Category: Productivity

Fundamentals of Fiction

One of the web’s most thoughtful writers writes about fiction on her way cool Wordstrumpet.Com blog:

by Charlotte Rains Dixon (Wordstrumpet.Com)

Novel writing is much on my mind these days.  If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that my debut novel, Emma Jean’s Bad Behavior, is due out February 12.  Not only that, but next week I’ll be in Nashville to talk to a local writer’s group and give a workshop about Scene and Structure in fiction.  And, to top it all off, I will be once again offering my teleclass, Get Your Novel Written Now, in March (though early-bird registration is open).

So, yeah, novel writing is on my mind, big time.  And as I proof the final copy for Emma Jean, as well as continue to work on my next novel, I’m reminded of what it takes to actually write a novel.  Which, let it be known, is a lot.  Even though its about the most fun you can have, ever, it is a lot.  But the actual writing of every novel has a starting point. read article

Why You Should Give Yourself Permission to Screw Up

We’re reaching an age – Oh God, late 20s! – where we’re finally starting to see that the most important thing we can do to stay sane, let alone be happy, is to forgive ourselves. 99u.Com gives us a few tips on the subject:

by Heidi Grant Halvorson

How does it feel when you make a mistake on something that really matters?

Is it frustrating?  Do you want to scream, to kick something, to slap your forehead really hard?  Do mistakes make you angry with yourself? read article

Writers are the Most General of Generalists

…And that’s a good thing. Here’s why:

Picasso_Kepler

Picasso, Kepler, and the Benefits of Being an Expert Generalist
by Art Markman

One thing that separates the great innovators from everyone else is that they seem to know a lot about a wide variety of topics. They are expert generalists. Their wide knowledge base supports their creativity. read article

Why You Should Always Write What You Believe In

…And get it out there. Anywhere and everywhere. Any way and every way. Cuz this is a wonderful case in point:

romevsrome

That time travel movie that started on Reddit is really getting made!
by Meredith Woerner

Rome Sweet Rome, the story about a gaggle of U.S. Marines who find themselves transported back in time and pitted against the might of Rome, started out as a question on Reddit: “Could I destroy the entire Roman Empire during the reign of Augustus if I traveled back in time with a modern U.S. Marine infantry battalion or MEU?” This question sparked James Erwin’s story and garnered a crap load of readers. read article

How to Write with Style

Hey, if anybody knows it’s Kurt Vonnegut. So:

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2009-07/23/how-to-twitter-your-way-to-$4,500.aspx

How to Write with Style: Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Keys to the Power of the Written Word
by 

Kurt Vonnegut has given us some of the most timeless advice on the art and craft of writing — from his 8 rules for a great story to his insights on the shapes of stories to his formidable daily routine. But hardly anything examines the subject with a more potent blend of practical advice and heart than Vonnegut’s 1985 essay“How to Write with Style,” published in the wonderful anthology How to Use the Power of the Printed Word (UK; public library). read article