Welcome, writers! Today’s National Novel Writing Month guest post comes from writer Lex Gilmore. I met Lex on Twitter and have appreciated her support and encouragement through our email conversations. Lex graciously agreed to write a guest post to help me kick off NaNoWriMo. Thank you, Lex! Join the NaNoWriMo Fun by Lex Gilmore You’ve...Read More
Today’s post is an excerpt from my new book, Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (And Live to Tell About It) called Write What You Know. If you are going to write you must become aware of this richness in you and come to believe in it and know it is there so that...Read More
Today is the first day of National Novel Writing Month. For many of us, that means we will be jumping feet first into a novel-writing project and ignoring our laundry, friends, and work. But what if you don’t write fiction? You can still use the energy and excitement of National Novel Writing Month to write...Read More
Sometime on Sunday morning, in between trying to get my kids to do their homework, walking the dogs, and getting ready to take the kids trick or treating, I remembered that National Novel Writing Month was just two days away—and I had not done a thing to prepare! Eek! Then, I remembered an event from...Read More
What are you planning to do this weekend? No doubt I will be trick or treating with my children. But I will also be doing my last minute prep. Here are three things you can do this weekend to guarantee that you rock your NaNo. 1. Get snacks. Last summer, when I caught my teenaged...Read More
Studies show that people who write down where and how a behavior will occur have a better chance of getting things done. In one study, women were asked to perform a breast self-exam. One group was asked to write down when and where they would do so, while the other was not. Both groups were...Read More
I love being a writer. What I can’t stand is the paperwork. —Peter De Vries In 2009, The Guardian ran a wonderful feature called writer’s rooms. In the articles, writers talk about where they write. Even better, there are pictures! Here are some places that famous writers have found to be inspiring: *Michael Morpurgo tried writing...Read More
I am getting myself a pin that says, “No!” Yup, that’s right. Then I won’t even have to think when someone asks me to bake cookies, host a party, lead a fundraiser, chaperone a field trip, or whatever. I will just point to my button and say, “Read it and weep.” Here’s the thing: I...Read More
Earlier in this blog, I talked about setting the book in a place you’d love to vacation. It’s not a bad idea. Chances are if we like the setting of our novel, our readers will find it a wonderful place to visit, too. Think back to your favorite books. No doubt part of what made...Read More
The plot is just a bribe to keep them reading. –Kurt Vonnegot What happens next? It’s the question that keeps many of us reading a book into the wee hours of the morning. It is also the question that you want your readers to be asking of your book. That’s why you need a plot....Read More
