Tips & Answers to Qs

A NOD TO THE MASTERS OF THEIR CRAFT ON WRITING

Terry McMillan

* Write as if no one is ever going to read it.

* Fiction is a way of making a lie believable.

* Try not to think of an idea for a good story. In fact, leave your brain out of it.

* Write about what frightens you. What you find perplexing. Disturbing.

What breaks your heart. And what you wish you could change.

* All of us have flaws. Pass some of yours on to your characters.

* You want your reader to care about your characters, worry about them and
hope they can get out of whatever mess you put them in.

* You have to have conflict in your story. Even fairy tales and cartoons have them.

* Tell the story from your character’s point of view instead of yours.

* You want your reader to see what’s on the page, not read the words, so paint a moving picture.

* If you feel the same after you finish writing something as you did when you started,

you’ve wasted your time.

From the Editor's Desk

Distracted

Can’t concentrate. Focus is eluding you. The refrigerator is your new best friend, as are the liquor cabinet and the wine rack. You’ve climbed down more Internet rabbit holes than you’ll admit to. There’s nothing interesting on Netflix. You’re watching Tangled and crying. You’re bored and restless, but you have a ton of projects you could do, and aren’t. You’re not writing. You hate that you’re not writing. Even your characters have taken a hike.

Sound familiar? Without meaning to be too platitudinal, you’re not alone.

There’s so much to say about what we’re living with, and with grace, will get through. Let’s start with forgiving yourself for being scared, uncertain, and impatient. No lectures, but here are a few things that might make you feel better and get you in the mood to write:

@pluto.living on FB & Instagram

Listen to Luther Vandross

Watch Splash

Read books by any/a few Boroughs author(s) and write reviews

Wear flamboyant scarves with your t-shirts and yoga pants

Put on Prince’s Purple Rain and/or Chaka Khan’s Life is a Dance: The Remix Project and dance around the house

Give yourself a home facial

Get all dressed up, extra full make-up, spikey heels, hair out to THERE, and sing along with Beyonce’s B’Day – especially “Irreplaceable”