Author Archives: Steph Nickel
The ABCs of the Writing Life Pt 1 by Tracy Krauss
A is for Authenticity Authenticity is a trendy word that has lost some of its meaning in recent years because of overuse. What does it really mean to write authentically? Authenticity means writing from a place of passion, not necessarily following the latest trend. While we need to be mindful of our audience, readers can… Read more »
The Is and Isn’t of Memoir Part 2 by Connie Mae Inglis
Welcome back to Part 2 of my posts on what I’ve learned about memoir i.e., what memoir ISN’T and what memoir IS. Let’s continue on: Think about an autobiography, which generally tells the personal story of someone’s life in chronological order. That’s plot-driven. But in a memoir, each event shared from a person’s life has… Read more »
Overcoming Obstacles in Writing Part 2 by Carol Harrison
How can we get started? Once we have defined the obstacles we face in our writing journey, whether small bumps or mountains, we need to take time to look at how to get started on overcoming them. In this blog post we will look at a few ideas which may spark some more of your… Read more »
Overcoming Obstacles in Writing by Carol Harrison
What’s stopping you? Recently I attended a workshop on “Overcoming Obstacles in your Writing” by Jennifer Sparks from Saskatoon. It gave me lots to contemplate as I search my own writing life to figure out the obstacles holing me back or stopping me from writing. I’ve been asking myself how I can get unstuck and… Read more »
Writing Strategies from the Masters Part 2: Imitate by Sandi Somers
How many times have you read a book, loved it so much you read and reread it over and over? Have you thought, “I wish I could create such dynamic characters. I wish I could write such vivid details. I wish I could write like that.” Yes, you can “write like that.” Not to become… Read more »
Writing Strategies from the Masters Part 1: To Riff or Not to Riff by Sandi Somers
“What is riffing? Is that even a word?” This is what one member of my InScribe’s local group asked when I suggested she could riff a quote she admired. Yes, “riff” is a word. It comes from jazz and describes how one musician improvises a musical phrase of another. For example, one piece in my… Read more »
Love Your Writing by Brenda J. Wood
Well, here we are in February. Aren’t you surprised? I am … every winter. I drag myself through all of dreary January. I bemoan the absence of sun and the abundance of snow. It seems spring will never show up … and yet it does, every single year! Every year, the birds return from their winter holiday… Read more »
Write Compelling Cozy Mysteries by Steph Beth Nickel
This post originally appeared on the InScribe Writers Online blog earlier this month. Among many others genres, I enjoy reading a compelling cozy mystery. In my mind, these are five of the characteristics that make a story “unputdownable”: “In Medias Res” Opening I want to be plunged into the middle of the action. I’ll figure… Read more »
A Variety of Genres by Steph Beth Nickel
While there are several advantages to writing in only one or two genres, there are successful authors who write in a variety of genres. Authors choose the genre(s) they write in based on a number of factors. Not surprisingly, one of these factors is what they enjoy reading. The following are some of the genres… Read more »