Workshops -

22Jun 2016 by dlgunn

Attitudes towards LGB characters in your fantasy land

Diversity in books, Editing, Writing, Writing

Fantasy is a genre full of tropes, many of which I love: castles, dragons and magic are just a few of my favourites. Some of the tropes, however, aren't so pleasant. Many fantasy societies closely resemble the medieval English culture they are modeled after, including not just the castles but the strict class structure and the oppressive laws. Main characters tend to rebel against these structures(even when it makes no sense for them to do so) but they are almost always there. But... Why? Why can't our fantasy societies have different morals? They can still have castles, can still have kings and courts of nobles, without needing the entire moral code. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't make sense for most of these societies to have such identical morals. Most fantasy…

17Mar 2014 by Dianna L. Gunn

Tactics for when you’re stuck on rewrites

Editing, Goal setting, Writing

I've spent a long time in rewrites--first working on Moonshadow's Guardian, then the second draft of my 2011 Nanovel--and the last two weeks have been the most unpleasant of all. Each day I wrote a page, maybe less, of the actual novel and spent hours entranced in other writing. Avoiding the novel itself. Late last week I hunkered down, figured out the issue causing my avoidance and worked through it. Now I'm back to work on my novel, confident I won't stall again. When you've been working on the same project for a long time it can be difficult to continue. You start to lose your enthusiasm and writing becomes like walking on hot coals. Every scene seems an insurmountable challenge. The book itself becomes a monster you avoid like…

30Oct 2013 by CaptainQuirk

Tips from Nanowrimo veteran CaptainQuirk

Nanowrimo, Workshops, Writing, Writing

Hello, fellow WriMos. I’m a five-time NaNoWriMo winner (plus one Camp NaNo). Here’s my advice for crossing that 50,000 word finish line. 1. Socialize Writing can be lonely. The fun of NaNo is that you’re embarking on your quest in tandem with a bunch of other people who love writing just as much as you do. Go to events. Make friends. Share your tales of joy and woe. Having fun with other writers really does make it a lot easier when you sit down alone to write. 2. Set The Tone In Your Writing Environment It can help you get into “writing mode” if you set up your writing space according to whatever makes you feel creative. For example, you can post sticky notes with inspirational quotes on the wall…

21Oct 2013 by Dianna L. Gunn

Keeping Factsheets

Nanowrimo, Workshops, Writing, Writing

Last year I wrote about creating a factsheet about your story, but this year I'd like you to take it to the next level. I'd like you to create factsheets—pages of point form notes—documenting everything you know about the following things: Your world— what time period is your world set in? What are the places your characters live in called? Is there magic or high technology? Perhaps there's no technology. How do they document time? What religions are common? Anything you know about your world should be put on one piece of paper you can easily refer to as you write your novel. Every character— every character that has a significant part to play in your story should have a fact sheet with every piece of information you know about…

18Oct 2013 by Dianna L. Gunn

Create a Legend

Nanowrimo, Workshops, Writing, Writing

No matter what kind of novel you're planning to write next month, and even if you haven't gotten that hammered out yet, creating a legend can still be a useful exercise. We've all heard urban legends before so don't let a modern setting sway you from this exercise. I've even had full fledged novels emerge from short two page legends, so take some time this weekend and make sure you create yours. What do I mean when I say a legend/myth? By this I mean a story that everyone in your main setting—whether that be a village, a town, a household or an entire country—knows and knows well, that may or may not be true. Usually these involve great heroes and have some sort of lesson in the way they're…

14Oct 2013 by Dianna L. Gunn

Diving into your character’s mind

Nanowrimo, Workshops, Writing

Hopefully by now you have a fairly solid main character to work with if nothing else. You want to know that character as well as you possibly can before you start writing your actual novel. This is particularly important if all you have is a character, because an entire novel can spring up naturally around a good character you know well. Their family, friends and lovers can become characters and their lives can become plots. You can either discover a period of their life worth writing about, or you can learn how they react to things and throw them an entirely new challenge that will test their strengths. Every writer uses different techniques to get into their character's minds. Some use character interviews, others create detailed character charts. Some even…

25Mar 2013 by diannagunn

Dealing with School/Work Related Interruptions

Inspirational, Workshops, Writing, Writing

School and work are both important, but focusing on one or the other to the exclusion of all else can be dangerous. We're often told to put these things above all else, which can lead to self-neglect and even self-hatred. Capitalism tells us to focus on what makes us money and ignore that which nourishes the soul. Since these beliefs have been drilled into us since we were kids, they're difficult to ignore. Unfortunately work and/or school will probably always be factors in your life. The key is to make sure that they don't interrupt your writing time more than absolutely necessary. So how do you keep school/work out of your writing time? 1. Don't take on extra responsibilities. If you don't have to stay at work late, don't. If…

18Feb 2013 by diannagunn

More On Overwriting

Editing, Editing: The Hard Part, Writing

A couple weeks ago I discussed the concept of overwriting, the use of needless words in your writing. Having known about overwriting for years, it seemed like basic stuff to me. So I was stunned by how many of you told me you'd never thought about it before. I was even more stunned when I asked Twitter what to blog about today and RedParrot told me she'd like me to talk more about overwriting. My goal has always been to help you become better writers, and since there's high demand for advice on this topic, I thought I'd discuss a few more examples of overwriting to give you a better feel for it. Last time we discussed overwriting I gave you a handful of specific words/details that can be left…

28Jan 2013 by diannagunn

On Overwriting

Editing, Editing: The Hard Part, Novels, Writing

I don't often discuss the technical side of writing in depth, but after reading the self-published works that inspired last Monday's post, I've decided to discuss the biggest problem I've seen in these novels: overwriting. What is overwriting? There are two ways authors overwrite: with excessive details, and with particularly wordy phrasing. Even a perfectly spelled piece with flawless grammar can be made frustrating if the author overwrites them. It makes a book frustrating to read and in today's fast paced society, most readers will walk away. I'm particularly forgiving of this if the story captivates me, but enough of it will make even me gash my teeth. So today I'd like to discuss some of the things that can--and should--be cut from your writing whenever possible to make it…

07Dec 2012 by Dianna Gunn

Define Your Success

Goal setting, Inspirational, Workshops, Writing, Writing

Success means different things to different people. The media often portrays success as a house, a long-term partner, kids and money. Your family probably has their own definition of success, based on both the media's definition success and their own feelings. Your friends probably each have their own definition of success too. Even the strange old hermit down the street has her own definition of success. Though success is only one word, it has as many definitions as there are people. What is true for everyone, though, is that you will never be truly happy if you don't strive to reach your own definition of success. Too many people go chasing after their parents' ideas of success, and end up with diplomas and careers they care nothing for. They gain…