If you are feeling stuck with a work in progress or need help moving a writing project forward, you’ve come to the write place. In the list below, writing tools, resources, writing exercises and more are waiting for you, your pen and your imagination. It is my hope that in this massive collection of writing tips fiction writers and educators find both guidance and hours of writing enjoyment. When I gathered all of these posts, there were a few common threads. So you will see a few posts grouped together followed by a few outliers. If you like what you see, click here to subscribe to my blog and receive a weekly dose of knowledge, inspiration and word nerd resources delivered to your inbox.
Happy writing,
Amanda Zieba
Writing Tips
STORY ELEMENTS
Naming Characters: 4 Websites to Help Authors Choose Character Names
A common question I get while leading writing workshops and presenting for school visits, is how do you come up with character names? And the answer is … not concrete. A name has to FEEL right to me… and so, often times, I do a little searching… try a few names on… and sometimes change them. More often than that though, a name will have a specific layer of meaning for the story… sometimes significant, other times just tongue in cheek… but either way, for me as a writer, names “come to me” or are chosen… if not in a meaningful way, in a way that has meaning. Am I making any sense?!?!?
To actually help you, rather than just ramble about my own writing process, here are four websites I use when on the hunt for a good character name.
From Life to Scene: Transforming Every Day Life into Relatable Characters
This week I bought each of my sons two new packs of socks. Do you know how I know there’s nothing better than brand new socks? Both my boys, ages 8 and 11, told me, on separate occasions, how much they love them. “They are so soft!” “The bottoms are so thick it felt like I was wearing shoes when I went outside.” (Thus the reason for needing new socks…) It was a simple joy at a bargain price. (Thank you Target Circle!) Something small that made them, even if for a moment, supremely happy.
Why am I telling you this? Because, for me, it is often everyday moments like this that inspire a story scene. An absolute truth (new socks are a wonderful thing and a simple pleasure) that I can use to lead me into a scene. Now, I realize an entire chapter can not be all about new socks, let alone a whole book. But a conversation about it, or a mother’s thought process about her sons’ socks while folding laundry (that resulted in throwing 3 nasty, hole riddled and stained socks away) could be a relatable beginning.
First, let me show you an example, and then I’ll give you some ideas on how to incorporate your everyday moments or simple pleasures into a story scene.
Telling Time Literary Style
During my critique group last week we were talking about the passing of time. We were specifically discussing best practices for showing the passage of time in our stories.
It is easy to fall into the trap of telling each and every little part of our characters’ days. They woke up; they ate breakfast. They went to work and had a meaningful conversation, and then went out to happy hour with a few co-workers and blah, blah, blah. The career pivoting conversation was the important part of the scene, but if we didn’t say the character ate scrambeled eggs and was annoyed by their morning commute, did it really happen? What could you leave out? And when could you hit the fast forward button? What should you absolutely not skip? Most importantly, what kinds of signal words should you be using to tell your reader the chronology of events without boring or confusing them?
Creating a Character
I was recently tasked with creating an endearing, memorable character. Quirky. Smart. Ageless. Not a big deal, right? As writers and readers beloved characters constantly surround us. We wear their faces on t-shirts. We decorate our offices with beautifully designed posters featuring their words. We use them as viable comparisons to real human beings in our every day lives. We wish they were our friends in real life and sometimes, it even feels like they are. Hermione Granger. Sherlock Holmes. Scarlett O’Hara. Atticus Finch. Pippy Longstockings. Jo March.
No biggie. I got this. Endearing. Memorable. Quirky. Smart. Ageless. Yikes. I immediately found myself lacking confidence, so I scurried to the library to scrounge up any and all titles comparable to my task.
Cracking the Conflict Code
I suspect that as a writer I look at stories differently than the average consumer. I am acutely aware of when I am sucked into a story, when a literary technique is being employed and when the author has successfully manipulated my emotions to benefit the story experience. But this isn’t just true for the books I read. It is also true for the media I consume on-screen.
One of the most intense experiences I have had while watching with my “author lenses” on was when I watched the movie Passengers for the first time. The balance of internal and external conflict in this movie is pure perfection. It ebbs and flows in a pattern that had my heart aching both from empathy for the characters and from racing during intense action sequences. Just when one form of conflict let off the gas, the other ramped up. I knew what the screen writers were doing, and I was still all in. My husband and I talked about this movie for days afterward, dissecting the characters’ choices and what-if scenarios. We discussed alternate endings and hypothetical situations as if we too would some day board a ship and travel for a hundred years in hyper-sleep only to be woken too early.
