Getting Started
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Are You a Plotter or a Pantser?
Do you have a solid idea of what you will be writing when you sit down? Have you spent oodles of time thinking about it, writing ‘off the page’? Or do you have a solid structure in place? Are You a Plotter or a Pantser? I can type until the end of time about the strengths and weaknesses of plotting versus pantsing. That’s been done to death. So I’ll just give you a short overview. Basically, plotting means that you have your structure all mapped out. You know what your Main Character will be doing in this scene and the next and the next. J.K Rowling is a plotter. Pantsers…
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Six Ways to Prioritize and Find Time to Write
Time is the world’s most finite resource. Nobody’s making any more of it. I struggle with time, always finding there is never enough of it. If you want to write, you need to make writing a priority and you need to allocate time for it. There are, however, limited things that you can do because nobody has yet figured out how to stretch time. I dream of an app that will stop time so that I can get everything done, alas, to no avail. So I have provided you with seven ways to find time to write. Find Time to Write by Getting Up Early If you’re naturally an early…
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Why You Should Never Edit as You Write
Are you frazzled whenever you sit down to write? Frustrated? Ready to give up? Do you sit, thesaurus in hand, pondering the exact word to describe what you are trying to say? Are you vexed between the choices? Can you not decide whether your heroine’s eyes should be cerulean blue or azure? Please don’t. You should never edit as you write. Editing While You Write Conflicts with How the Brain Works One part of your brain is dominant while you write, and a different part is dominant while you edit. When you stop to examine what you’ve written, or to find exactly the correct word, you move from the creative…
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Get Started and Write Your Way to Joy!
Get started and write your way to joy. Joy is that elusive emotion that we all hunt for every moment whether we realize it or not. What brings you joy? Writing can bring you joy. You can create worlds and characters and plots and…literally anything that you want. My last true shot of joy was while I typed. The words flowed and I hit the emotional notes that I wanted to and joy overcame me. I was sequestered in my stateroom on a cruise ship at the time. And all of the parties going on elsewhere on that boat could not compare to what was going on within my laptop.…
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Seven Simple Ways to Make Your Writing Rock
Make your writing rock with these seven simple techniques, perfect for the beginning writer! Make Your Writing Rock with Powerful Verbs Strong verbs are a core asset that belong in every writer’s toolbox, and they can make the difference between a ho-hum piece of writing and something that is much more engaging. Take a look at this: Mary walked down the street. -or- Mary strutted down the street. -or- Mary traipsed down the street. Just that one word gives a whole different tone to the sentence and engages the reader on a higher level. Fear not, you don’t have to spend minutes each writing session, thesaurus in hand, seeking the…
