• Writing Through the Winter Blues

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    You don’t have to live in Alaska to feel the effect of the winter blues. If you live in the south, the lack of daylight after work can be enough to throw off your mood. Where most could hunker down and cozy up inside until spring, if you’re a writer you may need to push through your winter blues in order to keep creating. But how do you keep writing if you aren’t feeling chipper? Some days aren’t meant to be pushed through; if you’re having a bad day let yourself have a bad day. Drink enough water, do something…

  • There's less than a week left of NaNoWriMo. Here’s how to keep moving forward, no matter which stage you’re at in your writing this month.

    NaNoWriMo Check-In 

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    If you’ve been participating in NaNoWriMo this year, my guess is you’re acutely aware that there is less than a week left to accomplish the challenge of writing 50,000 words in the month of November. Don’t start to sweat at that thought. Here’s how to keep moving forward, no matter which stage you’re at in your writing this month. If you’re super far behind. Take a few minutes to figure out why or how you got so far behind on your NaNoWriMo project. Did something unexpected come up at work or home that is out of your control? Give yourself…

  • We've compiled some tips on how to keep your head in the game during this year's National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo): 1. Only end a writing sesh when..

    Stay On Track During NaNoWriMo 

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    National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an annual event in which participants commit to writing a 50,000-word novel during the month of November. It began in 1999 as a challenge between friends, but it’s since grown into a global writing challenge with hundreds of thousands of participants each year. We’ve compiled some tips on how to keep your head in the game during this year’s NaNoWriMo. Disconnect. You know how people always say you need to unplug to be productive? Well, they’re annoyingly right. Turn off the TV, cellphone, stay away from the internet, all of it. If you need…

  • After reading an intense, significant scene, readers might need a little breather (scene break). Here are 4 other times to use a scene break in your novel..

    When to Use a Scene Break

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    Did you know the symbol—most commonly three asterisks—inserted between sections of text to break the scene is called a dinkus? Scene breaks serve many purposes, but one reason it’s used is to give readers a breather. Imagine reading an intense scene that holds a lot of significance, but the chapter doesn’t end when the scene ends. You’d need a little breather, right? That’s what the dinkus—or scene break—provides. Here are four other times to use a scene break. 1. When you want to transition from a present-day narrative to a flashback. A scene break is a useful writing tool when…