A short story or a novel is built from a series of scenes linked together. Each scene acts as the heartbeat of your narrative—a distinct unit: where an event or action unfolds within a unified setting and timeframe. Whether you’re … Continue reading 6 Essential Elements of Engaging Story Scenes
We want our readers to empathize with our protagonist. We want our readers to feel something akin with them so they want to live through the character over the course of hundreds of pages. To do this, we don’t need … Continue reading Creating Empathetic Characters Using Maslow’s Hierarchy
I am a planner. I love to make outlines and checklists. I like to know where I am going and what I will do when I get there. I love plans so much I keep a day planner right next … Continue reading Top Strategies for Overcoming Planning Obstacles
It’s time to choose the BIG words that guide me throughout the year. If you have been following my journal for the last ten years (Wow! I can’t believe it’s been that long!), you may be familiar with my BIG … Continue reading Be Inspired by BIG Words
It is all fine and good to talk about being open to new ideas and being flexible in your thinking. The problem is that as you write or pursue any creative work, you will have periods of energetic writing when … Continue reading Gain Creative Insight with Divergent Thinking Strategies
I have long been fascinated by the creative process. First, as a teacher watching groups of students take the same directions and materials and turn them into wildly unique results. Later, as a fiber artist exploring the unique possibilities of … Continue reading Unleashing Creativity: Exploring the Seven I-Words of the Creative Process
Every month I choose a Big Word to ponder. This month the word is TIME. If you have ever looked at a clock and realized you’ve run out of time, then you know how important it is to manage your … Continue reading Time and the Writer: The Importance of a Metadata Story Sheet
Has anyone ever told you to add more sound-based sensory language to your writing . . . AND then said, but don’t use the words hear or sound because they are overused? Well, it has happened to me, and here’s … Continue reading Enrich Your Writing with Onomatopoeia
January 18 is National Thesaurus Day. So it seems a perfect moment to honor the most important writing tool an author can have: The Thesaurus. The thesaurus is a type of dictionary that focuses on synonyms for the words listed. … Continue reading The Thesaurus: An Author’s Best Friend
One thing that I do a lot is teach online workshops. I find it a wonderful way to interact with other writers spread far and wide around the world. I love sharing bits of knowledge I have picked up in … Continue reading Teaching Online Writing Workshops
