Pantsing, or writing into the dark, can be a wild and exciting way to unleash your creativity in writing a book. But in pantsing more than in any other type of plotting, the arch nemesis Consistency rears its demanding head. So how does a discovery writer keep track of all the threads? Read on to find out.
Descriptions are an interesting playground. It can be difficult to strike the perfect balance between prose that's "too bland" and "so purple it's ultraviolet", but what if you struggle with descriptions to begin with? Let me present an easy exercise that will help take your wordcraft to the next level.
Most writing advice would have you first define your theme and then build your story around that, but what if you have a definite sense of story without a clear sense of theme? Read on for some thoughts of how theme can appear as an emergent property of the story.
Introducing a series where I delve into lessons gleaned from reading books from a writer's perspective, analysing some common patterns and breaking down the takeaways. First up: repetition. If you've ever wanted to throw a book across the room because you saw the word "soft" for the 182th time, this one's for you.
There comes a time in every writer's life when they arrive at the dreaded Wall - the block, the border, the obstacle that cannot be bested. But what if I told you the Wall could be blasted away by the simplest tools available?
Stories, like anything else in life, move to invisible rhythms and are born at a pace best suited to them. In our determination for achievement and love of deadlines, the blank page too often becomes something we try to subject to our will. But the blank page does not need to be seen as foe to be conquered; rather as a friend to be invited inside.
Writing with Flow Points is a bit like skydiving: high-risk, but high reward. Creating these story points is the basic foundation for stringing scenes together when using the Mosaic Method of discovery writing, so let's dive into the details.
You don't need to build a story from the ground up, brick by brick like a building - you can also assemble it from multiple pre-existing tiles, like a mosaic.
"My writing is stale. I wish I could write more cleverly." Sound familiar? If so, you might benefit from some simple but effective writing exercises that help lift your poetic wordcraft from a soggy loaf to crispy croissant.
Do you find it hard to develop and stick to habits in terms of your writing? No idea what kind of habits you could even cultivate? If so, read on and I shall blow your mind. (Probably not, but it’s worth a try.)
The Foxglove Scribe 