Tag Archives: challenges

It’s nice to have surprises, especially during this time of year. With Christmas only days away and the new year just a week after it, things can get stressful. In some ways it can feel like the rising conflict of a story. At that point where the reader gets a general idea of the dangerContinue reading “Like a Story’s Rising Conflict”

It’s that time of year when I find myself noticing the small things that happen all around. Whether it is a stranger smiling or wishing happy holidays, or a small accomplishment in my day job, they’re always there if I look. This time of year I look more for them because of the holiday season.Continue reading “The Little Things Make All the Difference”

This week, I’ve been revising and editing my book. I generally work through it chapter by chapter, finding and fixing the errors and straightening up the story. It’s a fun process, but it takes time. When I could probably read the book cover to cover in a week, this may take me a couple weeks.Continue reading “Working to Revise My Book”

These last two weeks have been busy. I’m almost done with my draft of my current book. I’m just one chapter away from the ending I wrote a few weeks ago. The story is shaping up nicely, but once I finish this draft, I’ll spend some time going back through it to perfect it. IContinue reading “Just One Chapter Away”

This week as I’ve written more of my book, I’ve ended up with one character who is desperately looking for the easy way out. Things have gotten too hard for him. He’s torn between what little loyalty he has to a friend and his personal safety. The risks seem too high if he stays withContinue reading “Loyalty Versus the Easy Way”

This week has been extremely busy for me, but I’ve managed to write every day. Even if it is just a little bit each day, I have kept my book in progress moving along. This draft is close to the end, and the characters are struggling. They’ve had a few chances to make things work,Continue reading “Even Characters Want to Give Up”

It’s been another productive week. I’ve been writing my book every day, nearing its end for this draft. This book is going to be longer than a lot of the others I’ve written, but I plan to trim the fat away as I edit and work through it. I’m excited about where the story isContinue reading “Writing the End Before the Beginning”

The nice thing about stories and books is that the characters struggle with all kinds of problems, but usually by the end, they figure out most of them. I’ve been thinking about that resolution that comes at the end of a good book, where things settle out. In my next book, I’m still building toContinue reading “Enjoying My Characters’ Failures, Almost”

I’ve been working hard on my current book, writing every day, and trying to make it my best book so far. But while writing these last two weeks, I’ve noticed how the story seems to sit in the back of my mind no matter what I’m doing or where I am. As I drive toContinue reading “Writing a Story Versus Creating a World”

Change is constant. Just like the inciting event in a story, some changes open the way for bigger growth. Think about some of the best stories and how the main character changed from the beginning to the end. In many stories, the inciting incident is the moment or event that disrupts the characters’ lives. InContinue reading “The Inciting Event”