4 Ways to Note Down Story Ideas
Last week, I attended an author talk by Sherman Alexie (more about his talk later in the week). One of his tips (for more author tips, check out this recent post from my friend, Amitha) was to consider the everyday. Look around for ideas, and note everything down. As a short story writer, I love this idea, but I have to admit, Baby curtails my note-taking abilities. Here are four ways I jot down my story ideas. 1. My phone I have an iPhone (it’s a marvelous way to document Baby’s...
Read MoreThe East Somerville Library
Yesterday, I ran a writing workshop at the East Somerville Library. Most of the kids were 9; a couple were about 12. Now, I’ve done a couple of writing workshops before, but they were a) a very long time ago and b) with kids in a more classroom like setting with a clear list of needs (grammar, verbs, and the ins and outs of dialogue). This was quite a change–most of the kids loved stories, but thought writing boring, something best left for the classroom. Unsurprisingly, it took us...
Read MoreThe Rule of Three
Yesterday, I had a session with my critique group (lovely ladies full of fantastic feedback*).While we were discussing submissions, I realized that a lot of criticisms come down to the rule of three. So what’s the rule of three? It’s lots of things. 1. Weighing feedback. Ever had a manuscript where the same issue is flagged by more than on person in a critique session? I have (it’s usually a word choice thing). If it’s just one opinion, I usually leave the manuscript as...
Read MoreAnn Dee Ellis & the BYU Writing & Illustrating for Children Workshop
Some time ago, I was lucky enough to attend BYU’s weeklong workshop for children’s writers and illustrators. The workshop is more like a workshop and conference, with morning classes and afternoon seminars. I was only just starting to shop my fiction then, and thought the workshop would me get a handle on the ins and outs of the publishing world. Despite my great love of books and book-learning, there really isn’t a substitute for chatting to someone who’s been there,...
Read MoreFinding Your Voice: Dialogue
Dialogue is one of my weak points. I’ve been known to pore over just one page of dialogue for the better part of a day, tweaking this and twiddling that, all to no avail. Why ? Writing natural dialogue is difficult. There’s so much to consider – speech patterns, word choice, contractions, slang, creating distinct character voices – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes down to it though, the most important thing to remember about dialogue is this:...
Read MoreFinding Your Voice: Reading Aloud
One of the ways I find my voice – character voice and author voice – when writing is to read aloud. Actually using my voice helps me get a feel for the words I’m writing, and find the places where my sentences are a little awkward, or where a character sounds a bit trite. Read the following paragraphs aloud. First draft The women from the boab trees shook themselves, shaking free their leaves—falling into the water, the leaves flashed, becoming river fish. The fish swam...
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