Each blog contains 1 idea, 2 quotes, and 3 questions to ponder.

1 WRITING IDEA

Ideas are rocket fuel for writers. But the great ones carry short expiration dates. You’ll think, “Oh, I’ll remember it!” and then two hours later, it’s like trying to recall your middle school locker combo. Think of ideas as helium balloons; if you don’t hold on tight, they’ll float away and disappear forever into the clouds.

Ideas always seem to show up unannounced at your doorstep, when you’re in the shower, on a walk, or doing the dishes. That’s why you need a process for recording those million-dollar thoughts. Make it a habit to email or text yourself while that golden goose is trapped in your brain cage.

You can also use note-taking platforms such as Notion (www.notion.so) or Evernote (www.evernote.com) — because it’s not just about collecting those magical seeds, it’s knowing where to find them later.

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2 WRITING QUOTES

“A brainwave in your stream of consciousness ripples past but once. Fail to catch it and an idea that could change your life and the world dissipates on the water’s surface and is gone forever.”

— Stewart Stafford

“Be a collector of good ideas. Keep a journal. If you hear a good idea, capture it, write it down. Don’t trust your memory.”

— Jim Rohn

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3 Writing Questions

1. What is your process for retaining ideas?

2. Do you utilize voice-to-text on your phone or smart device?

3. What is your filing system for your saved ideas?

What if a trip to the Amazon resulted in an amazing discovery?

WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER:

About Me

Hey, I’m Brian. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a smooth moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor. I’ve also written a book called The Jungle Within.

Each blog contains 1 idea, 2 quotes, and 3 questions to ponder.

1 WRITING IDEA

A lack of focus will kill your writing. Whether it’s distracting noises or a pile of dirty dishes staring at you, it’s hard finding the right words when your brain is constantly going, “Squirrel!” For several months, I’ve used Brain.fm (www.brain.fm) with amazing results. It’s lyric-free, science-based background music to help you focus. Each morning, I fire up the app on my phone, connect to my AirPods, and ninety minutes go by as fast as a babysitter’s boyfriend when the car pulls up.

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2 WRITING QUOTES

“Don’t be on your deathbed someday, having squandered your one chance at life, full of regret because you pursued little distractions instead of big dreams. ”

— Derek Sivers

“Being a good writer is 3% talent, 97% not being distracted by the Internet.”

— Unknown

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3 Writing Questions

1. How do you avoid social media/email temptations when you write?

2. What other music or software have you used for focus?

   (Other options include movie soundtracks, and one of my favorites is Dancing With Wolves. There’s also a group called Two Steps From Hell that creates great writing music if you like cinematic sound.)

3. Where is the best place for you to write with no distractions?

About Me

Hey, I’m Brian. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a smooth moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor. I’ve also written a book called The Jungle Within.

Each blog contains 1 idea, 2 quotes, and 3 questions to ponder.

1 WRITING IDEA

Make a writing appointment and stick with it, just like you do for a movie ticket or a plane trip. If you wait for inspiration to strike, or for the muse to sprinkle pixie dust upon your fair head, you’ll write nothing. So if you’re a morning person, set the alarm for the butt crack of dawn. If you’re a late-night genius, get those creative juices flowing and howl at the moon. But for all that is good and noble, don’t wait around for the perfect time. It will never come.

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2 WRITING QUOTES

“You don’t need to wait for inspiration to write. It’s easier to be inspired by writing than while not writing…”

— Josip Novakovich

“Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you’re going to be every day from nine ‘til noon. or seven ‘til three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he’ll start showing up.”

— Stephen King

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3 Writing Questions

1. What excuses keep you from a daily writing routine?

2. What is the best “creative time” for you?

3. What time is your writing appointment tomorrow?

About Me

Hey, I’m Brian. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a smooth moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor. I’ve also written a book called The Jungle Within.

Each blog contains 1 idea, 2 quotes, and 3 questions to ponder.

1 WRITING IDEA

When writing conversations, use dialog beats. This focuses on character action instead of relying solely on dialog tags such as “he said” and “she asked.” In my book The Jungle Within, I use a dialog beat to identify a character named Stanley AND describe him both physically and emotionally. FOR EX: “I can’t believe it.” Stanley’s face dropped in disappointment, making his double chin more pronounced. “You’ve lost your legendary swagger. Come on, where’s the guy who once put the move on Lucy Skyler?” When writing conversations, make dialog beats your new best friends.

