What did you do this weekend? While I was doing this… My daughter was doing this… …writing an 80K novel. She sent it to me this weekend, and I read …
The What and Why of Writing: Boy Scout Moment
Say the words “Boy Scout” and most people will think “Be prepared.” That’s the Boy Scout Motto. Or they might think of words like trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous. These are …
The What and Why of Writing: Layer or Subplot
There are so many details that go into plotting our stories – one simple way to think of plotting is everything that happens to our hero and heroine: The Inciting Incident(s). The Ds (Disappointments) …
The What and Why of Writing: The Ds
I was discussing another writer’s story idea with her, and I told her it was time to plot out the “Ds” in the story. “Think bad, badder, baddest,” I suggested. “No …
5 Quick Tips for Improving the Pacing of Your Novel
The issue of pacing in a novel — whether your story is moving ahead smoothly — came up in my writing group this past week. The question was phrased this …