It’s that time of year. Tinsel and over-eating and crazy socialising have come and gone. If you’re lucky maybe you’re having a fabulous holiday somewhere warm, or toasting your feet in front of a campfire. Or perhaps you’re having a blissful stay-cation and sleeping off the over indulgence.
My preferred way to start the year is to enjoy the company of family and friends and slooow down the pace. That warm spot in the sun has my name on it. I’ll be there reading a book or watching the little ones have a hit of cricket with their dad.
The New Year is often a time we reflect on the year that’s been, and think about what we’d like to achieve in the year to come. So while I’m enjoying the slower pace, I’m also thinking about the things I want to achieve this year.
Writing-wise, it’s probably a time a lot of us set goals for ourselves. We’re going to write that book, finish that project, pitch that idea.
So to get you all motivated and fired up to aim for the stars this year (dream big!) I thought I’d share my top 5 resources to get the ideas flowing. Whether you’re a meticulous planner or a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pantser, here are some tools to set you on the path to personal greatness this year:
http://www.openculture.com/2014/03/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers.html
Here is a blog post in which James Scott Bell interviews himself (quite hilariously) to give you a bit of a taster of what his book is all about:
http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/plotters-and-pantsers/
Angela’s website provides a wealth of craft and how-to information.
http://www.debradixon.com/books/gmc.html
The Ra-Ra pom-poms of the cheer squad are out. The rest is up to you.
My preferred way to start the year is to enjoy the company of family and friends and slooow down the pace. That warm spot in the sun has my name on it. I’ll be there reading a book or watching the little ones have a hit of cricket with their dad.
The New Year is often a time we reflect on the year that’s been, and think about what we’d like to achieve in the year to come. So while I’m enjoying the slower pace, I’m also thinking about the things I want to achieve this year.
Writing-wise, it’s probably a time a lot of us set goals for ourselves. We’re going to write that book, finish that project, pitch that idea.
So to get you all motivated and fired up to aim for the stars this year (dream big!) I thought I’d share my top 5 resources to get the ideas flowing. Whether you’re a meticulous planner or a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pantser, here are some tools to set you on the path to personal greatness this year:
- On Writing by Stephen King. The way Stephen writes this memoir slash how-to is a lesson in itself. Fascinating stuff.
http://www.openculture.com/2014/03/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers.html
- Discover the magic of the ‘mirror moment’ with James Scott Bell’s Writing from the Middle:
Here is a blog post in which James Scott Bell interviews himself (quite hilariously) to give you a bit of a taster of what his book is all about:
http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/plotters-and-pantsers/
- Angela Ackerman’s The Positive and Negative Trait thesauruses are a great place to start to get to know your characters. What are their strengths and flaws? What do they want? How will they change in the course of the story?
Angela’s website provides a wealth of craft and how-to information.
- The plotters among you might like to have a look at screenwriter and author Alexandra Solokoff’s books, especially Writing Love. Her three act structure and story grids really break things down and give you the backbone of a story to work with:
- Debra Dixon - GMC
http://www.debradixon.com/books/gmc.html
The Ra-Ra pom-poms of the cheer squad are out. The rest is up to you.
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