Monthly Archives: November 2010

Loosening Up

Posted on November 18, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

Sometimes a story theme just cries out for a different writing style — and letting go of tried-and-true techniques is the key to getting at the heart of what you want to say. That’s exactly what happened to Paul Morgan, … Continue reading →

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Clutch Hitting

Posted on November 17, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

We all encounter situations in our writing life when we find ourselves under lots of pressure. We may be facing a looming deadline, coping with a creative logjam or embroiled in a revision that isn’t going well. At times like … Continue reading →

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“Editing” Ideas

Posted on November 16, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

“You can’t have a good idea without having a lot of ideas.” Linus Pauling A cautionary tale: A young, idealistic journalist came up with an idea for a story which he wrote with great enthusiasm and passion and submitted to … Continue reading →

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High Gear

Posted on November 15, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

“Life is like a 10-speed bike. We all have gears we never use.” Charles Schultz If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that one of my themes is how we can fruitfully apply lessons from outstanding … Continue reading →

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Finding Harmony

Posted on November 13, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

“Music became my mother. It never let me down.” Quincy Jones The legendary music producer and impresario Quincy Jones has a new book out called Q on Producing and it sounds like a blockbuster. For 60 years he’s been a … Continue reading →

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Book Benders

Posted on November 12, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

How are books being published in today’s marketplace: let me count the ways! Upended by digital derring-do, major publishers are experimenting with everything from video trailers to multimedia books in an effort to keep sales from sliding. Still, when a … Continue reading →

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Interviewing Technique

Posted on November 11, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

The more you know about your characters, especially your protagonist, the richer and more convincing your creations will be. When mystery writer Sue Miller gets stuck, she asks herself, “What are twenty things I know about my character?” You can … Continue reading →

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Pencil Carriers

Posted on November 10, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

In an engaging discussion of the writing life called Why Write?, the novelist Paul Auster tells a great story: When he was eight years old growing up in New York City, he was obsessed with baseball — this was back … Continue reading →

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Inventive Ideas

Posted on November 9, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

The wonderful thing about inventive ideas is that they’re everywhere you look — just waiting to be plucked and pruned. Here’s one I just love: A book agent and a college lecturer in classics and composition teamed up to create … Continue reading →

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Character Study

Posted on November 8, 2010 by karinwritesdangerously

It’s always a pleasure to hear enthusiastic readers, especially writing coaches, share some of their favorite ideas for pumping up the drama and excitement of a story. Today, I’ve been reviewing some notes I took at a workshop with two … Continue reading →

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