Tara Maya's Blog, page 40

Work-in-Progress: "Thinking and Writing Are Different" and More Grea...

Work-in-Progress: "Thinking and Writing Are Different" and More Grea...: Some great advice from the Writer’s Digest Conference, via writers Anna Leahy and Douglas Dechow:

"Thinking and writing are different," Bender said. You may have great ideas in your mind, but "the only book that exists is the one on the page." The process of writing is not one of translating your thoughts onto the page. No, it's the other way around. "Writing gives us access to our own minds."

How To Make Your Own Sticky-Note Outlining Kit

Sticky-NotesI prefer the 1.5"x 2" sticky-notes in bright colors, but there are many sizes and tints to choose.


PaperAny paper will do. I prefer pastels, with which I can differentiate the different acts of the book. (Say: four sheets of marigold paper for the chapters of Act I, five sheet of lilac for Act II, etc.)


Three-Ring BinderPunch holes in the paper, stick the paper in a three ring binder and use one sheet per chapter (or per scene) and label your sticky-notes with the beats. 
Voila!...

Help! I'm Just Starting #NaNoWriMo! (Emergency Tip Day 3)

"The Witcher" by A.Sapkowski

For those of you on the Gonzo NaNoWriMo, here's Day Three.
Day Three: Outline Your Novel. You outline your novel quickly the same way you outline your novel slowly: One step at a time. Use index cards or sticky-notes to brainstorm plot points you'd like to include, play with them, and expand each beat in your Beat Sheet until the outlines starts to fill out.Example:Yesterday, I worked on characters for my September Knight story. I need this story blocked o...

NaNoWriMo Tip #26: Keeping On Track

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Writing In The Crosshairs: What Makes a Good Novel Ending?

A great post on what makes a good ending:

An inept ending can kill your otherwise great book. So what questions do you need to ask about yourending? 

1. Does it resolve the core conflict of the novel? 

This is the big "this is what my book is about" question that your protagonist has spent the entire book trying to achieve. 

This is a biggie for series books, as there's a larger story arc across multiple books. But the goal in that one book needs to be resolved.

2. Does it satis...

Help! I'm Just Starting #NaNoWriMo! (Emergency Tip Day 2)

"Hero" by martinwiklund.
For those of you on the Gonzo NaNoWriMo, here's Day Two.
Day Two: Expand Your Idea. You'll want to make the leap from Beat Sheet to Scene Outline as quickly as possible, but to reach the richness scenes will require, you'll need to know more about your characters. Knowing your characters better will allow you to deepen their personalities and spice up your plot.
What's your character's dark secret?What's your character's worst fear? What's your character's...

NaNoWriMo Tip #25: Quick and Dirty Guide to Scene vs Summary

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Update on #NaNoWriMo 24 - Outlined Scene to Draft

This is why Da Vinci never wanted to show his drafts to anyone.
I realized today why my Thanksgiving was so conflict free. My mom wasn't there. She arrived today to make up for the lack of exciting family drama. Yay! (Just kidding, Mom, if you're reading this...)  Despite that, I'm going strong on my NaNo novel, and I'm more or less on schedule. (*snort*)

I've built up the novel by accretion from the bones of an outline, creating richer and richer outlines as I go.
I promised a sample of...

Help! I'm Just Starting #NaNoWriMo! (Emergency Tip Day 1)

"I'm late starting my NaNoWriMo novel!"
Only a crazy, masochistic writer would start NaNoWriMo in the last week of the month. 
I know. I've done that four years in a row!
Perhaps you find yourself in a similar position. Well, never fear! While I will continue my NaNoWriMo Tips for the month, I'll also show you how to SMOOSH the Tips into seven days! Wacky, huh?
As with my monthly tips, the basic idea is to plan first (four days) and write afterward (three days). Yes, that leaves only th...

NaNoWriMo Tip #24: Signs Your Novel Is Waving Red Flags

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