Running Backward

Last post I gave Kristen Lamb kudos for introducing me to James Scott Bell's LOCK system. Applying the LOCK system to my seed idea gave me the confidence to dedicate months of hard work to my seed idea. (Who wants...

World Wide Web = system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet Isn't it neat when those interlinked documents lead you somewhere interesting, and not only that help you shave untold hours off a potentially grueling task? I ended...

Without conflict there is no story. Both new and seasoned writers hear this at the beginning of many a writing workshop. A story where everyone gets along is no story, but merely a sequence of words. It may be a...

I have a page full of characters. I know their birth dates and their names. Now I need to make them interesting. Ack! (She runs screaming.) I should note here that I am no expert. (Heh heh. Did I need...

Last week I shared my main character's family tree in all its scribbled glory. If you'll notice, there's an asterisk on the bottom left and next to it the list: ages names short backstory on each As I sat staring...

As I mentioned at the end of my last post, I ran out of steam as I was filling in my "beat sheets" because my story idea didn’t include enough conflict and I had no idea who my characters were...

Since I'm done growing a baby, I thought I'd move on to growing a novel, cultivated specifically for the little munchkin. (Who knows, maybe it will fund his college? Pipe dream?) I also thought it might be neat if I...