Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
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”
This year was my first participating in the legendary National Novel Writing Month. I’m a slow writer and never felt up for the challenge, but 2015 is apparently “The Year Heather Faces Intimidating Challenges,” so I gave it a go. I even made a plan: A Slow Writer’s Scheme to Win NaNoWriMo. So how’d I …
Continue reading “Results of a Slow Writer’s First #NaNoWriMo”
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”
Hey NaNaWriMo writers! How’s it going? It’s mid-November and that means you’re deep in Act II and might be encountering some mushy middle difficulties. So here are some tips to get you through… [Click on the titles to read the whole blog post.] Mapping the Mushy Middle The key to not getting lost in the …
Continue reading “Mushy Middle Tips for #NaNoWriMo”
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?”
Last week I shared Ten Questions To Ask Your Characters to make sure the supporting cast is as well-rounded as the protagonist. But that’s just step one to developing a novel’s cast. Now that we know who everyone is, what they want, and what their role is in the story, it’s time to figure out …
Continue reading “Character Development: The Interaction Chart”
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”
A week before NaNoWriMo began, I realized I didn’t know my supporting characters. Whoops! I had spent so much time figuring out my plot based on my heroine’s goal that I had neglected all the other characters, of which there are many because I’m writing a horror and a body count is required! But I …
Continue reading “Top Ten Things Writers Should Ask Their Characters”
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”