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Overcome the Yips!
I stretched my back. Next, I gave each of my fingers a massage. I closed my eyes and warmed up my imagination. Then, I put on the perfect playlist. A quick check showed my favorite glass holding iced tea was full, and my screens were all at the perfect height. It was time to write some killer dialogue. Writing session, commence. “Sup?” “Not much. You” “Eh.” Nothing else came to mind. Not only was that the least helpful dialogue I’ve ever written, but I’d also actually permanently destroyed brain cells typing it. Word yips strike the beginner and veteran writer without respect for persons. Sometimes, going back to the basics…
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Let There Be Light!
For writers, our imagination is a tricky little troublemaker. As children, we stared out the windows during math class. Do you remember being a teen? You contemplated anything but what you were doing in the moment. Now as adults, we make up fictional characters we torture. Yes, our imagination is trouble. Those visions are also your best friend, and they are how I awaken my writing brain. Here’s my process. Close your eyes. What do you see? Okay, yes, it’s dark. Thank you for pointing it out. With eyes closed, tap into your imagination. Quickly conjure up a scene, a person, their looks, clothes, and posture. Fill in the world…
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Ride The Wave
I rarely find myself with sweaty palms these days…except when I share my writing. I’ve posted and published so much over the last decade, you’d think exposure alone would seal this last fount of my social anxiety. But, no. As my finger hovers over the send or submit button, my hands are damp and shaky, every time. [Even now] Another writer asked me a question, basically, “How do we know our writing is good enough to be published? What if we share it with people and it actually sucks?” That’s the question of the social media century. We think our work is good, but we question ourselves, and what if…
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Of Orchids and Dandelions
“Medicine, business, law, engineering… these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are the things that we live for.” ~ Robin Williams in Dead Poet’s Society There is one key element of my writer’s journey, which has launched me to each next level of craft mastery and publication. What is the secret? More on that in a minute. First, some context is necessary. I was a bit of a jerk growing up, or, as one person rightly said, insufferable snob. I weaved my way through life, breezing through high school with my buddies and a few years of college with the guys. I…
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Villain or Hero? Skip The Tired Tropes Consult the Philosophers
Many authors, including myself, have a theory about what makes a book sell past one or two printings. One word. Magic. Well, not quite. Here’s what we see. Over the years, philosophers, theologians, and others have narrowed down seven basic good characteristics and seven not-so-good things a person does. Over time, they’ve been labeled the Seven Heavenly Virtues and the Seven Deadly Sins. It’s easy to list them. Perhaps we’ll spend the time later. But for now, let’s talk about one virtue—loading the dishwasher. Loading the dishwasher is also coupled with unloading, and over the past 6,000 years, dishwashing has been known to be one of the greatest attributes a…
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Writing Human Nature
A man named Aesop, in Greece, wanted to write a children’s book. He pulled together a few local tales, penned them, and hit the best-seller list. By age seven, little Spartan and Athenian warriors went to school to become community-minded members of society by learning the fables. At the same time, they trained to be bloodthirsty warriors and graduated to slaughter Persians. Well, no society is perfect. The fables stood the test of time. What are they, and how can they support your writing? A fable is a short story featuring animals or objects as characters. The tale is designed to rely on the animal’s nature to convey a clear…
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In The Driver’s Seat
If you have driven in town lately, you can testify to the following AP article premise: Average IQs are plummeting worldwide. And here’s another worry—it’s not going to get better. Fourth grade reading proficiencies are at 33%, which means 7 out of 10 ten-year-olds have a hard time sounding out words, let alone understanding them. And the DMV still publishes their manuals in written form. Oh boy. There is hope, however, and it is you. You are the sacred keeper of the meaning of its and it’s. You know the Pantheon of their there they’re. Then there’s the deeper magic—you can show, not tell. Science tells us you’re about to…
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Resolved: New Stories In The New Year!
Let’s look at some writing resolutions outside the standard advice. How many can you check off the list this year? I pray you write all the right words for Him this year. Have fun writing, and Happy New Year! Not all views expressed are those of every member of ICW.
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The Words We Write
I had this dream a few months back… On a snowy night, I sat bundled on a bench near a firepit in my back yard. A kind friend sat on a bench across from me, and we enjoyed a relaxed but lively conversation while I tossed the completed pages from my current WIP into the flames. As we talked, I watched the pages curl around my words until they were nothing but ash. The fire crackled. The air smelled fresh, the way it does after a first snow. Beyond the fact that I don’t have a firepit in my back yard, and I have yet to print out the final…
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Visions of Sugarplums: Writing Christmas
When a writer touches pen to paper during Christmas, hollies and cranberries appear. Lights dance and visions of sugarplums fill the skies. We can’t help ourselves. Christmas is magical, whether we love the magical or not. I revel in the holidays and overload myself with reading and writing Christmastime. Here are a few tips to keep your Christmas readers filled with holiday cheer! Writing about Christmas can be rewarding and a positive way to engage readers. Enjoy a tall glass of eggnog and a plateful of sugarplums while you craft the words that change the world. Blessings!
