Last year was a strange year. I was home from work for several months during the worst of the pandemic and thought I would get a lot of writing and editing done in that time. I definitely picked up some crafty hobbies, like miniature building, and worked a lot on my blog, but my novel felt like…work. Like, I needed to prove I was still a productive citizen of capitalism. And honestly, I think that period of time was a gift in some ways in that it allowed a lot of people to rest and reset. (While simultaneously revealing a lot of devastating structural flaws in our system of government.) At the end of the day, I’m not going to stress myself out over not enough work time put in. I managed to keep my mental health in a relatively good place and that’s really enough for me. I have been trying to put more of an effort into my writing and editing lately and thought I’d share some writerly memes that have made me laugh and kept me sane.
Continue reading “A Writer’s Life”Tag: on writing
Room to Breathe: Negative Space in Writing.
“Space is the breath of art.”
American architect Frank Lloyd Wright
Nowadays, a lot of us have had the experience of reading a fast-paced, action-packed book that jumps from one disaster to the next with no room to breathe. And according to most writing advice, escalating plot tension is the “correct” way to write. But it is not a reflection of real life. While many events may happen to us in a row, there is also downtime between events for us to grieve or process changes. There is also a baseline “before”, a status quo before things change. Life before the zombie apocalypse /oppressive government regime/ regulation of magic / dragon extinction, etc…
In a book, these “before” and “during” spaces give the reader room to breathe. A temporary release of the tension allows readers to process what they read and to form strong attachments to your characters. Repeat after me: A story needs downtime. A story needs room to breathe.
Continue reading “Room to Breathe: Negative Space in Writing.”FRIDAY PHOTO PROMPTS: Art Installations
Happy Friday everyone! It’s time for – you guessed it – Friday Photo Prompts! Today I decided to post photos of art installations.
I love how art installations alter our perceptions of the world around us. They make us reconsider mundane objects. They transform ordinary spaces. I think there is potential for some great fantasy world-building in these photos. How could you incorporate elements of these pictures into a fantasy or sci-fi story?
Continue reading “FRIDAY PHOTO PROMPTS: Art Installations”Writing Rituals: Creating a Third Space.
Let’s cozy up together…and talk about…writing rituals.
You might ask yourself: what’s the difference between a ritual and a habit? Well, habits are things we do every day without thought – drinking water, brushing our teeth, tying our shoes. Through repetition, these tasks have become effortless. Unlike habits, rituals are not passive. Rituals require mindfulness. Rituals are a choice we make, over and over again.
Continue reading “Writing Rituals: Creating a Third Space.”Friday Photo Prompts
For today’s Friday photo prompt, I chose photos of people that invite you to tell their story. As writers, it’s easy to get caught up in the physical details – hair color, eye color, skin color – and lose a big portion of what makes us human. Characterization isn’t just what someone looks like – but what they do – their small gestures, habits, idiosyncrasies, the way they dress, the work they do, the things they create, the way they interact with people…
Continue reading “Friday Photo Prompts”April: Camp NaNoWriMo
Happy April everyone! I’m happy to report the weather is finally sunny here. While I have some free time, I’ve been trying to work on the last few chapters of my novel. Since it’s good to have a goal and something to work towards, I’ve decided to join April’s Camp NaNoWriMo.
Continue reading “April: Camp NaNoWriMo”Friday Photo Prompts
If you’re looking for writing inspiration, go no further. These ten images will get ideas percolating in no time. Let these strange and awe-inspiring landscapes from real life inspire your next project!
Continue reading “Friday Photo Prompts”How to Write a Novel Synopsis
There comes a time in every writer’s life where they’re asked to write a synopsis of their book. Not to be confused with sales copy (which is persuasive marketing to get readers to buy your book) the synopsis discloses a book’s entire narrative arc. It divulges to an agent or publisher what happens in your story, from start to finish. And it reveals all the twists and surprises that are held back from your reader. A synopsis needs to convince an agent or publisher that your premise is exciting and marketable. It assures them that character actions and motivations make sense. On the flip side, it can reveal plot flaws, lack of structure or hackneyed or cliched ideas.
The dreaded task of writing a synopsis is not fun or easy, but necessary. Most agents or publishers will ask for a synopsis (in addition to a query letter and manuscript sample) before considering taking on a book. Unfortunately, there is no one “right” way to write a synopsis, but the general consensus is that it should be 500-700 words, single-spaced. So how do you convey everything about your book in a modicum of space?
Continue reading “How to Write a Novel Synopsis”What To Do When You Get Stuck
It’s almost a cliche at this point. The writer staring a blinking cursor in a blank Word document or at an untouched sheet of paper, unable to go on. And while many claim to have writer’s block, it’s sort of like claiming you’re haunted by the ghost of an 18th-century apple scrumper. There’s nothing to prove you aren’t possessed by a barefoot French urchin boy in a neighboring fruit orchard, but nothing to prove you are either. In other words – it’s all in your head.
Continue reading “What To Do When You Get Stuck”Diversity in Fantasy: We Can Do Better.
One of the best things about writing in the fantasy fiction genre is that anything goes. I’m not saying there aren’t rules – there are – Harry Potter wasn’t able to bring his parents back from the dead, the One Ring gave Frodo powers, but not without consequence. If done correctly, magic or superpowers shouldn’t be a panacea to all life’s problems or there would be nothing at stake, nothing for our hero to overcome or run up against. There are limits to magic and rules that govern fantasy worlds. But – the good news is, as a writer – you make the rules! You can create a fictional world of fish people, so long as you can convincingly explain to the reader how they’re able to breath under water, what kind of teeth they have for eating prey and how they’re able to navigate the darkest depths of the ocean. Fantasy – no matter how far-fetched – must have a basis in reality or you risk the reader suspending their disbelief.
Which is why a lot of fantasy worlds draw from science, historical events, real people or historical periods. Doing this provides the reader with a recognizable framework through which to view the world. Going forward, let’s call that framework belief glasses. As long as the writer provides the reader with a pair of belief glasses, the reader should be able to comfortably navigate the writer’s world and not get taken out of it. So when you’re creating those glasses, why create ones that only see white people? Why create glasses that can see dragons but not women in positions of power? Why not make full-spectrum glasses?
Continue reading “Diversity in Fantasy: We Can Do Better.”
Leigh Hecking 