I’ve reached the point of desperation in my efforts to start and maintain a writing schedule. With the new year, I had hoped to begin writing for a few hours during the early morning, like 8:00 am to 10:30 am, before telemarketers, postmen, emails, and neighbors filled my day. In December, I told myself I…
Maybe. Maybe it’s boring. Getting an idea for a story is the straightforward part. Developing that idea into a satisfying plot that keeps the reader turning the pages is where the challenge of novel writing begins. Above at: https://writingcooperative.com/a-beginners-guide-to-structuring-your-novel-don-t-use-a-plot-template-58b4b1ddf848 Most stories “fit” into one of seven plots. (That said, this morning, let’s focus on 6…
Earlier this month, I attended the Association of Writers and Writing Programs annual conference in Seattle. The sheer volume and diversity of program offerings at AWP can be overwhelming and after my newbie experience last year, trying to attend back-to-back panels from 9-5 three days in a row, I opted for a more targeted approach…
Valentine’s Day is over, you say. And anyway Rachel, don’t you write horror? I’m not talking about romantic love, the romance genre or even incorporating romantic elements in any genre. Rather, I mean that the impetus for writing anything comes from a desire to express and inspire love. Wait, what? How do stories about hauntings,…
How many of us writers are perfectionists? Oh, look, all of us. Honestly, who sits down to create the most mediocre story possible? Striving to write something great isn’t the problem. The issue arises when we demand greatness immediately, in the first draft. The next time you find yourself paralyzed by lofty literary ambitions or…