For the twelfth day of Wordcraftmas, WITS Coordinator and Eugene Poetry Slam maven, Jorah LaFleur shares on using the five senses in your writing with short timed activities. We hope it inspires you! About Jorah LaFleur: Jorah is a writer/performer who performs on stage as a spoken word poet, actor, emcee, ceremonial officiant, and workshop facilitator. She has been […]
Tag Archives: 12 days of wordcraftmas
Wordcrafters Day 11 – Double Trouble: Put Your Setting to Work
You’ve got strong characters having knock-down, drag-out arguments in exotic locals, while a pack of lions lurks just outside of camp, yet it feels like your scenes are a little…one-dimensional. An instant fix is to have more than one kind of conflict going on at a time. Have characters arguing during the exciting car chase; […]
Wordcraftmas Day 10 – Writing Voodoo: Themes, Symbols and Metaphors
When we craft stories, essays or memoir, the “deeper” elements are the last thing on our minds. At least they should be. Concentrate on getting the story down, however rough around the edges. My opinion is that if you write the story deeply and honestly, the metaphors, themes, symbols (all that Voodoo subtext stuff!) will […]
Wordcraftmas Day 9 – A Bubble off Plumb
All right, intrepid writerati – riddle me this: How come stage actors and TV/movie people always have to put makeup on, even when they’re not supposed to look like anybody but themselves? Exhibit A: Carson Daly, borrowed from this article If you said “well, because those stage lights make them look extra washed-out and plain, […]
Wordcraftmas Day 8 – Listen To Your Story
Last year I wrote a 70,000 word novel that I fell in love with. I loved the high concept, the world, and most of all, the characters. When I wrote the last sentence mid-December, I felt triumphant. Armed with feedback from trusted critique partners, I knew what I had to do to make my […]
Wordcraftmas Day 6 – Rounding Out Characters Through Social Status
Flatman and Ribbon may work well as characters in a kid’s joke (think superheroes, steamroller…), but reader-grabbing prose calls for multi-dimensional characters. One often overlooked way to develop more interesting characters is by showing how social status affects feelings, thoughts, and behavior. In real life, an individual’s status is fluid, shifting according to specific relationships. […]
Wordcraftmas Day 5 – Shattering Moments
Do you have a moment in your life that changed you forever? When the doctor started with, “I’m sorry to tell you…” When you saw the plus sign on the pregnancy test… When your best friend realized you lied. Now let me ask you, does your character have a moment like that? Short stories center […]
Wordcraftmas Day 3: The #1 Mistake Authors Make (That Has Nothing To Do With Their Writing)
After working in the marketing industry for over a decade, and with authors for the last five years, I’ve picked up a few things behind the scenes. One of those things I’ve learned is the importance of treating your writing like a business, and you’re the brand. Your book is the product, the widget, but […]
Wordcraftmas Day 2: Trust Me, I'm an Editor
“Silence your inner editor!” First draft – you’re bouncing from the highs of inspiration to the depths writer’s block and back. The last thing you need is the nagging voice of self-doubt reminding you that your character has smiled seventeen times on this page alone or that the passive voice is being used by you. […]
Wordcraftmas Day 1: Three Keys to Successful Self Publishing
Whether your dream is to print on demand, produce a beautiful e-book, or both, self-publishing is a fantastic way to get your work out into the world. Here are three basic keys to successful self-publishing: Understand and conform to self-publishing standards and reader expectations. Print on Demand books are published from files the author or […]