Tag Archives | Beth K. Vogt

10 Quotes to Inspire Writers

By on May 15, 2014 in 4. Writer’s Life, Inspiration and Life Coaching, Encourage Me!, Nurturing Creativity, Writer's life

I don’t know about you, but there are days when writing takes more from me than it gives me. Days when “living the dream” makes me want to pull the covers up over my head and just stay in bed.

Usually I deal with the “why am I doing this?” days a few different ways:

Skyping with my mentor
IMing with another writer who feels exactly I do –where we grouse and grumble and threaten to quit and go try out for Broadway
Meeting a friend for breakfast that lasts all the way into the lunch hour
Walking outside in the fresh Colorado sunshine and not talking about writing
Shopping … because, you know, shopping always helps!
All of these techniques encourage me and motivate me, but when I’m discouraged as a writer, sometimes I need inspiration. And being a bit of a quote freak, I’ve found there’s nothing like a good quote to inspire me! So today I want to share 10 writer quote-spirations with you:

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Rachel Hauck

Solving the Problem of a Paralyzing Premise

By on May 1, 2014 in 1. Discover your story, Beth Vogt

I was thrilled my publisher wanted a third book from me – and just a bit proud that the pitch I’d worked so hard on had done just what I’d hoped it would do: grabbed my editors’ attention – and landed me another book contract.

But what’s that Proverb about stumbling over pride? Yep, I fell flat on my face a few months later. That oh-so intriguing one sentence pitch had me in a headlock and refused to give up and say “Uncle,” so that I could wrestle it into a synopsis, much less a real story.

Beyond that single sentence I had a whole lot of nothing.

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Getting Personal with Our Readers

By on April 3, 2014 in 2. Create Your Story, Beth Vogt, Heroes, Heroines, How do I write Emotions?, Protagonists: The Basics

It’s one thing to endow imaginary characters with hopes and dreams and Dark Moments and Wounds, Lies and Fears. It’s something else all together to go mucking around in my oh-so real hopes and dreams … and hurts.

If we want to write real characters who make our readers laugh out loud or cry as they turn the pages of our books, they we have to delve into our hearts and remember the events and the people who made us laugh out loud and cry behind closed doors — or in public.

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Emotion: It Don’t Come Easy

By on March 20, 2014 in How do I write Emotions?, Story Crafting

My decision to layer in stronger, deeper emotion into Somebody Like You cost me more than I ever anticipated. Why? Because if I wanted my imaginary characters to express emotions that my readers connected with, I had to tap into very real emotions inside me.

While the story is a contemporary romance, it also examines themes of twins and family, widowhood and grief, loss, estrangement, brokenness … all wrapped around the Story Question: Can a young widow fall in love with her husband’s reflection?

Another question I had to answer? How honest was I going to be as I wove stronger, deeper emotion into my novel?

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