Novel | Essays Assistance

Tag Cloud

Blog

0
Top Secret! The One-Year Path To Publication
Published on Thursday, December 24, 2009 by Essays There is a way to virtually guarantee your publication within a single year. No, it has nothing to do with self-publication. This path is not for dilettantes, and will push you to the limit, but it has worked for dozens of my students, and it will work for you. It is based on writing principles first proposed by two giants in the publishing field, science-fiction wri... Read More »
0
What A New Writer Has To Know About Creating ...
Published on Sunday, October 11, 2009 by Essays What is the soul of a story? Some people say the plot, some others say the characters. I say, it’s both. But now, I’d like to talk about characters. How do you create a character? Here are some ways used by writers out there in creating the characters in their story: • Go with the flow Some writers begin with the first few lines. As long as they ... Read More »
0
Forget About “Talent”!
Published on Sunday, October 11, 2009 by Essays How is a writer to access her deepest and most powerful wells of creativity? How do we tap into our talent, our genius, our greatest potential for success? Writing classes often tell us how to plot, or structure, or build characters, or create poetic images, but the question of accessing our excellence is a slippery and elusive one. It is possible we’ll need to ... Read More »
0
Going With “The Flow”
Published on Sunday, September 27, 2009 by Essays Flow state, that mysterious mental zone where time and the outside world seem to disappear, is one of the keys to peak performance. Frankly, your ability to harness the limits of your intelligence, creativity, education, or talents will be largely determined by your capacity to remain in flow while under stress. Those who cannot suffer “stage fright,” &ld... Read More »
0
From Writer To Author – A Self Publishe...
Published on Monday, August 31, 2009 by Essays As a newly self published author, I am amazed by how many people have told me that they have a novel or idea for a book that they always wanted to have published. I usually tell these aspiring writers that it can happen and, if they are willing to listen, I tell them my story about how I self published my book. I have always enjoyed writing, mostly for my own enjoymen... Read More »
0
The Billionaire Writer’s Secret
Published on Saturday, August 8, 2009 by Essays During a career spanning twenty-five years of novel, film, and television work, I've two major tools most valuable: the yogic “chakras” for characterization, and Joseph Campbell’s model of the Hero’s Journey for plot structure. These are not random choices, nor were they selected because of the many intelligent and thoughtful essays on their r... Read More »
0
Writing Twenty Novels (In Ten Easy Steps!)
Published on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 by Essays During a recent telephone conversation, I mentioned having sent off the last revisions for my twentieth novel, “Great Sky Woman.” There was a silence on the other side of the phone, followed by the question “How in the world do you do that? Twenty novels!” The truth is that I know many writers who have written far more than twenty novels. It i... Read More »
0
Turn Writer’s Blocks Into Stepping Ston...
Published on Thursday, July 9, 2009 by Essays Years ago at a presentation at the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program, I promised an audience to teach them to conquer this beast once and for all. Later, another instructor approached me and said “why did you say that to those people? It’s not possible.” Poor woman. All she was saying is that SHE cannot break writer’s block, which told me ... Read More »
0
How To Survive A Good Review
Published on Saturday, June 20, 2009 by Essays When the first reviews for my most recent novel (Great Sky Woman, Random House 2006) started coming in, my emotions went through the usual roller coaster. The first, from Publisher’s Weekly, was 90% positive, but mentioned that, in their opinion, it was slow in spots. My stomach sank. Slow? In spots? Oh my God&ndashall is lost! The second review came in two wee... Read More »
0
It Was Good Enough For Shakespeare!
Published on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 by Essays One of the core conflicts for creative artists of all kinds is the tug-of-war between art and commerce. Frankly, an artist needs to make money, and it is preferable to make it from his craft. A writer who must work a full-time job to support himself will struggle to find the time to work, and often eventually gives it up altogether. On the other hand, being able to w... Read More »

Page 1 of 312 3 »