When you attend a writing conference, workshop or book fair pay attention to how the established authors talk about their books. Note how they engage the audience. Do they tell you the story, how they wrote the story or a combination of both? Does the tone of their presentations match the genres of their novels? How do they project their voices and use body language to draw the audience in? Then, apply what you learned and decide how to best connect to your audience.
Tag Archives: practical prompts
Practical Prompt 9-10-18
Posted in Administrator, Practical Prompts
Tagged conferences, practical prompts, writing tips
Practical Prompt 4-16-18
Writing styles change over time. Books you loved that were written years ago might not be publishable in today’s market. This week, pick out three contemporary books in the same genre of your story and plan to read them in your down time.
Posted in Administrator, Practical Prompts
Tagged practical prompts, publishing trends, reading
Practical Prompt 4-4-18
In compelling drama, bad things happen to the characters; but ending scene after scene on a dark note can exhaust readers. Go back through your manuscript and make sure the negative doesn’t overshadow the positive. Strive for a healthy balanced mixture of both to keep your readers turning the pages.
Practical Prompt 3-7-18
Make the most of the time you have to write by using your pre-writing downtime wisely. Are there character backstories that need fleshing out? Plot points that aren’t fully formed in your mind? In between your writing sessions, make a list of the details in your story that need attention. Then, when you find yourself commuting, walking the dog or folding laundry, work through the list in your head. By the time you’re ready to sit down to write, you’ll have the details fresh in your mind to get them onto the page.
Posted in Administrator, Practical Prompts
Tagged practical prompts, soft writing, time management, writing tips
Practical Prompt 1-24-18
Knowing when you have time to write is the first step to establishing a consistent writing habit. Over the next week, analyze your routine to figure out how long you can commit to writing each day during February’s Write by Midnight challenge. Look for pockets of time to write, even if they aren’t at the same time each day. Or, see where you can add minutes to your daily writing schedule if you’re already in a good habit.