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Posts by Carly Sandifer

Jun 27

Want to write a bestseller? Reveal your protagonist’s psyche

The trick to publishing a best selling novel just might depend on how deeply you build your protagonist’s emotional intensity.

In an interview in The Irish Echo online, best-selling author Michael Connelly explained why his first two novel writing attempts didn’t work. While shadowing a homicide detective on his job as newspaper reporter in Florida, Connelly noticed the detective – intent on his investigation – would place the earpiece of his eyeglasses in his mouth as he examined the crime scene. Later, when the detective took off his glasses, Connelly noticed that the detective had bitten a groove into the earpiece.

That telling detail revealed the depth of the detective’s internal emotion and intensity for his job. Read more

Jun 25

5 tips to get back into your writing groove

Do you ever feel rusty?

Maybe you’ve had to take a break from writing due to a health issue, a day job that is sucking the life out of you, or to round up a rogue band of unicorns that’s been terrorizing your neighborhood.

For whatever reason, the ideas aren’t flowing, the words aren’t coming, and you need to regroup. I’ve been there. Here’s how I get back into my writing groove and how you can too.

Revisit my routine. For the most part, I think humans thrive on routines. If I have a set writing schedule, my brain knows it needs to get into writer mode. If I’m off track, I know it will help to get back into my routine. Read more

Jun 21

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Boost your creativity by writing at your local coffee shop

If you like to hang out at a café to write, you may have instinctively figured out that the ambient sounds of a coffee shop can inspire creative twists and revelations for your work in progress.

It turns out that a modest level of background noise creates enough of a distraction to encourage more imaginative thinking, according to research led by Ravi Mehta of Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. Read more

Jun 19

Use literary allusion to add depth to your stories

In my quest to become a better writer, I read to see how other authors accomplish their creative objectives.

In The Mother Knot: A Memoir, author Kathryn Harrison used Biblical imagery — literary allusion — to deepen the meaning of her memoir’s theme of forgiveness. She believed her mother’s soul was a destructive force in her life and was so consumed by it that she suffered from anxiety, depression, and anorexia.

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, using this literary tool can give your work added meaning. Referring to another piece of literature, a cultural icon, or historical event adds resonance. Read more

Jun 15

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Three commandments of writing from Henry Miller

One of the the things we like to do here at One Wild Word is pass on tips and interesting ideas about writing. We also like to feature other writers who contribute their expertise and love of writing. Because there’s nothing like having a community of like-minded people to encourage and energize you in your writing life.

So when I saw the post Maria Popova published at Brain Pickings about Henry Miller’s writing and daily creative routine, I knew I had to pass it on. Miller was known for his book Tropic of Cancer, but one of my favorites by Miller is The Colossus of Maroussi about his travels in Greece.

Here are three of Miller’s “commandments of writing and daily creative routine” from the post.

1. Work on one thing at a time until finished. Read more

Jun 13

Learn about your characters by writing their obituaries

I don’t mean to sound morbid, but if you’re building characters for a short story or novel, I suggest you write their obituaries.

I’ve written a fair number of them over the years as a newspaper reporter, for members of my family, and to help friends who struggled with the words to honor a loved one who had passed away.

A good obituary is a tribute and a glimpse of a person’s life. As a journalist, I felt it was an honor to write obituaries even if I didn’t personally know the people I wrote about. Read more

Jun 11

Tap into the power of small wins to write your manuscript

You’ve probably heard how important it is to break down a humongous task into parts to get the job done. You may have heard the question: How do you eat an elephant? Answer: One bite at a time.

Turns out that this can be an effective way to write a book.

The thought of all the time and pieces and parts and elements of writing craft that go into writing a book can be overwhelming. In fact, writing a book can seem so unattainable that some people give up before they even start. To combat these feelings, consider how you can break down your book project into small tasks to gain valuable momentum to write a complete manuscript. Read more

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