Looking for your Writers' Troupe? Come check out ours! We're a small group, cheering each other on with our writing! :) #amwriting #writers #authors #amediting #nanowrimo #writetip https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheWritersTroupe
#WriteTip
On avoiding burnout and the most important qualities to develop as a writer: "One reason I need to keep writing: if I'm awake in the middle of the night and my thoughts are going bad places, I make myself work on a story problem..."
https://lttr.ai/AnM7g
#writing #books #WriteTip #WritersLife
What is a Developmental Editor? "If it turns out you have major problems with the plot or character development, it's better to identify those before you've gone through 10 drafts and have proofread the whole thing."
https://lttr.ai/AnMqb
#writing #books #AmWriting #WriteTip #WritersLife #WritingCommunity
What is a critique and how do you get a "good" one? Part 1: feedback from family or friends. Editors and agents do not want to hear in your query letter that your children, grandchildren, students, etc. They enjoy the attention and it's fun to hear stories read aloud.
https://lttr.ai/AnC5p
#writing #books #AmWriting #WriteTip
On overcoming burnout and the most important qualities to develop as a writer: "It's much easier to look successful on social media than when you see your royalty statement or your bank account..."
https://lttr.ai/Am7zW
#writing #books #AmWriting #WriteTip #WritersLife #WritingCommunity
Kris Bock on avoiding or overcoming burnout and the qualities that are most important to develop as a writer: "there's very little evidence that being on social media or even hiring a publicist boosts sales for most writers." https://lttr.ai/Am2V7
#writing #books #AmWriting #WriteTip #WritersLife
Looking for your Writers' Troupe? Come check out ours! We're a small group, cheering each other on with our writing! :) #amwriting #writers #authors #amediting #nanowrimo #writetip https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheWritersTroupe
How do you get a good critique? Part 2: Get #Writing Feedback by Taking Classes: "If you can't find a local class at a convenient time and place, you still have options. Even an online class may offer a chance for students to chat and connect."
#books #AmWriting #WriteTip
https://lttr.ai/AmyWC
How to get a good critique Part 2: Get #Writing Feedback by Taking Classes: "Find paid classes, free meetings, or social events through groups such as Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, or Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America."
#books #AmWriting #WriteTip
https://lttr.ai/AmyNb
I may no longer struggle with inventing my own plots. I just don't know because it's been years since I last wrote fiction. I felt really great about the plot and themes of the last major story I was working on, but I hit a certain point of "what happens next?" where I felt totally blocked and weak on inventive plot skills. And even that story was a fairytale retelling. I love those because I've already got the plot; I just need to mess with it and make it my own. (That story was a retelling of Snow White in a liminal post-apocalyptic mall run by robots.)
This memoir project (for Natasha Helfer, sex therapist excommunicated from the LDS Church) has been such a joy, because my client's lived narrative already had great the themes built-in. The beats of the story naturally formed a great plot. I'm not just saying, "This happened, and then that," as some biographies and memoirs I've read. (Elton John's "Me" was just a series of anecdotes, which was ok I guess, but in sharp contrast with Rocketman, the masterful rock opera movie version of his life (which took creative liberties), which had a point, and told it tightly and with powerful symbols.
So I feel very fortunate that I can truthfully tell my client's story and also give it a point.
When I started writing as a profession, there were a few things I sucked at and I decided to get good. One was plot and story. The other was theme and metaphor.
I feel likeI got good at both, although I still struggle to invent my own plots sometimes. (Since I'm not currently writing fiction, I don't get much practice.)
Someday I'd like to teach what I've learned.
One trick for delicately laying out a metaphor is use of the thesaurus. There are so many connotations within word meanings, that it's easy to take the two concepts you're metaphorizing, and construct a sentence full of words that embody *both concepts*. You can even do it subtly enough that the reader won't know the second meaning until you reveal it.
Start by asking: What aspects does Object A share with Concept B? What words can describe aspects of BOTH accurately?
