Word magic.
One of my students told me she was in first draft hell. She said: “I’ve got three novels, all first drafts. How do I turn them into something publishable? Maybe I should just delete them.” No, I assured her. DO NOT delete anything. In fact, kudos to you for a lot of brain power, effort, and just plain work. Look … Read more
Do you struggle with plotting your fiction? If you’re an author who finds developing a cohesive, exciting story a chore, and maybe even a nightmare, read on. When I started writing, I struggled with plots. By nature, I’m a pantser—the type of writer who’s struck by inspiration and just wants to write. Laying out a cohesive narrative step by step, … Read more
Want to write a selling novel? Every author does. Sadly, over the past year or two, I’ve been in a reading slump, marking many novels “DNF” (did not finish), especially those downloaded from Kindle Unlimited. But it’s happened with novels I’ve bought too. Is AI the reason for my miserable DNF run of stale plots and characters? Perhaps. It’s relatively … Read more
Frustrated? When you’re writing fiction, frustration is a given: you’ll often become annoyed. Please expect that. Every project is different, regardless of what you’re writing. Last week, an author told me she was ready to give up. She’d started a series, and although the first book sold well, the second wasn’t moving at all. Moreover, the third novel was a … Read more
Confused about plotting? A reader said that she’s giving up on her current novel because “her characters won’t behave.” She doesn’t like them, nor does she believe in them. Here’s a secret. Misbehaving characters can be a GOOD thing. Usually, it happens when you’re trying to make a character do something he can’t naturally do. It’s wonderful: it means that … Read more