All posts by Victoria Griffin

08

Mar'17

Learning from Screenwriters

When it comes to structuring our stories, sometimes we fall into a rut. We break out the same pattern each time we begin plotting, and we begin to lose perspective.

Learning and borrowing from other disciplines is an amazing way to expand our creativity and keep our writing fresh. What happens when novelists borrow screenwriters' techniques? Shaelin Bishop discusses this unique application in her YouTube video: 15 Beat Plot Structure. ...

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01

Mar'17

Tips for Drafting

James Thurber said, “Don’t get it right. Get it written.” Click to Tweet That piece of drafting knowledge has been …

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22

Feb'17

Surviving Your Own Torture

Have you ever had to inflict pain and suffering onto a character who you like . . . a lot?

Have you ever tipped a bucket full of "life hell" over your character and whilst you were doing it felt like you were betraying an old friend?

This week I have struggled with making one of my characters suffer. As you know I am close to finishing the second draft of my romance novel, and everything was fine until I had to write the twist at the end. I wanted to shake things up a bit for my reader and not let them think the romance was going to run smoothly. Plus, and more importantly, this particular character needed to understand the consequences of his past actions.

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15

Feb'17

How to Write a Terrible Love Scene

I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day, whether you had a date with your characters or with a real-life human being! Always the cynic, I thought I would take the opportunity to eradicate all shreds of romance. You can take these suggestions seriously if you’re on a mission to make your reader cringe, or you can laugh them off and write a google-eyed romance. It’s up to you—I claim no responsibility. Whatever you choose, here are 6 ways to write a terrible love scene. ...

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08

Feb'17

Bullet Journaling [Infographic]

Writers are busy people. We’re often trying to fit three days’ worth of work into twenty-four hours, and staying organized is imperative. But we’re creative, too. And sometimes we need other outlets to express ourselves. Bullet journaling helps us do both, and all you need is a blank journal and a pen.

This infographic is part of a wonderfully in-depth article by Kim Alvarez: “Thorough Guide to the Bullet Journal System.” In her article, Kim gives us all the information we need to begin bullet journaling. After that, it’s up to us to personalize our journal and take it to the next level!

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01

Feb'17

Easy Editing Fixes

The main purpose of line editing is to carve away the unnecessary words, leaving only the beautifully polished prose. There’s no black-and-white system for deciding which words need to go and which need to stay, but there are “red flags” you can recognize as needing a second look. If you see these during the editing process, check them out, and make sure they really need to be there. ...

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