Mar 22 Posted by WFYS

Guest post: Mining a writing tip from Mandy Patinkin

EDITOR’S NOTE: During a conversation thread on author R.J. Keller‘s Facebook timeline, I was intrigued by fellow writer April Hamilton‘s take on a Youtube video featuring a few acting tips from Mandy Patinkin.  He’s one of my all-time favorite actors, so I was hooked already, and I loved hearing him speak so passionately. But when April started relating his tips to writing, I knew... read more

Nov 7 Posted by WFYS

Ringing true: creating realistic characters

Know what? Fiction readers do not want role models. They want to read about themselves. They might find characters they like and hope to be, but they certainly don’t need a tidy moral at the end, an overbearing message, or a broad theme drilled into their heads over and over again. They need to identify with your characters — the protagonist, the villain, or even the quiet mother-in-law who... read more

Oct 29 Posted by WFYS

Forget the facts and let’s be practical

There is a fun little quote I’ve been saving to use for a Quote of the Week sometime, but forget that. Here it is: It doesn’t matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was. ~Anne Sexton I love that. And it’s so true. Good thing it’s true, too, because if the literary world were waiting on an agreement between my mind and my mother’s on any single incident from... read more

Jan 4 Posted by WFYS

Naming your imaginary babies

So, you’ve got your plot. You’ve written a handful of story outlines, done some research on the setting you’re thinking of using, and told all of your friends and neighbors to back off, get lost, and leave you alone to write. Awesome. It’s a good start. But what happens when it’s time to put pen to paper and actually create the characters you’ve been... read more

Jan 2 Posted by WFYS

4 things not to do when editing your manuscript

I can’t overstate how important it is to edit your book before sending it off into the ether. Careful proofreading and double-checking your story’s consistency are key. Editing is the make-or-break difference between the writer who get an acceptance and the one who gets yet another form rejection. When it’s finally time to tackle the editing and rewriting phase, there are a few... read more