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The Big Nothing, Small Deaths, and How a Dilemma is Vital for Storytellers

February 4th, 2019Sarah Lovett2 Comments

Recently I had a ‘New Year’ conversation with a good friend. Our talk turned to Noam Chomsky and his film, Is The Man Who Is Tall Happy?, an animated documentary on the life of the linguist, philosopher, and political activist by French filmmaker Michel Gondry. (It is, btw, a delightful and provocative film.) Chomsky had been an early influence in my friend’s academic life. We touched briefly on Chomsky’s atheism and his belief in (I paraphrase) the “big nothing” that follows death. The topic of what comes after—nothing or something—tugged at me more than usual, due I think, to winter’s dark days and …

My January 2014 post for Algonquin Redux on “How Dilemma is Vital for Storytellers”

January 14th, 2014Sarah Lovett0 Comments

I was recently invited to join the Algonquin Redux writers roundtable. This is a terrific site for writers and readers. I will be posting a new essay on the 9th of each month. I’m sharing the link and also encouraging you to browse the archives to find a variety of brief essays by amazing authors. Sharing my Jan 2014 post now on Algonquin Redux

Wants, Whys, Lies,& Ghosts: Use these vital story elements to reveal your characters!

February 25th, 2021Sarah Lovett0 Comments

What do characters want?! Spend an hour with other writers or take a writing class and you will hear this advice: Figure out what your protagonist wants! Variations phrased as questions include: What does your hero desire? What does he yearn for? What does she lust for? What is her story goal? Easy Peasy Sounds easy enough, right? Your intelligence operative wants to stop an imminent terrorist attack. Your detective wants to solve the crime. Your au pair wants to fall in love. Your corporate V.P. wants to finally earn the damn promotion! Your archaeologist wants to dig up the treasure after decades of searching! Want something? …

Action-Tracking Outline: Best Writing Tool Ever

December 29th, 2020Sarah Lovett0 Comments

Not your grandmother’s outline Today’s post focuses on what I call the action-tracking outline, an outlining/tracking tool that might change the way you think about the “O” word. I’ve published seven novels with the big houses and I’m the author of two upcoming novels in their final stages of revision and polish–and this tool is one of the best in my writer’s toolbox. Yes, I’m talking the “O” word We’ve all heard the debate about ‘pantzers’ and ‘outliners’ and you can find many wise bloggers waxing on pros and cons of one or the other or both. That’s not what …

Writing Tips to Get Your Story On the Page

October 28th, 2019Sarah Lovett0 Comments

Use Rituals Writing tips can get you started! Some writers begin their writing day with a meditation. Others begin while they are still in bed and barely awake, and still others begin after walking a mile or doing pushups and crunches and drinking two cups of bitter java. Rituals are popular because they work—but not every time and not for everyone. That’s because there is often a larger undercurrent of ebb and flow to our creative process. But that doesn’t mean we should not encourage flow—we should! Set Goals & Embrace Messy When it comes to writing first drafts—set daily …

Your Characters’ Desires Drive Your Story

July 19th, 2019Sarah Lovett2 Comments

Whether you are writing a novel or a memoir, the most important question you must answer is, What do my characters want? You’ll begin with your primary characters–your protagonist and major antagonist–and work from there to other characters. Little Big “Wants” If “what they want” seems like an easy question to answer in your stories, think again. Sure, a detective in a crime story wants to catch the bad guy and close the case. The lonely widower wants to find love. The superhero wants to save the world or at least her corner of it. Those goals (aka desires aka …

Revising Your Novel or Memoir in 2019: 9 Must-Know Tips (Part 2)

January 7th, 2019Sarah Lovett0 Comments

Want to start and finish your first, fifth, or tenth novel in 2019? Read on! In my previous post, I wrote about 1st drafts, and I shared my best suggestions for finishing draft 1 of your novel within 3 to 6 months (without losing your mind). Your 1st draft is the one Anne Lamott aptly dubs the “shitty first draft.” Give yourself permission to work quickly with forward momentum. When your 1st draft is complete: Set it aside for days, weeks, maybe even a month or more. Give yourself time to let it go and separate yourself. When you come back to the …

Writing & Revising Your Novel or Memoir in 2019: 7 Must-Know Tips (Part 1)

January 7th, 2019Sarah Lovett0 Comments

If writing & revising your book tops your 2019 to-do list, here are 7 must-know tips to help you write your best novel or memoir. 1.Write your 1st draft quickly, ideally within 3 to 6 months. Key to this process of drafting is to refrain from editing your 1st draft! Writing draft 1 without editing?! I can hear some of you writers howling with anticipated pain and frustration! But trust me (or at least listen with an open mind) when I say your best novel will probably be born from a quick 1st draft. Note, when I say probably, that’s because there are no rules when it …

Will I finish my book this year?

October 31st, 2018Sarah Lovett1 Comment

I finished my first draft and now I’m revising. Will I finish my book this year? Will I ever truly finish my book!? Dear Fellow Writer Yes, you will finish this second draft—your revision! It’s possible you can finish this year; of course that depends upon how far along you’ve come. If you’re just starting out, you might give yourself a six-month (ballpark) window for your revision. Some of the timing will be determined by where you put your focus, and, I guarantee, you still are discovering so much about your story and characters. (I keep learning through revision and …

Coaching Questions to Keep You and Your Story and Your Life on Course

September 28th, 2018Sarah Lovett0 Comments

As a writing coach and mentor, I work with writers to become conscious of their writing process, to become accountable to their writing spirit, and to identify and deal with resistance so it does not stop them from writing. I encourage my clients to name, clarify, and hone their goals. I also ask them to identify the meaning they attach to reaching those goals. I ask myself those same questions. When we understand what we want and why we want it, and answer truthfully, we don’t lose our way. We can use what we know to stay on course for …