As I write my first novel I ask myself: Am I plotter or a pantser? If I am a plotter, I methodically plot each aspect of my story before I start drafting. If I am a pantser, I ditch the plan and the beats and draft by the seat of my pants.
Journal
Journal
06/23/22 Writers Playlist
My memoir in progress chronicles my coming to terms with my alcoholism and the early days of my recovery. These are the songs I played during that time as I learned to live a “happy, joyous, and free” sober life.
06/20/22 Taking Time to Write
As an elementary school teacher, I often read and discuss stories with my students. Recently, we read Giraffes Can’t Dance, a tale about a giraffe who believes he can’t dance because the other animals tell him he can’t. During our discussion, a student said, “Sometimes I feel like the giraffe … like I can’t read or write that well.”
06/16/22 Getting It Done
I had an uncle who had a Friday night date and a Saturday night date. Neither knew about the other. Sometimes I feel like my two-timing uncle when it comes to writing. I have two book projects going on at once. Sometimes, I even have a weekend fling with a third.
06/13/22 Rewriting Revision
Earlier this year, I took an unplanned but as it turned out necessary break from writing. I was in a productive routine, but then, an earth-shattering loss had me feeling that writing was pointless. My beloved writing group encouraged me to stay connected to the work. Thankfully, I listened and kept a journal nearby. Long, depressive passages eventually gave way to new ideas and character breakthroughs.
06/10/22 Writers Playlist
This is my standard go-to playlist for when I’m writing. A mixture of quiet sad songs, a few angsty ones, and a handful about New York City. Some of the songs have been on this list for over 15 years!
06/09/22 Trust the Process
In our Incubators, we use story beats, a popular screenwriter’s tool, to help us draft our novels and memoirs. Beats are points of inflection that drive your hero’s journey, both inside and out—actions and reactions that propel your story forward. If you’re intentional about your beats, they can help you get to the heart of your story more effectively. Give your story a pleasing shape that makes your readers happy.
06/06/22 Spotlight
On May 22, 2011, my six-month-old son Camden died. It was and always will be the most devastating and painful thing I’ve experienced. But, it was also 11 years ago. Before this year, I felt I’d dealt with my grief and trauma. That is until I began writing my novel in book inc’s Novel Incubator.
06/02/22 Inside the Memoir Incubator
“Are we going to have a session on dialogue?” my classmate asks on Slack, the messaging app we use to keep in touch between classes. “I’m really struggling with dialogue,” she says. Other classmates chime in and share helpful articles.
05/27/22 Writers Playlist
A mix of 60’s hits and deep tracks that comprise the soundtrack of my coming-of-age novel, The Moon and the Tower, set in 1964, in Moab, Utah.
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