Use cross thinking to get you to think differently and allow a story idea to come literally from nowhere. A great idea may hit you during these creative writing exercises, or more likely, a few hours later when you are eating, running, taking a shower, while sleeping, the next morning…Why not wake up your muse … [Read more…]
When we talk about “world building” in young adult novels, people often think it only applies to fantasy/paranormal/urban fantasy genres, but world building is just as important in realistic fiction novels. Many times contemporary fiction writers forget that or need a few writing prompts to get their world building going. What exactly is world building? … [Read more…]
Plagarism, banned books, and a self-defense pen. Something for everybody. * If you are curious about the latest plagarism brouhaha, this site has some (long but good) explanations. * Good self-reviews might cost you (in New York, at least). Interesting. * In honor of Banned Book Week. * An interesting take on reviews by a … [Read more…]
Haven’t considered using fear for writing inspiration? Well, I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite holidays is Halloween. As a child, I loved planning who I would morph into for the day. Would I be a cowgirl, a sleeping princess, a witch? I also loved haunted houses and ghost stories, and reveled … [Read more…]
Rules for Writing Fiction? There are thousands. Don’t kill a puppy. Never use an –ly adverb. Exclamation points are the mark of an amateur. I’ve heard these rules for writing fiction and dozens of others from the time I started pursuing publication. And I’m ashamed to say, when I was new, I even believed … [Read more…]