Tag Archives: fiction

Linkfest: Children, Writing Tips and Granny’s Health Plan

I’ve been saving links to blogs I really liked, some new and some old, and it’s sharing time!  And not just blog links – there’s an ROW80 goal update at the bottom. Some heart-warming, life-affirming, thought-provoking, general feel-good stuff: Kids don’t just go to school, play, and do a few small chores – they can help in big things, too!  Leanne Sype’s son Sean has a caring heart, and a willing mind, as she writes in When Life Gives You Lemonade. Lynette Burrows shared a great post on keeping a child-like creativity.  It’s kept me thinking … a lot! Over on Bliss Habits, Dani Nelson continues that thought with all the positive things you get when you live Life with a Side of Silly.  Because what’s better than a smile?  (Ignore the giveaway at the bottom – it’s over.) Reading Pretty LIttle Liars got Emma Burkhart thinking about the friendships … Continue reading

Posted in Blog Mashups, Goals, ROW80, WRITING | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The End of Publishing?

Changes in what people are reading, how they are reading, and even IF they are reading.  Hmm, what is the future of publishing?  Watch this all the way through (only 2-1/2 minutes) and find out: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Weq_sHxghcg&feature=player_embedded]

Posted in Publishing, READING, Writer's Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

6 Ways Your Friends Can Help You Write

Friends can be stumbling blocks to your writing:  interruptions, temptations & invitations, not to mention occasional put-downs and other negatives.  But your friends can also further your writing, whether they know it or not! 1.  Borrow your friend’s mannerisms or quirks to make a character come to life. Does she wear heavy jewelry or too much make-up?  Finger a locket when she thinks of an old boyfriend?  Does he have a horse laugh?  Tell hilarious stories that begin with, “but that’s not really how it was?”  Does she jump high, punch the air, or do the hokey-pokey when she’s excited?  Use judiciously, though – you want to add characterization, not make your friend the character. 2.  Tell him or her what you really think.  Admit it, there’s that one thing you’d love to say, but you value your friendship too much to really let loose.  So give your characters the … Continue reading

Posted in Characterization, Plot, Writer's Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Discovering Characters

I don’t like character trait worksheets.  Yes, I know that you need to know your characters backwards and forwards, but I can’t just make a list out of thin air.  Does she like rap or soft rock? Pizza or steak?  Dog person or cat person? Sleek blonde or frizzy brunette?  If she’s a doctor, is she a surgeon or a radiologist?  Obviously, I need to know some things when I start, but many of these list items don’t matter at the beginning. Instead, I tend to discover my characters as I write.  I may have an image of what they look like, and I may know a few key things about them that pertain to the conflict in the book, but the more I write, the more I discover. There’s a scene in my women’s fiction WIP where the mom goes into the daughter’s room the morning after a confrontation.  … Continue reading

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Brainstorming Plot Points

Brainstorming is a blast! My middle grade WIP is a time travel story.  The protagonist is a 12-year-old boy who’s into rockets and robotics and such, but gets zapped back to the 1830s.  There are thefts for which he gets blamed, a ghost who needs to be laid to rest, and the girl helping him gets pulled back to modern times with him. The manuscript is basically done except for one thing:  I would really like to tie his rocket hobby more integrally into the time travel happenings.  There’s an item that could easily still be in his pocket when he goes back again, but I couldn’t come up with a good idea of what to do with it. So I gathered a few writer friends, gave them a run-down on the plot (new for some, refresher for others), and put my dilemma to them.  We questioned what the device … Continue reading

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