We writers are always urged to find our voice in writing. Develop our voice. Be true to our voice. But in the middle of all of that furor over voice, what voice is often gets lost. As readers, we have favorite authors. We form fierce attachments to their work. Each new novel, collection of short… Read more »
Theme is one of the most important parts of a writing a book — but it’s also hard to execute without feeling like you are beating the reader over the head with “and the moral of this story is…” Thankfully, there are a few tricks to incorporating theme into your first draft that don’t involve… Read more »
Last year, I wrote a two-part series on The Hero’s Journey. In the second of those columns I mentioned discovering Kim Hudson’s The Virgin’s Promise and vowed to return to the topic once I’d had a chance to study the book. Now that I’ve done my homework, I’m going to write another two-part series on… Read more »
Ah, revenge. It’s one of the classic literary masterplots, where the protagonist believes he’s been wronged and seeks to retaliate against the antagonist. But did you know that revenge can also be a literary theme? How it manifests through the plot and characters will depend on what kind of story the author wants to tell…. Read more »
Last year, I successfully pitched and submitted an essay to a well-known creative nonfiction magazine. It was an essay I’m proud of, one that was inspired by a Twitter thread originally posted by the editor I wrote for. But unfortunately the editor turned down my piece, because the ending didn’t have that unexpected element she… Read more »
Writing is hard enough. You do it all by your lonesome, forever battling that cranky voice in your head that snipes at every word you write, and when that doesn’t stop you, switches tactics and suggests you have a snack. Or a nap. Or look, a squirrel! But you have the grit to keep writing… Read more »
Welcome to week three! In my last two articles I’ve discussed two major beats in every story: the disturbance and the care package. Both of these beats focus on how events or vulnerabilities impact or develop the Lead (i.e. – the protagonist). So you shouldn’t be surprised as we venture into James Scott Bell’s third… Read more »
I’m guilty. Of overwriting. Of indulging in hooptedoodleeandering. But not always. I just completed National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo). I wrote a poem and posted it on my blog everyday in April. I chose to do NaPoWriMo because I often overthink when I write, which leads me to overwrite. Or worse, freeze up and not… Read more »
I’m an indie fantasy romance author, and am currently in the revision process of my debut novel SPANK: Odyssey. I keep reading online about readers not being invested in a story because the stakes are not high enough. I feel these people are saying your conflict isn’t interesting unless someone is at risk of dying… Read more »
Writing every day can benefit everyone, not only writers. It improves your memory, builds vocabulary, and refines your communication skills. Not to forget that writing can be very relaxing, especially if you lead a busy and stressful life. You can either start a dream journal, write down your daily adventures, or simply put the pen… Read more »
