Blog
It Feels So Real, Can You Taste It? Using the Five Senses in Fiction
Today I want to talk about one of the most underrated aspects of writing (imho): sensory details.
It’s easy for this kind of writing to get lost, because we can rightly get focused on bigger issues of plot and character development. But starting from a sensory detail can be a great way to spark your imagination and bring new life to the page.
Because of That: A But/Therefore Test for Your Novel’s Plot
I once wrote about 145,000 words of “and then this happened.” My protagonist’s life, event after event, in order. Every scene was fine on its own. Together they added up to a very long list.
What finally helped was a test I now use on my own work and with the writers I coach. Between every pair of scenes, you should be able to put one of three connectors: because of that, therefore, or but. Each one means the first scene caused or complicated the second. If none of them fits, and the only honest link is “and then,” you have a sequence, not a plot.
4 Ways to Keep Working on Your Book When You Can’t Write
I know there are people who thrive in the heat. I am not one of them—when the temp rockets into the 90s (and with the attendant humidity soup we get here) I wilt like an unwatered plant and it can be hard to squeeze any good words out of my brain.
So I thought it might be useful to share some ways to keep working on your book without actually working on your book, if your creative juices have sizzled away on a day like today…or anytime the muse has fled and you’re feeling frustrated or stuck.
I Admit: I've Been Cheating On My Book.
When another book about my protagonist was announced, my revision stalled. What I learned about breaks, setbacks, and finding joy in writing again.
You’re Not Ready to Query
Put your best book forward! How to make sure you're ready to query
One of the most common things I have heard (and read) from agents is that a huge percentage of the work that comes across their desk, especially from the slush pile (which is where we all go unless you have some direct line or special introduction), is that the work just isn’t ready.
Let’s back up a second to look at the process:
(If your goal is to self-publish your book, or work with a vanity or hybrid press, or if you’re writing for the sheer pleasure of it, you may think today’s post is not for you but most of this advice is just as valid—it’s just not quite as critical because you have more control over the process.)
6 Ways to Fall Back in Love With Your Novel
I confess, the idea behind this came from a writing class I took with the wonderful Michele Ferrari, and when she shared it with us, it hit me particularly hard (in a good way).
Very broadly, we probably consider our works-in-progress in one of two ways
As work, a project that we have committed ourselves to and are determined to see across the finish line because of that commitment
A hobby, a creative pastime, something that we’re doing for the joy of itMaybe it’s just me, but before Michele shared this idea, I had never thought about the fact that I was in a relationship with my novel. And like any relationship, there would be ups-and-downs. It would need to be cultivated, nurtured. I would love it, I would hate it.
Beware the Bland Book on the Back of the Door
This takes me back, all the way to 2018, when I had what I was sure was the final iteration of my outline. 🤣🤣🤣 To paraphrase Leslie Knope: Kerry, you beautiful tropical fish.
No one gets it 100% right the first time. Writing a novel is a process, not an event.
What I really had, I know now, was a bunch of plot points. Their only connection was that they tracked the events of my protagonist’s life. There was no real meaning, nothing juicy–just the dreaded ‘and then this happened’. And, friends, I wrote 145K words worth of ‘and this this happened’. Blerg.
Craft a Compelling Character Arc
Writing interesting characters that grab your readers from page 1 and keep them riveted to your story is easier said than done. We all know it’s important and we’ve all probably gotten the feedback that your character ‘just wasn’t connecting’ or ‘felt flat, two dimensional’.
Ugh, right? It could be entirely valid feedback—but what do you do with that? How do you solve it?
Frankly, when I started writing my novel, I figured I was halfway to home from the start. When someone asked me what my book was about, I’d say, “It’s about a female pirate in the 1700s…” and it didn’t really matter what I said after that. “Awesome! That’s so cool!” If I could sell everyone who said that a copy of my (still in progress) book, I’d have a guaranteed best-seller on my hands.