Holly Lisle’s two classes “How to Think Sideways” and “How to Revise Your Novel” are currently open for new students who seek to improve their novel-writing skills.  There will be another round of classes planned in June, with added material.  (Previous students will also get the new material for free.)  Click on the Holly Lisle boxes at the bottom of the left sidebar, or you can visit Holly’s site and tell her I sent you.

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Holly Lisle’s latest newsletter post included a whole bunch of information about a new project of hers (yes, another one!), a free writing workshop.  She graciously gave me permission to post the whole thing here, with all the links, so that you can pursue this if you’re interested.  Oh, and she’s not kidding about that one-week revision — I’ve known writer friends to get that kind of offer too. Read the rest of this entry »

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Holly Lisle is designing a new TalysMana contest.  This will be a competition rather than a random drawing.  Holly explains,

The winner will:

*  Be a character in the novel TalysMana.

*  Have a TalysMana artifact created around his or her character.

*  And receive a numbered, limited-edition copy of that artifact

signed by both of us.

Next Tuesday (February 16th) we’ll be sending out the rules to all

TalysMana list members.

If you’re not already following this story, you can sign up here.  Installments and news will be delivered to your email.

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Holly Lisle has announced the winners of the “How to Revise Your Novel” contest, along with plans for a new contest.

THE WILDCARD WINNER (for 3 videos):

The Name Game: (Problem #71)

Problem 18: Who cares?

How to Commit Problem #14

Congratulations, Emily! (mlekc85)

THE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS:

Scholarship #5 goes to…

Disaster #5: Vicky and Mike Attempt To Save The World
By Kittiewan

Scholarship #4 goes to…

The Flight of the Naysayer
By Cerulean Son

Scholarship #3 goes to…

NaNovelist Woes
By Laura Rainbow Dragon

Scholarship #2 goes to…

Detective Disaster
By pqr780

And Scholarship #1 and the GRAND PRIZE go to…

First Draft FAIL: #92

By TheFantastic FA

THE NEW SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST

Holly Lisle will soon have a new Create-a-Video contest for the “How to Think Sideways” novel writing course.  Watch for rules and details to appear.

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Due to a mishap, registration for Holly Lisle’s How to Revise Your Novel course was closed earlier than advertised.  Registration has now been reopened and will remain open until Monday, probably around noon EST.  If you were planning to enroll and missed it, you have another chance.  I’d appreciate it if you’d tell the nice lady where you came from.

Holly is shifting to an open/close method of registration for her courses so that people will go through in batches and have classmates to talk with.  This also lets Holly manage her own workload by offsetting or alternating different classes.  (If you and some friends are dying to take a course that isn’t currently open, let me know — Holly is willing to arrange special sessions for groups, schedule permitting.)  How to Revise Your Novel probably won’t be offered for open enrollment again soon; there are other projects in development.

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Holly Lisle’s new “How to Revise Your Novel” course is BRIEFLY open for enrollments. If you decide to enroll, please tell her I sent you.

Registration for How To Revise Your Novel will be open from now until Saturday, January 9th, at 12 Noon EST.

In this course you will learn:

How to know WHAT to revise.
How to know WHY to revise it.
And HOW to revise it.
And you’ll finish the course by revising your book, and then learning how to streamline the process for your NEXT book.

Quick price details. The course is $47 per month for 4 months. This works
out to less than $8.50 per lesson. Just until Saturday, though.

THINK SIDEWAYS Students! Your sign-up link for HTRYN is on your student page in Think Sideways. (Top left corner, right next to the Student Bookstore Link) Be sure to use that link to avoid causing yourself log-in problems when going between the two courses.

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Holly Lisle is trying a new experiment: writing a novel and sharing it with readers one section at a time, raw before edits.  She’s also collaborating with her daughter, who is producing jewelry and other nifty tidbits related to the book.  I like to encourage alternatives to the “conventional” writing/publishing process, so I’m excited to watch this one develop.

TalysMana is fantasy about an artist who discovers a weird new connection to the characters and settings that she has been imagining all these years.  It begins in media res but I encourage you to read the several installments already available, as I find myself increasingly caught up in the story as it progresses.

