Tag Archives: Writing Tips

On Letting Characters Be Smart

Last night I was reading a good book, quite absorbed as it ramped up toward the climax, when certain telltale signs began to appear. “Aaaand here’s the part where we fail to share crucial information for no good reason,” I thought. And sure enough, there it was. Now, this was a great book I reallyContinue reading “On Letting Characters Be Smart”

Write Like the Terminator

You want to get published? Here’s how: be like the Terminator. The more time I spend immersed in the writing community, the clearer it becomes that a writer’s cardinal virtue is persistence. Many other talents, skills, and qualities will help you on your road, but it’s persistence that will get you there. Anecdotally, it’s veryContinue reading “Write Like the Terminator”

The 15K Rewrite

First drafts are such a wonderful, magical thing, full of infinite possibility and the intoxication of the blank page. They are also, usually, crap. There’s a good reason for this. We’re just getting to know the characters, find their voices, establish the story. Here’s an example of what the first several chapters of one ofContinue reading “The 15K Rewrite”

Slow Progress Beats No Progress

I’ve been working on a new book lately, but the going has been slow because of pressing day job deadlines and other Real Life things. However, I have been trying to squeeze in at least a few hundred words a day. And I have been amazed at what a difference in my sense of creativeContinue reading “Slow Progress Beats No Progress”

Creating a Multi-POV Outline

I recently finished a rough outline for my new multi-POV YA novel, and it was tons of fun! I’ve never written a truly multi-POV book before, and I was new to the challenges of outlining one. I had to consider not only what order events should unfold in, and how they should lead into eachContinue reading “Creating a Multi-POV Outline”

Honest Answers to Querying Writer FAQs

For fun, here are some honest answers to the questions querying (or pre-querying) writers REALLY frequently ask. Q. Is my book any good? A. Yes. But it could be better. Q. OK, is my book good enough? A. WRONG QUESTION! It’s never good enough. Back to the revision pits! Q. How do I make this book better? I’ve lookedContinue reading “Honest Answers to Querying Writer FAQs”

Dramatic Tension Part 1: Layers of Tension

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about dramatic tension. I think manipulating dramatic tension is just as important as plot, character, and voice, but it doesn’t seem to get talked about as often. Yet dramatic tension is often the biggest factor that keeps me reading—it’s what makes a book un-put-down-able. It’s how writersContinue reading “Dramatic Tension Part 1: Layers of Tension”

Keep Revising: The Best Advice No Writer Wants to Hear

Every time I start a new round of revisions or edits, I save off a new version of my book. That way, if I decide I liked something better the old way, or want to salvage some language from a scene I cut two versions ago, it’s easy to go back and find what IContinue reading “Keep Revising: The Best Advice No Writer Wants to Hear”

Writing Secondary Characters from the Inside Out

My growth as a writer consists largely of “Well, DUH!” moments, where I realize in a blazing epiphany something super obvious I should have known all along. My latest is about writing secondary characters, and I’d like to share it with you. (I can’t say that without hearing a folk guitar intro in the background,Continue reading “Writing Secondary Characters from the Inside Out”