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p>You may assume you can depend on your memory when you write your life stories--but memory isn't always as reliable as you want it to be! 1) Memory can fail you. You simply may not be able to recall the information you need to write about another person--or yourself--with accuracy and detail. 2) Memory can mislead you. It can blur the negative role you may have played and cast another's positive role in the shadows. Memory does tend to be flattering to the rememberer. Conversely, it may elevate your having been "bad" to "really bad" when you were merely thoughtless or small in your actions. 3) Memory can simply be wrong. Time has ways of altering a memory. You may forget that you didn't know the...

p>Before you begin to write your memoir, there are a number of non-writing tasks which you must do--this phase of compiling your memoir is called pre-writing, and it is essential to writing better stories. Pre-writing can include: -list making. -rereading letters, journal entries, newspaper clippings. -talking to people and reminiscing. -doing any of the numerous writing exercises in this book or others to stimulate your memory and keep your interest high. Pre-writing can actually occur at several points in the lifewriting process: at the very start of the lifewriting task, as an effective warm-up, whenever you pick up your writing after an absence. 1) Don't start writing until you have done pre...

p>Stories fascinate us all our lives. As children, we loved to be told fairy tales and to hear, time after time, the tales our parents told us about what we did and said when we were babies, as well as the stories about their own childhoods. As soon as we were old enough, we told stories about ourselves for our parents and for our friends. As adults, we speak in stories at work, at family get-togethers, at class reunions, at town meetings, at the post office when we meet our neighbors. In fact, stories are such an important medium for us that even the numerous stories we tell and hear daily are not enough to satisfy our enormous appetites--we consume additional stories by reading novels, seeing...

p>Using cliches and stereotypes will undermine the unique and personal feel of your memoir. They place people in categories. As short-hand ways of writing and speaking, they reflect ready-made thoughts and adversely affect the ways we relate to our families and friends as unique individuals. "She was a mother-hen--you know how mothers are!" "My father had a heart of gold." "Those were beautiful days when we were happy." These examples of cliches and stereotypes reflect ways of thinking that get in the way of seeing people as individuals and events as unique. If you think of your mother in generic terms as "a mother," you will be weighed down with all the sentimental good and bad that second-rate...

p>Granted everyone has stories to tell, but can ordinary people learn the skills and techniques necessary to write meaningful and interesting autobiography? Yes! Anyone who wants to can learn the tasks necessary to write a memoir to bequeath with pride to their children and grandchildren. Every step in the writing process is important and accessible. Lots of people have done step one: writing down their life stories. Too few take another important step: polishing the stories in the editing process to create a more interesting and complete memoir. The secret to giving your stories the finishing touch is to read your manuscript as your reader will--with fresh, observant eyes. That's why, at some point...

p>Many memoir writers are under the impression that you need to have an extensive vocabulary to write. An extensive vocabulary can only help you--if by "extensive" you mean many precise words, not just big ones. Precise words are specific and not vague and ineffective like nice, awful, big, OK. "She was nice" is vague. "She understands different points of view" is specific. "He was awfully big" is vague. You might write instead: "My father measured six foot five and weighed 275 pounds." Don't write: "The job was OK." Write: "The job was in my field of competence, but its salary was inadequate and its requirements did not challenge me." In each of these examples, I have added meaning where I replaced...

p>While we all like to think that our memoirs are faithful, the fact is that they are not. Interviewing people who were witnesses to our lives or to the lives of people we are writing about is an important step in ascertaining the veracity of our recall. 1. Make clear preliminary arrangements with the people you will interview. Be specific about the meeting time, the length of the interview, the place where it will occur, and the conditions necessary for its success. It is often effective and efficient to have the interviewee gather memory jogs (photos, clippings, mementos) that can be used as warm-ups. 2. Be very specific in your requests. Vague requests like "We'll need a good amount of time" can...

p>Eventually, after you have written awhile, you will likely have amassed a number of vignettes, story segments, and stories. You will want to group them together to make a statement, a bigger picture. How will you do it? Below are four ideas for organizing stories. Remember: These suggestions do not refer to the sequence in which the stories are written but rather to how they can be ordered after they have been written. 1)Chronology--If you choose a chronological order, you organize your stories in a way that most nearly replicates the sequence in which events happened. For example, what happened in your childhood is placed first in the narration and what happened in your youth is placed second and...

