Category Archive for Craft Discussions
Novel Setting
published on November 4, 2009Consider this. Your setting is a character in your story. The way it looks can set the mood and tone. It’s flaws and strengths can weave through your plot, impacting how your characters act and think. Better yet, it…
Naming Characters
published on October 15, 2009I hate naming characters. For some writers, this is the fun part. The part where they spend hours on baby name sites, researching names with meanings that fit their characters. I love research, but this process is agonizing. When…
I Heart Spalding
published on August 27, 2009Maybe you like to write, and you’re thinking about refining your craft in a formal setting. An MFA hovers on the horizon, and you consider going back to school. Then, you think about attending classes and turning in homework…
Underpainting Yourself into Your Work
published on August 21, 2009We can’t escape it. Somehow bits of ourselves worm and wheedle themselves into everything we write, even without our knowledge. Our opinions and views, our history, our emotional hang ups. The boy we pined for. (You know who you…
Novel Soundtrack: Part II
published on August 12, 2009My first novel, TOUCHED, is a YA suspense fantasy novel with a Romeo & Juliet romance at its heart. Below is my current playlist because it constantly changed as I progressed from writing to editing. SPOILER ALERT! Some plot…
When the Well Runneth Dry…
published on August 6, 2009
I am capable of writing for hours on end. Ask my local Starbucks barista. I work my normal 9-6 job, grab a quick bite,…
Freewriting vs. Outlining
published on August 3, 2009Organic or Structured? The ongoing debate of writing methods – or should I say planning methods – can be a never-ending one. Many writers feel like the magic is lost if they know where they’re going. Others feel like…
The Elusive Muse
published on July 29, 2009Where do ideas for stories come from? For me, it’s a combination of everything I see, my experiences, and things I’m interested in. Is that vague enough for you? Honestly, my best ideas are born out the things I…
