Reading time: Just over 4 minutes A whispered word, NaNoWriMo stirs equal measures of fear and interest in many writers. Why? And is the program a good idea? Do you want to write a book quickly? Say, in 100 days? Nothing strikes me as a crazier idea, although I’ve recently […]
Is NaNoWriMo for you? Read More »
Continuity is a term that is largely used in the TV and movie industry. This is because films are rarely shot in the order in which they are presented because the shooting schedule is often dictated by location permit issues. For example, a character may return to Times Square in New York City several times throughout a
How to edit for continuity (in fiction writing) Read More »
Reading time: About 6 minutes Are you considering self-publishing a book? Here are the mistakes I made when producing Your Happy First Draft. Some 30 years ago, when I was an editor for a large metropolitan daily newspaper, I had a terrible boss. But I was lucky enough to qualify
Mistakes I made with my book Read More »
You have undoubtedly already read some of my many entreaties to break the habit of editing WHILE you write. (For the record, my post with the most useful tips about how to achieve this goal is here.) But today I want to explain in detail the important reasons for taking this step. The first relates
Why it’s always better to edit LATER Read More »
Reading time: Just over 5 mins. Clients often ask me how they can nurture their creative sparks. Here’s what I learned about creativity when producing my latest book. My new book, Your Happy First Draft, required a lot of creative sparks before it was published. But in today’s post,
How to turn your creative sparks into a bonfire Read More »
Do you mindmap regularly? I regularly teach workshops on this practice, so I thought I’d share a few of my super-user tips with you. (If you’re a newcomer to the topic, go here for everything I’ve written or recorded about mindmapping.) Here are my tips: Always put a question in the centre of the page.
Some finer points for mindmapping Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes My new book has generated lots of extra traffic for my blog and newsletter. I thought I’d take this chance to explain my own rules for blogging…. Although I didn’t start this iteration of my website until 2007, I’ve blogged since 2006. That’s almost
My counterintuitive rules for blogging Read More »
I’m a very determined person. My husband suspects I have a smallest trace of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and the rest of the family knows not to tell me to “relax” or “give up” when I have my mind firmly set on something. My writing has been a rock-solid habit for more than 10 years
Know when it’s WISE to give up Read More »
Reading time: Less than one minute I’m too exhausted from the launch of my new book to be able to write a figurative language post as I do most Thursdays. Instead, I ask you to consider whether you might be a world-class procrastinator. Would you prefer scrubbing your toilet to
Are you a world-class procrastinator? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes If you’ve ever wanted to be a happier writer, my new book will give you encouraging, practical support…. At last, it’s sales day. My latest book Your Happy First Draft is available today. Finally! Even if you’re not interested in buying, I hope you’ll take 60
Your Happy First Draft is here! Read More »