p>Every story needs a believable setting. Setting will both put your characters in their context and make them seem real. The setting is both where and when your story occurs. The where is the place in which the story occurs. It includes interiors and exteriors of buildings, the landscape, and the political demarcations (town, county, country, etc.). The when includes the calendar time as well as the history of the characters and of their community (family, group, nation, etc.). Setting, like character, is also best established with ample sense-oriented details. Always place your story in a recognizable setting. That is, use descriptive writing to show us where your story occurs! Let us see the...

p>Today, technological advances, centralized distribution systems and a growing interest in reclaiming regional identity makes self-publishing a viable option for many authors who want their books to reach a wider circle than their immediate family and friends. It is not true that your book is not worthy to be read unless it has been purchased by a New York corporate publishing house. Self-publishing has many benefits, not the least of which are that you can control production decisions and can recoup your expenses. 1. Know the difference between between a publisher and a printer. A publisher (whether that's you or Random House) assumes responsibility for all the tasks to get your book designed...

p>The people in your story are your characters. It is your job to bring vivid literary characters to the attention of your readers. You must use descriptive writing to present believable characters. Without other people, our lives and memoirs risk becoming dull. Although ideas are pivotal for many individuals, relationships are even more commanding. We are intrigued with who other people are and how they function. "Who's that? What are they doing? Where did they come from?" These are question we want answered. To write a strong story, capitalize on this interest. In lifewriting, you create a strong, vivid character by describing him or her in sensual details. (The senses, of course, are: sight...

Many different methods exist that writers of all genres use to get published sooner or later. There are those would-be writers who know what they want to say but feel that they lack the ability to pull off the completed product. These people employ a ghost writer. What types of assignments can ghost writers handle? Ghost writers take on all types of jobs ranging from single articles and web content to an entire novel. The ghost writer is called such because no credit is given them for their work except a fee previously agreed upon for doing the writing. The person who commissioned the writing presents the finished product as their own. Where are contract writers needed and what do they write? The...

Fantasy is a genre where most books are produced by a very few (big) publishing houses in the UK and USA. These are the houses that can afford to take the risk on large print runs because they have many other titles too. They produce a few fantasy titles (bad luck, authors) in big volume. Big volume is necessary for most kinds of book printing, but fantasy is the most critical, certainly within fiction. Let's see why. I'm a fantasy fan. I won't buy a fantasy title unless it is (a) thicker than a doorstop (b) reasonably priced. I don't buy hardcovers or large format (expensive) paperbacks - I look for that small fat little book which opens up to a world where I can get lost for days and days. The...

Do you ever wonder why all those publishers rejected Harry Potter before Bloomsbury took it on and made publishing history? I wonder it all the time because I have seen, first hand, some of the nonsensical and humorous reasons a book is rejected. I wrote one of my novels, seven years before it was finally published. So, why did it take that long for someone to say yes? I still don't know the answer to that, because almost without exception, my rejection letters said: "Loved the story, and your writing shows so much promise. But..." Which begs the question: When is an enjoyable story and proficient writing, simply not enough? Worse, when did it become secondary to what can only be described as...

When you get published, you actually have a bit of reference to draw an employer to. More and more professionals nowadays recognize its credibility. When someone's article comes up in a magazine that will give them a career boost that like they never expected. It is a popular notion that a magazine will not entail anyone and everyone a page space on their journal if they are not very established in their respective fields. If you are published in a magazine, it usually implies that you are an expert in your field. You need to identify a topic or a subject that holds value in the market. Your presentation of an idea is very important as to how it is perceived by the magazine authorities. And as they...

Some things in life are hard....finding a job, living paycheck to paycheck, writing a book. And some things are easy....eating ice cream, playing at the beach, writing a booklet. Yes, writing a booklet is easy. Whether you're already writing, or you haven't started yet, you can write a booklet! If you've established yourself as a writer by writing articles, you've got material for a booklet. One article can easily become a booklet, although you may need to expand it just a little depending on the length. But, articles are not the only thing that you can turn into a booklet. Do you have a blog? A blog would make an excellent booklet. Of course, you'll have to choose which posts to use because if...

p>To help you to write your memoirs more prolifically-and even bring them to a finish in the form of a published memoir-I offer these several suggestions to help you succeed. 1. Set up a regular writing time. How long you write is perhaps not as important as how frequently you do so. Once you have set up a writing time, honor it as you would a medical appointment. Don't allow others to usurp your time! 2. Give yourself permission to write a rough first draft. Perfectionism is not a virtue at this stage. Keep writing for volume. Quality will enter in later 3. Start anywhere in the story you feel like writing about on any given day and keep writing as long as possible. If the topic changes on the next...

