A few weeks ago we ran an online workshop called 7 Techniques to Boost Your Writing. We were so thrilled with how it went that we’ve decided to host another one. This workshop is designed to help you boost your writing and get your story back on track. Whether you’re stuck on how to start,… Continue Reading »
Writing
With 2012 drawing to a close, we wanted to share a few of our favorite articles from DIY MFA with you. But before we get to that, here’s a recap of how DIY MFA works. While in graduate school, I discovered that the typical Creative Writing MFA boils down to one simple formula. Some graduate… Continue Reading »
Writing
On Monday we talked about how character’s are the story. Today, I pose another idea: while characters may be the story, what really makes your story interesting is the antagonist. And in the case of most thrillers, the antagonist happens to be a villain. If you’re wondering about the distinction between villains and antagonists, check… Continue Reading »
Writing
As I mentioned in my introduction to the ThrillerFest recaps, I fully expected to learn a lot about plot, pacing and suspense. What I did NOT expect was that character development would be the central topic to just about every talk or panel I attended. Character development in a thriller? Actually, that idea is not… Continue Reading »
Writing
To wrap up our week-long series about naming characters we’re going to play a game. In the picture below there are two lists of names. Select one name from each list (or even pick two names from the same list.) You can pick names that you think go well together, or if you’d rather leave… Continue Reading »
WritingToday I thought I’d give you all a peek into one of my works-in-progress and how I’ve named a couple of key characters. This project is a middle grade fantasy, and it involves magic. The story revolves around a group of sisters who are very close. It’s sort of like Little Women, only set in… Continue Reading »
Writing
Naming characters is one of those things that baffled me for a long time. How would I ever find the right name for my characters? Names like Humbert Humbert, Holden Caulfield, Hannibal Lecter, Mary Poppins or even Wilbur (Charlotte’s noble pig friend), names where immediately the character would come to mind. Names like that always… Continue Reading »
WritingWe end our week-long celebration of Teen Literature with an interview today with the charming Elana Johnson. I began following Elana’s blog when I first started exploring the blogsphere for fellow writers. Immediately it became one of my go-to writing blogs because of her honest, no-nonsense advice and her generosity to other writers. She’s one… Continue Reading »
WritingWriting fiction is alchemy. We can have all the ingredients for a great story and still miss that wow factor that makes it all come together, makes our work transform from words on a page to a living, breathing entity with the possibility to burrow into someone else’s consciousness. And we all know plenty of… Continue Reading »
Writing
One of my favorite ways to outline or plan a story is to map it out like a subway or road map. Here’s how this technique works. Each road or subway line represents a different story-thread or plot line. The dots (exits on the highways or subway stops) represent different scenes or moments in the… Continue Reading »
Writing