I knew I was being manipulated and yet, I loved it… because if I was smart enough to recognize it, maybe I’d be smart enough to replicate it.
Character Vision Boards and Mood
One of my favorite times of day is 6:45 PM. It is at this point in the day of our quarantine routine when my sons put in a movie and more or less settle down for the day. It is a time of day when we can all be in the same room together, but we don’t all have to be doing the same thing. This is frequently a time when I get work done.
Except that on the particular night I’m going to share with you, I was tired. Not sleepy, per say, but mentally drained in a way that wouldn’t produce quality work. I’ve learned that when you work from home, and everyone else is also ALWAYS home, it simultaneously feels like you are ALWAYS WORKING and NEVER WORKING. Any available pocket of time feels like it should be utilized to cross just one little thing off the to-do list. The ever present awareness of this fact kind of made me crabby, and knew that if I did manage to get into a good flow and was asked to stop to get milk, clean up a spill, restart the movie, fill in any child like request – I’d likely lose my sh-, patience. And yet, I didn’t want to waste the hour and a half of semi-preoccupation the movie time would afford me.
So instead of pulling out my computer or a paper copy of my manuscript in progress, I grabbed a stack of magazine I had been saving specifically for kids’ collaging projects. As I paged through the glossy papered editions of Parents and People, I looked for images and words that connected to the four cousin characters in my novel Close Quarters and also the series as a whole.
Character Creation
Character. Without it, your story is meaningless. Your reader needs something to care about, SOMEONE, to root for, empathize with, and emotionally invest in.
Two of my current fiction projects are demanding that my attention be focused on character, which got me thinking about how to better understand who my characters really are. How do you get to know someone you created in your imagination? There are plenty of activities and workbooks out there. And some of them are really great. Here are two I strongly recommend.
Secrets to Character Creation
A fellow writer (Hi Alex!) asked me an interesting question. What would make a character exceptionally loyal? I mean, loyal past the point of logic. Loyal even when they probably shouldn’t be.
Hmmm. Good question. Good, because it would require some thought, and thought is a great activity for the creative brain. Good, because the answer to this question would make her story so much better. Even if this information doesn’t make it into Alex’s final manuscript in an extensively detailed backstory moment, the knowledge of why her character acts the way he or she does will positively impact this character’s creation as a whole. Good, because knowing why your character is the way they are will help you make crystal clear and specific choices about the decisions the character makes. Clear as mud? Great, let me explain.
Behind the Scenes of a Story Setting
One of my favorite story elements is setting. Even though I don’t get to travel much in real life (it’s not really in the teacher-write budget!). Or maybe BECAUSE I don’t get to travel much in real life… I LOVE reading about far away places. And far away times too.
This summer I read a book about a place not-so-far from home, Madison, Wisconsin, more specifically, the campus of the University of Wisconsin Madison. And even though I’d been there many times (Go Bucky!), author Angie Stanton made it feel alive in a whole new way. I had chance to ask Angie a few questions about her award-winning book. See what this Wisconsin author has to say about her writing process, intriguing research and more in the interview below.
WRITING EXERCISES
Getting Out of a Writing Rut
I have a confession. I’ve been in a bit of a writing rut. Let me explain. My writing cycle follows three distinct phases: WRITE. PUBLISH. PROMOTE. I write a manuscript, publish it as a book and then promote it. Writing usually takes 5-9 months, publishing 6-8 weeks and then, I promote it until I die. It’s the last step that holds me up. Because I’ll never be done promoting a book. I could (and will) forever be in promotion mode. It is the fact that this job never ends that makes it so hard for me to move back to the beginning of the cycle again. Which is sooooo strange, but because as soon as I start writing again I say, “Ohh, yeeahhh, THIS is why I do this. THIS is what makes it all so fun.”
For me, the initial idea dumping on paper is my favorite part. So, why-oh-why, do I take so long to get back to it!?!?! Likely it is because there are just so many tasks involved in the job of being an authorpreneur and it is very easy to think that those tasks, NEED to be done and are MORE important than writing. But those are just lies we let ourselves believe.
