Writing to Music
Do you listen to music when you are writing? If not, maybe you should. Music has some amazing benefits for a writer. It can… How Writing to Music Works Listening to music increases blood flow to the brain. In particular, the parts of our brain that control our emotions and our memory come alert when… Continue reading Writing to Music
Adding Depth to Dialogue
Dialogue should play a major role in any story. Pages full of descriptive and narrative paragraphs are less enticing than hearing the characters speak for themselves in their own voices. Dialogue has an immediacy to it that is missing from all other kinds of writing. Dialogue: Two or more people or characters tell each other… Continue reading Adding Depth to Dialogue
Jot Note Journaling for Those Who Read & Review
Do you have trouble remembering what you read? Know the title but not the author, the setting but not the characters’ names? Can’t recall that great quote or turn of phrase? Looking for examples of exemplary writing and plotting? Wish you had something new to share at your next book group or chapter meeting? Want… Continue reading Jot Note Journaling for Those Who Read & Review
5 Writing Craft Books You Shouldn’t Miss
Looking for a gift for a writer friend, or perhaps, one for yourself? Here are five books I have found helpful in my writing this year. Fiction Blurbs: The Best Way Forward Way by Phoebe J. Ravencraft If you hate writing blurbs – those short pithy summaries of your story found on the back cover… Continue reading 5 Writing Craft Books You Shouldn’t Miss
Finding Your Novel’s Theme
For the longest time, I have been pondering how to embed a theme in a novel. Isn’t it enough to have a premise, to have plenty of action and to develop each character’s arc? But while preparing the final revision for my newly released, That Dickinson Girl, I discovered a way to determine the theme… Continue reading Finding Your Novel’s Theme
Why Writing Fast & Author Voice Go Together
One of the main things slowing down our writing speed while drafting is the infernal, internal editor. Here are three ways to override the need to write everything correctly the first time. Continue reading Why Writing Fast & Author Voice Go Together
5 Ways to Make Your Setting Work for You
5 ways to use setting to add depth, emotion, and character development to any story Continue reading 5 Ways to Make Your Setting Work for You
Research Ideas for Fiction Writers
No matter what we write, doing background research will make it better.. Here are some research ideas for novelists. Continue reading Research Ideas for Fiction Writers
Brainstorming a Plot through Character Interviews
In character-based plotting, two or more characters with opposing goals and mindsets are set loose in a setting and must find their way to a satisfying conclusion. Continue reading Brainstorming a Plot through Character Interviews
ZARA WEST'S JOURNAL 