Saw an interview with an award-winning writer on the Colbert show. He said that he prefers to write his novels by hand, in handwriting, because it forces him to take his time. I've noticed this about myself too.

He also said that he had not had any tragedy in his life - although he became a father at a young age. He would imagine the worst things that could happen to his loved ones, then made them happen to his characters. He said that not having tragedy didn't make him a bad writer - but I think it's clear he's "lived" a lot, anyway.

You have to be interesting before you can be made sympathetic

If you need to introduce a character that will later be killed off or suffer some tragedy, make sure that you make them interesting first. People won't be as connected to a generic character. E.g. TV show Bitten - they introduce a woman who will later be killed; her story is just that she's a young bride about to be married, and is related to the main character. There's not enough there to really hook the reader in - we can see what's coming, we can predict this character will be gotten rid of. If she seemed more important to the story, it would have more impact when she was taken away, with the greater purpose of creating a sense of unpredictability for the reader.

Let It All Flow, THEN Edit

Neurological studies show you can't be creative and critical at the same time.

Sometimes I feel stuck for an idea. I might have a bunch of vague, half-formed ideas running around in my mind, but nothing in particular is grabbing me at the moment. Or maybe I'm drawing a complete blank. When I'm feeling like this, I put my pen to the paper and start writing about whatever vague idea is on my mind. (Writing prompts are helpful here, too.) Did I have an image of a purple tiger in my head? Fine - that is the image that is resonating with me right now. I'm not going to question it, I'm just going to write about it. As I keep writing, the story begins to take on a life of its own. After a faltering start, eventually, EVENTUALLY, I get into it. Your unconscious is brimming with ideas and feelings and images, and it knows what it wants to write about. You have to take off the leash and let it run.

Remember: This is Supposed to Be Fun

I once heard a writer say that "Good writing is fun for the reader to read, and fun for the author to write."

- feeling angsty - idea isn't coming along; feeling stuck in editing process - remember that this should be fun. Maybe the editing feels gruelling right now, but it won't last forever. Eventually it'll be done, and you can go back to the fun of writing.



I love this quote for several reasons.

If you ever feel stuck for an idea,

Sometimes, I find myself getting angsty about my writing. Maybe a "great idea" isn't humming along as well as I thought it would. Maybe I'm...


When in doubt, you can

Inspiration - Writing from Cultural Legends and Fairytales

Walt Disney is well known for adapting fairytales to the big screen, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves by the Brothers Grimm, to Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid/The Snow Queen (the inspiration for Frozen). It's no coincidence that Disney drew from these rich sources. Fairytales...

- Fairytales have lasted for a long time; have meanings, morals, images that transcend time. Transcend time *and* different cultures.  Timeless, universal appeal. They reflect core parts of the human experience; reflect deep/resonant truths about the human experience; they capture our imagination and impart wisdom.


- include ideas I read in the "official" Disney biography

Taffy: I love your poem. It was romantic, and it rhymed. 
Milhouse Van Houten: Well, I used a rhyming dictionary, but it only gives you options. The job of the poet is to say, "this one, I guess."