Linda McHenry

Tag: writers

  • Craft Chat: The Place for Writer Collaboration

    Craft Chat: The Place for Writer Collaboration

    My Collaborative Framework

    I find more inspiration and motivation in writer collaboration than from any other pursuit. Are you one of those writers who agrees?

    Do you feel more in sync with other writers than with, oh, the people at work? Or your accountant? Do you find it easier to brainstorm with folks who don’t scoff at the ideas you come up with? Especially when those ideas might occasionally focus on topics such as the different ways one character can poison another?

    If so, consider joining my membership community and attending Craft Chat meetings. We:

    • Enjoy exchanging ideas and viewpoints
    • Strive to improve our skills and are open to different techniques
    • Work to become better storytellers and/or refine our writing styles and voices
    • Love the synergy of a small, intimate group

    Exclusive Content and Access to Craft Chat

    In addition to the regular posts on my blog, I post exclusive content for my members. For me, it really is all about writer collaboration. At the Craft of Writing level, you’ll find craft tips, videos, how-tos, and information shared by other writers. Recent posts include Birth Order Characteristics and Creating Character Profiles.

    You’ll also find downloadable forms, such as character profile templates. I upload new content on a regular basis, so keep checking back.

    Craft Chat: The Place for Writer Collaboration

    I offer access to monthly Craft Chat meetings to members of my community. They offer a casual but structured environment where  we chat about our craft, the challenges we face, and our continued progress. My hope is for each writer to connect with one or more other attendees, without pressure, to find what he or she needs.

    For more information, watch the quick video that appears above or check out the Membership page on my website. Once you join my membership community (there’s no cost to join), you’ll be taken to your Membership Dashboard. From there, you can access the exclusive content and register for Craft Chat.

  • Are You a Pantser, a Plotter, or BOTH?

    Are You a Pantser, a Plotter, or BOTH?

    What do I mean when I ask:

    Are you a pantser, a plotter, or both? When you write, do you fly by the seat of your pants, outline all the plot details before hand, or use a combination of both techniques?

    I’ve always been a plotter, which was extremely helpful when I wrote my nonfiction book. Also, it helped immeasurably when I developed and wrote hundreds of insurance continuing texts and courses (online, classroom, and webinar). As a novelist, being a plotter has also been helpful. Now, however, I’m writing my first novel on a pure pantsing basis.

    Of course, that statement is made tongue-in-cheek because, let’s face it, while the fuel of my fabrications is imagination, if I come up with a great idea for a future line of dialogue or scene I’m definitely writing it down. In a literal sense, even the most devout of pantsers has to engage in SOME plotting!

    So, here’s what I’m doing now…

    At this moment, I’m thinking it’s absolutely essential for me to know how my book is going to end. Specifically, whether my lead character achieves her goal and how she’s grown and/or become a better person. So, I guess that’s plotting. I also think that if flashes of insight strike me as I’m writing (and they’re doing so), I’ll plan for them by sketching them into a loose outline. That’s also plotting.

    But as far as everything else goes, I’m winging it! Definitely pantsing.

    I attended a terrific plotting workshop presented by Gayle Lynds at a writer’s conference a couple of years ago and my big takeaway was that plot derives from character. So far, my pantsing/winging is going well.

    Yes, I know all the advantages of plotting—I’ve experienced them firsthand. On the other hand, I agree with many others that plotting too much, or too tightly, can sensor creativity and disallow deviations from the path already outlined.

    So, are you a pantser, a plotter, or both?

    What are your personal experiences? Do you have any tips? Successes? Less than desirable consequences we should know about? Let us know!

    As always, here are some resources:

    Well-Storied: https://www.well-storied.com/blog/a-pantsers-guide-to-story-structure

    Jane Friedman (one of the few people I love without having known/met her): https://janefriedman.com/panster-or-plotter/

    Writer’s Digest: https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/jan-29

  • New England Crime Bake 2018

    I just spent a terrific weekend in Boston at the New England Crime Bake, a writers conference co-sponsored by the New England Chapters of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, organizations of which I am a member.

    All I can say is, Wow!

    Wonderful guest of honor: Walter Mosley. Excellent presenters and panelists, including Gayle Lynds. So much to process and share.

    Give me a few days to gather my thoughts and I’ll have more info and details for you. In the meantime, you can use #crimebake on Social Media to see photos and other good stuff posted my my fellow attendees.