Today’s guest post is from writer, artist, and editor Deborah Lyn Stanley. She is a retired project manager who now devotes her time to writing, art and care-giving mentally impaired seniors. She has published a collection of 24 artists’ interviews titled the Artists Interview Series. The series published as monthly articles for an online news network, can also be found on her web-blog: Deborah Lyn Stanley – Writers Blog. Her “How-To” articles have appeared in magazines. [Read more…] about To Plot a Story – Guest Post by Deborah Lyn Stanley
Writing Skills
Plotting: Finding a system that works for you
In recent months I’ve been stymied by my work in progress (WIP). Would I call it writer’s block? No. I was struggling to write because I simply didn’t know where the story was going.
You see, I decided to take a short story I wrote for a college class a few years back and develop it into a novella. That meant I had to expand on the plot of the story, and I hadn’t taken the time to do that before I started writing.
If you have no plot, you have no story.
For that reason, I’ve decided [Read more…] about Plotting: Finding a system that works for you
Ask the Editor: I’ve written a book, how do I get it published?
I question I get at least once or twice a month by email is “I’ve written book, how do I get it published?” or similar variations.
It’s a question I covered on my Facebook page live “Ask the Editor.” For those of you who don’t follow my FB page, I thought I’d offer it here.
If you have a question you’d like to have answered via live FB video, leave it in the comments.
Backstory in Your Novel: Getting It Right
Two mistakes writers make when it comes to backstory are:
- Putting it in chapter one
- Using too much at a time
What is backstory?
Tim Tomlinson, in The Portable MFA in Creative Writing, tells us backstory is: [Read more…] about Backstory in Your Novel: Getting It Right
Show don’t tell: Dissecting what it looks like
Show don’t tell.
Does this piece of advice kink you up in knots? Writers hear it all the time from various angles—other writers, editors, and conference workshop instructors.
When I first starting writing, I struggled with it, too. Too many of the blog posts I read only talked about it and never showed any examples. Sample sentences go a long way in helping me recognize mistakes in my writing.
In a recent webinar Q&A, attendees expressed their difficulties with show don’t tell. So today, I’m offering several examples and some explanations that I hope will help you get untied.
Kudos to my client Donna Wittlif who has allowed me to use 2 excerpts from her WIP as illustrations. [Read more…] about Show don’t tell: Dissecting what it looks like
What to do when your motivation takes a vacation
Sometimes it takes all the willpower I can muster to put my butt in the chair and write.
By day I’m a freelance editor/writer and by night an editor for CrossRiver Media. I’m single and my children are grown, but I still have all the household chores to do.
Work, eat, sleep. Work, eat, sleep. My motivation wants to hop a train to Denver, and leave me behind to the comfort of the couch and a mind-numbing DVD.
Because I’m self-employed, I can give in to this lack of motivation for a day. I justify it by telling myself I deserve a day off. But then a day becomes two and sometimes three.
Do you ever have days like that? Weeks maybe where you lack the motivation to work toward your dreams?
I’m guest posting today at BirdFaceWendy.com. Join me there for the rest of this post.
How to Use Track Changes in MS Word
As a writer, I use Scrivener to create my documents—even my blog posts. As an editor, my primary tool is MS Word and Track Changes. While I’ve never asked other editors what they use, I’d venture they use track changes, too.
That makes it critical for writers to understand what track changes are and how to use them.
So today, I’m offering a video from Lynda.com as a quick tutorial.
Should I Use Real Places in my Story?
For those of you who missed last month’s Facebook live Ask the Editor video, I’m sharing it here today.
Never mind that I couldn’t seem to say my name that day–the hazards of live video. 
The question is “Should I use real restaurants, stores, and places in my story?” [Read more…] about Should I Use Real Places in my Story?