Daily Photos and Journaling Help with Character Development

posted in: Writing Life 1

Since the pandemic and forced time at home, I frequently turn to my writing for comfort and creativity. My composing was going so well for a few weeks, writing chapter after chapter for a new book in record time. Then it ceased. Silence. I became incredibly withdrawn. The virus continued to spread, but my writing groove diminished. After weeks of moping around, I finally took action to uplift my mood and my writing from a dark place. Challenge Accepted I … Read More »

A Guide to Writing Short for Precision

Do you struggle to write short? Is your style more Hemingway or Faulkner? There are famous authors known for writing long, beautiful sentences. It’s not easy. But, either is writing one that can cut like a knife in six words or less. For this month’s blog, I wanted to discuss ways to strengthen our work by using fewer words. My first job was writing for a newspaper. Editors expected me to strip away unnecessary words. They weren’t as strict about … Read More »

I’ve Never Been There: Creating a Sense of Place for Your Readers

posted in: Writing Craft 4

The world you create for your readers has to be a place they can picture in their minds. It has to be believable, even if it’s a fantasy world. It’s like a base camp; your reader needs to be able to settle there and feel comfortable as they acquaint themselves with the characters you create and the adventures you send them on. My novel-in-progress is set in two time periods — present-day New York City and 14th century Scotland. I … Read More »

Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 2: Your Primary Character(s)

posted in: Writing Craft 1

Part one focused on getting to know the WHO of your character. Now that you know who your character is, it’s time to focus on WHY your character behaves the way they do. Your protagonist needs to be the strongest, most developed character in your story. How do you do that? Let’s start with the backside of the worksheet from the first post in this series. You can find it here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/10VGR9cS_HI0s9cHduwB8lKH41CNx-kW3/edit?filetype=msword You should fill out as much as needed … Read More »

Scrivener vs. Final Draft: Choosing the One that’s Right For You

When you’re picking a writing software, it can be hard to know which one is the best for you. You can spend hours researching and debating programs, guessing until you find one you like. If you’re like me, you get a bit anxious before making a software purchase because it feels like too permanent a decision. Chances are, you’ve heard of either Scrivener or Final Draft. Both are available for macOS, Windows, and iOS. Personally, I use the macOS and … Read More »

Point of View: No Social Distancing, Please

posted in: Writing Craft 6

As we all know, point of view (POV) is the personage from whose perspective we readers perceive the action of the novel. Back in the nineteenth century, authors tended to go for the “omniscient narrator” — a disembodied, god-like voice that took no personal part in the action, that could see what was in the heart of everyone, could see what the villains were up to behind the protagonist’s back, and could see what everybody looked like. Could see, in … Read More »

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