Keep Your Writing
I was that kid who – when my mom told me to go clean my room – would get lost in her collected memories. I was (okay, still am) a rule follower and had good intentions for this chore, but I’d start at my cluttered desk, put some books away on the shelf and then start on the papers… notes from friends, unopened mail, both of which I’d read and then it all went downhill from there. I’d have a lot of fun during these “cleaning sessions”, but I wasn’t super productive. (Can you relate?!?!?)
Walking down memory lane is just one of many great reasons to keep your writing.
Let me be clear, I am not advocating for hoarding. One old draft of any particular manuscript is all that is necessary (once the piece is published and you no longer legitimately need your own story breadcrumbs to see where you came from). No one should take this blog post as permission to create a fire hazard within their office. Instead, I’m encouraging you to resist the dramatic urge to burn (or recycle) old work just because it was rejected or because it no longer represents your current skill set. Not convinced? Here are 4 reasons why you should keep your old writing.
Writing Sprints
I wrote nearly 20,000 words in the first three weeks of November. 42 single spaced pages written in 11 pt. font. It is about half the length of my current work in progress, a romantic comedy novella… the sequel to my first book for adults. I feel pretty darn good about that accomplishment. I was able to manage this feat through the use of two strategies, and I want to tell you about them, so you can replicate my success.
Story Shopping
When I was a kid one of my favorite days of the year was back-to-school-supply shopping day. It’s not that I was impatient to actually begin school… I just loved all of those fresh notebooks, full of crisp and clean pages. I couldn’t wait to get them home and use my fancy new pens to fill them with words. But inevitably, I would turn the cover, poise my hand over the blank page and… nothing. No ideas. Not a single one. Today I have prepared for you a creative writing prompt that will hopefully force you to flex your creativity muscles and also provide you plenty of fodder to fill the pages of your favorite notebook (new or not).
Writing with the Sense of Smell in Mind
Two things make me crabby. The first is being woken up. I live my best life on eight to ten hours of sleep. I love my children, but when they wake me in the middle of the night or before my alarm sounds, I wish for them to cease to exist.
And the second thing is smells, specifically bad smells. I live in a house with three males. Farting and lengthy trips to the bathroom are not uncommon. Its the worse when we are all trapped in a car. The nasty smell from an over ripe dishwasher or pungent laundry hamper can also instantly crash my mood. The opposite is true of a good smell. A great candle, my mom’s spaghetti sauce, a fragrant whiff from a coffee shop… these things can perk me up in the space of a second.
It’s kind of crazy, and I know illogical. It’s not like people or inanimate objects intentionally try to piss me off or cheer me up with their odor. But they do. I have attempted to use smelly experiences in my writing a time or two.
Picturing the Muse (Part 1)
I often use pictures to capture my writing muse. And chances are, if I am teaching in my classroom or facilitating a writing workshop, picture prompts will be involved. Pictures are a great way to get the brain thinking and exploring. A picture presents part of the story and leaves you, the writer, to create the rest. What happened just before the image? How about after? If nothing else, writing from a picture prompt is a GREAT way to practice your description skills. I’d like to show you how I use pictures to very practically improve my writing.
Picturing the Muse (Part 2)
Last week I mentioned that my writing group, Wwink, has been using pictures during our bi-weekly writing “homework”. We have been exploring the ideas of visual cues and physical space so that we can figure out how exactly we can make our readers feel like they are living and breathing right inside a story scene along with the characters. Below you will see an image and the story I wrote to go with it. Before you read it, I’d like to give you a little background.
Creative Play
The world is full of different kinds of creativity. There are people who are creative… in a crafty way, in a problem solving way, in a witty way. There are hundreds of careers devoted to creativity. In addition to being a “fine artist”, you could be an… interior designer, chef, make up artist, cake decorator, architect, or a fashion designer. If you agree, or at least want to give it a try, here are a few ways you can practice your creative play today.
Author Research Trips
Chances are, if you’re an author, you’ve daydreamed about the glittering fantasy of a RESEARCH TRIP. To spend days in the actual setting of your story, breathing the air your characters breathe, listening to the soundtrack of their daily lives, sampling dishes on their local menu… it would be a gift! Taking on the challenge of communicating all of those sights, sounds, tastes and smells in words that will connect your readers to your story would also be a gift… at least in my opinion!
