how I write series
How I write series…critique groups!
Critique Groups…I couldn’t live without mine (I have two).If you don’t have one, stop reading this post and go get one. Where to find one, you ask? There are several reputable places to go. If you are writing for children, visit the SCBWI website–for those of you who don’t know what SCBWI is– it stands [...]
How I Write…Revising
Many writers groan and cringe when they hear the word revise, but I actually like this process. If there were a group called revisers anonymous, I would be in it. So, how do I begin? After I write a chapter or whatever is on the docket for the day, I let it sit until the [...]
How I Write….Finishing a First Draft
Finishing that first draft is vital, so BUTT IN CHAIR! Set yourself some goals and stick to them. One chapter a week, or a 2000 words a day– whatever you can reasonably accomplish in between your other job and family life , etc. Who cares if your first draft is crappy– they usually are. Just [...]
How I Write…Beginning a New Project
Beginning is always tough, but it’s the most important part. When I begin a new project I’m starting with a little kernel of an idea. It might be just one scene or action or word that has captured my imagination. It is my job to decide how I’m going to get to that point–and what [...]
How I Write…Research, research , research!
Research for fantasy? Well, yes! There are many things in fantasy writing that are based in reality. When I was writing, To Find A Wonder , I had to learn how boys in the Middle Ages were brought up from being a page to a squire and finally knighted. I needed to know what their [...]
How I Write… Character Development and World Building, you just have to trust yourself!
When I begin a new manuscript it usually starts with a character that begins to tell me their story. It usually comes in pictures or scenes at that 4 AM bewitching hour. Edge of the Wedge came a little differently. I had a picture book manuscript that had gotten a lot of interest and good [...]
How I Write, Idea Creation
For me, stories feel almost “remembered”. Like I’ve lived my characters life before and only now am I having the chance to write it down, to put into words what happened so long ago. Like an ancient bard who has just now learned that all those funny symbols the scribes make, actually mean something if [...]
Make me laugh…or cry
My friend and fellow critique partner, Susan, is writing a book about mystical experiences that people have near death. Her stories often make me cry as if I was the best friend or the mother or sister of the deceased. I know she covets my lyrical and descriptive style, but I covet her ability to [...]
