https://www.journeysixty6.com/blog.rss
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[Tipster] How to Make Your Story Idea Unique – Genre-Based TropesMy sister and I love to watch Pride and Prejudice (2005). Historical romance with a witty, relatable main character who refuses to...
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[Video] Harper Editor on What Publishers are Looking for in a Book ProposalA strong book proposal is key to landing a publisher. Former HarperOne editor Mickey Maudlin provides two tips on what publishers are looking for...
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[Podcast] Author Paula Munier on How to Create the Perfect PlotOne of the most common questions we receive from fiction writers is “How do I plot my book?” It’s the question that dominates...
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[Video] Why You Need to Know the "Why" of Your BookMost writers don't take the time to ask themselves why they're writing a book. They don't know the "why" of their book. In this Author Gas...
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[Podcast] How to Overcome the Initial Shock of a Developmental EditEvery book needs a developmental edit. Even professional writers do. In fact, professional writers crave developmental editing, because...
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[Tipster] What Is a Plot Hole and Why You Need to Think Harder about Your StoryI am a story snob. I’m not as bad as my cousin whose critiques are borderline nitpicky. But I have high expectations for the media and...
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[Tipster] Writing in an Age of ChatGPTI had an old-fashioned quarrel with ChatGPT the other night. Maybe it was one sided. I yelled at him. He didn’t yell back. I’ll...
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[Tipster] Why Would Someone Want to Read Your Book?Each of us writes for a variety of reasons. Some write to work out their pain. Others write as a creative outlet. Still others write to promote...
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[Podcast] Lisa Cron on the Misbelief of Your Protagonist and Why It Matters to Your StoryThink about your favorite book or movie. What makes it your favorite? It’s probably a combination of things—an applicable life...
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[Tipster] What Is Cohesion and Resonance in Nonfiction Writing?I learned an important lesson about cohesion when we bought our 1923 brick bungalow 23 years ago and I painted my hallway pineapple yellow. The...
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Are You Emotionally Prepared to Make Changes to Your Manuscript?We called it the “80% Rule.” My first real professional job was as an assistant editor at a publication. I acquired and edited...
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[Tipster] Tasty Quotes Make Tasty WritingMy husband reads car repair manuals. I’m grateful he has the brain to persist through that dreary copy—because when you own three...
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[Podcast] Cristen Iris on Thinking Like a Filmmaker When Writing Your MemoirCommercially viable memoirs are akin to novels. They engage the reader through storytelling techniques. But new memoirists struggle to...
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[Tipster] Don't Bury the LedeDon’t bury the lede. That is a principle that can be applied to many forms of writing. It is especially true in hard reporting stories....
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[Tipster] What a Podcast Taught Me about Complex CharactersI like to think of myself as an original. But, really, I’m a middle-aged female cliché. At least when it comes to the...
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[Podcast] Emily Enger on Good Enough Book Marketing for Fiction and Creative Writers“You need to hire a PR firm.” “You need a large social media following.” “You need to appear on radio...
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[Tipster] Only Training Can Show You How to Create a SceneI don’t think you can really learn to write. Which is why few fine art programs in writing turn out prolific writers. Mostly, you need to...
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[Tipster] What I Learned from My Meeting with a Literary AgentBefore lockdown in March 2020, an HGTV producer (the team behind The Property Brothers ) wanted to talk with me about developing a TV show around...
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[Tipster] What Is a Gerund? And Why Should You Care?The other day, I asked ChatGPT, the AI text language model, “What is a gerund?” It replied: “A gerund is a type of verbal...
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[Tipster] How to Collect Your Book IdeasTuesday afternoon I met with a literary agent to discuss a book idea that’s been swirling inside me for a few years. The idea relates to...
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[Podcast] View Your Time Set Aside for Writing as SacredIs your writing time sacred? Typically, people use the word ‘sacred’ to define what we’ve written. Confessional writing,...
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[Tipster] How a Shift from Product to Process Changes Your WritingIt might not impress you, because I was an English (not Math or Engineering) major, but I got straight As as an undergrad. My quest for As led...
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[Tipster] Give Your Readers Some Gold CoinsI have a fun-loving nephew who has an extreme form of ADHD. At seven years old, he’s inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive. I...
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[Tipster] The Fight for Fresh LanguageCue the Rocky theme song. Trying hard now It’s so hard now Trying hard now … Getting strong now Won’t be long now...
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[Podcast] Rosanne Bane on How to Overcome Writer’s BlockDo you feel an overwhelming amount of stress and anxiety when you think about writing? Do you blame yourself when you don’t write?...
