For Women's History Month in 2023, I decided to compile a list of great women writers from around the world and throughout the centuries. Elizabeth Acevedo Elizabeth Acevedo was only 14 years old when she started competing in poetry slams. Born to Dominican immigrant parents, she grew up in Harlem, New York. She went on … Continue reading These Women Write (Part One)
Who’s Who in The Rings of Power?
If you’ve been following the new Rings of Power series on Amazon Prime, some of the character names might sound familiar. Even though hundreds of years pass between The Rings of Power and The Lord of the Rings, some of these characters are immortal, and tend to make an appearance when there’s a war between … Continue reading Who’s Who in The Rings of Power?
Brainstorming Tip #4: Researching
We've discussed a handful of other brainstorming mechanisms, and I hope some of them have been useful to you. In this post, we're going to go over the wonders of doing some research before (or after, or in the middle of--hey, no judgment here) sitting down to write. When I wrote the first draft of … Continue reading Brainstorming Tip #4: Researching
Brainstorming Tip #3: Freewriting
If you've been following the blog, you've seen my other two posts on brainstorming tips. We've gone over mind mapping and working with other people to generate ideas. Another extremely helpful brainstorming technique is freewriting. I know that I, personally, don’t take advantage of freewriting nearly as often as would be good for me. As … Continue reading Brainstorming Tip #3: Freewriting
Punctuation & Grammar: Your Most Elegant Tools
In her book, “Steering the Craft,” Ursula Le Guin says, “If you aren’t interested in punctuation, or are afraid of it, you’re missing out on some of the most beautiful, elegant tools a writer has to work with.” Left: Steering the Craft, by Ursula K. Le Guin. Right: The author herself. Source: Wikipedia. I really … Continue reading Punctuation & Grammar: Your Most Elegant Tools
Brainstorming Tip #2: Talk it Out
This is my second post in the brainstorming series. In my last post, I wrote about mind maps. Here, we’re going to discuss working with other people. In my earlier years writing, I used to get quite defensive when readers tried to help me brainstorm ideas for my stories. I often felt that if someone … Continue reading Brainstorming Tip #2: Talk it Out
Brainstorming Tip #1: Mind Mapping
I once watched an episode of Brain Games on Netflix that changed the way I think about brainstorming. The episode was about creativity, and it explained that those eureka moments come when your brain connects two different concepts and makes them into a new idea. This made me wonder if there was a way to … Continue reading Brainstorming Tip #1: Mind Mapping
Constraint Breeds Creativity
Imagine that someone has put you into a cardboard box, and then told you to get yourself out of it. If the top of the box is open, how do you get out? Easy. You stand up and climb out. But what if the box is duct-taped shut, and you're literally boxed in on all … Continue reading Constraint Breeds Creativity
Character and Plot in Brandon Sanderson’s “The Way of Kings”
***Warning: This review contains spoilers.*** I really dilly-dallied my way into reading The Way of Kings. It's hard to put my finger on why. I know I love Brandon Sanderson. I owned my copy for almost a year before I finally started reading it, and I had half a dozen friends telling me that I … Continue reading Character and Plot in Brandon Sanderson’s “The Way of Kings”
Everywhere You Look: Wonders in Hawaii, Wonders at Home
There’s nothing like going to an exotic island in the middle of the ocean to shake up your worldview and give you some good writing inspiration. Before venturing to the Rainbow State, whenever I thought of Hawaii, I pictured white sandy beaches, white hot sun, and lots of tourists. Those things are definitely there too, … Continue reading Everywhere You Look: Wonders in Hawaii, Wonders at Home
Jordan Radford Writes 