A Novel Creation www.WatersWords.com

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you that I have a weakness: understanding and implementing strong plot structures. As I look back, this has always been a weakness. I even wrote a bit about it in a post called “To Plot, Perchance to Scheme” over a year ago. At the time of that entry I thought the problem was in the book. Not the author. The first two books I penned seemed to have vibrant plots that carried the characters along to a satisfying conclusion. Ah…but the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know…or something like that. I realize this is a piece of my writing education that needs some attention. I can’t wait for a conference. I can’t attend a class. There doesn’t seem to be one available to me for the summer session. I have three options available to me at this point: On-line study (an internet search of my own or perhaps there is a course out there) read and study books written on the subject, or connect with other writers in my area to discuss...

Bump Your Writing Up to the Next Level Through Engagement As I shared last week, I have been reviewing and revising my business plan. Part of that has led me to look at the area of engagement. Some of this is reflective, some is exploring where I go from here. In December of 2011, my husband and I had decided we would retire at the end of 2012.   I had one year to close out any projects I had at work and figure out what I would do with my life. I distinctly remember the February morning in 2012 when I woke up and announced to my husband I was going to be a writer. I couldn’t see myself fishing every day. Or golfing. I like both, but I knew I would need something more engaging. I prayed about it and on that February morning I realized retirement was my opportunity to pursue a dream. I would write. As I learned more about my new career choice, I learned there was more to it than crafting a story others would read. One of the hurdles I needed to jump was that of socia...

Bump Your Writing Up to the Next Level I’ve often suggested there are 5 essential “E’s” for writers to become successful, published authors. The five essentials are Evaluate, Educate, Exercise, Edit, and Engage Today I want to address Evaluate and Educate, with only a nod to Exercise and Edit since I have talked about both in previous posts. Next week I want to look at Engagement. This is not the most experienced writer handing down words of great wisdom to the masses. No, it’s me. I’m going through a period of revising my business plan so these elements are near and dear to my heart right now. Evaluate If you really want to be successful in your writing ventures, you need take some time to evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses as a writer. I look back at my early efforts to evaluate my status and laugh. There was so much I didn’t know, I didn’t know what I was missing! I knew was a strong researcher and weak when it came to social media. I didn’t even kno...

I am so excited to introduce to you today a sweet writing friend, Katharine Grubb. Katharine is the author of a new book called Write a Novel in Ten Minutes a Day.  That's right! Ten minutes a day! I hope you enjoy this interview and I hope you'll check out Katharine's book. Me: Thank you, Katharine for joining us at A Novel Creation. Most of my readers are avid readers who enjoy a peek “behind the scenes” or they are aspiring writers who appreciate learning more about every aspect of the writing process—from draft to publication—everything in between and everything beyond. You just released a book for time crunched writers called Write a Novel in Ten Minutes a Day: Because Your Dreams are Worth 10 Minutes. Could you start by telling us about the book? Katharine: In 2008, I was writing a homeschooling curriculum and caught myself putting my writing into the small chunks of time I had for other things in my life. At that time, my children were 2, 4, 6, 8 and ...