This past week we’ve been talking about outlines. On Monday I asked the question: Plotter or Pantser? Where Do You Stand? That post got me thinking about my own writing process. I’m usually not a seat-of-my-pants writer but I hate traditional outlines. Something about long lists (I.A, 2.b–it’s all Greek to me) just doesn’t work… Read more »
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… Read more »
Plotter: n. (1) A writer who plots out his or her story in the greatest of detail before starting the draft; (2) a writer obsessed with outlines, index cards and writing apps; (3) a writer who spends most of his or her time organizing the novel then writes it in about ten minutes. Pantser: n…. Read more »
Before we get to the discussion of character archetypes, I’d like to make a request: please strike the term “secondary character” from your vocabulary. Not only does it imply that somehow these characters are less important than the protagonist, but the term itself doesn’t tell us much about the role these characters play in the… Read more »
Every story needs a “bad guy,” someone or something that gets in the protagonist’s way and keeps making trouble for him or her. For instance if my life were a novel, the “bad guy” would be an impossibly cute 3-year-old ginger cat, whose offenses include: “Decorating” the living room with shredded articles of mail Skulking… Read more »
Today’s guest article comes from Julie Duffy, founder of the StoryADay Challenge. Want to learn more about Julie? Check out this video interview I did with her earlier this week. Interested in trying your hand at writing a story a day? Go to the StoryADay website for more information. Your prompt: Collect three ‘Story Sparks’… Read more »
This week’s prompt is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. In fact, it’s pretty tough to do. For one week, commit to writing every day. Notice that there are no stipulations as to quantity or quality of the writing. You can write as little or as much as you like, for… Read more »
Not everyone can find long blocks of time for writing because real life often gets in the way. If you are one of those writers who can set aside large chunks of time for your writing, that’s fantastic! Even if you’ve got tons of time on your hands (…and don’t tell us if you are… Read more »
I love hearing writers talk about process and learning about new tools that can help my writing. I’m especially a fan of things that lend a festive and fun element to my writing. (Because let’s face it, a lot of the time writing is HARD. Might as well make it fun.) In this post I… Read more »
This week, we’re talking about description and detail. On Monday we established that Description Equals Does Not Equal Exposition. Today we’re going to discuss how to make those descriptive passages more powerful. Here are five tips, plus a writing exercise at the end to help you put them into action. 1) Engage the Five Senses…. Read more »
