For a long time I've been in the dark of what actually writing a whole novel looks like. I believed it was straightforward: writing chapter one, then chapter two, all the way to "the end". But in reality, at least for me, the process doesn't really look like that. I'm sharing my process–the good, the bad, the epically messy–to document the novel-writing reality that's true to me. Hopefully, if you're writing a novel and struggling with questions of "Am I doing it right?", sharing my process will give you the confidence and calm that no matter how messy and crazy your draft is, you can get through it. So, here's what this novel has been through so far and what's yet to come! This is Novel Notes Update #1!
Read moreWhy You Need to Discover Your Writer's DNA (+12-Day Course!)
You want to be a writer. You want to be a real, and good writer. And so you work your butt off trying to absorb EVERYTHING you can about storytelling in order to be the best writer you can be. But there's one area of research missing in this curriculum: YOURSELF. You can be SO well-versed in storytelling techniques and practices, and that is great and necessary. But it means NOTHING if you don't apply it in a way that makes sense for you. You need to know your Real+Good Writer's DNA. And fortunately, I've got a FREE 12-Day course to help you discover yours.
Read moreHow to Discover Your Writing Voice in 5 Simple Steps
Your voice is necessary and important, and it deserves to be heard. But what if you don't know your voice? What if you don't know how you should say what you're trying to say? What if you're not sure if you even have a voice at all? I'm with you, my friend. Learn how to discover your unique writing voice in 5 simple steps so you can write the stories that sound like you.
Read more3 Mistakes You Make When Writing Setting + How to Fix Them
Setting does NOT simply equate to drawing maps and designing house floor-plans and planting trees all around your world. It isn't just about the weather or the town where the story takes place. It isn't just world-building from scratch. Setting certainly can be these things, but it also goes a lot deeper than that. Setting grounds you in place and time, but it also sets the mood and tone, provides a lens to understand the world through, and works in conversation with your other elements (characters, plot, and theme). Setting does A LOT more work (even if it is subtle, background work) than we often give it credit for. So, how do you get your setting to do its work – productive, necessary, hard work – without going overboard? We're going to look at the 3 mistakes writers often make when designing their setting or world-building and how to fix it.
Read moreHow to Become a Happy + Productive Writer (1 Simple Formula)
I used to be a Procrastiwriter; you know, a writer who wants to write, but has a lot of trouble actually getting words onto the page. I've had some real low writing slumps throughout my life. But then I got sick of them. I wanted to become a happy AND productive writer, and so I set out on a quest to discover just how to do it. And I emerged successful. Now, I've distilled my super secret, life-transforming process into a simple formula so you can become a happy + productive writer too.
Read moreHow to Find Your Story's Heart: 5 AWESOME Revision Techniques
You may use a revising checklist or an editing checklist to bring your story to fruition, but sometimes that's just not enough. Perhaps this particular story DOESN'T call for setting overload, or this particular story DOES call for characterization development. Every story is unique in its needs. The following five techniques will get you working with your story in the way revision was intended to be: a literal re-vision-ing of what your story is intended to be. They will get you thinking about your story in different ways. They'll ask you to pay attention to the specific, unique elements that THIS particular story needs. They'll ask you to remember the heart of the story, and bring that to the surface in a meaningful way. This isn't focusing on word choice, but intention. Ready to get revising?
Read moreWhat to Do When You're in a Funky Creative Rut with Writing
Sometimes your writing life is not productive. Sometimes you get yourself into a funky creative rut, a state of "un", where things are just not going your way. It's easy to get frustrated and depressed when this happens, and it sucks. But you're not alone. These low-points are normal in life, and they're only temporary. Learn how to deal with your creative rut appropriately and get out of it so you can get back to accomplishing your wildest writing dreams.
Read more3 Big Things You MUST Know About Your Characters
You've probably seen a million bajillion character questionnaires. Most of the time they ask you about basic physical facts: birthdays, height, favorite colors. But these aren't the details that create an interesting, authentic, believable character that will stick with readers. These details won't allow your readers to be intimate with your characters. Learn the REAL questions you should be asking your characters. Get to the heart, the core, the DNA of their self in order to bring them to life. By going through your character's psyche, influences, and behavior, we'll discover who your character really is. It’s time to get character planning, my friend!
Read moreHow to Transform Your Writing Dreams Your Reality
Every month I like to do a reflection on my achievements and a little bit of planning my goals and dreams for the coming weeks. June is the half-way mark of the year, and it's the perfect time to evaluate where you're at and where you're going. It's also important to set goals that you actually can and want to accomplish. Learn how to set the right kind of goals so you'll actually get shit done and transform your writing dreams into your reality. Plus, there's a FREE 10-page workbook to get you started on your own goal setting.
Read moreAn Open Letter to My Novel (+Why You Should Write Your Own)
Your novel is a complex, emotional thing. You can't fight it forever. If you're having issues, writing a letter to it that expresses your frustrations, admits your faults, and finds an appropriate solution to move forward may be just the thing to get your back on track. It worked for me. Read my letter and why it's important to treat your novel like you're in a relationship with it.
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