Right now I'm wanting to set up some metaphors relating both birth and resurrection to my client's memoir. So I'm looking for words to describe Christ's resurrection that can also fit a birth, and tying that with some feminine themes that I'm contrasting with the toxically masculine antagonists. There's quite a bit of room within those four points to draw an interesting picture.
I'll set it up with this sentence, and then pull the trigger connecting it to the rebirth of my protagonist in the next chapter.
As I pour through the thesaurus, I'm rejecting the majority of words than can only apply to one of these two things. I jot down the words that apply to both, and then I'll refine the result by choosing from the best.
Riddles and dream symbols work exactly the same way. If you want to get good at metaphor and theme, learn to analyse your own dreams. (A SUPER good book from a Jungian perspective is called Radical Dreaming by John Goldhammer.)
These traits are built in to how our minds operate. You'll quickly start to notice your symbols come out in your own writing. Your own subconscious can do most of the work for you, dropping those themes and symbols in, and then you can recognize them and draw them out with intention on the next draft.
This practice has deeply enriched my enjoyment of media created by others. Even if you're not a writer, it's worth learning.
Sometimes creators have no idea what they're doing, and suck at this. But many who don't know this skill can still create some really amazing metaphors that hold through the whole story, entirely on accident. (Gretel & Hansel is one, where the creators indicated they had no such intentions, but it's a feminist story about uncompensated emotional labor!)
Other times, I can tell the creator knows exactly what they're doing, and I can admire the perfection with which they can tell two (or more!) stories in parallel – the literal story, and the symbolic message – that few will recognize consciously. If you learn these skills, you'll understand the secret code, and it makes for a much richer watching/reading/listening experience.
Anyway, I don't feel like I wrote this well. haha. Writing about this stuff is itself work, but it's fun, especially since I can't speak on con panels anymore. I wish I had more time and energy to do more posts like this.
What is a Developmental Editor? "They can help beginning or intermediate writers identify weak spots in their skill sets, acting as a one-on-one tutor."
Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AmsyT
#writing #books #AmWriting #WriteTip #WritersLife #WritingCommunity
What is a critique and how do you get a "good" one? Part 2: Get #Writing Feedback by Taking Classes:
"Do a little searching, and chances are you’ll find many options for writing classes to suit every need."
#books #AmWriting #WriteTip
https://lttr.ai/AmsoM
And if you're just too fond of them, a good ghost will be only too happy to help.
#ghostwriting #WritingTip #WriteTip
GHOSTWRITING NOVELS: A GUIDE FOR GHOSTWRITERS AND THE GHOSTWRITTEN.
https://www.ghostwritingnovels.com
What is a critique and how do you get a "good" one? Part 1: feedback from family or friends. If someone's comments make you feel sad or discouraged, maybe you don't want to share your stories with that person in the future. https://lttr.ai/AmeQ5
#writing #books #AmWriting #WriteTip
I wrote this tip to my client in the context of narrative non-fiction filled with ideological contention.
When there's a big fiery point to make, we can tend to overdo it, which can drain the snap right out. So my advice?
"Only drop the mic once before starting the long journey to bend down and pick it back up."
Looking for your Writers' Troupe? Come check out ours! We're a small group, cheering each other on with our writing! :) #amwriting #writers #authors #amediting #nanowrimo #writetip https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheWritersTroupe
A goal is a wish turned into action: The reader knows what the character wants, why it's important to them, and why it will be difficult to get.
Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AmWuw
#amwriting #writing #Writetip
What is a critique and how do you get a "good" one? Part 1: feedback from family or friends. Most writers produce horrible, ugly, embarrassing manuscripts in the early stages. It's the editing that makes those stories wonderful.
https://lttr.ai/AmTe4
#writing #books #AmWriting #WriteTip
What is a Developmental Editor? You can get critique feedback from a pro! 'I've had clients come to me because editors have turned down a manuscript they “didn't love enough.” This is a good indicator that the idea may be strong, but the writing isn't there yet.'
https://lttr.ai/AmRZU
#writing #books #AmWriting #WriteTip #WritersLife #WritingCommunity
Client Info
Server: https://mastodon.social
Version: 2025.07
Repository: https://github.com/cyevgeniy/lmst