by Nanci | Feb 20, 2023 | Craft, Podcast
What’s the one thing stopping writers from bringing their story to the finish line? Fear. Maybe you fear visibility and the expectations and judgements you’ll open yourself up to. Then there’s the fear of rejection. Even if you’re nowhere near ready to...
by Nanci | Feb 13, 2023 | Podcast
How do you inject conflict and surprise in your opening sentence? What’s the difference between plot and story, and how do you integrate both? What’s the first thing to explore before you outline? What does it mean to show vs. tell? And what should you...
by Nanci | Feb 6, 2023 | Craft, Podcast
When it comes to writing memoir, or even autobiographical fiction, writers often stay awake at night worrying about the possibility of being sued. Writing about facts and events of our own lives will inevitably require writing about the private lives of others who...
by Nanci | Jan 30, 2023 | Craft, Podcast
All stories since the beginning of time have involved conflict. Conflict is the essence of dramatic action. Somebody wants something, and goes out to get it. And has trouble getting it. That’s what story is in a nutshell. Conflict in story is essential because it...
by Nanci | Jan 23, 2023 | Craft, Podcast
How do you write a great introduction for your story? An opening that draws a reader in, establishes the voice of your main character, and whets your reader’s appetite for more? Whether it’s an agent, publisher, or the person browsing Barnes and Noble, a reader will...
by Nanci | Jan 16, 2023 | Craft, Podcast
How do you take an idea from its nebulous beginnings and turn it into a story? You may have a feeling about what you want to write, but you don’t know where to start. Or, you’ve already started writing something, but you can’t keep it going. In this...
