Writing Tip

There is no recipe to writing a novel. There are many do’s and don’ts. The thing to remember about writing rules is that you need to learn those rules so that when you break a rule you are fully aware of it. Whose POV (point of view) do you use for a novel? Whoever has […]

If you need help writing a scene, see my scene construction post. Now that you have the scene written, let’s tighten it! For each scene, you must make sure you anchor the reader by answering the five W’s, as Susan May Warren calls them. Who are the players?   (which characters are in the scene?) What

Every scene must have: a description (what’s going to happen in the scene) a goal for the POV character the conflict that happens in the scene that prevents the character from achieving their goal kick it up a notch. After the conflict, give the character a disaster so they can’t achieve their goal a scene

In a fiction manuscript, weasel words are defined as words that suck the life out of the words next to them. I have a lengthy list of weasel words. Should they ALL be removed? No. Simply be aware! These words are usually superfluous: that just a little, a bit really nearly, almost quite rather kind

This is so personal, but I’ll share. Everyone ends up with a different kind of first draft. So this may make no sense to some! In my first draft, I start out with a couple of sentences, increase those sentences to a solid outline including dialogue. I then change the outline to actual narrative. My

Brainstorming a new novel. Fun and scary at the same time! I have found that if I am not organized, I write a draft that will never see the light of day because the entire plot and characters will change. That means another first draft and so on. So, for me, spending some time up

It’s 2010. How did you do with your writing goals for 2009? Did you even have goals? Many posts have been written about writing goals. One of my favorites is by Mary DeMuth on her “So You Want to be Published” blog here. If you didn’t have goals for 2009, then set goals for 2010

Can’t finish that book you’ve been writing? Or just don’t know where to start? The resource I used to complete my first first draft was Karen Wiesner‘s First Draft in 30 Days. It took me about 90 days, but I did it! The book is a road-map, if you will, of how to write your

I’ve had the good fortune to find Susan May Warren’s “My Book Therapy” website a few years ago. It makes sense to me. Susan makes sense to me (and I LOVE her writing, she pulls you in and putting one of her books down is . . . hard. So I lose sleep when I