Writing articles and blog posts for the internet is similar to writing for offline publications, but you will find that online writing is published faster and easier. I had wanted to write for many years, but was discouraged at the slow process and rejection of magazines and publishers in general. Once I discovered online writing, I was able to become the writer I had always wanted to be, and get my message out to others. Article writing and blogging are the easiest ways to get started. These two areas will give you vast exposure to readers from around the world, and help you get your message out. During the first few months you will spend time finding your voice, so that you can decide what it is...

Any professional writer will tell you the foundation of success begins with putting your behind in the chair and writing. It's that old adage: a writer writes. And it's true ... once you see yourself as a writer. At first thought, this may sound rather ridiculous. However, as with most roles we play in life (parent, driver, spouse, homeowner), the success we achieve is directly related to how we perceive ourselves in that role. If you struggle to see yourself living the writer's life (with all the self-discipline, rejection, and uncertainty that comes with it), you're going to have a far more difficult road to travel than if you have complete confidence as a writer. So how does a beginning writer...

class="googleright"> Nicole Frehsee, 27, can confidently say that she loves her job. As an Assistant Editor for Rolling Stone, every day she enters rock journalism’s most hallowed offices – and can’t believe she actually works there. “Hell yes,” she gushes, “All the people I meet, the interviews I do, the concerts I go to…I’m excited about everything.” But despite Nicole’s lifelong interest in writing – she won a citywide essay competition in high school, worked as a cub reporter for a local community news Web site and interned for renowned author Mitch Albom on his national radio show – she never thought about pursuing journalism as a...

You've heard it... the best way to become a writer is to write. You shouldn't be surprised. It's true. But it's not the whole truth. There's another element that's equally important. You have to believe in yourself as a writer. That can be quite a challenge, particularly for young writers just starting out. When you lack the confidence to call yourself a writer, sitting down to write becomes exponentially more difficult. So what can you do to overcome this behemoth challenge? See if these suggestions can help: 1. Write For Yourself Writing is about passion. It doesn't matter if your love is for writing magazine articles or poetry or historical romances or a newspaper column. As long as you hold true...

Freelancing is a good carrier option available in present time. Freelancing has several departments for working. After becoming a freelancer, you can earn a handsome salary and can be tension free from your daily whole day job. It is up to you after becoming a freelancer in which department you want to work. It is your personal choice. The back bone of freelancing is internet because many companies and individuals can hire freelancer from several sites by using internet as an option. If you want to become a successful freelancer then you have to fix your goals. By fixing of goals my mean is that, you must have already decided as a freelancer in which department of freelancing you will prefer working...

How do you become a freelance writer on the internet? The answer to this question is, "relatively easily" provided you actually enjoy writing. However if you were to ask the altogether different question, "How do you become a successful online writer?" then this is much tougher to achieve. To begin with, let's take a look at the simpler first question. If you enjoy writing and would like to see your writing on the internet then it is likely you will be able to find a little spot on the internet where you can see your own writing displayed. The most obvious starting point is to write your own blog. This way, provided you follow the basic guidelines of your blog host, whether it is wordpress, blogger...

Nearly all of us have it in us to write even thou we have never written and have never thought we could-ALEX F. OSBORN Writing can do much to train imagination and help individuals to earn money as a part time job or full time business. To become a freelance writer you need inspiration,you have to be innovative, creative, enlightened and well organized. Here are five tips to help you become a freelance writer- (1)Read-reading gives your imagination some thing to feed on, it enables you to be well enlightened. (2)Write a lot-practice all the time so that your writing skills can be well developed. Train your self to have multiple writing styles. Write articles on various topics and develop confidence...

