How To writing ideas from me and a few of my writing friends.
It is said that to be a writer you have to read. I would take that a step further and add that for most of us who write, we do not just read, we live to read. Like a runner hitting the runner’s high at a certain stride, a book lover experiences the same high…
After hearing Chris Roerden’s Don’t Murder Your Mystery so highly praised on BIW, I enthusiastically dived into it with the full expectation it would verify how clever my first novel-in-progress really was. Imagine my shock when, amongst the 24 writing techniques to save your manuscript from turning up “dead on arrival,” Roerden’s cites as the…
Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions for Writing and Life is a witty and very real look at how to survive life as a writer. In fact, it is not so much instructional, as the title suggests, but inspirational. Her conversational tone and sharp wit puts even the most neurotic writer at ease…
I have to admit, I love cliches, aphorisms and euphemisms. I am addicted to these kinds of descriptive phrases: Don’t cry over split milk, every dog shall have his day, no use beating a dead horse etc. In every day writing of emails and blogs they are fun and comfortable means of getting our thoughts…
For a moment, think about your main character (MC) and how well you truly know him or her. Aside from the basic physical attributes, and possibly some back story, can you hold your right hand up and swear that you know your MC inside and out? Try this simple exercise. With your MC in mind…
One of my favorite books is The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman. Recently I received an email from his website letting me know about a couple of free items available there. I’d like to share them with you: How to Write a Great Query Letter is available as a free download. Ask a Literary…
Writer’s Digest Books has offered BIW two Writer’s Digest Books. The first will be given away during the August BIW and for members only and the second will be given away here on the BIW blog for members and non-members. You will find directions for entering below this description of the book: The Complete Guide…
Writers draw inspiration from many sources, including words, phrases and pictures–and many contests require you to do just that. Writing about the same “theme” as other writers can be challenging but can also push you to greater levels of creativity in search of the unexpected angle. As with any other type of writing contest, it’s…