Unsolicited advice from your local opinionated writer.
We are now more than halfway through National Novel Writing Month, which means you’re probably starting to think about the climax of your novel. This can feel like a very high-pressure part of your story. Fortunately, it’s also widely considered to be the fun part. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of bringing… Continue reading Story Structure Sunday: How to write the climax of a novel
Welcome to Stupid Advice Saturday! Last week we talked about how “Write what you know” is often badly misinterpreted, and taken to an unhealthy extreme. This week, we’ve got another unfortunate directive that often gets the same treatment: show, don’t tell. Like “Write what you know,” this isn’t bad advice until you take into account… Continue reading Stupid Advice Saturday: “Show, don’t tell”
Happy day 16 of Nanowrimo! We’re officially more than halfway through the month, which means this is a good time to sit back for a moment and take stock of your novel so far. If you’re on track, you’ve written about 25,000 words, and you are probably either at or approaching the midpoint of your… Continue reading Warmup Wednesday: Outlining a novel, for people who hate outlines
If you’re struggling with Nanowrimo right now, you’re not alone. This phenomenon goes by many names – the 30k blues, the saggy middle – and is one of the most common challenges writers face during Nanowrimo. It’s characterized by a profound loss of momentum during the third week of the month. It’s often accompanied by… Continue reading Story Structure Sunday: What to do about the 30k blues
It’s Stupid Advice Saturday! Last week we talked about how said is, happily, not dead. This week’s victim: “Write what you know.” On the face of it, this is actually not bad advice. We all have unique experiences in this world – unique perspectives and stories of our own that need telling. We should write… Continue reading Stupid Advice Saturday: “Write what you know”
“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” -Coco Chanel Aside from being a thorn in the side of everyone trying to rock a maximalist aesthetic for the better part of the last century, this is actually a pretty good piece of writing advice. At least, it is for… Continue reading Warmup Wednesday: Do you really need all that stuff in your novel?
“Write down everything that happens in the story, then in your second draft make it look like you knew what you were doing all along.” -Neil Gaiman Every Sunday of this glorious National Novel Writing Month 2022, I’ll be doing a mini-deep-dive into a particular element of story structure that might be giving you trouble… Continue reading Story Structure Sunday: How to write act one of a novel
Welcome to the first of four Stupid Advice Saturdays, where I debunk ridiculously common but also ridiculously misguided writing advice that you should absolutely under no circumstances listen to. Or at the very least, take with the most massive grain of salt you can possibly find. First on our list we have one of the… Continue reading Stupid Advice Saturday: “Said is Dead”
Welcome to the first Warmup Wednesday! Every Wednesday during Nanowrimo this year, I’ll be sharing a different writing exercise to help you get into the swing of noveling. This week, we’re doing one of my favorite warmups: plain dialogue. The beginning of a novel is all about characterization: establishing who your characters are, what they… Continue reading Warmup Wednesday: Let’s fix your dialogue
Well, friends, November is upon us, and with it National Novel Writing Month. It’s time to whip out a blank word document, grab the nearest half-baked novel idea, and BS yourself a 50,000-word manuscript in 30 days. This, in case you have somehow missed this critical fact about me, is my absolute favorite writing event… Continue reading Nanowrimo 2022 Kickoff!