So you have an idea for a movie? You just know it would be a big hit. All you need now is a good script. You remember that your friend has a buddy who knows someone who once sold a script to Disney. You contact them only to realize that you just don't have the $15,000 necessary to pay this con-artist mid-level Hollywood writer to take on "your baby." What next? Well, if you're like most ambitious, semi-intelligent zealots, you decide to go for it and just write the thing yourself! After all, how hard can it be? If Quentin Tarantino can do it, why can't you? Congratulations! You're on your way. As Confucius once said, "beginning is half done." And I must say the only feeling better than finishing...

The 510+ stage Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon - understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. The Hero's Journey: · Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told. · Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on. · Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created. The Hero's Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is...

y"> Watchmen (2009), is a classic Hero's Journey (Monomyth) story. Again, this demonstrates that a successful screenplay cannot be written without a deep understanding of this structure. Some of the 510+ stage Hero's Journey stages follow: Call to Adventure: Kovacs tries to convince Dreiberg to help find the assassin. Refusal of the Call: Dreiberg and the others don't believe that an assassin is after the Watchmen and they don't want to go back to that Superhero life. Supernatural Aid: Dr Manhattan Crossing of the First Threshold: the memories induced by the burial/ Belly of the Whale: Laurie leaves Manhattan and moves in with Dreiberg. She's left the Old World and Self and is heading for the New...

There are lots of tips online about how to outline a screenplay, and how to sell your screenplay, and come up with a bestselling idea. But there isn't a ton on the nuts and bolts of writing a single scene in a screenplay. Here are a couple tips I've gleaned from writing five full-length screenplays. Hopefully it helps you in your writing pursuits to keep you focused and cranking out a great script. Step 1 Figure Out Who Wants What and Why Before you type in "fade in" and start writing, it's important to know who the scene is about. This is not always your main character. How do you find this out? Generally it's who has the most desire, the most to lose, and who is driving the direction of the scene...

A common problem that I see is that people don't know how to start or how to create the characters, how to make a good plot etc... if you want to write a fiction book you have to get some basics down first. I will try to give you 3 quality tips that will help you with your problems. When you want to start your book don't just sit down and start writing till your fingers fall off. First of all you have to write the basic outline of the book, include the main storyline, at least some of the characters, some details about the actual world that you will place your characters in. This will help you a lot further down the line. Because what I recommend is: after you have the outline of the book done, take...

Most of the best sellers out there have mastered one or more elements of fiction writing. Two of these elements are tension and conflict. In fact, some people like to read just because of the tension and conflict good fiction creates in their mind! In order to explain tension we have to realize one thing first. A story is about a character that wants something. She needs to get to this something at all costs; she's willing to go through thick or thin to get to it or attain it. Conflict is the obstacle or obstacles that hinder the character from reaching her goal, from reaching that thing she wants most in the world. Tension is the doubt created in the character's and reader's mind that the character...

Many people want to write. They want to write short stories or novels or both. The only problem is they don't know how. And that fear stops them from even trying. There is no easy way to begin writing a story. There also isn't an easy way to begin writing each day. In fact, beginning to write is more than half the battle. And because it's so difficult to start, many people never get past that first big obstacle. The best way to overcome the beginners block is simple: just start writing. It sounds simple and it is. Just start writing. Don't worry about the quality of what you write - you can always change it later. Just write! Now, once you give yourself permission to write whether it's good, bad, or...

Action scenes. Like I said before, everyone likes to read them but don't like to write them. It's hard. And it really does take a lot of work. So let's get started. There are three things to keep in mind while constructing an action scene on the sentence/paragraph level: 1. Continuity. Keep everything accurate. You don't want a guy to have a revolver in one sentence, and then an automatic in the next. 2. Be short! Use as few words as possible and the shortest sentences you can use without sacrificing clarity. 3. Alternate. Don't try to explain the action of two separate characters in one sentence or even in one paragraph. Give each major participant in a fight scene his/her own paragraph every time...

Writers loath, although almost everybody wants to read one. They try and skip it, use tricks, fast forward, avoid it--but sooner or later a they have to write one. The action scene. Even romance can have it. And yes, those literary stories, too. It's not always fighting, but it is full of action. Terse, precise language and good formatting is absolutely necessary, and there is no room for slack. You have to describe all or most of the actions going on without confusing the reader or becoming monotonous, and that's hard. Let's face it, writing the whole action scene hard. Everything about it is hard. You probably don't know where to start, what you should have them do, how to describe it fast enough...

