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Posts from the ‘Craft’ Category

Nov 2

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How I Write: More articles about the daily routines of well-known authors

If you’ve entered the NaNoWriMo zone, you may find it useful to draw inspiration from published authors.

These novelists reveal the details of their daily writing routines.

Tim Lott, Emma Donoghue, Esther Freud, Ian Rankin, Lionel Shriver, and Maggie O’Farrell.

The interviews were published as part of a feature The Guardian published called How to Write a Book in 30 Days.

Feel free to share how you write in the comments below.

Oct 31

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A six-stage plan for writing your Nano novel in 30 days

Just in time for the NaNoWriMo kickoff Nov. 1, I found a series of articles on The Guardian online outlining a six-stage plan for writing a book in 30 days. The series is part of a 32-page supplement delivered free to Guardian readers in its Oct. 20 edition.

The 30-day plan includes handy worksheets and details about:

  • Creating setting, plot, outline, and preliminary characters
  • Researching your idea Read more

Oct 26

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Submit your best work

“How you do one thing is how you do everything.” I can’t remember who originally said this but I’ve heard it many times.

Learning to write or do any art is like peeling an onion. A concept or craft technique I learned two years ago will continue to unfold and grow to a deeper level in my understanding.

One of many of these moments came to me last weekend at the Surrey Writers Conference. I heard over and over that, as writers, we should only send out our best work.

I know this, of course, but it resonated at a deeper level of understanding for me this weekend. Read more

Oct 24

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Passive verbs are for zombies

When I first started writing, I struggled with the passive voice. I remember one of my writing mentors drawing it to my attention. In an early chapter of my memoir I had too many “woulds,” “coulds,” and linking verbs. All of this led to my reader feeling distanced from my story.

As storytellers, we want to engage our readers. One way to do this is by using active verbs.

Here’s the difference:

He kissed her. (active) Read more

Oct 22

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Write a pitch for your work-in-progress: the sooner the better

This weekend, I attended the Surrey International Writers Conference in Canada. It’s one of my favorite conferences and a wonderful, supportive environment to pitch your manuscript to potential agents and editors.

I didn’t feel like pitching my memoir, so I decided to practice-pitch my work-in-progress, an urban fantasy novel, because that’s the project I’m really excited about right now. Problem was–I didn’t have a pitch for it.

I did have my original idea and an overall grasp of my story so I spent half an hour throwing my pitch together before bed Friday night. In other words, I winged it. (Shhh…don’t tell). Read more

Oct 19

Ready to revise? Move forward with these two posts

If you’ve written a draft and are now ready to jump into revisions, Wise Ink (@Wiseink) reveals a road map in At First Draft: The 6 (Minimum) Steps to Revising Your Manuscript before Submission.

At the blog YA Stands, Rachel Russell (@RachelxRussell) wrote Fisticuffing Revisions Into Submissions, about her process for revising her manuscript.

What’s your approach to revisions?

Oct 18

Writing unique emotions will set you apart from other authors

When you can convey authentic, universally true emotions through your characters, you connect with your readers and they’ll keep turning the pages. Your readers become invested in your story the moment they viscerally feel what your character feels.

See what else the Plot Whisperer, Martha Alderson, has to say about writing emotions in her 5-minute video here: Read more

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