“I worry a lot about the dysfunction of my characters being taken as an approval of dysfunction in relationships.…One can avoid idealizing the flaws, sure, but how does one accept that humans and relationships are flawed without sending out the message that people should be satisfied with potentially abusive relationships…without seeming to say ‘look at the nice romance you can have with people who have X dangerous flaws’?”
If you’re on Thesaurus.com (owned by Dictionary.com) as much as I am, you’ve probably seen their Writing Dynamo program advertised. Tagged “Your personal writing coach,” the program professes itself to be “Accurate, effective, web-based proofreading.”
Thought I’d share this handy (short!) tutorial on writing for the camera from Jake Jarvi, the guy behind Platoon of Power Squadron, one of my favorite YouTube series.
When the pages are closing in on you. [image by Thanakrit Du]You’ve been working on your novel for so long, you no longer know what’s good and what’s bad. You can’t tell whether the tone is right, the pacing is fast enough, or the characters are believable. All you can see is a swarm of words.
I’m taking a semi-break. From now through the end of the year, I won’t be writing any new Friday posts – instead I’ll be re-posting some of the best articles from the archives. Don’t worry: Inspiration Monday will continue as usual!
I’m just taking this soft sabbatical to keep up with Thanksgiving and Christmas activities (I am determined to watch more Christmas movies and bake at least one batch of gingerbread men this year. Also, I have to fold 100+ origami cranes for a project.), get a little more novel-writing done, and recharge my blogging battery.
You see, I feel a bit wrung out, idea-wise. That’s why I need your help.
Photo by Rennett Stowe
What do you want to read about in 2013?
Do you want to start a community discussion about character development, story morals, suspension of disbelief?
Do you want to learn more about novel-writing, copywriting/marketing, blogging?
Do you want to ask me about my favorite books and movies? My opinions on the Oxford comma? My ukulele?
Ultimately, what about writing keeps you up at night?
You know the feeling. The book you’ve spent the last couple of weeks reading has become a dear friend. You must keep reading it, but the more you do, the closer you get to the end…and suddenly it’s over. It is no longer a companion, but a memory. You enter into mourning.
Image by AntToeKnee. Check out his profile to read his hilarious bio.
When you sit down to write, who are you writing for? Are you writing only for your own amusement (or catharsis?), or to entertain other people? And which is right?
I’ve amassed a lot of resources over the years – here are some of the best ones I use both for copywriting and fiction writing. Some you’ve seen in previous posts; some are new!
![When the pages are closing in on you. [image by Thanakrit Du]](http://bekindrewrite.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/pagesclosingin.jpg?w=300)
