SPA Girls Podcast – EP264 – Insider Writing Secrets

A good old fashioned craft episode from the SPA Girls this week. Shar, Wendy and Cheryl discuss insider writing secretes from James Scott Bell’s book Fiction Attack! They pull out five important secrets that have most impacted them, and discuss what they mean and how they’ve used them in their writing. From using conflict and suspense, to description, fuzzy POV, cliches and info dumps, they go deep on some of those writing secrets that will take you from average to amazing!

SHOW NOTES:

1. The two things every novel needs regardless of genre: Conflict (readers get emotionally hooked by TROUBLE) 

and  

Suspense (not just in suspense story – excite anticipation and don’t be predictable  

2. Opening No Nos : excessive description, point of view fuzziness, cliches, info dumps, too much backstory 

3. Go to the place you fear (see also Donald Maass’s craft books)  ask “what is something your character would never ever do or say ?”  Then find a place for that character to do or say that. Or at least Think it. It shows great inner conflict.  

4. How to write a novella :(20-40k words) 

A) one plot 

b) one POV  

C) one central question – eg will x get y?  

D) one style and tone  

5. The most important characteristics every writer needs  

1. Motivation – desire drives discipline  

2. Action  

3. Assessment – at various times just like any business would you need to step back and asses where you are and where you need to improve  

4 . Time – you must learn to manage time. That’s your real currency. James tips for finding time : (a) plan in advance (b) write it down and block it out (c) prioritise.   

“Discipline beats talent where talent isn’t disciplined”