Posts Tagged ‘Tips’
How to Survive Your Fourth Week of NaNoWriMo
Research shows it takes twenty-one days to make a new activity a habit, so after three weeks of writing daily for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), you have established writing every day as a habit. In addition, your word count should be around 35,000 words. You’re in the final stretch, and the 50,000-word finish line…
Read More ...How to Survive Your Third Week of NaNoWriMo
The beginning of the third week of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) feels like you’ve just reached the top of the mountain, and you’re gazing down at your final destination—the charming village in the valley below. Sure, you still have to descend the mountain; however, your body has gotten used to climbing and works faster…
Read More ...How to Survive Your Second Week of NaNoWriMo
In many ways, the second week of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) feels like a race where you blew out of the starting gate, sprinted over the hill, and then developed a stitch in your side. Your endorphins have abandoned you. You’re tired. You’ve drunk too much coffee. You said good morning to your children,…
Read More ...How to Survive Your First Week of NaNoWriMo
When a blogger friend casually suggested I attempt National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in 2004, I naively took the bait and signed up. On November 1, I dragged my big-ass laptop to a bookstore, ordered a cup of coffee and a muffin, and began pecking out a story that first took genesis in 1987. Two…
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 ...How to Use Astrology for Quick Character Development
When people think of astrology, they either picture Larry the Lounge Lizard hitting on a pretty young thing by asking her what her sign is or they imagine reading their daily horoscope in the newspaper.
Read More ...How to Use Both Sides of Your Brain to Get to Know Your Characters
Human beings have two sides to the brain, which control the opposite side of the body. In addition, the left side performs tasks that have to do with logic, while the right side handles creative endeavors. Most of the time, my characters reveal themselves to me as I begin to write a story. Occasionally, though,…
Read More ...Get to Know Your Characters at the Grocery Store
I’m always thinking about my characters and my story. It’s not an obsession; I’m just efficient at finding the time I can work on my writing when I’m unable to actually write. One way I do that is to take my characters along when I have to run errands—especially when I must shop for groceries.…
Read More ...How to Break Through Writer’s Block by Turning Within
Sometimes when we sit down to write, our muse eludes us. Perhaps we’re tired. Maybe we feel overwhelmed or don’t know where to start. Instead of looking outside ourselves to begin the writing process, we can also turn within ourselves. If you find that you can not seem to get started with your writing, open…
Read More ...How to Solve Story Problems While You Sleep
I’m fortunate that storytelling comes easily to me. When I sit down to write, I seem to open a creative channel to my muse, listen, and transcribe what I hear. In doing so, I often slip into a meditative state where an hour passes in what feels like only a few minutes. When I read…
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