The real mechanics of a good action/fight scene lies not only in the concise and clear nature of each sentence, but also the way its formatted. Trying to jumble too much in one paragraph is confusing and tiresome to the reader's eyes. It also slows the action down when you really want to speed it up. How do you structure the paragraphs during an action scene? In short lines. For example: "Ezra skipped backward, two shots pounding from his revolver. Kyle ducked. While dropping he launched a dagger from his sleeve. The knife lodged into Ezra's shoulder. He grunted and struggled to hold his gun straight." The paragraphs don't have to be that short, but try and keep them as compact as possible while...

Everyone reckons they have a book in them. It may be a "How To" instructional typebook or usually a novel. Either way you have to start writing. Now, where do you start? OK. So you have an idea for a novel. So I'll start you off here on your writing trip, with The Notebook. Before we get into the Notebook theme I want you to remember a couple of things that will help you on the way. An author writes for an audience of one - Himself. This is You. So keep it to yourself either until you're nearly finished or better still wait till you finish. Here we go. Close Your Computer Down Now! Yes. Close It. Go and get one of those 2 ring punch folders and 500 blank white pages about 12 inches by 8 inches...

We writers have a real dilemma. Modern readers don't have lots of time for us to waffle on, they want us to get straight to the action. Screenwriters are advised to go in as late as possible and leave as early as possible, and it's very good advice for novelists too. Readers want things to happen. They don't want to hang around with lots of description. So, based on this, start your story with the conflict or crisis and go from there. Easy, yes? Actually, no. Not easy. A problem, actually. Readers want to launch straight into action... BUT... they also need to know who our characters are. They need, above all, to care about our characters. They need to have an investment in whether our character...

A Time when Size Really Matters "When is this chapter ever going to end?" This is a common rebuke heard by many a weary soul. The quality of the story may not have diminished, but the chapter is not consistent in length with the rest of the book. And the reader is uncomfortable. No time was allowed for the person to relax with the words. Consistency with Chapter Length is Important Harry Crews, whose writing is far-removed from the mainstream, dissected Graham Greene novels related to how many chapters they contained and the length of each. Crews had a number of reasons for doing this, and it can be suggested that a writer should look at his/her own work as Crews parsed Greene's to create visual...

I was involved in a message board discussion the other day about how I set up a series bible. For those who aren't familiar with the term, a series bible is a summary of all the information you need to write multiple books (or television shows or films or what-have-you) in the same setting/story world. Since I do the same thing for my stand alone novels as I do for series work, I thought I'd share that process with you all. The first thing I do is assemble all of my organizational materials into a three ring binder. I use tabbed dividers so that I can find things easily once the project has begun. I usually use the same set of tags on every project - Characters, Setting, Plot, Timeline, Research...

It wasn't until after I'd completed my novel that I heard that a first novel is always autobiographical. Not mine, I thought vainly. Of course, I'd written the book after suffering a loss, just like the main character. That much I would admit, no more. But now that I'm less sensitive about my writing, I can see how things really are: my life is plastered all over that story. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, perhaps just inevitable. More importantly, it's valuable information you can use to write your own story. Here are 5 autobiographical 'P's to consider when writing: 1. Premise. Why write a book at all? Certainly it must be about something in which you have a personal interest - a particular...

Once you get the idea for a novel, start out even if you don't have an idea about the title. You can decide it after finishing. Day-1: The Plot Creating the plot is the most important thing with quick novel writing. Especially when you want it done in 20 days. - Think about the story from the beginning to the end, twists, turns, thrills, etc. - Write down the hints in a paragraph or two. - Start numbering events 1,2,3... and split up what events should happen in each chapter. A chapter ends and another chapter begins when the events need no direct connectivity. Better look at it from a reader's perspective rather than that of yours. Go to sleep early! You need to be fresh and healthy on day-2 to...

All novels have either a plot or a story line. A plot is event-driven. With a plot, the emphasis is on events - things that happen and the protagonist comes through relatively unchanged. A plot has its point of recognition delayed to near the end. A story line is character-driven. With a story line, the emphasis is on character and the protagonist emerges changed, either for the better or the worse. In a story line, the reader may see the point of recognition but the protagonist doesn't. In a plot driven novel, you can plot the external event that kicks off the chain of events that forms the backbone of the novel. You can also plot the point of recognition, the major complication and the ante-climax...

