Recently, a friend was asking me about process, and how I plan my writing. I am a “lay the tracks as you go” kind of a writer. I’m not a pantser. I’m a failed plotter. I plan just enough ahead so that I can see where I’m going. One thing I do plan pretty intensely, … Continue reading How to Write a Killer Scene in 5 Easy Steps
Note: if you are reading this, you will probably like reading my weekly newsletter, which is full of more writing tips, updates, and puns than your heart can handle. Subscribe here. I had so much fun making fun of my former baby writer self last week that I thought I’d continue the merriment with another … Continue reading How to Improve Your Writing Immediately: Write Scenes, Not Summaries
Or, What Working in Magazines Has Taught Me About Storytelling Part 1: Your Sentences Are Trash. Someone asked me the other day if it was difficult for me to take editorial notes on my manuscript. I’d labored over it for so long in private. Was it weird to accept input from other people? Was it … Continue reading Surprise! Sentences Don’t Matter. Here’s Why.
