At the end of a writing session, leave 5 to 10 min for looking over what you’ve written. Take a big deep belly breath first, and clear your mind. Then, read what you wrote as you ask yourself: Does what you wrote feel ‘right’? Is what you wrote correct? Is it complete? Is there anything missing? Maybe it could use more visual wording? Is it too wordy – what words can you delete? Are there … Continue reading →
How do you sequence the events in your stories to make them not-boring? You don’t do a 1-2-3 chronological telling. We don’t live chronologically, despite all appearances. We live experience by experience. So when you write, ask yourself: what sequence of events will convey the feeling and the outcome I intend? My story about the birth of my son could have been pain-pain-pain-pain-birth-joy. Boring. I wanted to convey joy, despite the seemingly unending events and … Continue reading →
I beg you, even if you are Microsoft Word’s biggest fan, and regard it to be the app of the century, shun it like the most poisonous vipers on the planet. It is one of THE worst apps to write your book in. You may not know this, but behind the scenes in the creation code of Word there are hundreds of secret Other-function codes. Have you ever copied and pasted from Word right into … Continue reading →
Imagine you’re on your way to a flight. You stop off at the Airport Store for a paperback book to take along, since it’s a long plane ride. You get to the book section, and all you can find is books sized the same as a piece of 8.5″ x 11″ typing paper! You ask the clerk where the paperbacks are. He frowns and rolls his eyes, throws his hands to the air as if … Continue reading →
