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I posted earlier last month that I was learning about the kernel idea.  The kernel idea for my series came right. to. me.  But then, I realized, I need one for each book.  What’s that book about and why do I care because, if I don’t, why should you?  And I finally nailed  it.  The kernel  idea for book 1 of an unnamed series: A psychic has to reinvent herself using only the gift she hates, a man who gives great graveyard sex but otherwise wishes he’d never met her, and a ghost who won’t stop following her around. It’s awesome, right? I mean, it’sRead More →

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And the birds sang, the trees swayed happily, and I was free.  Free to spend as long as I needed filling in character, backstory, synopsizing scenes, and outlining. I have this from very reliable sources.  I recently took a Write It Forward workshop from Bob Mayer (on Twitter @Bob_Mayer) on Plot and Outline.  He says: Failing to do this essential background work sabotages the story before you type your first word and becomes very apparent to readers as they progress in your work. (Truly, this workshop was chock full of empowering, on-target info.  It would be worth the money to invest in one of the WriteRead More →

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I’m linking to this blog post from Bob Mayer because it explains the kernel idea perfectly and since this post is pretty much what made it click for me. I thought, I can’t do this.  I’m just 2 weeks in the outlining, charactering, plotting phase, and still–it’s not going to happen.  But, as writers, we tend to be a little sentimental about our stories–we dig hard enough, we can remember the moment where we thought, “This will be an awesome story.”  And I found it.  I will update you on how much having this (kernel idea) helps me as I go through the process, butRead More →

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So, I write this novel, a rom-com, and it’s finished and I like it, but it’s not selling.  Which is okay–first novel. Then I started one and it just died out because the characters, well, mostly the main characters, were just dead to me.  And that means flat and dull for you. So, then, I started a new manuscript, but … I just didn’t have my  heart in it. I think, one day, I can make it work.  But not right now. So, then I thought, “Why not write the story that’s been brewing in my head for ages?”  Well, I’ll tell you why not.Read More →

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Are you a Twilight enthusiast? A Bella-Wannabe? Mooning endlessly over Bella’s identification withWuthering Heights and thinking the only thing as great as being the author of Edward would be being the author of Heathcliff? Just so you know: the author of Heathcliff was dissed by her publisher, left unpublished until he could ride the coattails of her sister Charlotte, then published in a terrible edition with sloppy typesetting and cheap paper, and ignored by the reading public, who found Heathcliff—beyond reprehensible—downright disgusting. Emily Bronte was a bonafide literary genius whose greatest work, a saga in verse, was altered after her death against her passionately-clear wishesRead More →

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Title: Show Up Naked: Writing the Male POVInstructors: Chris Redding Date: August 2 – 27, 2010 Classroom: Mile High DESCRIPTION: This class is a fun, but informative trip through a man’s mind. Scary thought, I know, but when you finish this course you will know more about that man in your life and, more importantly, you’ll write believable male characters.The lessons will include: • Male Emotions, yes they have them • Stages men go through • Bad boys, why we love them and how they got to be that way. • Insight into why men can be so sweet one minute, and then the nextRead More →

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I’ve had some distracting circumstances recently that forced me to pretty much put aside writing for a while until I could own my time again.  My time still isn’t completely free and clear, but there is a little more of it. The problem, though, is how do you pick up that piece you once had so much passion for?  What magic formula brings it alive again? I have two works in progress; one is still very much alive, but the other I laid aside because it just..wasn’t…working.  That’s the one I want to discuss today. My first approach is to try something new.  I meanRead More →

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Put your notes away before you begin a draft. What you remember is probably what should be remembered; what you forget is probably what should be forgotten. No matter; you’ll have a chance to go back to your notes after the draft is completed. What is important is to achieve a draft which allows the writing to flow. DONALD M. MURRAY via AdviceToWriters – Home – Put Your Notes Away.   I usually post quotes that I, you know, agree with.  But this? No freaking way. I almost spend too much time making notes; I’ll give him that one.  Sometimes it’s a procrastination tool.  Sometimes, youRead More →

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On Kathy Carmichael’s awesome site, she has a form to aid in creating a short synopsis and plotting your story.  You should go download that now.  I’ll wait. She suggests, on the first page, to list ten events that will help change a character’s core belief and to keep in mind the stages of change.  This opened up a whole new way of looking at structuring character arc for me so I wanted to share what I’d found on the stages of change. The earliest stage of change is known as precontemplation. During the precontemplation stage, people are not considering a change. People in thisRead More →

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I’ve really been struggling lately with process.  I’ve come to a dead end and, it occurred to me, it’s not the story.  It’s how I’m getting the story out.  I always considered myself a planner (vs. a pantser) but it occurred to me when I was actually writing five page descriptions of my heroine’s apartment that maybe I was doing too much planning. But writing the beginning of a story is easy. Or it is for me.  There’s so much to get out, so much you know is going to happen, it’s like you channel the story.  And then you hit that wall, where youRead More →