Freewriting is a terrific way to sneak your way into the writing zone and then write your way to an idea. I use freewriting any time I’m stuck. Instead of staring at a blank page (whether paper or a blank page on a computer—all that white!) I grab a pen or wiggle my fingers over … [Read more…]
It’s a funny thing, but I really began to make money as a writer when I started thinking like one. Now I don’t mean in the nebulous “positive thinking” kind of way, as if by thinking it, suddenly it becomes true. While maintaining an optimistic attitude is always helpful, it’s not going to get you … [Read more…]
Every writer I know wants some quick ways to improve their writing, and everyone I know is tired of winter and in the mood for spring. Spring is the time of new birth, new beginnings and…spring cleaning! Opening the house, letting in fresh air and getting rid of the cobwebs. So why not improve writing … [Read more…]
To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself. -Soren Kierkegaard I have been thinking quite a bit about fear lately. The reason? I’ve been scared to death! I’m working on a TREEbook at the request of my publisher. It’s a new technology—an app for reading an e-book. The … [Read more…]
Lori Devoti, the wise woman woman who’s behind this whole HowToWriteShop brilliance, once said something to me I’ve never forgotten. Lori is well-known for her straight-talk, and her no-holds-barred honesty in telling you how she thinks things are. Whenever she talks about goals or plotting (real-life or storytelling), she is very quick to say, “You … [Read more…]