What’s in Your Secret Sauce? – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
In my book Million Dollar Outlines I discuss some of the markers that can help me discover if a book is a potential hit. I look at whether it was written to a wide audience or a narrow one, whether it transports the reader to another world, and how well it arouses powerful, desirable emotions […]
When to Stop Polishing a Manuscript – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
Many new writers don’t know when to stop polishing a manuscript and move on to the next. Part of the reason for that might have to do with Ernest Hemingway. Many years ago, a writer asked Hemingway, “How many times should I rewrite a manuscript?” Now, Hemingway hated dumb questions, so he answered “Oh, at […]
What is the “Core” for Your Genre – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
I once received the following question in the mail from one of our readers, “I am hoping to take one of your workshops soon, and I wondered if you might have time for a general writer’s question about the fantasy genre. I was told there are core questions for every genre. Such as in mysteries, […]
The Shiver Test – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
When you’re brainstorming a new story, how do you know that it will be good? A young writer once presented me with an outline for a novel that was nicely formed, had an interesting protagonist, and appeared to be well designed. She said, “It’s almost all there, but I don’t quite feel that it’s bestseller […]
Creating Likeable Protagonists – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
In Hollywood, it is said that “There are only two ways to make a likeable character.” Here are those two ways, plus a few more. 1) Put your character in pain. Putting a character in physical pain often doesn’t work well, but putting them in emotional turmoil can be very powerful. A person who suffers […]
Balancing Productivity and Art – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
If you are producing anything—toy dolls, bread, vacuum cleaners, or novels—there are some variables that you have to work with. Ideally, a publisher would like you to bring them in 1) quickly, 2) beautifully written, 3) and at a low price. But buyers will almost always be willing to make tradeoffs. Your goal is to […]
Five Strategies for Getting Started – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
Sometimes you’re not in the mood to write, but you know that you should. Maybe you’ve set a goal and hope to reach it, or you’re on a deadline. Here are a few strategies that you can use to get started: You don’t know what to write? Find a writing prompt, a sentence that suggests […]
Don’t Stress Out! – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
One form of writer’s block comes from being stressed. This is almost always a temporary condition, and there are ways to work around it, but much depends on the source of your stress. Let’s say for example that you have set aside your Saturday mornings to write, and suddenly you get news that your mother […]
The Loneliness Problem – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
I often look for similarities in great stories to see what works. One aspect that I see very often is that powerful stories resolve “the loneliness problem.” Normally, we are never told that our protagonist is lonely, but it’s there in the background: Scrooge is miserly old man in a musty house. Harry Potter has […]
Considering Crucibles – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
In everyday life, a crucible is a container used to hold metal or liquid as it boils. For example, to melt gold, one takes a heavy bowl made from steel and sets it in a fire. The steel, which can withstand higher temperatures than gold, doesn’t melt. But the small container quickly becomes super-heated, so […]