Revision Tips from Author Amanda Zieba
I have been fortunate enough to attend three, four-day writing excursions this summer. Since leaving the full-time teaching world, my home office hours are mostly dedicated to paying gigs. But, on these writing retreats, I splurge, allowing myself to dive head first into my fiction work.
This summer my fiction project is revising my YA Fantasy manuscript. As I’ve poured over these words (in some cases for the 3rd, 5th or 8th time!) I’ve learned a few helpful tips. Here they are!
10,000 Hours
Just hours after I returned home from an incredible writing conference, a book coach emailed me a highly anticipated evaluation of my YA manuscript. The book coach loved it. But there was oh-so-much work to be done. There were some cool characters, and apparently my dialogue rocks. But there were some massive plot considerations, and the in-story romances needed some serious attention. It was also about 20,000 words short for a YA fantasy. My story had a good foundation, but it needed WORK.
Switching Up Your Style and Skill Set
The task of writing encompasses many skills. While your abilities may lean toward one type of writing (fiction), it is good to occasionally brush up on the other (non-fiction). So even though I almost always write fiction, this past week while on vacation, I decided to brush up on my observational and reporting skills and deliver you a fact filled report. Ladies and Gentlemen, I proudly present, 5 Interesting Facts on the British Island of Bermuda.
Viewing Realistic Fiction With a New Lens
I’ve often said that I don’t particularly enjoy the genre of realistic fiction. I choose to read as an act of escape – to get lost in an adventure far from home, be it in the past of a historical fiction or a new world presented in a fantasy or science fiction novel. It’s why I rarely watch TV… it’s so much like real life… and I already spend most of my day there.
But lately the books I have most enjoyed reading take place firmly in our real world. This realization made me think about how much fun I had writing Champion Chocolatier and Reality Bites, both light-hearted chick-lit and also REALISTIC FICTION. I’m at the beginning stages of a new adult book and I’m betting it won’t take you too many guesses to figure out it’s genre. All things considered, I feel like I am turning over a new leaf and looking at this genre through a new lens.
Write What You Know (Part 1)
If you are a writer, you have undoubtedly heard the advice, “write what you know”. Honestly, I’ve always kind of dismissed it. My favorite genres to read and write have always been fantasy and adventure. My middle-class, Midwestern life didn’t’ really seem to match up with the stories I wanted to make up and tell. I could occasionally pull from a vacation location for setting details and mimic my students’ preteen language in my characters’ dialogue, but that didn’t really seem to truly encompass the advice to “write what you know”. Last week when I started writing scene snippets for a story idea I had involving the relationship of four cousins living in La Crosse, Wisconsin, I think I finally understood.
Write What You Know (Part 2)
One night, a few couple of years ago, I found myself seated and chatting with another writer atop a riverboat cruising the Wisconsin Dells. (Join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and you too could find yourself in this position!) This writer was a bit further in her writing journey than I, and I was eager to hear all of the wisdom she had to share. In this conversation she told me the thing all beginning writers want to hear.
“It was the single best thing I did for the craft of my writing.” But overall, I had not found a single, solid, sure-fire answer. Here, someone was FINALLY going to tell me. Melissa’s answer was, this book, The Practice of Creative Writing.
TOOLS
Writing Resource Round Up
It’s been a while since I did a writing resource round up… so today’s the day! Here are 8 go-to resources, tools, courses and all around word nerd goodness that I whole heartedly recommend!
Preptober: Resources to Ready Yourself for NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo is coming. In case you are new to the writing world, or aren’t a fan of acronyms, I’ll spell it out for you. NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.
Every November, writers strive to write 1,667 words a day for a grand total of 50,000 words by the end of the month. This is the equivalent of the average sized novel. It’s a huge challenge, but it can be fun too. I personally love these kinds of time-specific goals. I love creating a window of opportunity for myself to really focus and make progress on a project or manuscript.
Some people dive willy-nilly into their drafting on November 1st. I have tried that strategy and found that it can be exhilarating, but also, not super productive. I have had much more success when I planned ahead, when I prepared. Other authors agree and that’s why October, in the writing world, has been nicknamed, PREPTOBER.
In the spirit of preparation, I’m sharing a list of resources you can use to prepare yourself for NaNoWriMo success. I hope that you’ll give one (or some) of them a try and also that you have a really great writing season, no matter how you choose to make progress on your projects.
