I have to tell you that I love the word linger. I feel as if I linger over the word as I read it out loud or say it in my head. This is probably because of the hard g followed by the prefix –er, which comes from deep inside the throat. It forces me […]
Writing Advice
Lies I Tell Myself and Placeholders in the First Draft
Word choice is so important but I don’t like to get too hung up about it the first time. Okay, I lie. I do obsess but I know I shouldn’t. Why? Well, chances are I’m going to cut my first few chapters anyway. My plots never really get going until chapter three. Why do I […]
Action Verbs for Fighting Scenes
Last week, a student in my tutorial at Hollins University delivered a presentation on techniques to bolster fighting scenes. Now I have to confess that I’m the sort of person who covers her eyes during fighting sequences in film. I was the kid who would watch the television show LOST IN SPACE, a campy science […]
What Should Writers Worry About?
An author friend recently asked me how much I worry about promoting my already published books. He asked me this because he admitted that he was stressed out about the fact that he wasn’t promoting enough. And then he was equally stressed because he felt like he wasn’t doing enough writing. I know what that […]
Is Your WIP Developmentally Appropriate?
Recently, I’ve been reading some manuscripts and have written out this advice–“Make sure that themes and storyline are developmentally appropriate and that you’ve chosen the best form to express your story.” Most of us know what this means. Please don’t try to create a picture book about a 12 year-old girl preparing for her bat […]
Getting it Right in the Beginning vs. Writing through to the End
Hi Everyone, I love finding out what books you’re reading and what you currently recommend. I was influenced by reading Laini Taylor’s recent blog post about not writing through the end and getting the first one third right, and in the comment section, I came across her book recommendation list. Her posting about the values […]