Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
Everyone has heard the typical NaNoWriMo advice: Just write your story. Don’t stop! Don’t edit! Even if you know what you’re writing is awful, just keep pushing! This year was my third NaNoWriMo and every year has been a unique process; I’ve made countless mistakes, but I’ve also learned a lot about myself as …
Continue reading “5 Obscure Tricks for Winning #NaNoWriMo”
It’s easier to have discussions about foreshadowing techniques when almost everyone knows the story. Since The Fault in Our Stars (TFIOS) was a runaway YA crossover bestseller and a major motion picture, I’m using it for my examples. Fingers crossed I’m not spoiling this story for too many people. Foreshadowing is a technique used to …
Continue reading “Foreshadowing: Tips to Create Mood & Tone”
SHADOWSHAPER by Daniel José Older Paint a mural. Start a battle. Change the world. This is the author’s first YA book, and it’s urban fantasy at its finest. When I classify this book as an urban fantasy, I mean that the city setting of the novel is almost a secondary character. Brooklyn is alive and …
Continue reading “What We’re Reading: SHADOWSHAPER”
As part of the Write On Sisters commitment to recommending all the best writing tools and apps, today I’m reviewing Trello Gold. Please remember Heather and I never take a dime from any of the product or book reviews we do. If we recommend something it’s because we use it and want to share a …
Continue reading “Trello Gold: Should Writers Upgrade?”
I spend a lot of time around writers, and we all share one commonality, we occasionally get stuck. However, why we run face first into the brick wall of writer’s block often differs. I believe there are three main types of writer’s block, they are: Courage Collapse, Story Cave In and Content Vacuum. And I …
Continue reading “Chipping Away at Writer’s Block”
Greetings beverage sharing mortals! This weekend the veil between the realms will shrink precariously thin. May we suggest you pay close attention to the surroundings as we enjoy our hot drinks and treats? Eek! Is that a shrunken head floating in your tea cup? *Sigh of relief* No, it’s just a tea infuser. An error …
Continue reading “Coffee Share: All Hallow’s Eve Edition”
In just a few days I’m going to start NaNoWriMo and it’s already making my body feel like I’m throwing myself off a cliff without a parachute. I know intellectually writing 50,000 words in a month is not a life-threatening endeavor. However, it still produces significant amounts of stress and adrenaline! Of course, I’m excited …
Continue reading “A Writer’s Ode to Her Inner Critic”
If we were having coffee I would offer you the best chair in my house. That’s the armchair facing the fireplace. Then I would bring out a large platter of thickly sliced homemade pumpkin bread with real butter. And pour you a jumbo sized steaming cup of something yummy. After you settled in, I would …
Continue reading “Weekend Coffee Share: Pre NaNoWriMo Edition”
The fish-out-of-water character is one of my favorites. It is remarkably versatile and there are so many story situations it works perfectly for (18 according to TV Tropes). I’m currently writing a fish-out-of-water character, which should not be confused with using a fish-out-of-water plot device. A fish-out-of-water character adds comedy, or gives depth and diversity …
Continue reading “Writing Fish-Out-of-Water Characters”
We are nearing the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, and one of the things I put on my 2015 goals list was to support the creation of quality Latin American characters. Today, I’m tackling three common stereotypes and misconceptions. [important]I am of Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Venezuelan and Canary Island decent. I have indigenous ancestors …
Continue reading “Writing Diverse Characters & Stereotypes”