Writing Wretched Dialog – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
Recently I read a couple of stories where it felt as if the author was struggling to come up with bad dialog. So I thought I should give a few tips on how to do it properly. The easiest way to write wretched dialog is to use dialog for the wrong things. In other words, […]
Imagination – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
The first thing that I seek in a great story is originality. You may not realize it, but the most common problem with stories is that they’re tepid. The same ideas crop up over and over again. So I look for new and intriguing concepts, especially when I’m judging science fiction and fantasy. Very often […]
Fluttering – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
Have you ever watched a butterfly in flight and tried to figure out where it will go next? The butterfly will soar three feet in the air, veer left, drop, veer right. It will look as if it’s heading for a flower, then land on a rock. Of course, it is biologically programmed to do […]
Cross the Finish Line – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
You may not know it, but you’re a racehorse. If you look at writers from a publisher’s point of view, that’s exactly what you are. You’re someone who writes glorious novels, and if you want to make a name for yourself, you’ll do it frequently—once a year or more. If you want to have publishers […]
Switching Gears – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
Sometimes as writers, when we give writing advice, we often give advice by telling “How I write” instead of “How to write.” This idea came to me strongly after I spoke on a podcast with the good folks at Writing Excuses. At one point, Howard Tayler, a cartoonist who writes mainly for the online Schlock […]
Taking it Up a Notch – NaNoWriMo Daily Writing Tips
A writer once came to me saying that his critique group often tells him, “You’re almost there, but you need to take it up a notch.” In other words, you’re good but not great. The question that he would ask was, “Kick what up a notch?” Each of us is always struggling to reach new […]
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 […]