Writing a Book Blurb

In November, you probably wrote madly and got a lot of words down for the story of your dreams. You now have to take a step back and figure out what it is you’ve got. If you don’t know what you have, you’re not likely to get very far trying to fix it. In myContinueContinue reading “Writing a Book Blurb”

Individualizing characters

This is the last one where I’ll suggest you bookmark and come back if you’re NaNo-ing. Good luck as you finish! This is my last post on broadly editing the story you’ve written. This is not the end of such self-editing, but I feel like it’s important to thoroughly check your story’s structural pieces -ContinueContinue reading “Individualizing characters”

Plot Holes

If you’re Nano-ing, bookmark this and come back in December. Good luck as the final days of November roll on. I’ve talked about revising by identifying the focus of your writing and filling out details using the different tools of storytelling. I’ve also talked about looking at the growth (or rather the lack of it)ContinueContinue reading “Plot Holes”

Growth

Again, consider bookmarking this post until after NaNoWriMo if you’re taking this month to write your book. In this second post for broad evaluation and fixing of your story, let’s talk about growth and change. What happens to us affects us. What we experience changes our perspective, our behavior, and our relationships. We understand thisContinueContinue reading “Growth”

Preptober week 4

This final week before the rush begins, take a writing break and crack open some other aspects of creativity: visuals. This week you’re going to do some “manifesting” by creating marketing materials. Write your book pitch Focusing on the big things about the story idea that excite you (and thus will excite readers), write theContinueContinue reading “Preptober week 4”

Preptober week 3

This week you’ll be writing – short things that are part story, part summary, all background. This week is about setting the main character(s) in your mind. Turn them around and over and about in your hands to see them from all sides. You’re going to write a “now” story about the characters in November.ContinueContinue reading “Preptober week 3”

Preptober Week 2

You should be coming to the end of the first book you’ve read this month and writing a review of it. You can publish that review, or keep it for yourself. That’s entirely up to you. For week 2 we’re going to focus the second half hour of your set-aside time on BRAINSTORMING. To writeContinueContinue reading “Preptober Week 2”

Preptober Checklist

Use this checklist as a way to do the first thing on it: ESTABLISH A ROUTINE. If you work on ONE checklist item each time you sit down during October, you will gather together all the things (tangible and intangible) you will need to successfully write 50,000 words of a novel during November in NationalContinueContinue reading “Preptober Checklist”

Recommended Reads: Setting

A conversation in a group prompted this one. Setting is more than just place. It’s also time period (and the things that can and can’t happen because technology), and the unique mores or manners required in a particular scenario at that time and place. If your character will be breaking these rules of behavior, thereContinueContinue reading “Recommended Reads: Setting”