Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
Last week I blogged about the difference between critique partners and cheerleaders (answer these 5 questions to find out which is which). In short, cheerleaders are friends or family members who cheer us on and love our writing no matter how bad it is. Cherish their enthusiasm, but never rely on them for helpful feedback. …
Continue reading “Not All Feedback is Created Equal”
I posted Tuesday about characteristics of bad boys in books and how to write believable ones. In doing research for that post, I gathered so much information, that I thought I’d share the leftovers here. Well, not really leftovers, actually, since this is new content, but the content is complementary to what I posted Tuesday. …
Continue reading “Writing “Bad Boys” in Romance”
Bad Boys. You see the fall coming as she tries to make Mr. Wrong into Mr. Right. You’d like to warn her, but you know she has to come to the conclusion herself. Odds are he won’t change. But you know, if she changed her bad boy into a more conventional one, she wouldn’t want …
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Emotional Writing One of our WOS sisters here just suffered the loss of her mother. I can’t imagine, although I know it’s coming. The woman who gave you life cannot and should not outlive yours. But it must be devastating. I once had a critique partner tell me to “go deeper.” That she could tell …
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Screenwriters have all these steps that we go through before we write a script. We’re the exact opposite of pantsers. But all these stages serve a purpose. I’ve blogged about loglines, beat sheets, outlines, and scene boards. Today, I’ll tell you about treatments. A treatment is a document used mainly by film screenwriters. It’s longer …
Continue reading “Screenwriter Tips for Novelists: Write a Script Treatment”
Today the Writeonsisters welcome guest blogger Jan Saenz. Jan found us on Twitter when Sharon’s post (Writing Groups: On the Other Hand…) caught her attention. After perusing through the site, she discovered we have guest bloggers on Sundays and pitched us an idea. And voila! Take it away Jan… I have a confession to make: …
Continue reading “Guest Post: Breaking the Formula: 6 Tips for Writing Great Sex Scenes”
I’m in the final stages of polishing my latest manuscript and going through my checklist for those tiny little nits that always manage to slip through. Rather than doing a complete read-through for like the millionth time (which at some point becomes counter-productive because you know it too well), I pick random passages and scrutinize …
Continue reading “Self-Editing Redux: Spot Checking”
We’ve all heard it. Murder your darlings. But what does it mean? Is it just another tip in the ever-growing list of misunderstood writing advice? Or is it the cornerstone of every successful writing project? First the history lesson. It appears this advice originated from Arthur Quiller-Couch. He made this comment in 1914 and all …
Continue reading “Is Killing Your Darlings Murdering Your Book?”
Last month, I gave you some homework to be prepared for writing your mystery. If you haven’t yet completed it, there’s still time. To write the mystery that fits your needs, you need to answer these questions. Now on to today’s category: the traditional mystery. Traditional mysteries are reminiscent of mysteries written during the Golden …
Continue reading “The Mystery of Mysteries: 12 Steps to Writing Traditional Mysteries”
The thing about writing a novel or film is that it all comes down to the ending. A great ending is what makes a story memorable. All of the books on my bookshelf have unforgettable endings. The books that don’t make the cut may have had fascinating premises, entertaining characters, and intriguing plot twists, but …
Continue reading “Writing Unforgettable Endings”