Word Count Calendar: Does it Really Work
Do word count goals really work? Why do authors count their words? In January I tried using a word count calendar to motivate myself and stay accountable to my goals. In the end, I wrote almost double my goal, finishing the month with 29,442 words written. Today’s blog post is going to be a look back at the days and the words, the process and the emotions. Maybe you have thought about a word count goal and are curious to see if it really works. Maybe goal setting has been a struggle for you in the past and you’d like some tips or advice to avoid pitfalls. Whatever the reason I’ve piqued your curiosity, keep reading!
Writing World Vocabulary Road Map
When I first wandered into the writing world, I felt continuously lost. The lay of the land, the shifting landscape, the unwritten rules and industry norms… everything felt foreign. Vocabulary and language were NO EXCEPTION. Half the time I didn’t even know what people were even talking about! It can all feel pretty overwhelming, especially when all you want to do is share your stories with the world. Can you relate?
Alright. Take a deep breath. Let’s get our feet on solid ground with a quick vocab lesson. I was a reading and English teacher for twelve years, so trust me when I say you are in capable hands. Below you will find an alphabetical list of writing world terms, phases, and insider vocabulary words defined and dissected. Hopefully once you’ve read them through, you’ll be able to look at your writing road map and feel a little less lost. Maybe you’ll even feel confident enough to travel further than you have ever gone before.
5 Reasons to Join SCBWI
Last weekend I attended one of my favorite word nerd events of the year. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Fall Retreat! Three jam-packed days of fun, professional development, networking opportunities and books. Books, books, books… so many books. It’s easy to see why this is one of my happy places, but just in case my reasoning isn’t 100% transparent, I thought I’d spell it out. Are you ready to learn more about this incredible international literary organization? Then read on.
Traveling Close to Home: Using YouTube as a Writing Tool
I’m at the beginning stages of a new novel project. If you follow my blog or Facebook page at all, you already know that I am hard at work on the sequel to Champion Chocolatier. And while I don’t want to give away too much info… I am willing to share that in this book Emmy will travel to North Carolina and gets to spend time at the Biltmore Estates – the largest privately-owned home in the United States.
But unlike Glensheen Mansion, which I feature in the first Champion Chocolatier, I haven’t been to the Biltmore Estates. Heck, I haven’t even been to North Carolina! My family and I are currently saving our extra pennies for a Disney vacation. Even though my husband and I could probably figure out a way to escape for a long weekend to explore this American palace first hand, the family budget just doesn’t have room for this excursion right now. So, what’s an author to do?
Save the Cat Software Review
For many writers, the first obstacle in writing a novel, is knowing what should go into the story. Later on in the process, writers face the process of trying to figure out how to sequence scenes, character growth, climactic moments and more.
If you are a writer that finds yourself unfamiliar with the major elements of a story and the order in which they should be told to maximize your storytelling effect… then you are in luck, because today I’m going to share a helpful tool that can help you with both situations, and so much more.
I'm excited to be a part of the WOW! Women On Writing blog tour for Save the Cat Writes Story Structure Software. I’ve submitted my work to WOW contests for a few years and also promote a class through their site, so when they approached with a free trial of the software in exchange for sharing my experience on my blog, I didn’t need a lot of pushing before I was ready to jump in.
Podcasts for Writers
I know that I’m behind the times on the topic that I’m going to talk about. I know that my sister and cousins (all younger than me) have been doing for years what I’m about to suggest. I know that other writers in my critique group have also discovered this wonderful medium as well, so I’m late to the party. But now that I’m here, I’m so glad I came. What on earth am I talking about? Podcasts.
Soundtracks for Life
This weekend I am presenting an author talk entitled, The Writer’s Workout: The Athletics of Writing. The basis of the talk is that if we treated our writing hobbies/habits/careers the way we treat our athletic endeavors, we would dramatically increase our success.
During the presentation I will share several insights from my own athletic past, and also tons of ways to implement helpful tips, techniques and resources into your writing life. All this of thinking and reminiscing about my days in the gym got me feeling a little nostalgic, and thus, the below thoughts were inspired.
