Hi Everyone,
I’m back with two of my favorite editors, Beth K. Vogt and Edie Melson!
So Beth (BKV) and Edie (EGM), here is the first question from our readers:
How much change is too much macro editing? Is editing ever a bad thing?
Read the RestArchive | 1. Discover your story RSS feed for this section
Some Shameless Storycrafter Retreat Promotion!
Where did the time go? That’s the thought I had as I hung up with an aspiring writer after spending two hours helping her with a novel. We had so much fun brainstorming her book the time slipped away.
I love helping writers find their story. And I’m blessed when I receive feedback like this:
“Something in your approach (all those check points and lists) caused some pieces to click into place that hadn’t before so that I could think better about the process.”
My favorite moment in teaching – when I hear an “ah ha!” or someone looks up at me with a sparkle of understanding in their eyes.
That’s what the MBT Storycrafter’s Retreat is about – helping you unlock your story. Whether you’ve written a handful of stories or are just starting out, we’ll spend a weekend working together to help your publishing dreams and goals come true.
You come with an idea, and leave with a story.
I’m going to brag for a moment on a few of my former attendees:
Mulit-published non-fiction author Beth Vogt showed up thinking that she’d just listen in, pretty sure writing fiction wasn’t for her. After I barred the door and told her to “come to the dark side,” she discovered she had a fiction voice. Look for her 3rd novel with Howard to hit the stands this spring!
Marketing guru Melissa Tagg knew she had a story in her- but she just didn’t know how to untangle it from her brain. She wowed us with her first chapter – and walked away on fire to write. Her first book came out with Bethany House last month!
Read the RestThe What and Why of Writing: Villains
So often when we think of a novel’s main characters, we zero in on the hero and heroine. That is all well and good, after all, what is a romance without a hero and heroine? And every story, no matter what genre, needs a protagonist – a good guy or gal, someone the reader is rooting for. But in your zeal to craft a compelling hero and/or heroine, don’t forget to ask yourself: Who is the villain of this story? What: A villain is the antagonist of your story. When you think villain, don’t just think danger, think threat. Or opposition. A villain can be a person. Hans Gruber, the lead terrorist in Die Hard, goes down in my book as the archetype villain. A twist on the […]
Read the RestWrite Who You Are
Years ago my dad told me, “Write What You Know.” He was right. For that season. I was up against a school deadline and had no idea what to write. His advice prompted me to write about something familiar. So I told a hilarious and come to find out, poignant tale, of driving to school over south Florida dirt roads in the back of my brother’s ’69 Barracuda. But years later, writing what I knew came up short. Yes, I can research and write about any topic! But writing what you know cannot fuel a writer for very long. Then I read a line for Sol Stein’s book that basically said, “Write something only you can say.” Huh? How? What kind of story would that be? Anyone can say what I […]
Read the Rest
