-
- To tighten the structure of my current manuscript
- To define my query letter and prepare for submission
- To not give up no matter how many rejections I receive
How important are these Goals?
- Top priority – will not be put aside for
even one day - They will be a part of my morning schedule along with my exercise and daily
meditations - They will be connected to everything I do as I live the writers life
What am I willing to Give Up?
- Social activities that I deem unnecessary to my goals listed above
- TV time and Internet usage to have more writing time
- Certain reading material that does not further my goals
How will I Get in the Chair?
- Maintain my home-office for writing and make it very workable for that purpose
- Write and think and breathe this work each day while moving the project forward
- Appreciate the time I have to write and take advantage of this writing opportunity
How Will I Stop Sabotaging Myself?
- By not allowing myself off the hook with my commitment to write each day for a minimum of two hours
- By telling myself I can do this again in a bigger and better way
- By not allowing my perfectionism to get in the way of my desire to finish this
work
my takeaways from your wonderful talk.
Write Fast First Drafts (and skinny seconds)
- Don’t edit as you go along
- Write calorie and go “all-in”
- Cut back with the second draft
- My takeaway is to write with fierce abandon
Beg the Question (in the intro)
- Leave this for the reader to define and answer
- Hook us in with the story’s question
- Start action with the hook
- My takeaway is do it now
Shape your Scenes (timing them)
Scene moves you forward in the story
- Clock is critical – how long does it take?
- Progression is paramount to the story
- Take us back to the opening at the end
- My takeaway is the form and flow are crucial
Answer the Post-it Question
- Define theme on a post-a-note
- Be succinct and clear
- Stir interest
- My takeaway is less is more
Know the Elements of Craft – do double duty
- Mirror characters to make point
- Concrete detail
- Sculpt in to a work of art
- My takeaway is paint beautiful pictures with my story
Carol.