#100
oday marks a momentous milestone for me and my blog. This is post #100. To celebrate, I’d like to share 100 pieces of writing wisdom. Below you will see an epic collection of writing tips, techniques, resources, suggestions and quotes from talented writers. A gift from me to you. Happy writing!
SCHEDULING AND WRITING LIFE
Bite Sized Writing In a Time of Waiting
I’m finding it a little difficult to focus these days. Normally I am a super-self-motivated and productive human being. Usually I am not only a list maker, but a list dominator. I set big goals and I work hard to achieve them. And while I don’t always make it to where I want to go, I almost always move the needle of progress.
I, like everyone else in our country (or quite possibly planet), suddenly find myself with an exorbitant amount of free time. My part time teaching responsibilities, which will end in April, take up minimal time and my author gig calendar has been wiped cleaner than a Clorox-ed door handle. You might think that this would be the perfect time to dive into a massive writing project. After all, I have the time.
Invented Deadlines
A bored writer is a broke writer, but needless to say, after an insane February, I was silently looking forward to March, a decidedly slower month for me… at least according to my calendar. But now that I am here, solidly in the month of March, my head is still swiveling. Instead of bouncing from task to task, my gaze is casting about for the next thing to work on. What needs and deserves my attention? This is one thing I don’t think entrepreneurs talk about enough.
What I Learned From Disney World As A Writer
As a creative I find it hard to experience something magical and not wonder at the process that created the result. As I sit in the Orlando International airport waiting to board my return flight, I find myself doing exactly that – reflecting on just what exactly did Disney do to create the magic we experienced the last seven days? What, as a writer, could I learn from my vacation experience? The answer is oh, so many things!
Fertilizer for My Story Seedling
Sometimes you see something or read something and an idea just grabs ahold of you. It’s a wonderful experience, but it’s not always explainable. Just what is it about a concept or a story that makes it so appealing? For me, it is an experience I am starting to associate with the very beginnings of a story idea. It is happening to me right now as I read the book The Lost City of the Monkey God, by Douglas Preston.
Well Written
“Well written.” It’s a phrase that gets tossed around at critique sessions, book clubs and literature reviews, but as a friend at our writing club’s retreat last weekend asked… What does “well written” actually mean? She asked with some trepidation, like it was an insider secret she had yet to learn. And I don’t blame her.
Plotters vs. Pantsers
In the writing world, novelists typically live in one of two camps… either among the plotters or the pansters. Up until recently I have spent most of my time in the pantser camp. A series of idea sparks and story scenes help me to begin a novel, and then, after those initial scenes are written, I work to bridge one part of the story to the next. It is a random, meandering, muse-dictated sort of storytelling journey.
Despite my enjoyment of this method, I have always wanted to write chronologically. It seems like it would be much more efficient than tracing back over my steps time and again, to make all the plot lines and character arcs line up. Unfortunately, that just isn’t how my brain works.
Manuscript Break Up
Occasionally you hear of authors scraping entire manuscripts or making massive, time sucking changes. Maybe it was the need to switch from third person close POV to first. Or perhaps they decided to cut a character or start from an entirely different place. I had heard of cases like this and seen the frustrating and emotional social media posts. I had read the authors notes in which the writer bemoans the number of drafts and thanks their editor and significant other for tirelessly supporting them when they didn’t think they were going to live to see the other side of the project.
But like an idiot I thought “that will never happen to me”. It was not an intentionally arrogant thought. I did not think I was better than these other authors, I just… I don’t know… didn’t think I’d be willing to throw away hours, months, or even years of work. Call it karma or the boomerang effect, if you will, but I’m currently finding myself in the very place I’d never thought I’d be.
Co-Writing
Most people view writing as a solo-affair. Moody, brooding, lonely… it dark, quiet places. Or maybe you’ve seen a writer exhibit an array of eccentric qualities in public, out and amongst the crowds, all while they ignore the rest of humanity and slave away at their keyboard.
It’s true, there are a lot of solitary hours in a writer’s world. It’s also true that to get the work done, writers need to forget large portions of the world actually exists so they can create new ones. But if you are a social butterfly interested in the industry of writing, it doesn’t have to be this way… all the time. One new popular trend is co-writing a book.
No Na-No For Me
For many writers in the world, today starts a month-long pilgrimage. Through daily diligence, and a healthy dose of anxiety-induced-pressure, writers will attempt to write 1,667 words a day throughout the month of November. These efforts total to a mind-blowing 50,000 words, or the basic length of a novel. This pleasure fest has been dubbed: National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short.
