Craft
Novel Idea to Premise
by Ron Estrada Your Big Idea You wake up at 1 am and say “Aha! I’ve got an idea!” Though your spouse is probably annoyed with you, you’re thrilled. You reach for your handy journal on your nightstand and write something like “A young girl meets her true love on Ellis Island.” You smile at…
Why You Need a Crtique Partner: Seeing What’s Not There
by Ron Estrada Someone far more musically adept than I once told me that you recognize a great bass player when you don’t even realize he’s there. Take him out of the music, though, and you’ll know something’s wrong. Anyone who’s ever attempted to write a novel probably thought they had the greatest story ever…
One Bite at a Time
by Ron Estarada The old adage gives explicit instructions on how to eat an elephant: one bite at a time. Anne Lamont’s outstanding writing how-to book Bird by Bird follows the same line of reasoning. In fact, just about any book on the craft begs and pleads of the beginning novelist not to sit down…
Tension–the Writer’s Gorilla Glue
by Ron Estrada Well Super G is back, so I can’t talk about her like I did for the past two weeks. Most of the stuff I said wasn’t true. At least it couldn’t be proved. Speaking of tension, that’s our topic of the day. Last weekend I read Brandilyn Collins latest, That Dog Won’t…
Dogs in Fiction:The “Woof” Perspective
Guest Post by Becky Jacoby The ASPCA claims that 5-7 million dogs inhabit the USA. Considering how that number might have been ascertained, I would bet it did not include strays or dogs in shelters. I would love to see all dogs in good homes, wouldn’t you? Not only do I love dogs, but a…
Writing Tools Review- How Scrivener Changed My Writing Life
by Ron Estrada While Super G is off galavanting through New York, doing writerly things and hobnobbing with the big muckety mucks on Avenue of the Americas, she has given me the keys to WI. It is always satisfying when my relentless charm and Charlie Brown good looks lure yet another female into trusting me…
Creating Quirky Characters
I started novel-writing when chick-lit was “the thing.” It’s not “the thing” anymore, but I miss those quirky characters. Bridget Jones in granny panties. The Finland-loving Rebecca Bloomwood. And, of course, Kristin Billerbeck’s Ashley Stockingdale. Why? Because I relate to them. I’m not angst-ridden like Bella Swan or strong and silent like Katniss. I’m more…
The Power in a Photograph to Tell a Story
Guest Post by Jeff Satterly It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but I think that saying a picture is “worth” any amount of words isn’t exactly true. Both images and written text have value for conveying information and providing insight and understanding into something, but some pictures, and photographs in…
How to Start your Writing Business: Famous Writer, Inc.
by Ron Estrada Every writer has uttered the words “I want to write full time someday!” Unless you are the child of Donald and (insert bride name here) Trump, you probably don’t have the luxury of buying a beach-house in the Keys and living out your Hemingwayesque fantasy. You have bills, a mortgage, car payments,…
The Lonely Writer: No Writer Left Behind
by Ron Estrada Gina Conroy, who shall henceforth be known as Super G on this here blog, posted in Writer…Interrupted this week about her struggles as a “left behind” writer. She and I have shared this same lonely writer experience. We began writing years ago and found other newbies to hang out with (albeit electronically)…