Below is an excerpt of the first installment. Read the rest of this entry »

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Holly Lisle is giving away her next novel, TalysMana, one chapter at a time, and you can sign up for the installments online.  She is collaborating with her daughter Becky, who makes jewelry, so there will be related goodies for sale soon.  Holly explains:

Standing in the shower a few days ago, I had the idea for a character who discovered a way to get from the world of Reality (our here and now) to the world of Story (the world of our waking, creative dreams and inspirations). I pitched the idea to Becky, she got excited about creating the jewelry and artifacts for the world, and I decided it would be really fun if I gave away the whole novel, one scene at a time, as I wrote it.

I have read the first two installments, and they are interesting.  Go take a look!

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Holly Lisle is a supporter of NaNoWriMo, a project which encourages writers to create a whole novel (50,000+ words) during the month of November.  So if you are a current or previous student of her “How to Think Sideways” course, you will now have access to a new board dedicated to discussions of NaNoWriMo.  Drop by the “How to Think Sideways” website and see what your classmates have to say!

Also, if you’re doing NaNoWriMo this year, feel free to leave a comment below and tell us about your project.

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Recently I posted about a change in enrollment for Holly Lisle’s “How to Think Sideways” writing course.  Holly advises that the enrollment deadline — 12:00 NOON Eastern Daylight Time 10/9/09 — is firm.  If you’re planning to enroll, please do so promptly.  Anyone who misses the deadline will have to wait for a later enrollment period.

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Holly Lisle is planning a new course, “How to Revise Your Novel.”  Therefore, enrollment for the earlier “How to Think Sideways” course is open for a few more days — Friday, October 9 is the last chance — and then it will be closed to further enrollments for a while.  If you are interested, please go through the course badge in the lower left column of this page.  HTTS students receive a discount on HTRYN tuition.  HTTS forums and other materials will remain available to current and previous students.

If you would like to take “How to Think Sideways” at a later time, you’ll need to keep an eye out for open enrollment periods.  Holly expects to offer a couple opportunities per year. This way, people will go through the courses in groups, which makes for better student interaction.

EDIT: Hey, I just heard that someone new signed up for “How to Think Sideways!”  I hope you find the course fun and useful.  If you want to provide feedback, get in touch with me; I’d be happy to post what you think about it.

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Holly Lisle is writing a novel one small piece at a time, and encouraging other writers to do likewise.  Here is the announcement:

At the moment, I’m writing a novel. That is, after all my main gig — writing novels.

And this time, because I now have another gig, I am allowing myself to take my time.

I’m doing between 250 and 500 words a day, five days a week.

I do it every day without fail, even if I don’t feel like writing when I start, just because it’s only 250 words to success.

It’s nearly stress-free. It fits in around homeschooling the kid, creating courses, spending time in the Think Sideways writing community, and having a life.

And the words are really racking up.

I’ve never had the option to work this way before — I always did 1500-3000 words a day. I spent hours working. I lived on deadline.

I got things done. But it was high-stress, and there were a lot of times where there was no joy in it. Those times, I wrote because we had to eat.

Want to do this with me?

You can.

Folks drop into my writing diary every day to encourage each other, post the number of words they got, and see how everyone else is doing.

This is no mad rush to a finish line. This is sustainable writing — a way to succeed by creating good, long-term writing habits. No charge, no obligation, no sign-up. No
anything. If you want to play, simply start playing.

I’d love to cheer you on.

Write with joy,

Holly

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In a recent news post, Holly Lisle shared some excellent advice on characterization.  It involves getting into your character’s viewpoint through playacting.

Be an actor? That’s a WRITING TIP?!

Yeah. Seriously. You have to get inside the skins of your characters while you’re writing them. You have to think in their heads, have to hear their voices in your ears, have to know what they’ll say when something goes right or when something goes wrong.

Part of making them real for your readers is first making them real for you.

So how do you do this?

First, find someplace private. (WARNING: Your family and friends are going to think you’re off your rocker if they catch you at this, so “someplace private” might include either a locking door or a really big corn field with high corn.

