Tag: writing advice
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Input is Crucial for Writing Output
Where do ideas germinate from? Other ideas. As a writer, it’s impossible to be original, but it’s crucial to be unique. What’s the difference? Being original means attempting something which has never been attempted. Under this definition, it’s difficult to find writing that is completely original because there have been thousands of writers and hundreds…
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If It’s Good Enough for Mr. Livgren, then …
I’ve admired Kerry Livgren for a long time. Yes, you know him. The composer, guitarist, lyricist of Kansas. Yes – “Carry on Wayward Son” – “Dust in the Wind” Okay, now you’re with me. Livgren didn’t just disappear after the glory years of Kansas in the late seventies and early eighties. Far from it. He…
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The First Ever Massive Trilogy Read-Through
I had just finished the second revision of book 3 of my brand new trilogy. So what was next? Revision three, of course. But then I paused and thought for a moment. I knew what I needed to do, but I was reluctant. It would be too time-consuming. It would stop the flow of my…
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Writing: About Lengths and Words
I’m a concise writer. I know that. I’ve learned to slow down my writing over the years because at times it can be at breakneck speeds, and there are rumors about that some readers like to stew in the words of a story and not have to gulp them all down from the end of…
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Plotting or Plodding?
Humph! Here’s the real truth about writers: sometimes we have no idea how it’s all going to turn out. I mean, really, what are we doing? What am I doing? What is my plot doing? Sometimes it feels like I’m playing a giant connect-the-dots while blindfolded. Are these two dots really going to connect in…
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Outline the Ending! Really?
I’ve been inundated with those Master Class video ads on social media lately. I’m sure you’ve seen them, and I have to admit, some of them certainly catch my eye. I was real curious to see what Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese said about film-making, and even their introductory videos were quite engaging. Of course,…
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Thriving with multiple writing projects
One of the most useful writing methods that I use is to have many different writing projects open and moving forward at the same time. I can see how this methodology might drive some writers mad. For me, however, I thrive in the messy realm of multiple stories and even multiple genres. What, in my…
Author Mark W Sasse 