Friday, October 3, 2014

Detail That Matters and Detail That Doesn't: Why the First Makes Your Writing Come Alive and the Second Dulls the Shine

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Some people love lots of sensory detail in writing.  I'm one of them.  If a writer shows me the place, what the people wear, the sme...
Friday, September 26, 2014

Getting Started Again: Writers' Tips for When You Get Stuck

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I'm rerunning this post from last winter while I launch my fall semester of online classes this week.  Enjoy! Over the years, desp...
Friday, September 19, 2014

Getting Time in Your Every Day for Eminent Creativity: How It's Different from Everyday Creativity (and Understanding the Demands of Each)

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Do you know the difference between eminent creativity and everyday creativity?    Do you care?  You should.  Each makes a huge impact on ...
Friday, September 12, 2014

When You're Making Radical Manuscript Changes: A Helpful Technique for Writers

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This week I'm both teaching and taking a retreat.  I'm teaching a wonderful group of fifteen book writers on Madeline Island, on...
Friday, September 5, 2014

Placing Backstory: When It Helps and When It Hinders

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This week's post is in response to Shirley, who viewed my storyboarding video on You Tube and sent me a photo of her storyboard.  Th...
Friday, August 29, 2014

Teaching Yourself to Write Better Dialogue: Three Steps That Will Make All the Difference

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When one of my advanced students wanted to sharpen his dialogue, I gave him the task of modeling from a favorite book.  His dialogue imp...
Friday, August 22, 2014

Importance of Action: Do You Have Enough Happening?

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All week, struggling to revise an early chapter in my novel-in-progress, I realized what was wrong:  nothing happens.  It's what I c...
Friday, August 15, 2014

How Chapters Are Built--What to Include, What to Skip, and How to Know If You Actually Have One

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This week's post is part of a weekly lesson in my online book-structuring classes, Your Book Starts Here, Part 2, sponsored by t...
Friday, July 25, 2014

Taking Back Control of What We Write--and Read: Moving Past Our Training and Culture

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Voice and theme were the topic of a recent workshop I taught at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.  We had a lively discussion a...
Friday, July 18, 2014

Crafting Pathways in Your Book: Internal Conflict, External Conflict, and How They Form a Story

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Some of the nicest moments in my life happen when nothing happens.  I think of kitchen conversations with friends, sitting in my garden,...