Monday: Cheryl's Writing Advice

Some writers just don't recognize this one crucial aspect regarding why they aren't improving, growing or selling: If you keep writing new material and are mature enough to recognize that you didn't know it all three/ five/ ten years ago, your writing actually improves.

A writer has to grow into their voice. It's developed. It takes work, effort, time and a lot of crappy throw-away pages. A writer can't actually edit their "voice" in to the pages. I didn't know I even had a voice until my first wonderful God-bless-her editor said I had a Hemmingway style. I wrote it down and then had to figure out what she meant. Put simply (ha): I don't write flowery or beat around the bush. It's kind of like me in person. If there's a simple way to say it or do it, that's what I do.

Trust your instincts on what feels right for you and in developing a story the way you want to see it play out. Underneath the plot are the relationship and the emotions, and that's what you must convey to get readers to connect. Feel the emotion to convey it. Take sufficient time with your story people and their emotional journey.