DEVELOPING YOUR WRITER’S VOICE
Voice in fiction is often talked about as a mysterious component of craft. I have even heard people say, “It can’t be taught.” But developing your writer's voice is not an impossible dream. CLASSIC WRITER'S VOICE When we read the classics in school, teachers would go on...
WRITERS AND THE CREATIVE JOURNEY
THINKING ABOUT THE CREATIVE JOURNEY I was corresponding with a Book Coaching client recently on the topic of publishing. As I thought about and responded to the author’s questions, I realized how unique the creative journey is for each creator, including me. Especially now that there...
I DON’T DO RESOLUTIONS
Every year, as we turn the page from old to new, I like to joke that the only resolution I have ever kept is the one made decades ago, not to make any resolutions. DOING WHAT WORKS Don’t get me wrong. For some people, resolutions work. They...
CONQUERING REVISION
Congratulations on completing a draft of your current WIP (Work in Progress)! Now you’ll want to revise and polish your writing to make your story shine. It's time to conquer revision. After all, writing is rewriting. There are a number of ways to approach the revision process, but I...
Understanding Pacing
Pacing is an important component of effective writing, but what exactly is it and how can we use it to the best advantage in our writing? I was on a recent call with a group of book coaching colleagues where we got into an in-depth discussion on...
Why No NaNoWriMo For Me?
It’s October and all around me, people are gearing up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). They’re psyching themselves up, gathering their tools, stocking up on caffeine, and putting plans in place for a month-long writing sprint aimed at churning out 50,000 words in a...
Writing a Solid Synopsis
Here is a question that has been niggling at me regarding the challenge of writing a solid synopsis: Why is it that an author who can craft a novel by churning out an entire 50,000 or 100,000+ words, often finds writing a solid synopsis so difficult? There...