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Posts by Carol Despeaux Fawcett

Oct 24

How to use poetry to better your writing

At the Surrey International Writers’ Conference this last weekend, I received the honorable mention award for poetry in their annual writing contest. It was an incredible honor and an exciting, inspiring conference. Later this week, I’ll share some of my personal highlights from the weekend—including a few tips I learned from author Diana Gabaldon on writing sex scenes and author Wendy Roberts on what makes a good villain.

In honor of my poetry award, below are three previous posts about ways to use poetry to better your writing:

Two exercises to help you write poetically

Four ways to stimulate creativity and cure the writing blahs

Three ways to feed your muse: hunting down inspiration

If you have other ways you use poetry to better your writing, please share!

Oct 20

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How to riff your way to more ideas

Earlier, I wrote a post about word riffing—applying the musical technique of riffing to find just the right word. Sometimes, I use this riffing technique to generate ideas for plot, character traits, or anything else I might be stuck on.

Often an idea will grab my attention and I’ll follow it, riffing along to see where it leads me. Riffing is like dominos–one thing leads to another. To really get my brain going, I ask questions such as: What if? What’s next? How does it feel?

This happened recently when a friend was diagnosed with an illness. She told me how the doctor’s words felt like a curse. The idea of words as a curse intrigued me so I started asking myself questions. Below is the poem that was born from my riffing: Read more

Oct 18

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The simple & profound power of words

Words are more powerful than we realize. They convey thoughts, ideas, motivations, and hopes. Words deliver us into our future. I’ve always loved words whether they’re spoken, written, sung, or signed. Naturally, I  like to share them. (Of course! That’s why I’m writing this).

A few years ago, I bought I new laminator for my office. You know how it is with new toys. I went a little crazy. I laminated everything I could get my hands on. I even made handmade bookmarks with some of my favorite sayings. I decorated them with various stickers, laminated them, and mailed or handed them out to friends or business acquaintances.

Recently, I received an email from a woman I hadn’t come into contact with for at least five or six years. Evidently, she’d been the recipient of one of my bookmarks: Read more

Oct 14

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Reach your goals quicker with a writing partner

I met my writing partner, Carly, at a conference. We clicked immediately and discovered that we only lived forty minutes apart. As we worked on our writing, we called each other for support and met every few months to write. When Carly moved to another state, we continued meeting via instant messages and on the phone. And we started a blog.

The benefits of having a writing partner are numerous. Writing can be a lonely business.  Even if you’re married or in a relationship, nobody really understands a writer like another writer. Not only can a writing partner provide moral support and camaraderie on your journey, you can spur each other on to reach your goals. Read more

Oct 12

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Query letter or book proposal? The answer may surprise you

In the process of submitting my memoir to agents, most advice I’ve been given led me to believe that I should treat the submission process as if my book were fiction. Specifically, I should send a query letter. But at the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Conference I attended in August, the agents who wanted to see my book requested a full book proposal. And I’m glad they did.

By writing the book proposal, I was able to put together an outline of my promotional plan and other information I’ll need to market my book. In the process, I discovered some good information about the core of my book. (It’s most helpful if you write your proposal before you actually finish the book and then tweak it as needed. I wish I had).

Below are some guidelines for creating your own nonfiction book proposal. Read more

Oct 10

What do famous writers snack on?

Writers have all kinds of little habits and quirks. Some won’t allow themselves to read or check email until they’ve completed their word quota. Some write in their pajamas, straight out of bed. Some dress as if they were going to an office. Some do go to an office. But have you ever wondered about the eating habits of famous scribblers?

Take a look at Wendy MacNaughton’s post for the NY Times to see what famous writers like to snack on. I can relate to Marcel Proust’s need for espresso but I’m not sure I could stomach Walt Whitman’s oysters for breakfast. My own preferences depend on the time of year and the time of day but some of my staples include: coffee, tea, water, green drink, almonds, apples, peapods, carrots, a bowl of cherries, or a small plate of gourmet cheese and healthy crackers. And, if I need a sugar buzz, a bit of dark chocolate on the side.

Are you a snacking writer or do prefer to eat away from your desk? What do you like to snack on while you write? Please share!

Oct 6

Steve Jobs: Love what you do & you can change the world

Even though we braced ourselves for it, the entire world is stunned and saddened by the passing of Steve Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple. In Brandon Grigg’s CNN news report, Jobs is referred to as a modern-day Leonardo Da Vinci. And he was. What I admire most about Jobs was his passion.

To the 2005 Stanford graduating class, Jobs said, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.” Read more

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