Next, you close your eyes and see your character.

Three-hundred pound chess master? Wrap his weight around you and feel it settle onto your bones. Feel the way his belt cuts into your stomach, the way his breathing makes your lungs feel a little tight and compressed.

Six-year-old girl? Watch her skip, fidget, twist her hair, scuff the sole of her shoe into the dirt, and make yourself that short, that fragile, that certain you know everything and that terrified of everything your gut knows you don’t know.

Master swordsman preparing to fight to the death? Feel the weight of your sword in your hand (real ones are surprisingly heavy), the way the hilt bites your palm for traction, the shift of your spine as you move into position, the way your shoulders and hips flex as you step forward. Know you have to live, that the man facing you has to die. Prepare yourself to make the thrust that will end him.

Finally, walk in your character’s shoes.

You’ve readied your mind with your character’s shape, movement, mannerisms. Now open your eyes as your character. Speak in this other voice, ask yourself questions and answer them not as you would answer them, but as your character would. Walk around the room in character. Swing your sword, skip your rope, settle heavily into the chair in front of the chessboard.

In your character’s skin, you’ll make discoveries about him or her that you’ll never make sitting at your desk.

Write with joy,

Holly

Holly Lisle has many other tips and exercises on characterization.  You can find them though either of the badges at the bottom of the lefthand sidebar on this page, one badge for the big “How to Think Sideways” writing course and another for the HollyShop full of assorted books and other materials for writers.

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Here is another wonderful piece of advice for writers from Holly Lisle’s newsletter:

Think.  Don’t just emote.

This advice runs counter to what you’ll get in many, many writers’ guides, courses, and classes, where you’ll find yourself encouraged to “feel the words” and to “feel what your character feels” and where you’ll hear the words “don’t over-analyze.”

And frankly, this is good advice as far as it goes.

It just doesn’t go far enough.

Writing well enough to sell your work – or even well enough to get your family and friends to enjoy what they read – requires that you know what you’re writing, why you’re writing it, what effect you want to create with your writing, and how you intend to create it.

In other words, you have to think, too.  And you have to do it before, during, and after you write your story.

You have a huge number of tools at your disposal for doing this, too many to mention here.  (I teach a whole course on this subject: How To Think Sideways.)

But this will get you started.  As you’re writing, keep these questions in mind:

* What am I writing?

Love between social classes, a rant against injustice, a adventure with magical overtones, a challenge to readers to reevaluate their stand on _________?

Whatever it is, keep your focus on THAT story, and don’t wander off your theme.

* Why am I writing it?

The big answer here MUST be “because it matters to me,” but  beyond that, WHY does it matter to you?  Knowing the answer to this will help you keep writing even when the going gets rough.

* What effect do I want to create?

This will change from scene to scene.  What emotion do you want to evoke in your reader in THIS scene.  You have to first evoke it in yourself.

* How do I intend to create this effect?

This is the art part of writing.  What structure will you use, what sorts of words will evoke the emotions you’re working toward, what will you show about your characters, and what will you hide?

Yes, you have to emote too.  But THINK while you do it, and watch your story come to life.

Write with joy,

Holly

If you haven’t heard of the Think Sideways course, you can find out more by clicking on the badge for it in the lower left sidebar of this page.

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Holly Lisle has written a new course for writers, teaching how to keep yourself motivated to finish projects.  She explains in this announcement:

Have you ever asked “Why can’t I make myself write?”

Ever looked at your life, said, “I know what I WANT to do… so why am I not DOING it?

If you have, you’re not alone.

Most people spend their lives doing things that don’t matter to them and making excuses about not doing the things that DO matter to them. They do it all their lives, and when they
look back at what they’ve accomplished… they’ve accomplished nothing.

It’s sad, but it’s true.

It’s also unnecessary.

Once I figured out how to motivate myself, I wrote and sold more than thirty novels, created a whole line of writing courses, and (not writing-related, but still relevant) lost
more than fifty pounds and eliminated the adult-onset diabetes that was destroying my health.