- Set a target date of two weeks from today. - Select one specific writing goal - What writing do you want to do in the next two weeks? Make a list of all that you want to accomplish. - Select only ONE of your goals. (Most procrastinators fail here--they want to do it all at once. The trick is to choose ONE goal.) - Break the goal down into the necessary steps require to achieve it. - Start with step one and work toward your goal, or start with the last step and work backward, or break down the larger components of your goal and begin with step one of it. Tips on Breaking Procrastination - Don't plan to start on Sunday morning - Don't do the hardest part first - Set a short time limit for each day...

This is a compilation of some things I have already said to you. But it's about this time when some people realize that time management may be a problem. It's also about this time that you need a break from more input on what should go into a novel. So here is what I know about time management. NOTE: You should manage your time on a daily basis as well as within each writing session. Daily If you decide every day when or if you will write, you will have problems. You will waste time and energy debating with yourself whether to write this morning, or leave it until the evening or whether you should watch Oprah instead and write after her show is over. You become wearied by the debate and put off...

For many, tone and voice seem synonymous, and it is easy to see why people might feel this way, however, the terms are decidedly different. But before either can be differentiated, it is important to take a close look at writers who mastered voice. Thomas Mann's Short Stories Showcase Voice One of the best ways to understand something is to provide different treatments of the subject. Thomas Mann's eight stories in the popular Vintage imprint with DEATH IN VENICE as the lead title is ideal to work from, since each story is written in a different voice. Yet Mann's masterpiece, THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN, depicts his voice as a separate entity unto its own--and one could say that it was his true voice. While...

Pacing...keeping the story moving, getting rid of the saggy bits and moving the characters forward. That is what this article is about. You have to capture the reader's interest in the first few paragraphs of your novel and you have to provide a satisfying ending. The difficult part is making the whole novel move from one point to the next in a smooth, entertaining and compelling manner. ACTION is the single most compelling page-turner there is in fiction. However, there is a fine line between adding exciting scenes and deadening the reader's emotions by having endless big events rain down on the characters. Action does not have to be a big event. Movement and dialogue provide action enough and...

Size Does Matter Ten or so years ago, an editor who was between jobs, and soon thereafter became the editor-in-chief of a major publisher--where she remains today--took on the project to critique a novel I had written. But before she'd read one page of my manuscript, she warned me about paragraph length; simply, I should be certain my work was written for the most part in short paragraphs. Paragraph Length is of Prime Significance to the Readability Quotient At first I thought it an odd, out-of-place comment, especially since she'd not yet received my manuscript. But then I thought about the Mystery genre in which the book was written and decided to parse the average paragraph lengths of authors...

When a Semi-Colon Doesn't Fit the Syntax A writer friend of mine, who'd had four books published by major houses at the time we were speaking, critiqued something I wrote in which I had used a semi-colon to set off a series in a section of comedy relief that read something like this: John wanted to own a farm, but without many common animals; namely, dogs, cats, cows, and horses. He suggested a colon for this sort of series, so the phrase would read: John wanted to own a farm, but without many common animals: dogs, cats, cows, and horses. (We can argue the comma preceding the last item in both examples some other time). I wasn't sold on my friend's recommendation until I sat alone with the phrase...

I have been writing something for a living since 1967. Notice that for a living part. When people pay you to write for them, the implication is: - Someone is expecting results. - There is usually a deadline. - Failure is never an option. - No words, no paycheck. As a technical writer you are expected to perform. As a copywriter you are expected to perform, brilliantly. As a freelance writer you are expected to perform miracles! Along with the expectations comes the stress, frequently followed by writers block. Has this ever happened to you? You are sitting in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee, when the greatest idea you ever had pops into your head. You hurry into your office, boot up your...

A writer wrote to me the other day looking for advice. Her problem, she told me, was that she had too many ideas. Whenever she was writing a story, her brain would be zinging more and more ideas at her. You might be thinking: Huh! I'd LOVE to have such a problem. Well, it sounds good doesn't it? But in reality it's not so good really. Because the abundance of ideas is stopping her from continuing. She's continually editing the same piece of writing over and over again to accommodate the new ideas - and so, not making progress. Here's what I said to her - and it's relevant to you too: That's another kind of writers' block. It's a way of your subconscious stopping you progressing in your writing...