Tag: writing techniques

Do You Hear What I Hear? – Music & Writing

music for writers music-581732_960_720I believe the majority of writers are creatures of habit. Many of us have a writing routine. Maybe we sit in the same corner in our favorite Starbucks, or sit staring at the person who is already there until they get uncomfortable and leave. Not that I have ever done that. Or, perhaps there is a particular ratty old sweater or broken-in pair of slippers you have to wear before the word count can begin.

For most writers, one of the key elements is sound — or the lack thereof. A large percentage of writers insists on total silence in order to create. If you are one of those writers and have a significant other, or kids, or pets, I imagine that is a huge challenge. I have an image in my head of a writer, steaming cup of hot something beside them, settling into the silence to write. Her fingers hover over the keys, a sentence of unparalleled brilliance comes into her head… and the lovely quiet is shattered by a ringing doorbell. Or a truck’s air brakes outside. Or a million other distractions. Continue reading “Do You Hear What I Hear? – Music & Writing”

Handwriting Your Book – Choosing a Pen

authors fountain pen pen-631321__180Back in December, I wrote about handwriting your book before typing it on the computer. We had quite a lively discussion about it, and I was pleased to see that many authors share my love of pens and the way they feel and write. In that vein, I decided to do a little round-up of pens.

Let me note here that I did not go out and buy every pen that people mentioned in the comments of that post. Writing the article, however, and the comments that followed did provide enough momentum for me to finally restock my dwindling supply of pens. In addition to that, my husband bought several different kinds and stuffed my Christmas stocking with them, so I am now well supplied. Here are the top candidates in my limited and very biased study. Continue reading “Handwriting Your Book – Choosing a Pen”

Writing the Book You Plan – Or Not

goat-620474_960_720Okay, I’ll preface this whole thing by admitting that I am a pantser. (Dang MS Word keeps wanting to change that to punster. Hmmm…) I do not outline, I do not do chapter synopses, I do not like green eggs and ham. (Sorry; keep getting sidetracked.) I may not know where the end or even the middle of my book is going to go. I get attacked by an idea, let it stew for a bit (anywhere from hours to days) and if it doesn’t evaporate with the morning coffee, I sit down and start writing.

So it may not be surprising that my books often end up being very different from what I thought they were going to be. Continue reading “Writing the Book You Plan – Or Not”

Foreshadowing: Layers of Writing, Layers of Consciousness

foreshadowing cloister-102491_640So if you remember my post about cultivating inspiration, you’ll know that I’ve been re-reading all my favorite books and using them to launch myself whole-heartedly into my own WIP. I’m now reading my favorite book on the planet, A Prayer for Owen Meany, which I’ve read at least twenty times. You’d think by now I’d have the entire book memorized, yet every time I read it, I see something I never saw before. This time, I’ve been acutely aware of foreshadowing.

If you’re not familiar, foreshadowing is a literary device authors can use to hint at some action or meaning to come later in the book. It can be handled in many ways, from a subtle allusion to a 2×4 upside the head. Earlier this year, our own Laurie Boris wrote a post about the most ham-handed way to foreshadow, aka telegraphing. As I’ve been reading Owen Meany, however, I’ve been struck by the more ingenious ways to foreshadow, ways that — had I not already read the book twenty times — I would probably completely miss.

It got me to thinking: why do we foreshadow? Why is it attractive for the author? Why, when it’s well done, is it gratifying for the reader? Continue reading “Foreshadowing: Layers of Writing, Layers of Consciousness”