It’s nearly half-way through the year — a good time to reflect on how far you’ve come, and how far you’d like to go by the time you lift a glass of bubbly to welcome in the new year. Time for an assessment!
Writers write because they must, and it helps a great deal to be unswervingly optimistic as one writes draft after draft in an attempt to make the work better with each successive try.
The first thing to determine is how you see things. How does your brain work? Some people need everything on paper in a notebook where they can physically touch a page – while others like to store items on the computer. Do you need it to be accessible everywhere? Like in the cloud?
Consistency has never been my strong point. I’ll say that up front. So the opportunity to write about how I manage to overcome this failing is something of a cathartic exercise for me.
The first line of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick is “Call me Ishmael.” Thus begins an incredible saga told through the eyes of one of literature’s greatest narrators.
Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Catharine Bramkamp as she shares with us “Manuscript for Sale.”
Even though they want to be writing, many writers have a hard time coming up with ideas. Then they’re not writing and get upset about that, and don’t even start. A bit of a vicious circle and a painful one too.
The summer is almost here which for some means sun and fun, and for others it means possible blocks of time to get some real writing done. What is “real writing”? Real writing is working on a project that’s meaningful, to you and that you expect (or would hope) is meaningful to others. It’s writing with a purpose and direction, with the aim of completion and of course, with the intent of sharing it.
Today we welcome a new guest writer to Writer’s Fun Zone, Sarah Chauncey, who is stopping by to chat with us about “Identifying Your Ideal Reader.” Enjoy!
Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Chloe Adler as she shares with us “Launching as a First Time / Debut Author.” Enjoy!
Setting is a crucial part of any story. A while ago, I said it could be handled essentially as a character—for example, by using it to focus on the senses and build emotion. But you can also make your story placement meaningful, not just convenient. You want your setting to be more than a backdrop for events.
“Can I add suspense to my story?” a writer asked. “Yes,” is my short answer. Here’s one good resource for how: “6 Secrets to Creating and Sustaining Suspense” by Steven James. http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/6-secrets-to-creating-and-sustaining-suspense We’ll be...
Enjoy these essential plot tips for fiction writers with Ezra Barany, interviewed by his wife and creativity coach for novelists. Award-winning, published novelists, together we help writers write their stories via our classes at...
Beth Barany will be teaching a member-only webinar to the National Association of Memoir Writers on Friday, May 12, 2017, 11 AM PDT | 12 PM MDT | 1 PM CDT | 2 PM...
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Welcome to the Writer’s Fun Zone, a blog for creative writers by Beth Barany, fiction writing teacher and novelist.
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Beth Barany helps authors get their books completed and out into the world, into the hands of their readers.
Creativity Coach for Writers, NLP Master Practitioner, and Master Teacher, Beth Barany has been there and knows how hard it can be to take your idea and turn it into a real book, that people will actually be interested, and even yearning, to read.
She walks the talk, as her clients like to say. She is the author of the 2012 award-winning young adult fantasy novel Henrietta The Dragon Slayer, as well as the author of the bestselling nonfiction books for authors and aspiring authors.
Ready to finish your book but not sure how?
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