The Inquisitive Inkpot
Exploring Tales and the Art of Telling
Tag: writing tips
Outlining and Bacon
Outlining will not save your bacon—it will just help you make the bacon in the first place. Every form of writing will have its own outlining standard (novels, articles, dissertations, screenplays, etc.). And within each category of writing, every writer will have his or… Continue Reading “Outlining and Bacon”
Overcoming the Research Roadblock
Research can either make or break a story, so we writers have to get it right. Time periods, cultures, social/government systems, technology—anything in your story that ranges beyond your area of expertise is going to require some intensive research. I learned this the hard… Continue Reading “Overcoming the Research Roadblock”
How to Improve your Writing: a recent discovery
This is not a 3-step plan to improve your writing in three weeks. If you’ve followed The Inquisitive Inkpot for any amount of time, you’ll know that I am not about providing formulas—I’m about suggesting concepts. And when it comes to improving your writing,… Continue Reading “How to Improve your Writing: a recent discovery”
A Writer Interview by Pooja
Every writer interview is a unique opportunity to field interesting questions. Recently, Pooja from Lifesfinewhine interviewed me about my work as a writer and blogger. What I love about the experience of every writer interview is that each interviewer brings their own flavor of… Continue Reading “A Writer Interview by Pooja”
The Power of the Pitch
Have you ever had to pitch an idea to someone? Of course you have. We pitch ideas to other people all the time, whether we realize it or not. Whether you get what you want out of it is a whole separate question. Authors… Continue Reading “The Power of the Pitch”
Creative Projects: the more, the merrier?
Creative projects are like children: the more there are, the harder it is to keep track of them all. For artists, this often leads to a physical mess, where the materials for their various creative projects get all mixed up or scattered around the… Continue Reading “Creative Projects: the more, the merrier?”
Of Saplings and Stories: What We can Learn
When I’m not writing stories, I work with trees. Let’s be clear: I’m not the one cutting trees down or doctoring them up—no, no, you will not see me wielding a chainsaw or fertilizer. Instead, I run the marketing and communications department for a… Continue Reading “Of Saplings and Stories: What We can Learn”
What Young Writers can Teach Us
When I first met an 11-year-old writer who runs his own newspaper, I felt seriously behind on life. Those who know me have heard me complain about how old I feel at 22. In fact, one of my father’s friends tried to console me… Continue Reading “What Young Writers can Teach Us”
The First Audience for a Children’s Book
When it comes to writing a children’s book, feedback is priceless. Most projects turn out better when they’ve been critiqued, but this is especially true of stories. Even more so of stories that are meant to be read aloud—which is precisely the purpose of… Continue Reading “The First Audience for a Children’s Book”
Choosing the Words for a Children’s Book
Every writer knows that word choice is essential—but this holds especially true when writing a children’s book. Before The Misadventures of Melvin the Missing Sock, I had never written a children’s book. In fact, I don’t even have that many kids in my life… Continue Reading “Choosing the Words for a Children’s Book”
