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Oct 19

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Breathe life into characters with the right names

What do you think of when you hear these names? Holden Caulfield, Bilbo Baggins, Jane Eyre, Hannibal Lecter, and Scarlett O’Hara.

Memorable character names help grab readers’ attention, and gripping characters become so real that readers remember them long after they read the last page of a book.

I collect names the way I collect other writing bits in my commonplace book. I wrote these down recently: Virgil Doty, Pernelle Parker, Carlyle Scoggins.

Here are a few things to think about when you’re creating character names:

Avoid similar sounding names – Especially in the beginning of your story, readers will be meeting your characters and trying to place them and the relationships. Jared, Jason and Joseph are all nice names but too many “J” names might throw off readers. 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 17

A blast from the writing past

If you’re new to One Wild Word, you may have missed some of our earlier posts. Dip into some posts from the past and shake up your writing mind.

Write lyrically by reading poetry

Learn more about how poetry can be your bubble bath for a productive writing session. 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 13

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Want to get published? Take over the TV station

Have you ever noticed that one of the first things revolutionaries do when they start a coup is take over the TV station? That’s because controlling communication is key to attracting attention, managing the message, and sparking change.

If you’re trying to get published, maybe you don’t want to go that far, but it doesn’t hurt to think like a revolutionary. If you want to get noticed you have to get your work out there.

Besides sending out queries, try these tactics as part of a plan to communicate and share your writing with the world.

1. Submit excerpts of your project for publication in magazines or literary journals. It could lead to a book deal from an agent who sees it and wants more. 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 11

Put your pen down and take a power hour

Have you considered going on a “power trip?” Not in that wild, crazy, dictator sort of way, but in a crazy good, creative idea way.

Todd Henry, author of the book, “The Accidental Creative: How to be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice,” writes about how to maximize the creative process to solve problems or maximize ideas in the work place. I like to use his advice to build out ideas for my writing projects.

One of his tips: Make time for periodic power hours.

He suggests stopping once a week, or whenever it feels right, to spend an hour generating ideas. I use the time to write out details about characters and where my story could go next. Power hours are also good for brainstorming ideas for book titles, considering possibilities for story structure, or drumming up character names. Read more

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