I didn’t do any of this with gimmicks, group meetings, a cheering section, or any other external crap. I changed the way I worked on the inside by asking myself a series of questions, and then using a handful of different techniques to figure out the answers.

What I have done, anyone can do.

If you want to. If you’re serious about making change.

I can show you how. It isn’t hard, it doesn’t take a lot of time, but it does require that you be willing to work, and that you actually want to accomplish the things you say you do.

I spent three months creating the course – it’s a series of short videos, interspersed with time out for answering the questions. Along with the videos, the course includes worksheets, transcripts, mindmaps, outlines, and a little essay I wrote on how I took control of my health and beat the diabetes.

If you’ve been struggling with motivation, you don’t need to keep struggling. This is a problem you can fix.

You can do this.

Holly

For this and other useful writer resources, click the HollyShop badge in the lower left sidebar of this page.

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Holly Lisle shared this excellent piece of advice in her newsletter recently:

Only write the good stuff.

That seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it? Clearly you don’t want to write bad stuff.

But I cannot tell you how many times I’ve read a post or a blog or heard a writer say, “I can hardly wait to get through this chapter so I can write the one I’m excited about.”

Have you ever been there. Found yourself dragging through a scene you’ve told yourself just HAS to be in the story because if it isn’t, the story won’t make sense… but you’re not having any fun at all writing that scene. The good stuff is up ahead somewhere, and you’re writing toward it.

Here’s a little secret. What you’re hating to write, your readers will hate to read. If it’s dull for you – who in theory at least love your story because it belongs to you – it’s going to be twice as dull for them.

Your readers can only love what you have loved first.

If you’re having a miserable time writing the scene, stop yourself.

Look at the scene. Something is wrong with it.

Write this somewhere in front of where you write:

If I’m not having fun with this scene, neither will anyone else.

Write with joy,

Holly

P.S. If you’re really struggling with scenes, I can help you. Here’s the link to the system I use to create scenes I WANT to write and have fun writing.

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Holly Lisle is working on a new course, “How to Revise Your Novel.” Go here to vote in a poll asking which revision aspects are most challenging.  That page also has a place for you to sign up for special notices if you are keenly interested in continuing input and in taking the course.  For information on Holly Lisle’s previous writing courses and resources, see the link badges in the lower left sidebar of my blog.

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Here is the fifth in Holly Lisle’s series of critique videos, Writer Crash Test.  A good critique is one of the most useful things a writer can have.  By watching these videos, you can learn from other people’s mistakes and improve your own writing.   Holly also teaches the How to Think Sideways course (see the ad in the lower left sidebar) on planning and writing novels.

Holly Lisle and the Case of the Subtle Secret

This snippet was pretty solid from the start.  A few small tweaks and one HUGE rule for writers come into play in getting the story into its best possible shape.

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Here is the fourth in Holly Lisle’s series of critique videos, Writer Crash Test.  A good critique is one of the most useful things a writer can have.  By watching these videos, you can learn from other people’s mistakes and improve your own writing.   Holly also teaches the How to Think Sideways  course (see the ad in the lower left sidebar) on planning and writing novels.

Holly Lisle and the Case of the Ghostly Girls

In The Case of the Ghostly Girls, I uncover the four reasons that a well-written scene with realistic dialogue doesn’t live up to the writer’s expectations. Episode Four includes:

• A Dialogue Relevance Crash
• A Dialogue Action Crash
• An Element Connection Crash
• A Scene-Planning Crash

 

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Here is the third in Holly Lisle’s series of critique videos, Writer Crash Test.  A good critique is one of the most useful things a writer can have.  By watching these videos, you can learn from other people’s mistakes and improve your own writing.   Holly also teaches the How to Think Sideways  course (see the ad in the lower left sidebar) on planning and writing novels.

Holly Lisle and the Case of the Fuzzy Thing

In The Case of the Fuzzy Thing, I dig into the five crashes that make what should be a scary story opener fall flat. Episode Three includes:

 

• A Vague Noun Crash
• A Weak Verb Crash
• A Sensory Deprivation Crash,
• And Action Crash, and
• A Visualization Crash 

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