I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo twice. Neither time was I successful in reaching the holy grail of 50,000 words, but I did do a lot of writing, on a solitary project. The daily social media posts, community of writers, and word count goal were great motivators for me to get a project closer to done. But this year, it just isn’t going to happen for me.
The River Road
There is a road in my hometown that changes names four times between my house and my destination. To simplify things at my house, we call it “the River Road”. I love this road because it is a straight shot from one end of town to the other (actually it cuts through/connects three towns), and also because it is complemented by beautiful natural scenery. (It has taken me two decades of training to stop at the rest area look outs, instead of getting lost in my gazing and veering onto the rumble strips!) The River Road has taught me to pay attention… not just to my driving, but to the world and words around me, and the affect they have on my life.
Going to the Library
Once a week I go to the library with my students. Invariably the stack of work I’ve brought along to grade gets set aside. I wander the shelves recommending books to kids and scan new arrivals. I corner a few reluctant readers and successfully place a book I know they’ll love in their hands. I remind a clutch of kiddos to stay on task and admire beautiful displays up by the librarian.After everyone has checked out a book and is seated and quietly reading, I sneak over to the magazine rack. Because our school subscribes to a wide variety of publications that are available to students and staff alike, I have no need to pay to get my own at home.
A Blog Post in Which I Share Several Lists and Give Shout Outs
If you spend any amount of time with me, you will quickly discover 5 things. 1. I am more than slightly addicted to Diet Pepsi. 2. In the list of my life priorities, words are #2 on the list (behind my family). 3. I like lists. 4. My writing heroes include Maggie Stiefvater, Taylor Swift and Eminem. (An eclectic list, I know.) 5. If you happen to look at my hands… while I type, while I talk and use them to gesticulate, while I sign your book… you will notice my nails are always nicely manicured. It’s vice #3, right after Diet Pepsi and Cherry PopTarts. (Did I mention I like lists?) For this blog post I am going to combine #2, 3 and 4 to create the ultimate piece of WRITING WISDOM. Also, I may or may not be drinking a Diet Pepsi while I write this. Who am I kidding? I am most definitely drinking a DP as I write this.
ADVICE FROM OTHER AUTHORS
Interview with Wisconsin Author Jamie Pacton
Last month I read the book, The Life (and Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly. I loved it. I loved so many things about it. The book takes place in the Midwest, is written by a Wisconsin author, honestly handles relevant topics and is a girl-power book to boot. When I reached out to the author via Instagram for an interview and she said yes, I fell in love a little bit more. Below is a conversation I had with author Jamie Pacton about this, her first book, her life prior to writing it and what lies ahead in her writing career.
Percolate Your Productivity
In my family we say we’d rather be busy than bored, but I think this fall we are taking it to a whole new level. Which brings me to today’s post. When I started musing about a topic for this week’s Writing Wednesday, my mind kept wandering to lesson plans and carpool schedules and what in the heck we were going to eat. As I dug through my folders in search of a prompt for my writing club’s critique group meeting I came across a folder full of writing advice articles. And so, because my brain is mush and I find these articles incredibly helpful, they are what I have to offer to the writing universe this week. I hope you find something of value in the shared wisdom below.
Writing Wisdom from Barbara Joose
This past weekend I had the honor and pleasure of being a featured author at the Edgerton Book and Film Festival. It was three days (if you count the full day I spent at their middle and elementary school talking to their thoughtful and engaged students… which I do!) of books and book loving people. The highlight of the weekend, for me, was not one of my own speaking presentations (I did two, one on my process of writing The Orphan Train Riders and one entitled Self Publishing 101), but the hour I spent listening to and learning from Barbara Joosse.
A Transformative Visit With Kwame Alexander
Visiting schools is one of my favorite parts of being an author. I love being able to share my passion for words with students as well as seeing their sparks of curiosity and imagination catch fire.
Last week at the Wisconsin State Reading Association Convention I had the privilege to meet and listen to Newbery Award winning Kwame Alexander talk about his experience with author visits, of which he’s done more than TWO THOUSAND. He even managed to squeak one in on his way to the convention. In this post I share all I learned from this amazing author as he spoke to us at WSRA.
