Tag: Writing

Goals Setting Tips for Writers with ADD

~ Kathryn Fletcher

I picked up the book Driven to Distraction because my son has ADHD. I hoped to pick up some ideas to help my son thrive instead of struggle needlessly. I got more than I bargained for! Be Flexible (and non-judgmental!) Try Writing Sprints/Time Blocks Schedule your time Accountability helps Try different planners Use Visual Inspiration Break goals down into smaller tasks.

AJ Kormon’s Revision Process

~ Kathryn Fletcher

The revision process is a mystery some people. Some hate it. Some love it. For me personally, I'm still finding my groove. Right now, I'm 28k words into a 50k novel, so before too long, I'll be in the revision stage again. Part of me is biting at the bit to get started on fixing some major problems with the story. Another part of me is dreading it because there is so much to fix with this story. I've talked to a lot of authors over the last 5 years or so. No two authors write or revise the same way. Some write very cleanly in their first draft and need very little revision and editing before publication. Some revise as they write. Some overwrite and some underwrite in their first draft. For some revision means just fixing some things, but for others it means completely rewriting the whole story from page one to the end. It can even change from story to story. Once I get through with the revision on my current novel, I'll share my current method. Meanwhile, AJ Korman shared with me her method of revising her novels. AJ is the author of The Halloway Hills Middle School Mysteries. She has a ton of great advice for revision! Here is what she wrote:

Writing Advice: Writer’s Block

~ Kathryn Fletcher

When I was little the doctor used to prick my finger to test blood for something I didn’t understand. The prick never really hurt that bad, but the doctor squeezing my finger to get enough blood out into the tiny capillary tube hurt like crazy! That is what writer’s block is like. The type of writer’s block I’ve had was more of a 10+ year paralysis. After college I wrote 1/3 of a novel. I decided to research the craft of writing. Great idea in theory. It was like drinking from a fire hose because I decided it would be a good idea to read every book that I could get my hands on. I had no idea there was so much to learn. I became overwhelmed and didn’t know how to implement ALL that I had learned ALL at once. So I stopped writing. Life got busy anyway. I changed careers, got married, had a child, moved a couple times. Ya know…Life.

Writing Advice: Write Only for Yourself

~ Kathryn Fletcher

Ray Bradbury said "Write only for yourself" This is excellent advice! At times I've gotten stuck in my writing, and after thinking about the cause, I usually find that I'm attempting to write for the wrong reason. For the past couple years, I've been writing short stories in hopes of getting published in one of the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association) recognized magazines so I can become a member of SFWA. Sometimes I catch myself trying to write not from my heart, but with an end goal in mind, publication. This means I'm on step 2, but thinking about step 12.