From the category archives:

Writing

Three steps to becoming more creative

July 30, 2010

Many people believe creativity is a trait you're born with. It's a gift. You either have it or you don't.
This is simply not true.
Each of us is creative. It's our natural state of being. As children, we don't hesitate to use our imaginations in every aspect of life. We welcome creativity and embrace it as [...]

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Why you should go after your dreams before it’s too late

July 2, 2010

The past two weeks have been eye-opening. My mother was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery. It was a harsh wake-up call and forced me to think about an important detail I sometimes fail to keep in mind:
We're not immortal. We don't live forever. Our dreams have an expiration date.
Read that again. Your dreams [...]

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Using music to get in a writing mood

June 10, 2010

It takes being in the right mood to write a powerful scene, and music is the one thing that always puts me in that mood. Not just any music, but music that has already made it onto the big screen.
What better way to put yourself in the perfect mood to imagine vivid and intense [...]

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Creating multi-layered characters

June 9, 2010

I don't usually share material I created for a work-in-progress, but I think some writers might find this example useful. It's part of an in-depth character study I wrote while working through Holly Lisle's downloadable "Create a Character" course (which you can get through her web site for under $10). Along with dozens of techniques [...]

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Better listening leads to better writing

June 5, 2010

While meeting with a friend for dinner a few weeks ago, I realized something important: I'm not a great listener. I don't like small-talk, so I have a difficult time staying focused when the conversation shifts into that territory. I try but it doesn't come naturally to me and if I don't make a concerted [...]

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How to form a daily writing habit

May 26, 2010

In my quest to become a better writer, I've taken classes, read dozens of how-to books, kept a journal, and joined local and online writing groups. After all this time, I've learned there is one habit that will improve your writing more than any other:
Write every day.
It seems so simple, yet any writer knows it's [...]

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Giving yourself the freedom to fail

May 13, 2010

Fear of failure is something that keeps many people from writing. They dream of being published but hold back because they're afraid their writing isn't good enough. They worry other people will read it and think it sucks.
Sometimes this fear is enough to stop a writer from sending her manuscript out to agents and publishers. [...]

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The hiatus finally comes to an end

May 13, 2010

I’m back after a six-month hiatus. I wanted to take some time off from blogging to focus on my novel and also to work on my latest script. It was a productive six months, but I sold myself short in thinking I couldn’t keep up with the blog and work on my writing projects at [...]

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Generating creative story ideas

November 3, 2009

At one time or another, every writer searches her heart and mind for a great story idea and comes up short. The muse is silent. The motivation is gone. The driving force that compels her to write just isn't there.
At this point, the writer has two options. One: wallow in self-pity, bemoan the situation and [...]

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