Many writers I know use Tarot as writing prompts and creativity sparks. I do! So when I saw that my colleague had released her own Tarot deck, I was excited and wanted to share...
Beautifully crafted holiday romance stories have always been my favourite novels to read: not only during the holiday season, but all year round. I’ve discovered that I’m not alone. Readers worldwide enjoy ‘love under the mistletoe’ stories that evoke sincere emotions and reflect family, heart and home. As writers, we play a part in enhancing the holidays for our readers by taking elements that may not be as magical in real life and making them sparkle on the pages.
Today I gave my classes an assignment: write about a story or event that is significant to you and why it’s significant or memorable. I haven’t seen their papers yet but some of the students told me what they had chosen to write about and these stories were very meaningful to them for various reasons. This just proves what I heard one of my writing heroes, Garrison Keillor, say on the radio show, A Prairie Home Companion years ago: telling a story and figuring out the best way to tell it is “always worth the effort.”
Please welcome Denis Ledoux with his guest post on writing your memoir. He’s also sharing about his upcoming “Write Your First Memoir Draft Tele-course” starting soon. Enjoy! And let us know what you think about writing...
In this post, part 2 on 3 Essential Editing Tips I talk about getting feedback. You can read Part 1 here. *** Getting Feedback When I finish a story, I don’t know if it’s any...
Often times, you may hear that to be successful in your creative endeavors you need to “think outside the box”. This is sound advice. There is nothing more infinite than what is outside the conventional. There is also nothing more boundless than the blank page. Sometimes, creativity may need to be reined in so as not to be overwhelmed. What better place than a box to give your inspiration some form? A small box.
I read this post earlier today and really enjoyed it. Jason underscores the importance of being your own hero, and that totally vibes with my message in my self-coaching guide for writers, The Writer’s...
Ezra and I are preparing for the October “Plan Your Novel” course (homestudy version here) and students are looking forward to writing their novels. Several of you wrote me last week and let me...
From the library of Beth’s writing resources, a quote from Lisa Cron’s book, WIRED FOR STORY: “MYTH: Write what you know. REALITY: Write what you know emotionally.” I love this quote because, well, it...
Back in my early adulthood, I sat in a workshop where the instructor beat us over the head about setting goals. Right now I can’t remember much of what he said, but I do remember I thought long and hard about goal setting, but not so much about how I might actually reach a goal. I don’t remember the instructor teaching us the practical steps of working at a goal.
It is my belief that every writer should go to a writer’s conference at least once, whether it’s in your genre or not. There are plenty of people who go to the RWA Conference who are not “romance writers” per say.
You’ve finished your first novel, sent it through the wringer of your critique group or chosen beta readers, and tweaked it again and again. Nerves rioting, you’ve decided set it free into the reading world. You’re standing in the open doorway and the paths before you are numerous. You notice a passing author out for a stroll with their third, or was it tenth, book at their side. You clear your throat and timidly ask, “Which road is the one to Publication City?”
Structuring genre novels and Hollywood movies is simple. (It’s the writing that’s hard!) They’re built on only three basic elements—character, desire, and conflict—and have a plot structure that consists of six basic stages. These stages help you build tension and conflict into your story and strengthen its emotional impact.
Urban Legends are the sturdy children of ancient myths and legends. We love to believe the story about the hook on the car door, or the dog drying in the microwave, or the car following a driver in the middle of the night and honking because there was a killer in the back seat. We love these stories, we believe these stories because we heard it from a friend who heard it from their aunt who swore she knew the victim, or at least heard of the victim. No names are ever exchanged. But even so, the story must be true. Preposterous, but deliciously true.
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