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Jan 15

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What one writer has learned so far about her 2013 daily writing challenge

Are you on a quest to write every day? No matter what your goal, writing or otherwise, periodic check-ins can help ensure you stay on track and maintain enthusiasm for your projects.

Blogger Amanda Martin committed to write daily in 2013. For her daily challenge, Martin is writing posts that cover how her writing ideas develop and how she approaches research. The second part of each post is a new section of her work in progress, a novel. In this post, you’ll find more background about her project.

In Martin’s January 11 post, she shares the side effects of her daily practice.

It’s never too late to start a daily writing routine. Try these tips. (Tweet them)

1. Establish a regular writing time. Morning, noon, or night, you have to figure out what works for your life. I like mornings because I can get some work done before anything else interrupts my schedule. Plus, I have the sentences buzzing in my brain the rest of the day. Nights can be perfect for others because the house is finally quiet. And there’s something to be said for “sleeping on your story.” When I write before bed, I often have an epiphany the moment I lay my head down. Bonus. Read more

Jan 14

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How to plot a novel: recommended resources

In my last post, “Plotting a story is like solving a puzzle,” I mentioned that I read several books to help me demystify that four-letter word “plot.”

Below are resources and books I highly recommend adding to your craft collection or checking out at the library:

Blockbuster Plots: Pure & Simple by Martha Alderson. She has another book called The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master, which is also very helpful, but Blockbuster Plots really does a great job of breaking it all down. Learn about structure, scenes, character development and everything a good story needs.

I love Alderson’s youtube channel because it’s full of fantastic short clips about the craft of writing and plotting that I play in the background when I’m cooking, doing dishes, or when I need a short break. Read more

Jan 11

Carry a poem or other piece of writing for inspiration

What do you carry in your purse or wallet? Do the contents include a piece of writing?

One of my writer friends carries a letter she received from a man and his wife who aren’t related to her by blood but treat her as if she is their daughter. The man wrote the heartfelt letter telling her how proud they were of her and how they read her writing and share it with their friends and coworkers. The man taped two dollar bills to the letter and told her to buy herself an ice cream cone. When I read it I wanted to cry, it was so sweet.

I’ve known others who carry love notes, a fortune from a cookie, and poetry that has meaning. Read more

Jan 10

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Plotting a story is like solving a puzzle

Some words send shivers down my spine. Plot. Outline. Crisis. Climax. Beats. Scenes. Structure

Since one of my motto’s in life is to “go fear-ward,” I decided the best way to overcome my shivering was to dive into the world of “plot” and demystify it.

I read books, went to conferences, and played with the different exercises and ideas recommended by others to wrap my head around this idea of plot. (In my next post, I’ll share the books I found most helpful).

Along the way, I had several epiphanies. I realized that all plot really is is a series of events in your story. Plot is what happens. (Tweet this).

And, really, when you think about it, we’ve been learning about plot since the first day we learned to read: Read more

Jan 9

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Seven ways to breathe life into your novel or short story idea

Are you stalled at some point in your story or manuscript development? Or maybe you’ve finished a project and are jumping into a new one. Generating an idea for a novel is one thing, but how do you build it out into a manuscript? Maybe you’re looking at all the ideas you’ve collected, and you’re stuck about where to go next.

Breathe life into your novel ideas by brainstorming your ideas. Here’s where to start:

1. Ask the question: “What was happening in my life when I thought of this idea?” For memoir writers, this is especially powerful. Big life changes or milestones often spark new ideas. Whether you’re writing a memoir or novel, our inner selves drive themes in our writing worlds. Many novels are autobiographical to some degree — consciously or unconsciously. Our life experiences can’t help but inform the stories we write. Read more

Jan 8

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Turn your goals into daily habits

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

I was reminded of the above quote this week while reading Kathie Pugaczewski’s blog post “Keep Pulling.”

Aristotle was right. We are our habits. Day in and day out. Creating better habits takes consistency and discipline for a certain number of days until the pattern becomes ingrained into our very being. Read more

Jan 7

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Four techniques to tap into your imagination

Have you ever noticed how being creative and being stressed out aren’t very compatible?

Coming up with new worlds, creating characters, and putting words in people’s mouths require us to think big, tap into our imaginations. The writer’s life requires a certain amount of stress-free time for maximum creativity.

Just being alive brings a certain amount of stress. Add to that stress caused by high pressure jobs that can knock us out of our groove and block our ability to create. Even just fatigue from regular day-to-day life and all its demands can deplete us of creative energy.

If you find you need to fire up your imagination, here are some ways to get back in your groove. Read more

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