To move your story forward, think about oppositions.
Often, change happens in opposition. When we understand the things working in opposition in our stories, we can use them to maintain our story’s tension.
Revision
Create symmetrical scenes to strengthen your story arc.
Jane Alison encourages us to envision our writing not as a tsunami of story, but instead as a series of smaller waves that propel your story arc forward.
Need a new character development technique? Consider the Big Five Personality Test.
When building our characters we sometimes hack away at attributes, hoping to unearth something that will engage readers. Instead, do this.
To create a strong opening, identify your SUCK.
Strong beginnings have common attributes that can be boiled down to one word–they all SUCK.
Ready to scrap a writing project? Read this first.
It’s tempting to abandon your work when you’re frustrated and overwhelmed. But trashing your projects is like trashing yourself. Instead, you need to pivot.
Voice Lesson Number Four: Develop Your Style
While modern audiences tend to prefer leaner writing, you don’t have to become a Hemmingway disciple. You do need to understand your style.
Voice Lesson Number Three: Understanding Your Unique Lens
Tone is the attitude we take in our writing. It’s closely aligned with perspective. It’s closely aligned with who you are.
Voice Lesson Number Two: Be Your Authentic Self
Some people think having a voice means turning on the sass, revealing your master’s in slang, or dispensing f-bombs like they’re PEZ candy. Instead, be yourself authentic self.
Voice Lesson Number One: Have The Courage To Be True
In her podcast, “How to Write a Kickass Essay,” Ann Hood says we should not just write about what keeps us up at night, but “Always say the hardest thing—the thing you don’t even know you feel.”
Voice Lessons
This month, I’m going to share my four pillars of voice and how you can use them to write your very best work. Let’s start with the basics.
The Two Ways to You Can View Time
When it comes to how we view time, there are only two options. Which one will you choose?
Dialogue Lab Two: The Power of Subtext
Great dialogue contains two messages–the one shared through direct dialogue and the unspoken or hidden message revealed through characters’ body language and facial expressions. We call that unspoken message subtext.
Dialogue Lab One: Dialect versus Diction
Dialogue is the lifeblood of any scene. When executed effectively, it catapults the reader into the heart of a story.
Four Backstory Traps and How to Escape Them
There are four backstory traps writers frequently fall into. Understanding them will help you escape them.
Seven Steps for Managing Feedback on Your Work in Progress
Receiving feedback can feel exhilarating. But as we prepare for revision, most writers wrestle with the same question: where do I begin?
The Two Conversations Every Beta Reader Must Have Before Saying Yes to a Manuscript
When deciding to become a beta reader there are two conversations you must have before taking on a manuscript. The first conversation is with yourself.
Heart Speak, The Writing Advice Column # 4: Escaping the Forest of Endless Revision
I’m currently in the forest of revision times infinity. Can you help me find a way out?
Beta Reader Boot Camp Part One: What Are Beta Readers and How Do You Find Them?
There are many ways to gain insight into your works-in-progress. Today, I want to talk about the angels of the writing world: beta readers.
Heart Speak, The Writing Advice Column # 3: Mining the Gap Between Traumatic Memories and Your Memoir
If my memories are truly inaccessible, can you help me find ways to write around them?
Creating A Birds-Eye View of Your Book
For those of us trying to tame book-length projects, it can be difficult to manage the pages in our heads. Chapter summaries can become your book’s BFF.