Pull up a chair and write? Why did I need to hop in my car with my laptop and drive to The Corner Bakery to write? I’m one of the lucky writers with an entire room devoted to my writing process. Could setting up shop at a restaurant with other writers scattered around the tables …
How Advice from a Friend Tweaked My Writing Process by Linda Todd Read More »
LeeAnne Krusemark will discuss finding opportunities that pay in her topic, “Getting Paid to Write for online blogs, magazines, and websites.” To write and get paid for it online usually begins with a pitch or query letter. LeeAnne will discuss when and how to prepare each. While getting paid now is great, she will discuss other …
Novelist, short story writer, and editor Audrey Kalman will discuss a simple writing practice that helps keep the muse close and the words flowing. In her talk, “Seeking the Muse: Connecting with Your Creative Self in an Age of Distraction.” Kalman will address questions such as: Do you find it easy to sit down and begin writing? Are you …
My daughter posted a meme on Facebook called California English: yeah, no means no; no, yeah means yes; yeah, no, for sure means definitely. That is why I love eavesdropping on random conversations to help with character development. Dialogue can tell the reader so much about the character, sometimes without them being aware of it. …
Dialogue and Character Development by Lani Longshore Read More »
Almost every piece of writing advice I’ve seen lately encourages setting goals to promote productivity. The idea is if you write your goals down on a list, you are more likely to achieve them. I am living proof that writing down goals is not enough. I have a weekly to-do list that I augment with …
I returned from an art quilt retreat to find my writing space covered with random pieces of paper. I shouldn’t have been surprised, because that is the way I left it. Once again, I had succumbed to the oldest lie I tell myself: “I’ll remember this later when I have time to write.” Although I …
Clutter, Creativity, and the Writer’s Mind by Lani Longshore Read More »
RUE–Resist the Urge to Explain. Over-explaining is one of the quickest ways to get your readers to skim. The problem is, no one can define how much backstory is sufficient or can pinpoint the exact place to insert it. This is one of the aspects of craft that can drive even an experienced writer around …
Waiting for inspiration is the death knell to writing. If literary brilliance eludes you, don’t give up; write something fun. I have written one crime novel, one historical fiction, and two travel guides: one to Lake Huron’s shoreline and the other to Lake Michigan’s coast. When it’s hard to create a worthwhile sentence, I switch …
Isaac Asimov wrote that it was easy to predict the income tax, but difficult to predict the expense account. Futurists get a lot of things right, but predicting societal paradigm shifts is more akin to magic than logic. Writers could learn from this. We may be creating the world of our novels, but we are …
Writing What No One Could Predict by Lani Longshore Read More »
When the car passed in the dark street, my first thought was, “What sort of story will that driver tell about us later today?” My husband, son, and I trundled through the dark and cold, way-before-dawn, to view the eclipse of the Blue Blood Moon. Our neighborhood is filled with street lights, but within a …
Point of View and People Watching Me by Lani Longshore Read More »
