Writing with Jennifer

  This article from No Film School is about using outlines in writing screenplays, but I'd make the argument that it applies to all kinds of writing. I love the point he makes about knowing what happens next. This is always a big source of stress, and there is a sense of freedom once you get the question answered. 

Check out this article from Berkeley News.  It's about a study that showed how conservatives and liberals had emotional reactions when they heard certain "hot button" words.  I love this. Why didn't I get a Ph.D. in rhetoric? (It's because I'm kind of lazy and also I had children) If you've studied persuasive writing at all, you know that there are buzz words you can include to make the reader think, and ultimately do, what you want. Certain words compel people to take action, especially to get out their wallets. In that same way, you can play upon people's natural leanings with your choice of words. That's one reason it's critical to know your audience.  Now there is that overlapping area between compelling and lying (using the words "sale" and "quality" are great ways of getting attention but they might be completely false... words like "quality," "terrific," "best" are particularly useful if ...

Now that NaNoWriMo has fully begun (what election?), the art of the outline has likely come into play.  Many writers use outlines when tackling a big project like a 50,000-word novel or another significant piece of writing. It's helpful to have a roadmap to keep the big picture in your head and give you a resource to turn to when you run into a brick wall and are trying to figure out what comes next.  Some writers don't do an outline at all. They prefer to just write and see where the story takes them. They may or may not have an end game or landmarks in mind. This is a great approach where creativity rules supreme but in my experience, it reduces the chances of the whole thing actually coming together as a whole.  On the other end of the spectrum is being too rigid with your structure. Every fiction writer knows that sometimes a character hijacks a story, and the author is just along for the ride. It's almost always best to ride that wave as far as you can because that c...

  Aspiring novel writers have a love-hate relationship with November, and it's not because of all the facial hair. November is NaNoWriMo, the time of year when we challenge ourselves to write, or at least get a good start on, that novel we've been putting off our whole lives.  This fabulously high-pressure movement started in San Francisco way back in 1999, but it really caught fire just a few years ago. Now you can find groups and contests and all kinds of activities related to the subject. In fact, you can use these diversions to procrastinate even further if you're so inclined.  There are some tips and tricks to getting the most out of the month.  1.Take a Break from Time Killers Think of November as lent for writers. You need to temporarily dump the stuff that wastes your time. No, I'm not talking about your spouse and children... although, if you could get away to a quiet retreat for the month, it definitely wouldn't hurt. But I'm really talking about socia...

There are different kinds of writer's block, but it's something most of us - maybe all of us? - experience from time to time. Sometimes it's having an idea in mind, but staring at the screen unsure how to begin. A similar theme is being stuck in the middle of a project - having completed section A, knowing everything about section C, but completely lacking section B.  Often for me, it just feels like I've turned on the faucet but the water just won't flow.  There are a couple of different approaches to writer's block. Your success will depend on what kind of block you're dealing with and your personality. To further complicate things, what works for you one day may not work the next.  Approach #1: Push Through Just do it. It's like eating your brussels sprouts. Tell yourself firmly that you're just going to sit down at your desk and not get up until you have 2000 words or a completed chapter or 3 hours have passed or whatever the goal is.  I've h...