Word Magic
Are you using mind maps? They’re powerful tools you can use in many ways to overcome obstacles, find solutions, and get motivated. They help writers and other creatives to become more creative and productive. When I mentor writers and authors, they’ve opted for mentoring because they’re frustrated. When you’re battling in the trenches of your writing career, it’s hard to … Read more
Want an easier (and more fun) way to plan and outline? If you hate outlining, storyboarding may be for you. What’s a storyboard? I think of it as a comic book, or page. According to Merriam-Webster, it’s: …a panel or series of panels on which a set of sketches is arranged depicting consecutively the important changes of scene and action … Read more
You may love writing fiction, but chances are that you have challenges. Perhaps you begin many more novels and stories than you finish. It’s a common challenge—your hard drives may be packed with unfinished fiction. Although that’s fine—you can begin stories just for fun—it’s unwise to make it a habit. Recently a frustrated writing student who’s starting her self-publishing career … Read more
When you’re writing fiction, your characters are everything. “Plot” is what your characters do. Since characterization is so vital, let’s look at simple ways to get characters clear in your own mind… So you can make them real to readers. I’ve been rereading Anthony Trollope, just for his characters. He’s masterful at characterization. Not only do you believe in his … Read more
If you’re a writer or marketer, you’re on an endless hunt to generate ideas. They might be ideas for: client projects, nonfiction books, blog posts, novels, short stories… In order to do this, you need time. To generate ideas, you need time for research and thinking From Inc.’s excellent article, 7 Ways to Generate Great Ideas: Great ideas won’t happen … Read more