Something that I’m working on in novel #3 is keeping various lines in the plot going at the same time while also creating meaningful connections between these lines. In music, this is called counterpoint. (Disclaimer, y’all: I’m no musician. In fact, … Read more
Last week, I shared one of my favorite tricks for beating writing block with figment.com, the amazing (as in, “Holy cow, where were you when I was sixteen?!”) online writing community for teens and YA lovers. (Seriously, everybody… if … Read more
Q: How did you get yourself noticed and your work out there? Did you ever feel like your writing wasn’t good enough?*
All writers feel like their writing is not good enough. If they didn’t, they’d never slave over it … Read more
Like most writers I’ve worked with in workshops and writing groups, I tend to think too much about when I’m going to tell my readers something. Instead, we should be asking ourselves, how long can we go without telling our … Read more
I have a problem: one of the main characters of my new novel-in-progress is shy, quiet, tongue-tied. She’s also passionate, secretly sensual, and fiercely dedicated to what she cares about. But how do I get her to speak? What does … Read more
Q: I have a hard time balancing my love of photography and my love of writing. Is there something else you enjoy doing that sometimes gets in the way of your writing?*
A: Um, yes! I had almost exactly the … Read more
There is an explosion in my new (third) novel. How do I write it?
It’s strange the things we manage to draw on when we’re writing. I reckon that the shock I felt when I had a small-scale kitchen explosion… Read more
I know, I know, self-publishing e-books is all the rage. Who wouldn’t like a bigger cut of their profits? Who wouldn’t like to see their book “out there” as quickly as possible? Who wouldn’t like to be the next success … Read more
Let’s say you want to write but you’re stuck. Blocked. Nothing’s coming out. But you can’t just sit there.
So try this:
(1) Get down a favorite book from your shelf. Find a passage you really admire.
(2) Write it … Read more
Q: What do you do about writer’s block? How do you combat it?*
A: My best strategy for beating writer’s block is preventing it. I try to set myself up for success by being very casual about what I’m going … Read more
