This is a photo I took of a mural in a small cafe in Costa Rica. It’s prettier than the one I took of a coffee plant. We visited a small cooperative coffee plantation where I learned that dark roast coffee has the least caffeine. Maybe I’d been told before, but most of our tour groupies seemed surprised, too. We also tasted a great coffee liqueur. So don’t say I’m not always learning and willing to share my lessons!
I’m headed off next week to Las Vegas (which will be hotter and dryer than Tucson!) for the Public Safety Writers Conference. My first PSWA event and it should be fun. I’m on two panels. I’ve already learned from members of one panel. And should you have a question, let me know and I’ll see what I can discover.
What’s one tip I gleaned so far? Keep a cheat sheet near you with a list of main characters and their eye and hair color, etc. Then you won’t end up with blue eyes that turn green.
Here are the tips I came up with to share. More when I return from Las Vegas!
1. At the beginning of each chapter, I ask myself, did I:
Establish who is the point of view character (the person who will gain or lose the most from the outcome of the chapter)?
Anchor that character to the setting, through action or description, all from that character’s bias/viewpoint?
Make clear that character’s goal for the chapter?
Set my protagonist up for difficulty/setbacks?
Avoid a backstory dump?
2. Where I’ve made my best progress:
Resisting the urge to explain (RUE). Thanks to Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
Learning about writing in deep POV. (Marcy Kennedy’s Deep Point of View in Fiction)
In a good critique group that gives kind honest feedback and encourages me to read my words aloud.
At the Writer’s Table (or whatever you wish to call it), a group of writers who gather, chat for fifteen minutes, write in silence for two hours, then celebrate the effort.
Sites I like:
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl
Another tip from Conda V. Douglas (Write Short to Succeed)
WRITE, WRITE, WRITE
If you want to be a success:
EDIT, EDIT, EDIT
SUBMIT, SUBMIT, SUBMIT
REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT
Your turn: tips? questions I should research?
