There is this collective wisdom among many novelists that one should write through to the end. In my mind this means–get to the finish line and then worry about figuring out what you have created. Only after typing the last sentence should you angst about discovering your theme, and maybe what your true beginning should […]
Writing Advice
Natural talent in writing vs. desire (plus, bonus treat)
I get this a lot. “Oh, you’re so lucky, you can write. I can’t write.” When I hear this, I wonder if it means that the person isn’t interested in writing, and is politely communicating, I’m glad you’re doing it—cause it’s soooo boring. Or does it mean, I wanted to write but I felt like […]
When it Comes to Writing, Are You a Monogamist?
Some writers work on one thing at a time. Others are multi-taskers and successfully handle many projects at once. I’m not about to tell you which way to be–only you can decide what works best for you. However, I can tell you how I operate. I’m a serial monogamist when it comes to writing. I […]
The Three Questions that will Give Your Work-in-Progress (WIP) a Verb Tune-Up
When looking over the verbs in your WIP, you can pose three questions that will dramatically tune-up your draft. First, I’ll launch into the first question you should ask. It might seem basic, but it can’t be overlooked. 1) Are you using passive voice? When I’m critiquing manuscripts with passive voice, it signals to me […]