Surprise — it’s not about becoming a nicer personPeople with thought bubble image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay — Snarky comments added by me T. Harv Eker writes that middle-class or poor people look at the rich and say, “They’re so lucky,” or “those rich jerks.” Eker believes if you think negatively about rich people that you will never be rich, […]
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A quick guide to help history come alivePhoto by Jonathan Francisca on Unsplash It should come as no surprise that every novel starts with its first draft. So whichever method takes your draft from inspiration to completion is perfectly valid and commendable. However, for historical fiction, drafting requires an additional component: Thorough initial research. The knowledge which […]
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Time- and sanity-saving tips to edit and format like a proPhoto by Markus Winkler on Unsplash There’s folklore about the author who names a character Will and then decides in the final draft to rename him, using find/replace, only to end up with sentences like ‘I Harold get to that tomorrow.’ Or, worse, ‘I lost all my […]
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Writing courses are great, but one-on-one feedback can propel your writing forward fasterPhoto by John Schnobrich on Unsplash An excellent writing course is packed full of resources that will help develop your craft. And just like a battered copy of Stephen Kings On Writing, a great writing course takes you through the writing process from start to finish. […]
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Or, getting curious about a year instead of trying to mold it against its willPhoto by Alin Rusu on Unsplash I don’t know about you, but the last two years have taken the (false) feeling I had of being on solid ground and replaced it with, well, balancing a hundred feet in the air on the ledge […]
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Eagerness to write continuouslyPhoto by Brad Neathery on Unsplash Currently, we are about to face new year, which means new topics that we writers are going to write about. Focusing on Christmas thoughts and New Year resolutions. Writing has been a part of me since it started as a hobby and changed to a habit overtime. […]
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Hollywood is hungryPhoto by Thea Hdc on UnsplashHollywood Is Hungry See if you can guess one thing that the following popular streaming shows have in common: The Expanse, Jack Ryan, His Dark Materials, Lovecraft Country, Longmire, The Queen’s Gambit, Pretty Little Liars, Shadow and Bone, Killing Eve, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Dash and Lily, Looking for Alaska, The […]
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A simple technique that leads to stronger, clearer writingPhoto by Steven Van on Unsplash There are plenty of ways cameras pan in the movies: establishing shots that then zoom in on a detail. Beginning with a detail and zooming out. Staying close and focusing on faces and emotions. A wider shot that shows the scene around characters […]
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Common and quirky methods for writing past inattention and hyperactivityPhoto by Karl JK Hedin on Unsplash‘They’re very good here,’ said the stranger. When I was younger, my mother took me to the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine to visit a specialist that could help me work through some bad grades and apparent attention problems. Forms and […]
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And you would jump to apply them tooImage by Amy Hirschi / UnsplashTip 1: The 10% rule by Stephen King King’s On Writing is my favorite non-fiction book because it comes from a successful writer and contains proven advice. This rule jotted below stayed with me exceptionally. I immediately implemented it. Formula: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft — 10%. I […]
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