Writing Category
Writing Resource – Writing the Breakout Novel
Posted on December 18, 2014 1 Comment
Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maas is another great resource for fiction writers. There is also a valuable workbook by the same name. I have used both in my training through CWG. Either resource could stand alone, because even though a lot of the material is the same, it’s not coordinated or formatted to […]
Process – Finally A Step Closer
Posted on December 17, 2014 4 Comments
I finally got some good news on Sunday. Back in September I entered Operation First Novel from Christian Writers Guild. Even though the Guild has closed, Jerry B. Jenkins has promised to follow through with everything that began this year, and included Operation First Novel. I got an email on Sunday. Meghan’s Choice made the […]
Writer’s Resource – Plot and Structure
Posted on December 12, 2014 2 Comments
One of my resources for writers is James Scott Bell’s Plot and Structure. I read some of this book as part of my online writers classes. It’s very good, and covers a lot. What I like about this book is that he has it laid out very well, and there graphs, tips, quotes, and […]
Writer’s Resource – the Emotion Thesaurus
Posted on December 11, 2014 5 Comments
I recently purchased The Emotional Thesaurus through Amazon. I haven’t explored it thoroughly, but from what I’ve seen, it’s going to be very helpful. How do you write anger, joy, desperation, despair, or denial? Let’s look first at how the book is laid out. The emotion is at the top of a two-page spread. A […]
Writing Resources
Posted on December 10, 2014 Leave a Comment
Sometimes I think I’m a librarian with all the books I own. I live in the United States, and books, both print and electronic are easy to come by. So today, since some of you are not from the U.S., but represent 33 countries, I’m going to share with you some of the resources I have […]
In the Meantime
Posted on December 5, 2014 7 Comments
As I continue to wait to hear from publishers and contests, I’ve decided to be proactive and continue to write something. A new friend said she continued to write full novels until finally one sold, then she had others to tweak on the heels of her first sale. In my life, I’ve put the cart […]
Avoiding Cynicism
Posted on December 4, 2014 1 Comment
It’s easy to get discouraged and cynical these days – and I don’t even watch the news. You know the saying “no news is good news”? I avoid watching the news for that reason. But I’m actually talking about writing. Sometimes no news won’t turn out to be good news. I think it’s human nature […]
Writing Tidbit – Conflict
Posted on December 3, 2014 2 Comments
In life, we hate it. Well, some of us do, some of us thrive on it. Some invoke it, others avoid it. What is it? Conflict. It’s a must when writing a story. I’m not published yet, but I still have learned a few things about writing. And I’m going to refer to some of […]
Writing Emotions – Love
Posted on November 20, 2014 Leave a Comment
Less is more, in my opinion. A kiss, using non-gory, but eloquent terms, can say much more than a description that focuses on a sordid way to tell about something that’s supposed to be beautiful. Especially, since I’m a Christian writer, I don’t like too much. It cheapens our language and I believe the author as […]
Self-Publishing Tips – Part 2
Posted on November 14, 2014 4 Comments
A couple months ago, I put in a few tips about self-publishing. As I contemplate the future of Meghan’s Choice, and other stories I’m writing, I want to make sure I do what’s right for each project. Because aren’t our projects our – baby? And as such, we want what’s best for them. Even if […]
Donna L.H. Smith 