Getting the Timing Right

Oct 15, 2023 | Blog, Method, Writing

Timelines will kill you… as a writer… in your novel. Let me clarify this. When you are writing a book (and, I’m sorry to say, this happens a lot more with pantsers than plotters) and focused on what needs to happen next to a) advance the plot; b) develop the...

Going into the Backstory

Oct 8, 2023 | Blog, Method, Writing, Writing Craft

Sometimes when you’re writing a novel, things just begin to get… stuck. You aren’t quite sure where your characters are going. Maybe you don’t know how they’ll grow, or what is holding them back from doing so. It’s at times like this that it’s best to go back to the...

The Perception of Time

Oct 1, 2023 | Blog, Method, Writing

There are some days when every time you look at the clock, it hardly seems to have moved at all. The day drags and just takes forever to get over with. And yet, there are other days when you’re so incredibly busy that the entire day is gone in the blink of an eye and...

Asking the Right Questions

Sep 17, 2023 | Blog, Method, Writing

Last week I mentioned that a vital part of my plotting process was asking the right questions to ensure that I have well rounded characters and a plot that helps them move toward their goal—while still having plenty of conflict—and helping them to grow. The thing is,...

Writing Outside In

Sep 10, 2023 | Blog, Method, Writing, Writing Craft

I’m in the plotting phase of my next book. Being a plotter I develop my characters and plan out a good number of my scenes before I even put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Being a conscientious, professional writer and well as someone who teaches writing craft,...

Prioritizing and Organizing

Sep 3, 2023 | Blog, Business of Writing, Method, Writing

As I think my regular readers have figured out, I’ve recently been fooling around with a lot of software recently—organizers, to do lists, and calendar apps—all in an effort to organize my life and my writing. And then my daughter, who has begun proofreading...