Procrastination. We all do it at some point in our lives for one reason or another. For me, it’s usually because I’m faced with doing something I don’t like. I think that’s the reason for many people. When I stop to think about why I don’t like doing something, there’s often an underlying fear of…
Originally published Aug. 11, 2015 as “Can you recognize your character’s voice?” UPDATED June 3, 2024. My last blog talked about point of view (POV), so it seems appropriate today to discuss creating a unique character voice for each of your book’s main characters. Our voice is as much a part of who we are…
Omniscient point of view, the god-like view where the narrator knows all/sees all, has plagued me for a long time. I just couldn’t quite grasp how to write it. Omniscient was the POV of nineteenth-century books. Later, as third-person limited came on the scene, omni-POV fell out of favor with publishers. I hear that it…
The Bible says in Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” The words we speak have power to create life or death in our lives or the lives of others. If you doubt that, remember how God created all that He created: He spoke it. Now combine that with “faith…
Outlining a novel is quite different from nonfiction. And maybe you’ve heard the terms plotter and pantser. A plotter is one who outlines. A pantser is someone who writes by the seat of their pants—without an outline. I think most writers (fiction and nonfiction) tend to do a bit of both. I fall into that…
When I hear the word outline, I’m back in grade school laboring throughI.A.B.II.III. Is that what comes to mind for you when someone starts talking outlines. But that’s not what you need to do! Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Online Dictionary gives these definitions of outline: “the principal features or general principles of a subject of discussion; a…
Overwhelm can be paralyzing. And as I mentioned in my post “Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes,” fear can be an underlying factor to that overwhelm. Today I’d like to talk about a method that has helped me move through my fear and get things done. It’s called the Next Tiny Step (NTS) and was…
Overwhelm is a frequent topic of discussion among writers, as evidenced by last month’s blog post, “Are you feeling overwhelmed with publishing your book?” Family and job responsibilities can contribute to it. A lot of things have to be done, and we look at it and think, “This is impossible.” But that simply forces us…