Jan 22, 2008 Posted by mike

Brainstorming, clustering and listing

Oh my! Ways to expand on ideas and thoughts by Robbi Hess You’ve narrowed it down. You are going to write about (drum roll, please) butterflies or, possibly, vampires. Thank goodness! Finally you have an idea with possibility… ideas that will (excuse the pun) – fly. Whether fiction or non, these ideas, while appealing, are much too broad in scope. They need to be cut back, pared down, and their focus... read more

Jan 22, 2008 Posted by mike

Do I really have to Write What I Know?

by Robbi Hess The oft-stated adage from experienced writers, and how-to books is to “write what you know.” In theory it’s not a bad idea because you bring authenticity to your writing. But, I believe if you can imagine and feel, and more importantly, make your reader imagine and feel, you can research what you don’t have intimate knowledge of. Well, I know a lot about some things. I have a... read more

Jan 22, 2008 Posted by mike

To Outline or Not To Outline

by Robbi Hess Does the word “outline” cause fingers of dread to claw their way down your spine? Outlining: Does it conjure up images of your high school English teacher standing in front of the classroom explaining the “finer” points of A, Roman Numeral IV and footnotes? Would you feel better with the terms diagram, skeleton or road map? Even though it’s a matter of semantics,... read more

Jan 22, 2008 Posted by mike

Slow down! Where do I find the time to do all of this writing?

by Robbi Hess Getting into the writing habit Cleaning out the clutter; taking control of your life; managing your time/resources wisely, etc. All the catch phrases for today’s busy person seem to offer solutions that would take longer than the lack of time problem itself. There are times when I sit down at the end of the day and pat myself on the back for having accomplished as much as I have. There... read more

Jan 22, 2008 Posted by mike

I’ve got it…now what do I do with it?

by Robbi Hess An idea, your idea — it appears to be everything you had ever dreamed of, but now that you finally have it, what do you do with it? After you have taken the time to savor your genius at having discovered a nugget of an idea that speaks to you, now you need to ponder your writing style. Are you intrigued by plot, character or setting? Let’s say, as an example, I give you the idea... read more