Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 46

What If You Could Do Better?

If any of you have Master Class, I highly recommend Ava DuVernay’s “Reframe Your Thinking.” You may recognize DuVernay’s name. She is the director responsible for both Selma and Wrinkle in Time. Even if you are interested in film, this is a video worth watching because she talks about being part of a creative team. One of the … Continue reading What If You Could Do Better? →

Adding Humor to Your Story

Way back when I was a new writer, I remember one of the old timers telling us about how to add humor to our stories. One of the things that he suggested was to add something that just didn’t belong, something that stood out from everything else. That’s what I felt like I was seeing when I … Continue reading Adding Humor to Your Story →

Breaking Picture Book Rules

Yesterday I read a stack of picture books that I picked up from the library. There were books that made me smile. There were a few that weren’t my “cup of tea” but I could see the appeal. And then there were the ones that I loved because the succeeded in breaking the rules. The Rules! You know what … Continue reading Breaking Picture Book Rules →

When Creating Characters, Avoid the Hive Mind

It is so easy to fall into the hive mind trap when creating characters. Everyone on this side of the conflict thinks like this. Everyone on the other side thinks like that. Or everyone who is part of culture A does x, y and z. Everyone who is part of culture B has an altogether different set of beliefs … Continue reading When Creating Characters, Avoid the Hive Mind →

The Universe Laughs or The Freelance Pivot

Last week my accountability group (Hi, Ladies!) asked about my goals for the month and year. I have to admit that I’m a little tired of setting goals that I don’t meet because something comes up. And, let’s be realistic. If the something that comes up involves a check, I generally say YES. Because of this, I’ve decided … Continue reading The Universe Laughs or The Freelance Pivot →

My Best Advice: Check How Other People Do It

I’ve been updating my website. The first thing I did was replace my author photo. You can see the new one above. I also updated my “What’s New” page, listing the dates for upcoming classes. Going through the pages in order, next is my Books page. Ugh.  As it stands that page is long and clunky. I was talking to … Continue reading My Best Advice: Check How Other People Do It →

6 Ways to Add to Your Word Count

Now that the holidays are sort of behind us, many writers are talking about getting words down on the page. Sure, you’re still dodging some decorations and the things your spouse hasn’t but away but you want to write! Maybe you want to find some new tools to use in 2024. That’s not a bad idea because what … Continue reading 6 Ways to Add to Your Word Count →

Keep on Writing Even When It Stinks

Some time before Christmas I spotted several problems with my cozy mystery. These are all things that I will have to correct. I just couldn’t decide – keep writing or start all over again. ”Keep writing!” said my husband. I grumbled and I fussed. After all, what does he actually know? He’s not a writer! (That’s Grumpy Me talking. He’s a reader … Continue reading Keep on Writing Even When It Stinks →

No Resolutions, No Mantras for 2024

I loathe resolutions. In the past, I’ve made them because I feel like it is required. But really? It has no appeal.  Then I read Aden Nepom’s Substack post, “A Mantra for 2024.” So for a while I considered adopting a mantra. The problem is that when it came time to create a mantra, especially a writing specific mantra, … Continue reading No Resolutions, No Mantras for 2024 →

Storystorm 2024: Here Come the Ideas!

I tend to have more writing ideas than I know what to do with. When I’m reading and see a historic figure I mentioned, I think, “I wonder what this person did throughout their life?” Ideas come to me when watching TV or a movie, especially if I am watching nonfiction. Museums are a hot bed … Continue reading Storystorm 2024: Here Come the Ideas! →