Action! Today, we are taking a more cinematic approach to novel outlining as this method has roots in screenwriting. It focuses on writing the novel out in the progression of scenes that make up the plot. Why 60 scenes you may ask? That’s because 60 is generally the number of scenes in a screenplay. AndContinueContinue reading “The 60-Scene Method to Plotting A Novel”
Category Archives: Writing
Stay Motivated with Productivity Bingo
It’s national bingo day! While I enjoy this game (especially when played for gift baskets), I’ve recently started using the setup of bingo to develop healthy habits and achieve daily progress toward my writing goals, and beyond! I refer to this system as “Productivity Bingo”. Which is basically me gamifying my to-do list while buildingContinueContinue reading “Stay Motivated with Productivity Bingo”
Enhance Your Novel with the Iceberg Method – A Deep Dive into Writing Craft
This is one iceberg that won’t have you jumping ship! Please forgive me for my terrible puns, but I have a point here! Novel writing is often likened to an iceberg—what the readers see on the surface is only a fraction of the story’s depth and complexity. The iceberg method, popularized by Ernest Hemingway, emphasizesContinueContinue reading “Enhance Your Novel with the Iceberg Method – A Deep Dive into Writing Craft”
Tips For Writing a Mystery Novel
The book that I’ve been querying is many things, but at its base, it’s a whodunnit-style mystery. Sure, I also throw in a YA coming-of-age narrative, LGBTQ+ Romance, and some paranormal intrigue… but I spent a lot of time researching and studying the mechanics of the mystery genre while crafting my novel. Like many areasContinueContinue reading “Tips For Writing a Mystery Novel”
When A Plotter Goes Pantsing
How Your Writing Style Can Impact Your Writing No, I did not spend November running amuck around my peers pulling down their pants. However, I did spend this past NaNoWriMo doing something that might have been just as uncomfortable. I wrote a story by discovery writing. I have always self-declared my writing style as aContinueContinue reading “When A Plotter Goes Pantsing”
11 Most Common World-Building Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
When creating a whole new world, your goal is to build something that’s unforgettable! Shining, shimmering, splendid, should just be the tip of the iceberg. It can be a lot of fun to dream up ideas about alien spacecraft or magical laws. World-building is an opportunity to let our imagination run rampant and go BIG!ContinueContinue reading “11 Most Common World-Building Mistakes & How to Avoid Them”
Add Tension and Build Suspense with Try/Fail Cycles
In the first imaginings of our stories, we often have an end goal in mind. Character X is put into situation Y and comes out changed (whether that’s for better or for worse depends on whether it’s a positive or negative character arc). Our story would be rather short if the goal you set forContinueContinue reading “Add Tension and Build Suspense with Try/Fail Cycles”
Word Choice – How Anglo-Saxon vs. Latinate origin words can impact your writing
This article is not intended to be a grammar lesson. Instead, I want this to call attention to something I found fascinating. Since researching word origins, it has educated my word choice while writing to have a stronger intention. I strongly advocate writing with intention. It’s the same way I believe you need to understandContinueContinue reading “Word Choice – How Anglo-Saxon vs. Latinate origin words can impact your writing”
Newbie to Novelist 