Monday was a statuary holiday in Canada,
and I was away in Banff with my family, so Lisa Gail Green’s guest post has
been rescheduled for today and there won’t be a post tomorrow (Wednesday). My
regular schedule will continue next week.
***
I was trying to think of a good craft post
and several things came to mind. But then it hit me, what are some quick and
relatively painless tricks I’ve used successfully when it comes to writing and
revising? A good magician may never reveal his secrets, but a good writer
shares! Have you used these? Have more to add?
·
Character Interview
o
When I get a stuck trying to
bring a flat character to life, I take a breather and interview him. I open a
new document, ask a question and type in first person from his perspective.
Something NOT having to do with the plot of the book. This usually gives me a
new glimpse into the character’s head and helps me dive back in.
·
Predictability Meter
o
Whether you are a plotter or a
pantser you have to make constant decisions about what happens next. Ever get
to that soggy middle and wonder why your characters are just sitting around
talking out their troubles? Throw something at them! Literally. Think of
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the improbability drive. What’s the least
likely thing to happen right then? Turning into penguins? Well, okay maybe not
that. Then again… Anyhow, see what happens when you do something unexpected and
it may just breathe new life that you can use. You’d be surprised. And the best
part? So will the reader!
·
Props
o
When I used to act I’d
sometimes pick up random props and use them in interesting ways. Example? I
remember being a lady from the 1800’s and finding a fan. It became an extension
of my hand, where I’d snap it open and closed and poke it at people when I was
upset, or fan myself while giggling. It was a great tool. Writers can use those
too! They can fit both character and world, and that’s awesome! Especially
since you don’t have to worry about practicality when it’s in a novel.
·
Wordle.net
o
Have you used it? I copy and
paste my first chapter inside and see what happens. I remember one time the
word LIKE was about two-thirds of the page! Yikes. I knew right away one of the
first revision checkmarks. When I was done? I did it again and everything was
nice and small and even with the characters names being slightly larger maybe.
Much better.
·
Meditation
o
Okay, that’s not quite it. But
close. I have to work on world. So I like to stop. Take a breath. Imagine the
setting. What do I notice? Besides with sight, what do my other senses pick up?
What about my MC? Would she notice the same things? Or would she notice
something different? How does she feel? Does that change what she experiences?
I keep asking myself these questions throughout.
Blurb for The Binding Stone:
"Genies
like you’ve never seen them, THE BINDING STONE is a wild ride of treachery and
deception. For my first wish, I’d like a sequel, please." - PERSONAL
DEMONS author Lisa Desrochers
"I dream of Lisa Gail Green! The
Binding Stone is magical in so many ways. My Djinn asks for my third
wish? The sequel, of course!" - NYT Bestselling Author Nancy Holder
Tricked into slavery by the man she loved, the Djinni Leela has an eternity to regret her choices.
Awakened in the prison of her adolescent body, she finds a new master in possession of the opal that binds her. But seventeen-year-old Jered is unlike any she’s seen. His kindness makes Leela yearn to trust again, to allow herself a glimmer of hope.
Could Jered be strong enough to free her from the curse of the Binding Stone?





