What to Expect from Write 100

It's here. The Spring 2019 Challenge begins now.  Your goals are set. Your calendar is ready. The words and ideas are whirling through your head. Writers from around the country and across the world have accepted the challenge to spend the next 100 days committed to writing every day. It's an exciting thought. Just imagine …

Character Meet Plot. Plot Meet Character.

You’ve probably heard that popular fiction is plot driven while literary fiction is character driven (driven being the key word because if a narrative isn’t advancing then what story are you even telling?).   This is true. There is sit on the edge of your seat plot driven fiction, and there is sink back into …

Your Character’s Journey – Home from the Dentist

Earlier this year, I had a moment of writing illumination as I read a science fiction novel. A character in this novel had taken a trip and was about to return by hovercar to the human settlement on his planet. As a reader, I was subconsciously prepared for a description of the journey back. I …

Do Your Characters Talk to You? Should They?

Have you ever heard a writer talk about her characters as if… they were real? Like, as if the writer were not entirely in control of her own work? It used to be my pet peeve to hear writers say “my main character told me _____,” or in more ludicrous scenarios, “my main character refused …

Take Critique Like A Pro

Feedback is critical for a writer. It's also tricky. Good feedback can help you unlock parts of your story and discover new possibilities, whereas bad feedback can set you back, send you down a wrong path, and even derail the necessary confidence. The dividing line between the two is often thin. So how do you navigate …

Storytelling Tips from A Quiet Place

When I walked into a showing of the film A Quiet Place earlier this week I expected thrills, chills, and awkward popcorn munching in an otherwise silent theatre. I didn't know that I was heading into not only an entertaining and intriguing movie but also a display of excellent storytelling. I came out of the theatre energized …