Be An Original Writer
But there are lots of other ways to be original. You can be original in your language—in your word choice, the way that you describe things, and in your metaphors.
Hurting Your Characters
So learn to “put the hurt” on your characters. It will make your readers empathize with them more fully. But be careful when you show how your character reacts to that pain.
How Real Do You Want Your World to Be?
When I approach creating a world for a story, I ask myself, “How real do I want this world to be?”
How to Reach Your Writing Zone, Part 4
When I go on writing retreats, I often track my progress. I’ve done this for the past ten years, and I can show you exactly how it grows.
How to Reach Your Writing Zone, Part 3
This is commonly referred to as the writing zone. I spoke about the importance of getting rid of all external and internal distractions, and I suggested that you need to move into your writing zone slowly.
New Treatment for Writers’ Block
What intrigued me about TMS is that it was also being used elsewhere. Interestingly, the treatment has proven helpful for writers who suffer from classic “writers’ block.”
How to Reach Your Writing Zone, Part 2
Getting into the zone often requires you to make repeated attempts to focus deeper and deeper upon your work. Indeed, now that I think about it, I can recall a couple of occasions when I found myself carried away in my work at a time when I already felt physically and emotionally exhausted.
Trusting Your Process
As you do this you’ll find yourself thrust into an imaginary world where your character must react to stimuli and try to overcome obstacles. It only takes about 25 minutes of doing this for you to reach that Beta-state of consciousness.
How to be an Imaginative Writer
Creating that world is a simple trick. We “create” the world by reporting on it, repeatedly using images, sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that excite the mind and make it feel real. Very often, to create that world requires us to repeat information in different ways. For example, if I want to create “rain” in my story, I must have my reader see it coming in the distance, smell the taste of moisture in the air, feel the wet drops as they begin to plop down, and so on.
Creating Rooting Interest Early
We develop strong rooting interest and care more about characters who care deeply about something, who are committed to something. Perhaps they care about their families, or have a powerful love for their country. Maybe your character loves his horse, or is uncommonly honest or honorable.