Posted in Writing

Acting Tips that May Help Your Writing!

I recently picked up a book on acting and directing actors and found some tips you may find useful for developing characters. One of the main ideas is to try to think of yourself and how you are similar to the character. With that in mind as you fill out a character sheet, answer the questions in regard to yourself first. This may help you think of the character in a deeper way. Then ask the tough questions.

What unpleasant truths is the character forced to deal with?

What is the character most knowledgeable about?

How does he/she use their intelligence?

Is the character protecting himself from past pains or avoiding situations because of his past?

What makes him/her laugh?

What makes him/her loose their sense of humor?

What is their blind spot?

What are they doing in this scene that they have never done before?

In what way is this character an artist?

These are the questions I found were most often left out of character sheets that really help me understand the character more. By answering the questions of myself I am more able to relate to my characters and write them more honestly. They seem more human to me when I put little pieces of myself in there with them.

Posted in Writing

How Focusing on Sound can Make Your Writing Better

Today I was assigned to stop and listen to the world for seven minutes. This was quite the eye opening thing for me and I ended up continuing to listen on my walk home. I realized there were many sounds I didn’t notice at all before. Taking the time to listen to the world around me helped me write better sentences today. For example:

The hum of motors filled my ears as the cars drove past.

Turned into

The hum of the little cars was interrupted by rumbling of a truck that sped by.

One of these is much more unique than the other. By listening I found that different shoes make unique sounds that I can use as foreshadowing. I also ended up writing a whole paragraph based off of the lack of sound in some situations. So if you have the chance, instead of ease dropping, just stop and listen to what you usually won’t hear.

Posted in Writing

The Authors Reference Sheet to Fast Draft a Novel


1 General Plot


2 Useful Links


3 Character Inspiration


4 Original Draft


5 Big Ideas


6 Plot Points


7 Dull Moment Fixers



Posted in Uncategorized

A Writer’s New Year’s Resolution:

I will try to people watch every hour

I will try to learn something every day

I will try to write a blog post every week

I will try to send out an email every fortnight

I will try to read a well-written book every month

I will try to speak with an industry professional semiannually

I will try to sell my book this year

I will do it