If you read last week’s blog post, you’ll know we looked at some common writing gremlins, such as overwriting, multiple gestures, extra staging, etc (check out the full post here). When the post went live, a few readers commented on underwriting being one of their gremlins. As a chronic overwriter, underwriting hadn’t occurred to me, …
When you become a writer, one of the "rules" you're advised to learn is to avoid info-dumping. If you haven't heard of it before, it's when the writer bombards the reader with everything they think they should know—all at once. While you might think there's no way you do that, info-dumping is an easy trap …
I usually like my first blog for a new year to be all about resolutions, but after the year that was 2020, and with 2021 shaping up to be more of the same, making resolutions or plans is a moot point (or a cow's opinion—a reference for anyone who spent a good chunk of lockdown …
Ah, point of view (POV), a writing essential to include in your book but something that you can get so easily wrong. It doesn't take much to slip from the view of the character who is telling your story, and you might not even notice you've done it. That's where the following advice comes in …
Continue reading Point Of View Errors! How To Spot And Fix Them
If the thought of rising early to write has you automatically hitting the snooze button, you’re not alone. I once balked at getting up before the sun to pursue my literary dreams. I’d much rather stay warm, wrapped up in blankets than trudge to my writing desk, and work on something bleary-eyed. But then things …
Even if you lean toward being a pantser rather than a planner, or are a hybrid of the two, getting yourself even a little organized makes a huge difference for the productivity of your writing. I've learned this over years of first turning my writing hobby into something more serious while balancing work commitments and …
If life—and more specifically, 2020—has taught us anything, it’s that we don’t have control over everything. When it comes to writing, control is very much a balancing act. You can control which characters are in your story, but you can’t always control what they want to do (even if you think you can with that …
While busy, modern-day lives mean there will always be occasions when you can't write when you want to, there is also a time in a writer's life when you want to write, but you just can't. Not because you couldn't sit down at your desk. Not because you didn't have the whole house to yourself. …
Continue reading 4 Reasons Why You Can’t Write And What To Do About It
Being a writer comes with its own inner-critic, that little voice in your head that whispers plot plots, questions if you're good enough, and also lets you know that you are. I've found that when I reach a writing milestone, that little voice goes into overdrive and bombards me with new thoughts. It happened a …
Continue reading Thoughts That Run Through Your Head Now You’re A Published Author
