This workout has been a challenge and a joy for me. Overall, it accomplished what I needed it to - getting me back into a writing routine. This challenge wasn't really about the word counts or page counts or types of stories I was reading, but truly about falling back into a habit so I can get to the writing life I desire. And in that regard, IT WORKED.
Read moreWriting Workout Winter 2016: Update #4
I get knocked down, but I get up again. How to keep truckin' along on the workout!
Read moreHow to Write a Character-Driven Plot in 4 Steps
Literary fiction writers tend to avoid plot. We’re trained to be plot snobs, focused only on character development and description and point-of-view amongst other things. But your story can’t be plotless. Plot is tension, plot is drama, plot IS story. So we must learn to fuse plot and character seamlessly. Learn how in 4 steps to get started with your story.
Read moreThe Frankenstein Technique: How to Use Juxtaposition + Causality to Discover Deep Themes
When your story is falling flat and you're wondering if you should abandon it, DON'T! Learn how to use The Frankenstein Technique (juxtaposition, causality, and subtext) to bring deeper themes to your story and reinvigorate it with new life.
Read moreWriting Workout Winter 2016: Update #3
This week has been the hardest of them all. This is when you're probably feeling the habit fight back at you, and you want to resort to your old ways. DON'T DO SUCH A THING! It's tough, but you've got to power through it.
Read moreThe Relationship Between Truth and Fiction: Does it Matter if You Write Autobiographical Fiction?
Was your story inspired by real events, real people, real life? This can often make your story seem authentic, but how much "you" is too much "you" in your story? Where do you draw the line? Fiction and truth are not mutually exclusive. Learn how they can work together to make your story truly shine.
Read moreThe 2 Rules of Writing (The Only 2 You'll Ever Need)
There are a MILLION different rules of writing you could follow. But there's really only two you need to absolutely succeed. Find out what they are and follow them. Ideally, now.
Read moreWriting Workout Winter 2016: Update #2
This week I felt the magical butterflies that carried me through week 1 wear off. This week was hard. Plain and simple. But I got through it, and you can too! Check out what I read and wrote this week!
Read moreWriting Workout Winter 2016: Update #1
It was such a joy to fall back into a consistent writing and reading routine this week! Check out what I've been working on!
Read moreHow Write About Big Themes Without Being Too Sentimental or Cliche
We write “about” the world. We write to document the human experience: the beauty, the chaos, the pain, the sentiment. We want to write something real. But how do we evoke it without falling into cliche? Poet Joy Katz shows us how to defeat that pesky cloud of "aboutness" when it comes to big themes once and for all. Here’s how she got me to think about common, but big themes in a whole new way.
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