Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
Last June, I started a ghost story for Camp NaNoWriMo. I really liked this idea. I’d set it in a historical period (the Gilded Age) which I know well. I’d selected a location I loved working with (Newport, RI) but for some reason the story wouldn’t gel. I had a beatsheet and an expanded outline …
Continue reading “Writer Struggles: 6 Steps to Get Unstuck”
Hello! So we are a little swamped and burnt out over here at WriteOnSisters, and we’ve decided we need to take a break from blogging and concentrate on our fiction writing until the new year. Most of you might be in similar situations – writing your fingers off for NaNoWriMo, and then bustling about for …
Continue reading “Gone Writing!”
Regardless of whether you’re a plotter or pantser, you might come to a place mid-month where your story feels like it’s gone off the rails. A lot of people will tell you to plow through! Just keep writing! It’ll work itself out! But I think better advice is to check in with your basic story beats. It …
Continue reading “15 Story Beats to Keep Your NaNoWriMo Novel on Track”
Are you entering National Novel Writing Month in November? If you answered yes, the odds are 50/50 you’re doing some planning this month. If not hardcore plotting, at least making notes and brainstorming your story. I’ve done NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNo many times and I’ve won my fair share. For me, planning is the best …
Continue reading “4 Visual Tricks for Writers Who Want To Rock NaNoWriMo”
Ever since I learned the terms “pantser and plotter”, I’ve identified as a plotter (someone who outlines a story before writing a manuscript). To me, sitting down to write a whole book without an outline (i.e. the pantser method) is impossible. And now it’s time for a confession: pantsers make me feel stupid. Why can’t …
Continue reading “Plotters vs Pantsers: Are We Really That Different?”
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”
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”
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”
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”
I’ve just signed up for NaNoWriMo for the first time EVER. Here’s proof: As a hardcore plotter, I’ve never felt ready to participate. I can’t even fathom writing 50,000 words of prose without a solid outline. Plus, I’m not a fast writer. My inner editor and I are a team, not enemies, and I like …
Continue reading “A Slow Writer’s Scheme to Win #NaNoWriMo”