I recently came across a craft book Rivet Your Reads with Deep Point of View by Jill Elizabeth Nelson. You know when you're reading a phenomenal book where you are inside that character and being in the moment? There is no shield between you and the character's thoughts, fears, and motivations. You are in that character's world. You are that character. For me, that's reading a book that has deep POV. It doesn't usually start off that way. At least for me. I usually have to fix this issue … [Read more...]
How Long Should It Take?
October 3, 2012 Read Comments
Ya'll is October, can you believe it? I sincerely don't know where 2012 has gone but it's entering the home stretch and honestly, I'm feeling sort of disappointed in myself. I'm finding it a challenge to get back into my novel --- even though it's almost there --- I'm finding it hard to muster up the energy to put into this next revision. It's like if I read chapters 21-30 one more time, I may need some psychological intervention. Drugs, please. Do any of you know how that … [Read more...]
Manuscript Makeover: The Scene
August 22, 2012 Read Comments
One of my favorite craft authors, Elizabeth Lyon, has an excellent book about revision titled Manuscript Makeover. It's a great addition to your writer's toolkit to use as a reference. The author breaks down the definition of a scene: "Scenes are based on forward-moving action. They operate to get the story launched, to put the characters into situations where they must overcome obstacles and move toward commitment to a life-changing quest. Scenes also contain sounds, smells, temperatures, … [Read more...]
A Last Hurrah for 2011
November 29, 2011 Read Comments
Okay so I've recovered from the Thanksgiving holiday and now gearing up for the end of the year. With the winding down, I always reflect on my goals and the progress that I made. I officially made 2011, a year of spaciousness. Ha, much easier said than done for sure but one thing I'm proud of is that I didn't get stressed out about my novel progress or even worse compare myself to other writers --- because we all know that's a losing battle. Considering some of the things I've went through … [Read more...]
