as you promise to add your own favorites to your list. First on my list is: Read more
I’ve urged many friends to write. I know they have talent, I know they have a story to tell. But some of them are stalled. They tell me they want to write, but they just don’t know what to write about.
If this describes you, ask yourself these questions:
Attending Robert McKee’s Story Seminar in Los Angeles a few years ago was an experience I will never forget. From the hotel I stayed in with whispering elevators, themed floors, fuchsia colored walls, and stuffed sheep in the lobby, to Mr. McKee’s intense (read scary) demeanor and boot camp-style story lessons, I learned more than I could ever have imagined. I learned about story events, scenes, beats, sequences, acts, inciting incidents, story climaxes, different types of plots, and much more–all designed to make us better storytellers.
At the end of our long, exhausting weekend, Mr. McKee said there was one more thing we needed to do everyday if we wanted to become a “serious” writer. We collectively held our breath, waiting for this last drop of wisdom to anoint us into full-fledged writerhood.
What he said was not what we expected. Read more
If you read my post about writing like a 5-year-old, you may be asking yourself, “But, HOW do I do that? Here’s how to prime yourself to write in your child-like zone.
Practice. Every craft requires practice. In music you practice playing scales, you practice playing songs. To write like a 5-year-old, know that you’ll need to practice this carefree frame of mind so that it becomes natural to you. As a reminder, stick a Post-it note on your monitor that says: “Write like a 5-year-old.” Then do it. Here’s how:
Last week, I pulled out a draft of a children’s story I wrote years ago — actually one of the first stories I’d ever written. I realized that the most striking thing about the story was my frame of mind while I was writing it. At that point in my life, it didn’t occur to me that I had any limitations. I didn’t sit and stew about how to get into the story, or if it was good, or what anyone would think about it, or if anyone would want to read it or publish it. When I wrote the story, I was writing like a 5-year-old plays. Being a little messy, running around (on the page), and just being in the moment.
I was writing because I had an idea, I thought it would be fun, and I wanted to share it. At the time I wrote the story, I’d never gone to a writer’s workshop or read many books on writing. Now, after studying writing and going to seminars, I’ve figured out some of its flaws. Read more
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