Often, a title will flash into a writer's mind and spark a story idea. You can generate potential idea-sparking titles by taking parts of one title and combining it with others: Tender (by Sofia Samotar) + Ode (from Stephen Fry's The Ode Less Travelled) = The Tender Ode, which you can riff on and create … Continue reading Creativity Prompt: Title Mash-Up
Living as a Writer series This thread made the rounds during the holidays and garnered attention and comments by long time writers even during the whole RWA explosion. From what I saw, the reaction was nearly universal: you're never too old, and stop comparing where you are to where others are. Their road isn't your … Continue reading Reminder: Stop Comparing Your Career with Everyone Else's
When we generate story ideas, we see them in our minds as perfect gems of literature. When we translate that image into words in a manuscript, even the best fall short of our imagination. Here are three reasons stories can fall flat to readers. Characters act and speak in a vacuum Sometimes we're so energized … Continue reading Three Reasons Your Story Feels Flat
We’re at that time of year many of us find hectic and demanding. Then we flow right into the new year and feel pressure (external or internal) to make resolutions and changes. All of this can harm you, for real. It can also beat your creative energies into submission so deep you won’t see them … Continue reading Creative Recharge
Introducing Alpha Reads Are you struggling to write your novel or novella? Have you lost the motivation to sit down and write it? Maybe your characters aren't working, or you can't figure out the POV, voice, plotting, structure, emotion, etc. Perhaps you're having trouble finding the core and direction for your story, or maybe you … Continue reading Alpha Reads Service
