How to Use a Character Bible While Drafting Your Manuscript
A character bible is essential when starting to draft a novel because inevitably, as I get into the thick of my manuscript, I’ll find myself trying to remember the name of a minor character from earlier in my draft.
Read More ...How Music Playlists Help Create a Sense of Place and Atmosphere in Your Writing
Music is an innovative and fun way to create a sense of place and atmosphere in writing. Listening to certain genres of music and artists helps me connect with a specific time period or a subculture. Also, referencing particular songs or artists can serve as a shortcut to instantly create a sense of time and…
Read More ...How to Build Your Fictional World for NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) begins on at midnight on November 1, so I thought I would transition from setting into how to prepare your fictional world in advance of NaNoWriMo. Grab your camera or SmartPhone and head out to someplace you’ve never been before. Snap pictures of anything that catches your eye or intrigues…
Read More ...How to Increase Your Understanding of Setting When You Travel, Part 3
When we drove into Reykjavik late on Friday night, we entered a new phase of our trip. Outside the city, the dramatic landscapes felt expansive; however, walking through the narrow European streets of Iceland’s capital seemed smaller, cozier, and introspective. I’d also encounter some synchronicity.
Read More ...How to Increase Your Understanding of Setting When You Travel, Part 2
The customs agent said, “Welcome to Europe, Mr. Blocker.”
I smiled as I had always expected to visit Europe many years before that moment, yet I was happy to have finally arrived.
As I proceeded through the airport, it seemed much like any other airport in the U.S.—especially when I saw a display of Doritos in a duty-free store near baggage claim.
Read More ...How to Increase Your Understanding of Setting When You Travel, Part 1
We can sometimes grow immune to the details of our everyday environment. Before we open our eyes, we’re complaining about having to get out of bed, or we’re already making a mental list of things to do before our feet touch the floor. How often do we notice the change in color in the sunrise…
Read More ...How to Find Inspiration Locally
Although I often receive inspiration by spending quiet time reading a book, I sometimes need to leave the house and set out on an adventure. Such inspiration doesn’t require that I travel to some distant natural wonder; I simply need to leave my current space for somewhere with new stimulation. This could be a walk…
Read More ...How to Create a Setting with Personality
Although many writers consider setting to be impersonal, every place has a distinctive personality. Regardless of whether a protagonist creeps into a dilapidated Victorian mansion on a dark, rainy night or whether a character walks in a cheerful woodland cottage with a cool breeze blowing through the many open windows, every location interacts with a…
Read More ...How to Find Inspiration in the New and Unknown
For the past week, I’ve been living somewhere new. A close friend has left the country to visit his dying father, and I’m dog- and house-sitting in his absence. For the past week, I’ve been living somewhere new. A close friend has left the country to visit his dying father, and I’m dog- and house-sitting…
Read More ...How to Reveal Character by Withholding
As beginning writers, we often tell more than show. We want to be sure that a reader understands a character is angry, so we write: “I hate you,” she said angrily. We might even add three exclamation marks just be on the safe side. With practice, we learn to become more subtle, taking pride in…
Read More ...