If being a writer had an initiation, writer’s block would be it. We’ve all had moments where we wrestle with the blank page and lose. Even the best of us have to fight it.
Writing Prompt #8
3 Easy Steps To Help You Start and Finish Your Novel Today
I’ve been writing for almost 20 years and I didn’t finish my first novel until last November. This isn’t because I spent two decades on one novel (though I’m sure it would’ve turned out great). Finishing a novel took 20 years because it took me that long to understand story structure.
As writers, we get sparks for scenes and stories every day. The problem is a spark will always be a spark until you build a story structure around it. How many times have you come up with an incredible story idea and 30 pages later found yourself typing "...".
When was the last time you saw a TV show or movie so riddled with plot holes and character gaps that you actually had to turn it off? These things happen because a story without structure is not a good story.
Writing Prompt #7
Writing Prompt #6
5 Writing Prompts to Get You Writing Today
Well, another summer has come and gone — fall is officially here.
Fall usually means sweater weather and cookies because we don’t have to face our bikini body for 9 months, but this year I’m adding writing to the list.
Whether you’re starting a new story, slaving away at that first draft, or revising your manuscript like me, the fall is a great time to refuel your creative juices and focus on your novel.
Here are 5 writing prompts to help you get started.
Why I Write: Telling a Story that Matters
Okay.
If you came to this post for some quick tips or well-formatted writing advice, I will save you the scrolling/frustration and tell you that that is not what this post is. You can get that here, here, and here, and on anything I write in the future, but this post is a little different.
I do believe that what I have to say here can help you enrich your own stories and become a better writer, but you will have to bare with me because I can’t skip to the lesson without the proper exposition.
This isn’t the post I planned on writing this week, but much like Jon Stewart’s inability to tell jokes, I couldn’t bring myself to write about anything else when I heard about the hate crime in Charleston, South Carolina.
What started as a headline turned into a tragedy I couldn’t escape. I watched as my inbox and newsfeed became overwhelmed with the brutal massacre of 9 black parishioners during their weekly bible study.
Instant Gratification: Why All Writers Should Experiment with Short Shorts
Growing up, I was always jealous of my brother. He was popular, athletic, and could make friends anywhere he went. And I mean anywhere—we moved to a different school his senior year and he was still voted prom king.
Imagine living with a person like that.
Now that I am no longer a child I think I have a much healthier, less resentful relationship with my brother. But I still get jealous. While he’s not scoring the winning touchdown or waving the “Prom King” sash above my head, he is a musician and compared to a novelist like me, that gives him instant gratification.
Kick-Ass Characters: How to Create Epic Characters in 4 Easy Steps
When I start a story, I love falling in love with my main character. Eager to join the Hermione Grangers and Katniss Everdeens of today, I dream up my heroine's quirks and skills.
I think about her favorite Chinese takeout, how often and how long she looks at herself in the mirror. These details may seem mundane, but detail builds character.
The girl who orders vegetarian’s delight and curls her hair each morning is not the same girl who stuffs her face with crab rangoon and avoids looking at her reflection in the mirror. The more details I add, the more I discover. The more I discover, the easier it is to write!
But no matter how much detail I create in the beginning, there are always moments where I find myself stuck. I think, “What would my protagonist say in this situation? Is she doing what she would actually do or what I need her to do?”
In these moments I turn to the very basics of character, and here are a few rules and exercises to help you build your own epic story characters!
7 Kick-Ass Writing Tips from 7 Best Selling YA Authors
If you’re like me, you have a People’s Magazine advertisement for the Divergent Series taped onto the wall where you write. You don’t keep it there for inspiration. You keep it there to bully you. Because when you sit down to write and 5 minutes later find yourself doing “research” on Pintrest for your “Dream Wedding” board, you look at your wall and see a 26 year-old-author worth $20 million who sold her New-York Best Seller to Summit Entertainment before she graduated college.
She mocks your “research” and shames you back onto Word. If you’re emotionally stable (i.e., not like me), you look at success and see opportunities to learn. What would Veronica tell me about details? What were her tricks to revision? In an attempt to be a less-dysfunctional human, I’m going to look at some of the best selling YA authors and learn their best tips.