I just finished Lisa Cron’s Story Genius. It’s a fabulous book with some outstanding exercises, especially for finding the real starting point for your novel. I’ve started planning my next novel, exploring my characters, and collecting scenes that will help me find the right place to begin the story. My revelation for this blog, however, …
I am a writer, therefore I collect technique books. And articles. And notes on random scraps of paper. I’ll save anything that will help me get through a muddy plot or tame a misbehaving character. The problem I have isn’t a lack of information but the wrong timing. The most brilliant advice in the world …
March began quietly. I finished a story for critique group. I did the laundry. I listened to the weather report so I could prepare for the next rain storm. February is short, and there are deadlines. Between getting the tax information collected, registering for the April 22 Tri-Valley Writers conference (have you registered yet?) and …
Two doctors decided that the doctor who diagnosed the rash on my palm a couple of months ago was mistaken. “The good news is, what he prescribed didn’t do you any harm,” one of them said. The better news is, I can use that in my writing. Stay with me here. Diagnosis is hard, and …
Someone asked me if I had grandchildren. Without thinking, I said, “Oh, no, thank goodness.” I got some funny looks on that one, but it’s very true that I am not grandma material. That got me thinking about the characters in my stories. Do I know whether they are grandparent material? Would they get down …
Is Your Character Grandma Material? by Lani Longshore Read More »
There’s an old saying in the writing business: “Kill your darlings.” Some famous writer said it. I thought it was a charming insight into the importance of revising, rewriting and revising again, and cutting. Cuts are required, of course. Sacrifices must be made in the interest of the literary masterpiece flying across the screen on …
Don’t Kill Your Darlings – Put Them in Foster Care by Dan Hobbs Read More »
I chickened out on NaNoWriMo again, but I’m still getting something out of it. For the last three years I’ve thought about using NaNoWriMo to help break one writing block or another, but haven’t quite done it. This year, however, I determined to take advantage of some of those tips for NaNo participants. I’m on …
Sheldon Siegel will help us kick off the new 2014-2015 season as the guest speaker for the California Writers Club Tri-Valley Branch on Saturday, Sept 20. Sheldon Siegel is the New York Times best-selling author of seven critically acclaimed legal thrillers featuring San Francisco criminal defense attorneys Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez, two of the most beloved characters in contemporary …
Sept 20, 2014: Essential Elements of Bestselling Crime Fiction Read More »
On Wednesday, March 25th I tried pitching my novel on a Twitter event hosted by author Brenda Drake. The hashtag #PitMad trended #1 on Twitter for a while, which is testament to how many people are looking for an agent. The rules were simple. Writers were asked to limit to 2 tweets per hour with …
I was a history major in college. Most of my roommates were, too, and we threw dinner parties to commemorate important dates. The Chicago Fire, the invasion of Poland, Pearl Harbor Day, Armistice Day – anything that came close enough to a free weekend so we had time to cook. Dates and food are still …
