CataUniversity | Quick Tips

A Comprehensive List of Software for Writers

By Alice ⋅ April 14, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

Ever wonder if there’s an easier way to write a novel or screenplay? There could be. While Word is a standard, there are other options including Open Office, Wordpad, yWriter (a favorite of mine) and not to mention, pen and that old thing we like to call paper.
Yes, it’s still possible to write on paper [...]

Get out the leg warmers and find your inspiration

By Alice ⋅ April 1, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

Having a hard time finding inspiration to finish that project? Whenever I’m feeling a little blah, I turn to the music and movies that inspired me as a child and teenager (yes, even Disney movies.)
There’s something all those movies and songs have in common for me. A lowest common denominator if you will.
For me, they [...]

Scene Worksheet to the Rescue

By Alice ⋅ March 29, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

Having trouble with a scene in your latest WIP? Give this worksheet a try: ywp.scriptfrenzy.org/files/scriptfrenzy-ywp/sf_ywp_08_scene_ws_hs.pdf
I found writing out what the scene was all about, who was in it, and even drawing it in the space provided really helped me visualize what was supposed to happen and why. Now I’m ready to write!

Tension in every scene

By Alice ⋅ March 26, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

Some good advice from Rocky Cole:
You want tension in every scene in your story, whether that tension is overt and visible or subtle and hidden. Tension is achieved by characters wanting different things, having different goals, coming into conflict or having conflict within themselves.
Need more help with your scene? Check out the worksheet I link [...]

Wordcount Tracker

By Alice ⋅ March 24, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

If you’re a writer chances are that at one point or another you’ve struggled to meet your wordcount (or pagecount) goal. And while there are several different methods available to help you track your wordcount, one that I’ve come across several times is Kresley Cole’s Word/Page Count Tracker. Visit her message board, sign up, and [...]

QuickTip: Write what you like to read.

By Alice ⋅ March 23, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

In How to Write a Damn Good Novel, James N Frey says “if you’re an aficionado of one type, that’s what you should be writing. Write the kind of book you like to read.”
Sounds like common sense, but it’s good advice. Advice that many writers forget as they jump from one hot trend to another [...]

Slow but steady…

By Alice ⋅ March 22, 2010 ⋅ One comment

Sometimes I forget why we writers call our current manuscript a WIP. For those who don’t know, WIP stands for Work In Progress.
How is that forgettable? Some days writing doesn’t seem like work at all. Those are great days.
But other days, like today, I fight for each word.
It’s easy to be hard on yourself [...]

Progress & Challenges

By Alice ⋅ January 28, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”
~Mark Victor Hansen

Quick Tip: Get Into Their Head

By Alice ⋅ January 22, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

The next time you’re having trouble with your book try switching POVs. In fact, write a scene from a secondary character’s point of view. You might not use the scene in your finished draft, but I’ll bet you’ll be surprised at what you learn from writing that scene. You see, every character in your story [...]

Quick Tip: The Rules Still Apply

By Alice ⋅ January 14, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

Even though we’re living in an age of technology and email there are still many publishers and agents who only accept paper submissions. One of the first “rules” I ever heard was to make sure your ink is dark, your font basic (Times or Courier here, folks) and your paper, bright white.
A new article in [...]

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