A couple of weeks ago I went to a writer’s conference. I LOVE writer’s conferences. Which may not be a huge surprise, but I am an introvert, so large gatherings of people can exhaust me. Sixteen years ago, I would not have said I LOVE writer’s conferences. I sat in a hotel room in Houston, wondering if I had made… Read More
Creative Brain Versus Editing Brain
One of the biggest causes of writer’s block is getting the editing brain involved when the creative brain should be working. That happens when the editorial and creative departments of your brain mingle. If you don’t shut off your editing brain while you’re writing, it will strangle you. The Deep Work Habit Like any good habit, it takes time to… Read More
Narrative: the Thread that Pulls the Reader through the Story
A common problem I see in contests or manuscripts I’m editing is that the narrative thread isn’t strong enough to pull us as readers through the story. Here are a few reasons why it fails. A series of events versus cause-and-effect events A plot is not just a series of events. That… Read More