EDITING BRAIN VS. WRITING BRAIN: WHAT YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT WRITING FROM DONALD TRUMP’S COVID CASE
Want to know what you can learn about writing from the top story du jour? Then read on because you’re a writer and you need to find the story in everything.
SEVEN TIPS FOR BEATING WRITER’S BLOCK
Does writer’s block keep you pacing the floor for days? Tossing and turning at night?
Here are a few tricks to overcome it.
IS LABOR DAY A PRODUCTIVE WRITING DAY FOR YOU?
I have a secret. Well, a preference really. I hate not working on holidays—and by working, I mean writing.
To me, a day off from the day job is the perfect day to write. I have started several books and written entire short stories and picture books on holidays. For some reason, I find it personally and professionally rewarding. Any holiday becomes a productive day for me.
And any holiday can be a productive writing day for you, too.
Why Being Uncertain Ruins Your Writing (I Think)
Imagine you climb into a taxi and the driver says, “I don’t know. It’s over there somewhere.”
Now, imagine you climb into a second cab and the driver says, “Yeah, I know exactly where it is. We go up three streets, make a right, and it’s two miles on the left.”
You’d feel a lot better getting in the second car, right?
That’s a lot like writing.
Imagine those taxi drivers are authors. The first driver/writer will meander, appear lost, look for the next turn or destination, and you’re not sure your trip is ever going to pay off or bring you to a good destination.
But your feel like the second driver is in control. He may go a way you don’t know or expect, but you’re always confident you’ll reach your destination.
Uncertain writing has the same effect. But with the first writer, you don’t climb out of the car, you abandon the book. You stick with the second writer until the end.
How to Avoid Uncertain Writing
Writing Advice: Don’t Talk About Your Book Until It’s Done
There’s an old saying in the arts: Don’t talk about your next project until it’s done. Why? Well, before I answer that, let’s get into a little background on it … Continue reading
What to Do When Your Best Book Isn’t Your Bestelling
As Jonathan Swift’s life drew to a close and dementia set in, he would crawl into bed, read his favorite book and say, “My God, I was brilliant once.”
Which book was that?
If you said Gulliver’s Travels, that’s understandable.
If you said A Modest Proposal, I wouldn’t blame you.
But nope, it was his first book…
WRITING IN QUARANTINE IS HARDER THAN IT SOUNDS
Need a little motivation to write during this forced down time? Read on.
Does this sound like you? “I’m stuck at home for two weeks! I’ll get my novel done in no time!”
Then, in true procrastinating form, you discover that Netflix is calling, cat videos are amusing, and the news is overwhelming,
Or, from a practical standpoint…
Creating the Perfect Book Dedication
Should your book’s dedication be personal, professional, or commercial?
New authors often think dedicating a book is easy, and for that first book it usually is. You dedicate it to “My loving wife” or “My devoted husband.” After all, you want to keep peace in the house. No reason to start a fight over a few poorly chosen words, right?
Of course, you might also dedicate your book to your children, particularly if it’s a children’s book, or a dear parent or grandparent. Perhaps a mentor, teacher, professor. Perhaps a fellow author, or your editor. Maybe your inspiration for the book. Maybe even a celebrity.
Suddenly, your list of possibilities gets very long, particularly if you’re working on a series, or this is your tenth book and you’ve run out of spouses, children, and close family members who should get that big thank you.
So, how you decide who gets your cherished book dedication?
How to Keep Your Story Moving
Would you like to keep your story from getting bogged down?
Famed linguist and literary critic Kenneth Burke once wrote that “Action equals motivation plus momentum.”
It’s a simple and accurate quote about plotting a story as you’ll ever see. And the good news is that it doesn’t just apply to action stories and thrillers, but all fiction writing, no matter what the genre.
Comedy Sayings That Can Improve Any Author’s Writing
Want to know what stand-up comedy can teach you about writing? There are about as many types of comedy as there are genres of literature. Prop comedy. Political comedy. Observations. … Continue reading
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