I used to preach that a writer must be disciplined. Seat of the pants to seat of the chair. Write every day. Blah, blah, blah. I no longer believe that.
Continue reading Desire, Not Discipline.
Recently in Writer's Tip of the Week Category
"But if a vocation is as much the work that chooses you as the work you choose, then I knew. . .my vocation was. . .to involve that searching for and treasuring, and telling of secrets which is what the real business of words is all about."--Frederick Buechner
"Increase your word power. Words are the raw material of our craft. The greater your vocabulary the more effective your writing. We who write in English are fortunate to have the richest and most versatile language in the world. Respect it."--P. D. James
It's spring, and home improvements and cleanings are in the air.
In the name of renewal (and family peace), my husband and I repurposed our rec room into a master bedroom and let our girls, ages 12 and 6, have their own rooms. In the process, we had to redistribute everyone's books. We shuffled them from room to room and set them on newly installed shelves, but we still had a lot left over.
"Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish."
- John Jakes
"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go."
- E.L. Doctorow
If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative.
- Woody Allen
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
- Scott Adams
You sit down and you do it, and you do it, and you do it, until you have learned to do it.
- Ursula K. LeGuin ...on writing
- John Jakes
"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go."
- E.L. Doctorow
If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative.
- Woody Allen
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
- Scott Adams
You sit down and you do it, and you do it, and you do it, until you have learned to do it.
- Ursula K. LeGuin ...on writing
Recently, my friend Philip Rothschild
asked if I would write a blog post on "the anatomy of a 500-word blog
post." He said that he sensed I used some kind of template. He thought
it might be something that would be valuable to others, as well as
something he could use with his students.
Continue reading Anatomy of an Effective Blog Post, by Michael Hyatt.
C.S. Lewis's last interview was on May 7, 1963--six months before he
died. One of Sherwood Wirt's questions was on writing: "How would you
suggest a young Christian writer go about developing a style?"
Continue reading C.S. Lewis's Advice on Writing Well.
Conflict in a story creates tension and excitement. The conflict may be
internal (within the protagonist himself/herself) or external (between
characters, or between a character and his/her circumstances or
environment).
Continue reading Creative Story Writing Tips #1: Varieties of Conflict.
"Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite."
---C. S. Lewis
"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."
---C. S. Lewis
"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
---Toni Morrison
---C. S. Lewis
"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."
---C. S. Lewis
"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
---Toni Morrison
Treat your editors like the coach from any sports team because the editor knows their audience and only rejects writing with a good reason--even if you never learn the specifics.
Writer, editor. Member: American Christian Fiction Writers, Fellowship of Christian Writers.
Assuming you want to increase your blog traffic, there are certain mistakes you must avoid to be successful. If you commit these mistakes, your traffic will never gain momentum. Worse, it may plateau or begin to decrease.
Continue reading Do You Make These 10 Mistakes When You Blog? by Michael Hyatt.
"When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near."
Writing is not easy work, but for Christians it is very important work. Christian publishers are always looking for new, creative ideas. Most read many hundreds each year just too find 20-30 to publish.
Continue reading Writing Is Not Easy Work.
If your goal is to be published somewhere--anywhere--to build up credits that will open the door to larger publications, the religious market is a good place to begin.
Continue reading Tapping into the Christian Market, by Barbara Youree.
John Steinbeck's dog ate an early draft of Of Mice and Men. Ernest Hemingway famously lost an entire suitcase of his early writings - a suitcase that contained his originals and all his copies. The only copy of Thomas Carlyle's The History of the French Revolution was destroyed when it was used to light a fire. It took him six months to recreate it. Dylan Thomas managed to lose the script for Under Milk Wood three times.
Continue reading Back Up Your Writing, by Simon Kewin.
There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein. ~Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith
If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. ~Toni Morrison
Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth
Writers often fall in love with their own words and phrases. Cutting them can feel like killing a person.
Continue reading Cut, Cut, Cut, by Audrey Owen.
Whenever you are in a greenroom and about to do a media interview- play nice with the other guests. Yes you are all fighting to get as much time as possible- but if you make friends with your fellow guests before you go on the air- great things can happen.
Continue reading Play Nicely When You Are in the Sandbox, by Rick Frishman.
Planning methods vary greatly among writers, who often modify their systems as they gain experience and maturity. Some are satisfied with a brief summary of the plot, the character's conflict, and the resolution.
Continue reading What Kind of Planning Should I Do Before I Start to Write a Novel?.
Philosophy and abstractions should be packaged and sold in gift boxes. Because concept is noncorporeal (you can't see an idea), you should place expository sentences next to descriptions.
Continue reading Use Images to Deliver Ideas.
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