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?
Pin ItStory Climax: Forcing Characters to Move Forward
Whatever happens in the Climax is often the reason we decided to write the story back when it was just a twinkle in our muse’s eye. But just before the beat of the Climax, our character experienced the Black Moment/Crisis, where they gave up. How do we get them to recommit to the story goals?
Pin ItRevision Technique: Why Did You Do That?
Everything we write should be intentional—the words we use, the events we emphasize, the emotions we evoke, the themes we build, etc. But when our writing doesn’t match our intentions, we might need trusted feedback that forces us to justify our choices.
Pin ItWhat 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.
Pin ItPicking Editors: What Do You Need from Your Editor?
Last week, we talked about the different kinds of editing and editors, and we also talked about how to evaluate editors. Now let’s dig deeper into some of the variations we might encounter when evaluating editors. By understanding these variations, we might better be able to find our perfect match.
Pin ItPicking Editors: How to Evaluate Potential Editors
When we’re ready for professional editing, we want to make sure our editor is good, especially if we’re opening our wallet. Here are some tips, questions, and processes that will help us evaluate editors for our needs.
Pin ItPicking Editors: What Kind Do We Need?
What type of editors are most important for our success? Let’s take a closer look at the types of editing and when we might (or might not) need that type of editing.
Pin ItAre You Drowning in To-Do Lists?
We probably all have to-do lists rolling out behind us like Santa Claus’s naughty-or-nice list. Yet if you’re like me, your to-do list never seems to relent. Part of my problem is that I’m not as focused on my priorities as I should be, so let’s talk about 4 things we can do to keep our focus on our priorities.
Pin ItAsk Jami: Can We Use Beat Sheets with Multiple POVs?
Stories with multiple major characters—with their own point-of-view (POV) scenes—can make story structure complicated. Do we have to make beat sheets for each character? As a romance author, I write with multiple POVs all the time, so let’s see if we can figure out how to make beat sheets work in those situations.
Pin ItSelf-Publishing: Prioritizing Fast, Cheap, and Good
All writers, especially those who self-publish, have to decide: Are we writing and publishing just for ourselves? Or to get customers (readers)? Depending on our answers, we can prioritize “fast, cheap, or good.”
Pin It
