Writing Tips
Writer Interrupted…to research
Help! I need to find out what a dead body looks like after being in the water for 24 hours (a bayou to be exact). Or, I need to describe how an alligator sounds. These are just a few things I had to stop writing on my current story and dig around until I found…
Special Invitation to Proposal Writing Teleseminar
I’ve got a great opportunity for you to start this year off on the WRITE foot! A proposal seminar by Terry Whalin, editor, agent, writer and marketer on Wednesday January 9th, 2008 at 4pm PT (7pm ET.) Is one of your goals this year to get that book idea out of your head and into…
Finding the Theme in Your Story
Let’s talk about story themes. Stephen King, in his book On Writing (Pocket, 2000) has this to say about theme: “Writing and literature classes can be annoyingly preoccupied by (and pretentious about) theme, approaching it as the most sacred of sacred cows, but (don’t be shocked) it’s really no big deal. If you write a…
Writing Letters to Jesus
Years ago I started something with my children that has now turned into a Christmas tradition. We write letters to Jesus. I started writing these letters out of a desire to give a gift to Jesus on Christmas. After all, it is HIS birthday. When my kids were too little to write, I wrote for…
Why People Buy Cookbooks (and why you need to know)
My wife wants to be Rachel Ray. Based on the dinner, she cooked last night, I’d say she’s well on her way! Pork chops with cooked apples. Homemade macaroni and cheddar with broccoli and curly, spiral noodles instead of tube macaroni. At our house the Food Network is a favorite channel. We subscribe to Rachel…
A Central Park Writing Lesson
I sometimes sit down to write and make the mistake of “just checking a few things” before I start attacking my own work. I check email and see a note from my sister — so I write her back (real quick). Then I skim through a yahoo loop. I’m in the zone, inspired to get…
Writing Even When…
It’s one of those early fall nights. I’m sure you’ve had them, too. You’ve run all over creation during the day. All you want to do is crawl into bed and pull the cover over your head. Your throats scratchy. Your ears are plugged, and man that throat is sure scratchy. Even warm tea isn’t…
Interview with Dean Koontz
When he was a senior in college, Dean Koontz won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition and has been writing ever since. His books are published in 38 languages. He has sold 325,000,000 copies, a figure that currently increases by more than 17 million copies per year. Ten of his novels have risen to number one…
What Is Voice Anyway?
“But what is this mysterious thing, voice? One of my favorite oxymorons is the often-repeated phrase “a writer’s voice.” Just how much sound can a bunch of black marks on a piece of paper make, anyway? I don’t know about you, but the only sounds I make as I’m writing are the tap of the…
The Evolution of Chapter One
Just when I thought I was finished with chapter one. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better. Just when I thought I had finally finished a draft worthy of submission, I get Margie Lawson’s Deep Editing Lectures in my inbox. She taught an amazing early bird session at ACFW and my head is…