After reading “Outline your Novel in Thirty Minutes” by Alicia Rasley in the Article of the Month blog, I realized my current outline was basically useless. No wonder my writing had been stalled! Applying this exercise to my work-in-progress created a new outline that is basic, but also concrete, coherent, specific, and ten times better. Nine important questions cover key points that most … [Read more...]
Where to Start Your Novel
The beginning as a place mark: We sit in front of the keyboard, poised, with an idea for a book spinning in our head, and find ourselves afraid to start. After all, we are aware we have one paragraph, or three at best, to capture the attention of the reader. My friend and mentor, Elizabeth Searle, gave me a great tip to get past this initial fear: Think of your current opening as nothing more … [Read more...]
What, Why, How: Valerie Storey
Artist and writer Valerie Story answers 3 basic questions about creativity for my What, Why, How series! WHAT? Although I have written eight books and published various shorter pieces in a wide array of genres, my focus for the last three years has been on literary fiction and the visual arts. A few months ago I completed my current WIP, The Abyssal Plain, an experimental novel told from … [Read more...]
Is it awe or aw?
The world needs an illustrated grammar lesson concerning aw and awe. Aw is a noise Aw is the word for a noise you make when you see something that's freaking adorable, like a baby hedgehog or Betty White. Some people write "aww." Because it's a sound, if the photo is especially freaking adorable, you can get away with writing "awwwwwww," although doing so is comparable to using an excessive … [Read more...]
What, Why, How: Margot Kinberg
WHAT? I write crime fiction. I think human beings are innately curious. We want to know what, why and how about everything. Mystery novels and crime fiction capture that part of human nature, and draw people in. At least, that’s always been one of the biggest appeals of the genre for me. Solving puzzles, figuring it all out, those things are part of what makes me tick; and I suspect that’s true … [Read more...]
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