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Posts tagged ‘writing tips’

Feb 19

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Track your daily words with this website

George Burns once said, “No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.”

Here at OneWildWord we often write about the power of words. We know that one word can begin an entire avalanche of words.

But sometimes, even getting down a single word can be a challenge. 

So, in my ongoing struggle to carve time out of my day for my writing and keep myself accountable, I started using a free service that Carly wrote about last year. At www.750words.com, the goal is to simply write 750 words per day. You receive points for each day you accomplish this goal and points for going over 750 words. Read more

Feb 13

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Don’t beat your head against the wall: Try these tips to develop a daily writing practice

A friend once told me that the best way to stop a bad habit was to replace it with a good one. At the time, she was trying to eat healthier and lose a few pounds. She said she found that trying to eliminate certain foods from her diet just made her want to eat more of them. She struggled with losing weight for years.

One day, she decided that instead of restricting her diet, she would add to it–healthy snacks and foods, including a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables. A few of her goals: drink a green smoothie in the morning, eat vegetables at every meal, eat at least one salad a day, and snack on apples between meals. Read more

Jan 24

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Generate writing ideas with online photo galleries

In my last post “Overcome writer’s block and generate new ideas with tarot or picture cards,” I wrote about how I stumbled upon the benefits of using tarot cards to inspire my writing.

I’d like to share another great source of inspiration I discovered recently. Sometimes, Carly and I will go to Shutterstock or iStock to find photos for our blog posts. Recently, we purchased a large number of photos, and I helped find pictures for our blog. What I discovered was a plethora of inspiration!  Read more

Jan 22

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Overcome writer’s block and generate new ideas with tarot or picture cards

Ever find yourself happily writing along and then, suddenly, you’re stumped on what should come next?  When I start a scene, I usually have a general idea of the direction I’m going and how it will end. But occasionally, my characters take me in a new direction or the ending I had in mind feels insufficient.

This happened to me recently. An ending to a new chapter left me feeling uninspired. And, worse, I couldn’t think of a better ending. Every idea I thought of felt forced.

In my writing room is a set of Tarot cards. I don’t know how to read the tarot, but I purchased them because of their beautiful pictures. Plus, I’d heard another writer say that she used them when she needed inspiration in her writing. At the time, I thought it was pretty silly—am I really going to incorporate a Price of Cups or Queen of Wands into a story? Read more

Jan 18

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Three posts to help you plot a novel

As I work on plotting my current novel, I like to investigate what other authors are doing. By reading about their process, I learn tips to incorporate in my own process.

“How I Plot a Novel in Five Steps” by Rachel Aaron explains her process of plotting a novel. I like what she writes about timelines:

“Make a timeline. I didn’t have timelines for the first four Eli novels and OMG did it bite me in the ass. Lesson finally learned, I now make timelines not just for the events of the novel itself, but the history before it as well. I especially make sure to note relative ages and how long everyone’s known everyone else.”

“How to Create a Plot Outline in Three Easy Steps,” by Glen C. Strathy.  To write a story that others will want to read we have to raise the stakes for our protagonist. Low stakes equals low interest. Strathy calls this, “The Cost.” Read more

Jan 4

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Tools and techniques to jumpstart 2013 goal setting

January is a great time to set new goals for the year. January is about renewal. New Goals. Excitement. Anticipation.

Below are a few posts from Carly and I to help you with your 2013 goal setting:

Try these tools and techniques to keep your 2012 writing plan on track 

Reach your goals quicker with a writing partner 

Make a goal-setting ritual

We wish you a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year!

Jan 2

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What writerly traits run in your family?

My father was a difficult person to  live with but, in his own way, he was very philosophical. He was a voracious reader of daily news and current events. He loved learning new things and was always calling me and my cousins into the kitchen where he sat on his favorite stool and read interesting excerpts to us. Granted, there was a lot of eye rolling going on at the time, but over the years I gleaned his enthusiasm for reading, learning, and considering new ideas. Read more

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