Megan Short | Inspirational Romantic Suspense Author

The first draft gauntlet

The first draft can seem like the artists interpretation of Sisyphus’s task. Illusive and impossible. This is partly because writing is hard. But it is also because it can turn out so painfully bad that it’s embarrassing to write it.

Editing for depth

The entire world is in the midst of a period of uncertainty that most of us have never experienced. The feelings that this time evokes – the fear, anxiety and loss – are new to many of us. If you are a writer, using these new feelings to add depth to your characters may provide a healthy and welcome outlet.

Milestones as starting points

This month I am celebrating a milestone, which prompted me to think about life’s traditional milestones in the context of my writing.

Writing painful truths

We all have a friend, relative or co-worker whose life is an endless stream of misfortune and drama. Being there to unpack the mounting job losses, horrible ex-boyfriends or credit card debt is often an exercise in futility. This is because people who float down this metaphorical stream are often unwilling to look inwards and accept the painful truths that might change their course. This is not so for your protagonist.

So, that’s making it, huh?

I overheard a conversation recently, where a group of young people were chatting (I suspect) without much thought. We were on a bus driving past a marina where a fairly full stable of yachts were docked — including quite a few multi-million dollar models on display. I am not a boat expert, in fact I get quite seasick. But I customarily eavesdrop, being a writer and all.

Reacting to darkness

If I had to summarise how to reveal the character of your protagonist in simple terms, it would be show how your character reacts to things that happen. Notice, it’s not just a reaction to things that happen to them, but generally. One of the darkest things that can happen around your protagonist is the death of someone close to them. This is why it is so revealing.

Trust your reader

When you invite a reader into your fictional world, it involves an element of trust. Part of this trust involves writing to respect your reader’s intelligence without assuming they have psychic abilities.

Getting back to the work

One of my writer friends recently said that our North Star has to be the work. The actual process of creating is what makes us feel good so it makes sense to always come back to that. Regardless of that, sometimes it is hard because life gets in the way. It is those times that I remind myself of a quote attributed to Confucius: “It does not matter how slow you go as long as you keep moving forward”.

Creating memorable characters

They elicit potent emotional responses from the reader. They stick in readers minds and sometimes become cult icons. And despite what you may think, they do not have to be likeable.

Finding inspiration from nothing

What happens when inspiration is MIA? I’m not talking about traditional writer’s block. It’s more the sense of ennui that can lead you to an unhealthy relationship with Netflix. You’ve written the first draft, and then you get stuck. Or maybe your new project has lost its lustre halfway through.