Incorporating the five senses into your writing A year ago, someone shared with me a grounding technique. We all have our methods to bring ourselves back to the present moment, and this exercise focuses on using the five senses to reconnect with the immediate environment. First, arrange yourself into a comfortable position. Relax your breathing. …
World-building appeals to me because anything is possible. Well… let me rephrase that. Anything is possible, so long as you can convince the reader it can be. I love exploring the winding avenues world-building opens. What is more surprising (and interesting) is the many branches a single thing causes. I create a world with a …
Those who subscribe to my newsletter will have received one tool I use to create a memorable character. But how can we deep dive into our characters so the reader will keep turning the pages? 1. Look at the fictional characters you love and ask yourself why Writers are readers. Which fictional characters are memorable …
Read more “Ten ways to make your fictional characters memorable”
Earlier in the year I blogged about the reasons why I wasn’t partaking in CampNaNo and why it doesn’t work for me. Yet here we are, in November, and I’m signed up to write fifty thousand words in thirty days. Let me explain… Resurrecting an ailing writing habit. I mentioned before that I have used …
If you’ve ever wondered, read on. If you haven’t, but like ambient, electro and soundscapes, then keep reading. Cookies (not in a good way) I was born with mid-range hearing loss. On an audiogram, the line pattern looks like someone has taken a big bit out of a cookie, hence it’s more “fun” name, Cookie-bite …
I’m looking at a nearby wind turbine. Despite the breeze, it refuses to spin. It proves to be an excellent analogy for my current writing output. The urge to write is there, no doubt about that. Plus, there is a heap of stuff in my head, so all I need to do is open Scrivener …
On the 24th of September 1974, premature twins Guy and Sarah were born. By the 30th of September, both were buried. Guy lived for one day. Sarah, for ten hours. I never knew them because I wouldn’t be born for another nine years, but they are still my brother and sister. What does this have …
Balancing Show and Tell Writers often hear the advice we should show, not tell, in our writing. I like to strike a healthy balance between the two. But how can we show our characters more effectively? Let’s take two examples: ‘Get out,’ he said angrily. The first example is a classic example of a tell. …
April heralds the first Camp NaNoWriMo for 2023, and I’m giving it a miss. Why? Because, personally, NaNoWriMo never works for me. The Deadline I’m not against deadlines. I enjoy the adrenaline buzz those short periods of stress can propel me to achieve. Except, it doesn’t work like that with my writing methods, and combined …
For me, writing is a lonely activity. It’s paradoxical to think I spend long periods in solitude, writing about made-up people and their social interactions with other made-up people. Am I missing out on experiencing interactions with real people? Or am I learning more about myself and the human condition through the writing process? Imagination …