I’m writing my sixteenth novel. During National November Writers Month – NaNoWriMo – I’ve been fast drafting this next work of literary wonder. It’s a story I love. A story I believe in. A story I want to capture the hearts and imagination of readers. But will it? No author starts out to write one book better than another. We give a hundred percent to each book. Even if we’re on a tight or short deadline, we give the story all we have for the time allotted. My goal is to write a better book each time. I study the craft. I work on deepening my characters and adding story layers. I take to heart the advice and input of my editor and agent, and readers. I strive so hard […]
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5 ways to stir creativity over Thanksgiving
Breathing Room for your Brain Or, 5 ways to manage the Thanksgiving Brain Break. First, I just want to say that I am thankful for Thanksgiving and the mandatory break that it forces into my life –and yes, I mean forces. Think jackhammer. Or wedge. I am in the middle of writing a book, up against a deadline the first of December and near the final stretch. I’m so full of excitement it’s difficult to look up. To eat. To speak clearly. Those of you who are doing NaNoWriMo (and especially MBT WriMo) know what I mean. Like a blanket, our story embraces us, and we are reluctant to break free even for a deep-fried turkey and apple/pumpkin/chocolate pie. Thanksgiving forces us to untangle ourselves from our creative process. To […]
Read the RestSeven Things Every Writer Must Do, Part Four: Learn to Dance in The Rain
In my office, I have a framed quote that constantly reminds me life is not the absence of challenges, disappointments and unexpected twists. Those who succeed don’t avoid those storms, but rather learn to find the good in them. They learn to dance in the rain. As a writer, you’ll be faced with all sorts of storms. What you do with those storms will determine your future more than the storms themselves. So how do you learn to dance? Let’s take a look. Dancing in the Rain in a choice. You have little or no control over most of the storms in life. But you do have complete control over how you react to them. It’s true. I’m writing this on the airplane while traveling to the […]
Read the RestAct 2: Jumping back into the suspense!
Yesterday, I addressed Scene Flow, and how in a romance scene, you might decide to develop it a bit more, making it longer. In a suspense, sometimes it’s nice to develop that before you jumpstart the action again. Today, we’re going to jump back into the suspense, drawing that element forward. Just to make sure I’m on the right track, I want to go back to my synopsis. It’s still my roadmap, even though I’ve been taking a few day trips… Luke wants his sister, who is a giant MacKenzie Grace fan to meet her, and the dinner out at the roadhouse seemed to go without a hitch…maybe no one will recognize her. But what Luke doesn’t know is that someone has recognized Kenzie – the reporter from the […]
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