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Sep 6

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Acquiring a Creative Mind

I’ve had a hectic couple of weeks and, as a consequence, have felt frustrated with the lack of progress on my current manuscript. Though I know what I need to do—set aside some quiet time, ditch the negative self-talk, and get more rest—sometimes it works better to hear it from somebody else.

In this 4-minute video, creativity expert Eric Maisel discusses a process for acquiring a creative mind. He explains how thinking small, unproductive thoughts can literally crowd our minds and prevent us from having those big brainstorming ideas.

Enjoy! Read more

Sep 5

Too old to publish a book? Think again

Publishing can seem like an arduous process. It’s easy to think it will never happen. Your evil twin may try to discourage you with all sorts of reasons to give up, including that maybe you’re too old.

Think again. The longer we live, the more experiences and insight we gain and can use in our writing.

Here are several authors who were in their 40s and beyond when they published for the first time.

Paul Harding, author of Tinkers, won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize with his debut novel, published when he was 42. Read more

Sep 4

How to avoid clobbering your reader with too much information

Successful writers know not to “info dump” on their readers. In other words, they don’t stop the flow of their story to give the reader paragraphs or pages of detailed information.

Information dumping or fire hosing, as I like to call it, slows down the story, the narrative, and everything else. When I come across a book that stops to describe, in great length, a new character—everything from their looks to their clothing—I cringe. If it happens close to the beginning, then I know it’s going to be like this the entire way through.

I finally had to stop reading one fantasy series because every time the main character changed clothes, we had to read about it. The sad part is that the storylines kept me interested, but I just couldn’t read one more time about the protagonist’s favorite pair of Nikes. Read more

Sep 3

How to create memories for your characters

In an interview with author and journalist Pete Hamill, he explains how he researches his novels and in the process creates memories for his fictional characters.

If his fiction is set in the past, he reads histories, letters, memoirs and old newspapers.

“Then I let my notes marinate for awhile, usually a few months, until they become memory…the memory of one or more of the characters.”

Many newspapers have placed archives online and for older editions of newspapers that aren’t online, check the archives at your library. You’ll also find letters, artifacts, photos, and historical documents at local and state libraries and historical societies.

Read the full interview with Hamill in the December 2011 issue of The Writer magazine.

Aug 31

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Creating support systems to succeed as an artist

At a writing conference once, a successful author thanked her husband for being her “patron of the arts” for years as she worked to build her writing craft and career.

Though I work hard in my “day job”–running our business with my husband–I am blessed that he understands and supports my obsession with writing. I can’t imagine how awful life would be if I had a partner that didn’t support and encourage me. I know many people aren’t as blessed.

When I lost my job 15 years ago, my hubby (then boyfriend) said, “Congratulations. Now your real life can begin.” I didn’t get it then, but I sure do now. Losing my job allowed me to change and grow and begin to do what I loved, not what somebody else told me to do. My husband was my greatest support as I learned new skills that would serve me to begin my own business.  Read more

Aug 30

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How writers turn journal entries into novels

Writing in a journal is a powerful way to create the bits and pieces that become literature.

Journals serve as workbooks and a place to note descriptions, thoughts, ideas and character sketches.

Graham Greene set two of his novels, “A Burnt out Case” and “The Heart of the Matter” in Africa. The book, In Search of a Character: Two African Journals: Congo Journey and Convoy to West Africa, reveals the raw material — observations about people and the world — that eventually turned into his novels.

Read more

Aug 29

How scene cards can build a bridge in your story

As I’m working on my next manuscript, I have a feeling for the beginning and end of my story but I don’t really know much about that big, sticky, middle section yet. But after reading The Writer’s Guide to Writing Your Screenplay by Cynthia Whitcomb, I’m using a technique she discusses to help me discover more of my story.

Basically, using a stack of 3×5 index cards, you write your working title on one card, Act I, Act II, and Act III on three others, and then write out as many scenes from the beginning and ending that you know you’ll have. Write down the basic information: where, when, and what. Some of these will be “obligatory” scenes, i.e. in a romance story, you have to have a scene where boy meets girls. In a mystery, you have a scene with a dead body. In a thriller, the bad guy is introduced. Read more

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