2MinWritingTip
#2MinWritingTip – Don’t Be A Blind Follower
You’ll notice that in the tip above I did not say “break the rules.” There’s a reason that the rules were invented in the first place–they’re meant to steer beginning (and advanced) writers away from pitfalls that could ruin their stories, make them less marketable, or alienate readers. But...
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#2MinWritingTip – Cutting Word Count
If you’re writing for traditional publication, you’re required to adhere to certain word counts for certain publishers or genres. But what happens when you’ve streamlined and cut as much as you can…and you’re still thousands–or tens of thousands–of words over your ideal length? The fastest way to cut length, of...
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#2MinWritingTip – Be Selective
You’ve probably heard the famous writing advice “Kill your darlings” often attributed to William Faulker, Allen Ginsberg, and Stephen King (but probably really first said by Arthur Quiller-Couch). But what does that mean exactly? I’ve often heard it interpreted to mean that if you really love a piece of writing, it’s...
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#2MinWritingTip – The Secret Lives of Characters
I attended a workshop last year with a writer who is an excellent instructor and a brilliant marketer. I nodded along enthusiastically until he said, “Characters aren’t real people. They’re vehicles for conflict.” While I understand what he was saying, one of the biggest mistakes that writers–especially beginning writers–can make...
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