Category Archives: Writing Tips

Brainstorming

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Writers know that they have to help readers suspend their disbelief. It’s also critical that viewers watching a film do the same. This interview comes from the corporate world but if you read it with your author’s eye, you’ll find some great advice.

–Present your story in their context. That is, connect with readers where they are, not from your lofty position as all-seeing author. Use concrete details to evoke emotions, paint images and usher  readers into the fictional world.

–Be curious. Ask questions. What if the plot twists here? Why does this character act that way? Where does this one plot point happen? When in his life does the major turning point come? How can the character grow, change, develop?

–Weaknesses are irrelevant. Focus more on your strengths. That doesn’t mean ignore the weaknesses; just don’t get so hung up on them you forget your strengths.

Bad Advice

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Here’s a list of bad advice from great authors.

Submit the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received and I’ll repost the best on Writer’s Resource’s Facebook page, CreationToContract!

A Little Fun

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Just a little fun for those of us frustrated with the speed-of-light publishing of very low quality works these days.

Next Big Thing

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Had to share this post from another writer on her novel-in-progress.

Her working title is Perigee Moon, which is the technical term for when the moon is right on the horizon and appears gigantic. It’s a very evocative image.

Titles are so important in publishing. In nonfiction, authors have to get the topic and approach across with the title. In fiction, authors have to evoke some emotional response from readers…and Perigee Moon does that perfectly.

 

Writing Tip: Persist!

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This is a great excerpt from James Scott Bell’s book on writing. The title? The Art of War for Writers.

That’s a perfect title to encapsulate the struggles we all go through every day. In the excerpt, he talks about taking the long view toward success.

This simple lesson is profound. Read it, remember it. Especially the next time doubt strikes.

Story Ideas: Tips

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Here’s a post that lists 5 ways to generate story ideas. One of the tips is to read your junk mail…um, OK.

Now, I’ve been writing and editing for twenty years. In my experience, it’s pretty rare that writers actually need ways to come up with story ideas. It’s actually more of a problem to decide which of those ideas is strong enough to support a story, what format that story should take, and how best to put it on the page.

However, the same article suggests taking a small scene from one story or book and expanding it into an entirely new story. I’ve had clients do this with classic works of mythology to great success. And of course there’s the retelling of Gone with the Wind and other classic novels from different points of view that recently have become bestsellers.

So…what’s your take on story ideas? Do they come in a flood or a trickle? What helps, what hinders?

Oprah’s Next Big Thing

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The Oprah Channel has struggled since day one to reach the numbers it had hoped for. Part of the reason is that Oprah doesn’t show up in much of the programming. Another very real issue is simple oversaturation…the channel can’t offer the same thing all the time.

She’s trying a reboot by building on this interview with Armstrong. The struggle she’s facing is just a reminder that even the biggest celebrities can’t market just anything…and they can’t rely on their name along. Quality must always come first.

Takeaway: Know your audience and what they want. When you deliver it, you’ll automatically provide quality content.

Link

Here’s a look at what Writer’s Digest recommends for those first steps when writing a novel.

Writing as a Business

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Very good overview article on thinking about your writing career. When the time is right, my clients and I discuss the business aspects of writing. This ranges from our first contact when they’re wondering whether their work is marketable to considering their audience’s needs during editing or rewriting. When the final product is done, we then discuss market trends that will impact their choice of agents and publishers.

Publishing is a business and, as the author, you must consider yourself the CEO of your book. From start to finish—the germ of a book idea to publication (and beyond)—you must take charge. If you make good business decisions, you will surely experience greater success. If not, then, you could be one of the nearly 78 percent of authors who fail.

Workshop: Query Letters in NC

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Writing the Perfect Query Letter with Laine Cunningham, presented by Alice Osborn

Location: Center for Excellence, 3803-B Computer Dr. Suite 106, Raleigh, NC 27609

Saturday, March 9     Time:  1:30-4:30pm

Fee:  $55 (Early Bird till March 1st)/$75 after

Registration: Click here  

Your query letter is every bit as important as the opening pages of your novel. It’s your first opportunity to show your writing skills to a prospective agent or editor. Make it count! Make it shine! A good query letter should make that editor and agent want to read your material…and it should grab their hearts in the thirty seconds or so they give each query in their pile. In this class, publishing consultant and owner of the Writer’s Resource Laine Cunningham will discuss the three important elements to inject into your query so you can get published. Fiction and nonfiction authors writing books, stories or articles will benefit from this class.

Laine Cunningham’s clients consistently garner attention from the nation’s top publishers and agents. Several of her clients’ books have been shopped around Hollywood and have received film options. She has been quoted on CNN Money, Media Bistro, and The Writer Magazine for her opinion on the end of the Harry Potter series, the “Oprah Effect,” and Sarah Palin’s ghostwriter. She has presented workshops and lectures for The Loft, the nation’s largest independent literary organization; the National Writer’s Union; The Writer’s Workshop in Asheville and writing conferences across the country.

Switching Genres

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Article about the author of books that were made into films starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Some critics said the fact that he wrote in many categories meant he never honed his skills in any one genre. Agree or disagree?
http://nyti.ms/VWvkey

Following in Father’s Footsteps

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Great look at two brothers, the sons of Frank Rich and Gail Winston, and their own paths as writers.

When my first novel, Message Stick, was selected for the James Jones Fellowship, I met his daughter. She was kind enough to take me along to view some of her father’s archives, a moment that was reflective and moving. She has written about this same journey at different times of her life. Look up her essays and memoirs for more.

Writing Tips

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Great blog entry from Camille Dungy on one very important aspect of writing.

10 Writing Tips

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Check out these 10 writing tips that are useful no matter what you’re writing. From author Janet Fitch.

Writing a Novel

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Here’s a very in-depth article from Writer’s Digest that helps you plan out a novel’s structure, character development, and other key points.

I find some of the recommendations too detailed. There’s a point at which authors have to stop worrying about minor details and allow the story to flow. There are two important things to remember when you start writing a novel:

1. You can’t fix it in your head. No matter what issue you’re wrestling with, you won’t be able to truly work with it until you have it on the page. Manipulating it in your mind doesn’t give you the same hold on the work. Put the material on the page where it remains fixed. Then you can adapt, adjust and revise.

2. Creativity is not logic. Writers need both skills to create a novel…and each skill is used at different times. Don’t allow the critical (logical) judge to ruin the flow state. Don’t allow the illogical creative flow ruin your revision process.