By Kerry Schafer Finish the damn book. I know you’ve heard this before. You’ve heard it from writers far more well known than I am, people like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King. There’s even a Finish the Damn Book Contest out there you can enter, if you need that kind of encouragement. Why? Because every…
Tag: finishing manuscripts
Murder Your Darlings
By Jan Weeks Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch said that over a hundred years ago and writers have followed his advice (or not) ever since. I, for one, being of kind heart and semi-sound mind, hesitated to do something so cruel. Occasionally I’d shoot a few of my darling words in the butt with a BB gun…
Action Plans for the Scattered and Unmotivated
by Kerry Schafer Last month I shared some of my thoughts about intentions, suggesting that it’s a good idea to have some and see where they take you. And then I tacked a little afterthought on the end, saying how next time we’d talk about Action Plans. I still maintain that intentions are lovely and wonderful…
Old Writer, New Tricks
By Mary Gillgannon I’m what I call an intuitive or “into the mist” writer. I have a general idea of what the story is about, but I don’t really plot. I’m also a linear writer. I start from the beginning and keep going on the rough draft until I reach the end. Between “non-plotting” and…
Tips on Working with a Manuscript Reader
By Alissa Johnson When I finish a book I love, I turn past the last page. I look for anything I can read so I don’t have to set it down. I want to stay immersed in the feeling of the book. Inevitably, my search takes me to the author’s Acknowledgements Page. I’ve come to…