The beginning of a book is crucial to its success. Not only does it matter to agents and publishers, but it also matters to the readers. After a few pages, most readers will have made up their minds about whether or not they like your book. And the chances are, if they aren't impressed, they'll … Continue reading In the beginning…
Writing Tips
Writing Pet Peeves: Incorrect Speaker Tags
Is it just me, or does it drive anyone else crazy when a writer uses incorrect speaker tags? We use speaker tags for two reasons. First and foremost, we use them to indicate who is speaking. The secondary—but not strictly necessary—function is to indicate how the dialogue is being spoken. What a speaker tag does … Continue reading Writing Pet Peeves: Incorrect Speaker Tags
Project Pea: Finding My Voice
Now that my (spectacularly amazing) wedding is over and I've settled into my schedule living with another human being, I've thrown myself full force into editing Project Pea. In the overall edits, I'm halfway through the book. I've ironed out some timing issues, changed a lot of individual scenes, and fleshed out one of the … Continue reading Project Pea: Finding My Voice
How To Do a Draft Two
It's almost the end of January and I've had 28 days to start work on my second draft of Project Pea. I've only started rewriting Chapter 3 tonight (there are currently 21 chapters), but the great thing is that I've gotten a lot more done than just actually writing more content. Before I even started … Continue reading How To Do a Draft Two
Adapting Fairytales
I've always loved fairytales; that's what happens when you grow up watching (and rewatching, and rewatching, and rewatching...) Disney classics. I've been writing stories ever since I learned how to spell, so it was only a matter of time before I began adapting fairytales. Interestingly enough, my first adaptation was of Snow White. I'd never … Continue reading Adapting Fairytales
Project Pea and the Writing Process
I have written many novels in my life. No really, I have! The only thing is that I'm never satisfied enough with how they turn out to actually do anything with them. Therefore, it's a constant struggle for me to decide whether to polish up old writings or work on new ones, as I'm always … Continue reading Project Pea and the Writing Process
How Do I Create Good Characters?
You've heard me talk about how important characters are when you're writing a story, but the next question is how do you create those amazing characters that will sell your story to your readers/viewers/listeners? The first thing you need to know up front is that it's not easy to create good characters. It takes tons … Continue reading How Do I Create Good Characters?
The Stories that Matter
Let’s stop writing half-hearted stories. I recently rewatched the Lord of the Rings trilogy and I’m currently rereading the books as well. It struck me towards the end of Return of the King: Why don’t people tell stories like this anymore? Obviously, Tolkien was a genius and poured his life and soul into Middle Earth. … Continue reading The Stories that Matter
Getting It Right
There have been many times I've tried to write a story and it hasn't turned out anything like how I imagined it in my head. Can you relate? Out of all the questions I get asked as a writer, this is the most common by far: What do I do when I lose motivation while … Continue reading Getting It Right
The Story Canvas 