At The Write Practice, we publish a new article each day designed to help writers tackle one part of their writing journey, from generating ideas to grammar to writing and publishing your first book. Each article has a short practice exercise at the end to help you immediately put your learning to use.
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I love writing. Isn’t it obvious? I mean, I spend my days and nights clacking away, ignoring the world, crafting my latest tome. And yet, every once in a while, the doubt creeps in like a slithering python, ready to chomp down on my creativity.
Why is that? Why can writing be so durned frustrating?
Right now, I’m reading Tim O’Brien’s Tomcat In Love, which, in a nutshell, is about a middle-aged linguistics professor in Minnesota who is trying to win his ex-wife back by sabotaging her new marriage. He’s also quite possibly a crazy person…
Last weekend I attended the Washington Romance Writers  annual retreat and, in addition to having a fulfilling and inspiring experience, I actually learned a thing or two. One of my favorite presenters was Romantic Suspense author Robin Perini, who gave incredible talks on a variety topics. Today, I’m going to share some of what I learned from her about character.
You’ve finished that manuscript, the one that’s going to change the world. Now what?
Well, if you’re looking at going down the traditional publishing route, it’s time to submit your work to potential agents. However, you don’t get to send your entire book. No, you only have one page to draw them in—the dreaded query letter.
Paris has always been an inspiration for writers and artists. I’ve been here for a month, now, and I’m certainly not lacking in inspiration. However, you don’t have to go to Paris to get the gift the city has to offer. Here’s what I’ve learned about writing from living in Paris.
As human beings, we have a deep desire to be accepted. We do things to appease others, to make ourselves look better, to not look stupid.
What happens when we take that attitude into our writing? What happens when we deny our inner muse in order to make others happy? In my experience…bad things happen.
The people captured in the family photo couldn’t know what would unfold five, 10, 20 years down the road! But you do, the writer who can craft a compelling storyline for one of these six characters-in-process!
As writers, we spend a lot of time alone, pouring our hearts onto the page. But if we want to produce the very best work that you can, this isn’t enough. To truly make our work the best it can be, we need fresh eyes. We need to show our work to others willing to pick up that loathed red pen and critique our writing.
What Is a Logline? Defined simply, the logline is a single sentence (sometimes two) that answers the basic question “what is your story about?” In everyday life, you might encounter a logline most frequently in a TV guide or on your DVR. It seems simple, but the art of writing a compelling logline can elude even the most established writer.
A month ago, we took an hour and wrote about pain as a literary theme. Today’s theme is CONTROL. At times painful, at times rewarding, control is one of those elusive, dynamic, yet ever-present forces in human life. It shifts colors the way chameleons walk across the street. It mesmerizes deeper, faster, scarier than you can bungee jump. It prickles the skin and it haunts the psyche.
But control also gives you unimaginable freedom and possibility. Will you embrace it?