In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell examines the why and how behind successful men, women, cultures, musicians and athletes. In many cases he attributes the “10,000-Hour Rule”, as the key to success in any field is because, to a large extent, it is a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours. As an author, I first thought, “Impossible!” I mean, 10,000 hours? Of writing? Before getting publishes? Most of people have day-jobs, you know? Gladwell uses Canadian hockey players as an example, describing a player’s rise from the junior leagues all the way to professional. He found that most, not all, NHL players were born in the first 3 months of a calendar year. Due to age cut offs to sign up for the […]
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Quick Skills: Scene Creation Checklist
I thought it might be helpful if I posted the Scene Creation Steps you could use when crafting a chapter. If you’ve been following the blog for the past month, we’ve addressed each of these sections/elements in the blogs. Part One Keeping Scene Momentum: Character Journal Ask the following questions: 1. What did you think about what just happened? 2. What are your choices? 3. What will you do next, and why? 4. What is the worst thing that could happen to you right now? 5. And, if it’s a romance –how do you feel about this person? What do you fear happening emotionally? Part Two Create Scene Tension Scene Tension Equation: Sympathetic Character + Stakes + Goals + Obstacles + Fear of Failure. Step 1: Determine your Action Objectives […]
Read the RestConversations: Keeping your Reader Hooked through every chapter.
Sally came into the coffee house dressed in a pair of jeans, an old sweatshirt and a baseball cap. “Don’t laugh. I told my husband I’d go fishing with him today. He has the day off and just got a new boat.” I handed over her cup of coffee. Apparently Ann has figured out our weekly meetings and the sustenance required. “This is good. You can spend the day in the boat, thinking about your next chapter. It’ll give you a chance to think like your reader.” “See your reader will eventually go fishing as well – at least metaphorically, which means they can’t read your book through in one sitting. And, just like you as the author need to keep the momentum going between chapters as you write, you […]
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When Things Heat Up, Part One: If You Can’t Take the Heat. . .
Most of the country completely skipped over spring and went right to scorching summer heat. Wow! For writers, June also means getting your manuscript ready to pitch at fall writer’s conferences. This month we’ll discuss the rigors and how to keep your cool when things heat up. I know you’ve heard, “if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Well that would be great advice, if you didn’t need to eat. Someone’s got to cook or you don’t eat, right? A better goal would be to learn to endure the heat. Let’s say your heat is not in the kitchen but at a writer’s conference, umm… gulp… in front of all those agents and editors. You can’t very well abandon the kitchen or you’ll never see your […]
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