So, I don’t know about you, but I’m really picky about who sees my work before it’s publishable. My ideas are like little unbaked cookies, too easily smashed (but still ever so tasty!) SO, I was thinking about the My Book Therapy readers (me being one of them) and how we could share our ideas in a protected setting (sort of like a, uh, THERAPY group!), and I came upon this PRIVATE social group…at Ning. It’s a fun place to interact about the topic of the week, help each other with our wips, and share our unbaked cookies with a group who promises to encourage and uplift. So — if you want to be a part of BOOK THERAPY Voices, where your inner writer finds a voice, join us! See […]
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How to write a book in 3 months, in 3 hours a day!
(or, my organization and book development secrets!) Write a book in 3 months? In three hours a day? And have a family life, too? Bah! You laugh, but seriously, it can be done. Now, I’m not saying it’s easy. But the fact is, with a little “nose to the grindstone” as my father used to say, it’s possible. Here’s how: First, we talked yesterday about the four keys to a successful writer’s life. If you’ve committed to the task, found your writing space, wheedled out time from your schedule and determined to keep a running game plan, then it’s time to talk strategy. Let’s assume you have 12 weeks to write a 30 chapter book, with approximately 3000 words per chapter. That’s 1500 words per scene. That’s 6 pages per […]
Read the RestBook Therapy topics 2008!
Embark with us on the Heroes Journey! We’ll be studying the structure of an Epic Novel, taking it apart step by step to uncover the secrets of a best-selling novel! Get your subscription to My Book Therapy today and don’t miss an of the exciting chapters! Here’s a syllabus of the pit stops we’ll be making along the way: The Writer’s World and Discipline Premise 3 Steps to a great hero 3 Steps to a great heroine Using the GREATEST devices: Great Fear/Greatest Dream Competing Values StoryWorld Inciting Incident Hook Building a Scene Stakes Goals Backstory Secondary Characters Dialogue POV Inner Monologue Writing Tension in a Scene Weaving in Spiritual Threads Romance – Love me Tender Villains Writing Suspense – Structure Emotional Layering Subplots – how they affect the heroes […]
Read the RestFour Keys to a Writer’s Life
You’re back! *grin* Okay, fellow writers, then let’s get busy. Today, as we prep for our journey, I want you to start exercising! We’re going to get in shape! Work off the dust of our minds, and tighten the flab of our daily schedules so we can utilize the writing time we have our days. Writing is much like every other discipline. There are four keys to a successful writer’s life: It takes commitment, (after all, as much as we’d like it to happen, those books don’t just download from our brains automatically!), it takes nurturing (did you know that your brain has a well of words for each day, and you need to replenish those words after you use them?), it takes time, (something we’re going to figure out […]
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