How to Make Our Story Feel Meaningful
Story is different from plot, but sometimes we can have lots of plot ideas, and we might not be sure if—or how—we can pull those together into something that feels like a story. Let’s get some tips…
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Is Fear Hurting Your Writing Dream? — Guest: Jenny Hansen
While I’m still slowly recovering from my latest surgery, Jenny Hansen is here to fill in for me. Most of us suffer from self-doubt, and today Jenny’s sharing her insights about hanging on to our writing dream through all the doubts and fears.
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Story Beginnings: Do You Have Context?
Story beginnings are difficult to get right. We have to introduce the characters, the story, the setting, the protagonist’s longing, and show an immediate obstacle that creates a near-term goal. At the same time, we have to avoid confusing readers, and for that, we need context.
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Plot Obstacles & Character Agency
Ashley asked a question in the comments last week that gets at the heart of strong, proactive characters. Even in literary fiction, characters are usually faced with making choices, and whatever triggers those choices is where we’ll find plot and character agency.
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What Should We Do If We’re Sick of Our Story?
When we first start writing our story, we’re filled with passion for the idea. But at some point, we might dread working on our story. Is that a warning sign? Or should we plow forward anyway?
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What Kind of Advice Works for You?
There’s no “one right way” in publishing. We can probably all think of ways that don’t work, but there are often several paths that do lead to success. The same applies to encouragement advice. We often see two kinds of encouragement in the writing world: pushy and sympathetic. Either way can work, depending on who we are at this moment in time.
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How Do You Decide on Your Author Brand – Part Two
Disclaimer: I love Maureen Johnson’s “I am not a brand” manifesto down to the last punctuation mark. That’s not the approach to branding I’m talking about. An author’s brand isn’t about selling. It’s about recognizing that what we say and how we act affects what others think of us. It’s about then […]
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Can Blogging Train Your Muse?
Should authors blog? We’ve all seen this question in some form or another. Some wonder if agents expect it. (Not yet but close.) Others want to know if it will help build that elusive platform. (It can.) But I propose another reason to blog: training your muse. My regular readers […]