Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Harding recently posted five writing tips in Publishers Weekly, and one in particular stuck out to me:   “It’s true, too, that your writing can only be as good as the best readings you’ve given of the best books.”   Harding makes the point that a writer need not simply read […]

Most writers have asked themselves the same question at some point: To outline or not to outline?   I’d say, “Yes.”   Outlining–whether before writing a first draft or after the seventh full-length revision–can give insight as to how well tension is paced and whether a character’s emotional trajectory is realistic. Plotting out the order […]

I’ve launched into my new outline technique, and so far, I think it’s working. It’s organized, it’s intentional, and it’s productive. I have a place to write down anything I think of throughout the day, and I’m not afraid it’s going to get lost or misplaced somewhere in my computer. I’m sure I’m not the […]