I was writing away on my new novel when suddenly the ex-husband from a novel I'd started and abandoned walked on. He's my new favorite character, ever, and his insistent good cheer is going to make a great counterpoint to my confused, grieving heroine. I adore this guy. But how weird is it that he […]
So, you've decided to take the plunge and write a novel. Perhaps you might be wondering where to begin. Or if you are taking the plunge for a second or third or fourth time, maybe this time you've vowed to get organized ahead of time so you don't spend weeks going down fruitless plot paths. […]
I'm working on the final (ha!) rewrite of my novel, coming up on part two. I did a lot of thinking and making notes before I started this rewrite, which included many Great Ideas, and most of that affected part one. Why? Because it was character stuff. I worked on figuring out how characters reacted […]
My screenwriting friend Marc sent me a link to an article by Lawrence Konner, writer for a gazillion projects including Planet of the Apes (!) and multiple upcoming movies that sound blockbuster-ish. There's a lot of good bits in this article, so much so that you could take any one of Konner's pronouncements and expand […]
I've been having issues with flat scenes. Flat scenes are problematic because you may not even know that they are flat. You have a vague notion that something is wrong with the scene or chapter. It is boring, or it just doesn't work for some reason. You struggle and struggle to improve them, to make […]
A few days ago I wrote a post about writing and running. Since then I've been staying in Laguna Beach and running the canyon. Okay, I run down and walk back up, but then so does nearly everyone else. It is a looong way back up. Yesterday as I hit the last and steepest hill […]
The Santa Anas are blowing and fires are erupting all over southern California where I am currently ensconced at the top of a canyon overlooking the Pacific. It is not quite as idyllic as it sounds, though I admit it is stunningly beautiful here, because I am here to care for a friend. Perhaps it […]
Several days ago, I wrote Part One of this post on distance in viewpoint. Rashly, at that moment, I promised a Part Two, complete with how-tos. The how-tos are the hard part, because as with all writing, they are difficult to explain and sometimes even more difficult to put into action. But sometimes not. But […]
