Newsletter Articles
Most of these pieces are from my Great Lakes Literary newsletter. To sign up for that free monthly newsletter: click on the Newsletter Sign-up link in the column to the left. I look forward to sharing more of these helpful ideas and writing tips with you in the coming months!
Our newsletter is managed through MailChimp, and your name will not be used or shared with any other company.
A Passion for Place
Let’s look more closely at developing a deep sense of place in a novel. Consider David Guterson’s 1994 novel, Snow Falling on Cedars. The novel takes place on a small island, San Piedro, in Puget Sound in the 1950s in the Pacific Northwest. The novel’s plot revolves around characters and their actions. But most significantly, it happens in a place that sets the stage, confines the people, forces interaction, and becomes inherent in the book’s title.
Read the rest of this article . . .
Things to Blog About
A common question: what should I blog about as a writer? What would help build an online presence in a useful way . . . and not become a bottomless sinkhole for my time and writing energy? Here's my short list of good things to blog about.
Read the rest of this article . . .
Great Beginnings for a Novel
To write better, read the best . . . such as Ivan Doig. Note the techniques he employs, and you can begin to imagine how to emulate. Here is how he starts a wonderful novel.
Read the rest of this article . . .
How Sticky is your Story?
The term “sticky” came to prominence with a book called Made To Stick: Why Some ideas Survive and Others Die (Random House, 2007), by Chip and Dan Heath, about wildly successful ideas. The sticky idea was the one that stuck in the popular imagination and inspired others. Here are the six aspects of sticky success – and how to look at your own writing to enhance these crucial qualities of good storytelling.
Read the rest of this article . . .
In Praise of Eccentricity
The core of the writer's challenge is to tell a fresh story. Here's one secret: eccentricity!. Something odd needs to appear early in the pages of a manuscript to catch the attention of an agent or editor. And odd or quirky is, by nature, interesting.
Read the rest of this article . . .
Boost Your Personal Brand Online
Your brand image is not how you see yourself, but how others perceive you – quickly, clearly, positively. With a few easy steps, you can better define how others see you. To stand out from the crowd, take some time to strategically develop your brand.
Read the rest of this article . . .
“It’s Lovely To Live on a Raft”: Mark Twain and a Sense of Place
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), is best known for Huckleberry Finn (1885). Curiously, that work shares many points of plot, character, and theme with another novel, published a few years earlier: Sir Gibbie (1879), by George MacDonald. Yet while Clemens may have adopted plot items from MacDonald's tale, he freshened his version with a powerful sense of place.
Read the rest of this article . . .
Developing a Sense of Place (Part 2)
Place should not be an inconsequential backdrop, described in the first chapter but never referred to again. This is like meeting a character at the beginning who seems important, then disappears. Place needs to be involved at key points in the story’s flow. What are the logical spots where setting might be brought into play?
Read the rest of this article . . .
C.S. Lewis & the Art of the Believable Detail
It all began with an image of a faun carrying an umbrella and parcels through a snowy woods. Let’s look at a few techniques used by C.S.
Lewis, the story craftsman.
Read the rest of this article . . .
Developing a Sense of Place (Part 1)
Place is where everything in a story happens. But it is more than just a platform for stage action. Place influences stories far more than many realize. Stories that lack a “sense of place” are ordinary (and seldom advance from the depths of the slush pile). Here are some basic techniques for creating Place in your stories.
Read the rest of this article . . .
Harry Potter and the Fundamentals of Fantasy
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling has sold hundreds of million copies around the world, dominating bestseller lists and scooping up prizes as handily as Harry grabbed golden snitches in Quidditch. Here are 8 principles of writing fantasy that worked for Rowling, and might work for you.
Read the rest of this article . . .
The Art of the Set Piece
A “set piece” is a term that describes a particular kind of scene in a story (or movie). A set piece is framed and familiar, with some appealing elaboration of detail. If handled well, a wonderful set piece or two can make the difference between a story that gets published and one that doesn’t.
Read the rest of this article . . .
When Two Ideas Collide
Originality is a key to creating reader interest - and to having your work accepted for publication. So, how do you create a unique story?
Read the rest of this article . . .
Six Favorite Motivational Tips for Writers
Even professional writers have dry spells or need help to keep producing even when things are slow or uncertain. Here are six favorite tips to get yourself to write. I use them all.
Read the rest of this article . . .
Get Started on Your Marketing Platform (Part 1)
A writer’s marketing platform does what a physical platform does. It provides a structural support to give you more visibility. It lifts you up so you can more easily be seen and heard. On your platform, you stand out from the crowd.
Read the rest of this article . . .
How To Harness the Creativity of Details
Descriptive details about places, characters, and other story elements are essential tools for good writing. Well-chosen details appeal not only to your final readers but also to those crucial gatekeepers: agents and acquisitions editors. Do your stories lack engaging details? Or have too many? How do you go about creating the most effective descriptive passages to hook your readers?
Read the rest of this article . . .