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2 WRITING QUOTES

“The beat, if it’s really good, does more than provide clarity and a little action. It can move the story forward, work toward character development, or let the reader know the character’s mood.”

— Shaunta Grimes

“Well-placed beats make your writing richer, fuller, and better. And good writing, like good teaching, engages your readers and lets them draw their own conclusions.”

— BookBaby blog

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3 Writing Questions

1. Do you know the difference between a dialog beat and a dialog tag?

2. Are you balancing how you use each of these?

3. Are you using too many beats, causing the pacing to slow?

About Me

Hey, I’m Brian. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a smooth moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor. I’ve also written a book called The Jungle Within.

Each blog contains 1 idea, 2 quotes, and 3 questions to ponder.

1 WRITING IDEA

Writing a novel's midpoint is tricky. That’s why I love James Scott Bell’s Mirror Moment concept. It sits smack dab in a story's middle when your protagonist clings to the end of their proverbial rope. The character takes a hard look at their life and reflects on who they must become to succeed. This Mirror Moment pivots your story toward the decisive third act. Before writing your novel, start in the middle and work out from there.

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2 WRITING QUOTES

“The main character has to figuratively look at himself, as in the “mirror” and be confronted with a disturbing truth: change or die.
”

— James Scott Bell

“The midpoint is what keeps your second act from dragging…. the character’s response is no longer just a reaction, but the moment at which he begins to definitively take charge of the story and act out against the antagonistic force.
”

— Sam Peckinpah

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3 Writing Questions

1. How does your character fight death? (physical, professional, or psychological)

2. How does your midpoint show what your story is really all about?

3. How does your Mirror Moment tie into (1) what your character used to be like and (2) what they now need to be like?

About Me

Hey, I’m Brian. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a mean moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor. I’ve also written a book called The Jungle Within.

Each blog contains 1 idea, 2 quotes, and 3 questions to ponder.

1 WRITING IDEA

It’s all about the conflict. Ratchet up the tension, arguments, and debates. Whether internal or external, whether through conversation or thought, scenes “pop” with rough seas. Fair weather and blue skies don’t make for compelling stories. Make your characters climb the mast, look to the dark horizon, and yell, “Hey matey, storm clouds a’coming!”

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2 WRITING QUOTES

“Conflict is the lifeblood of story. What sound is to music, conflict is to story. Conflict should be present in every chapter, on every page.”

— William Bernhardt

“The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself.
”

— William Faulkner

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3 Writing Questions

1. What is the internal conflict of your protagonist?

2. What is the external conflict of your protagonist?

3. How is their status quo being threatened?

About Me

Hey, I’m Brian. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a mean moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor. I’ve also written a book called The Jungle Within.

Each blog contains 1 idea, 2 quotes, and 3 questions to ponder.

1 WRITING IDEA

Want to learn how to outline an amazing story? Stop right now and order Save The Cat! by Blake Snyder. Even though it’s from a screenwriter's perspective, the principles apply to books. After you finish reading it, then order Save The Cat! Writes A Novel by Jessica Brody. This book applies the Save The Cat! methodology to the world of novel writing.

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2 WRITING QUOTES

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”

— Stephen King

“My path as a writer became much more smooth when I learned when things aren’t going well, to regard my struggles as curious, not tragic.”

— Elizabeth Gilbert

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3 Writing Questions

1. Do you understand how the “Catalyst event” is crucial to your plot? (pages 76-55 in Save The Cat!)

2. Have you thought through your “Break Into Two?” (pages 78-79 in Save The Cat!)

3. Do you know how your “Midpoint” and “All Is Lost” moments work together? (pages 82-84 in Save The Cat!)

About Me

Hey, I’m Brian. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a mean moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor. I’ve also written a book called The Jungle Within.

Each blog contains 1 idea, 2 quotes, and 3 questions to ponder.

1 WRITING IDEA

When you’re stuck, go back to the basics of subject-verb connection. Readers hate complicated sentences because they require too much work. So pluck those unneeded words. Instead of saying, “It was hard for Bob to pay since he didn’t have any cash.” Try: “Bob opened his wallet and found it empty.”

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2 WRITING QUOTES

“Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers. ”

— Issac Asimov

“Villains are the heroes of their own stories. ”

— Sarah Gribble

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3 Writing Questions

1. What writing software do you use? (I’m a Scrivener fan)

2. Do you have a favorite online thesaurus? (Mine is www.wordhippo.com)

3. Who’s your favorite book villain? (I’d choose Professor Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes or Bugs Meany from Encyclopedia Brown)

About Me

Hey, I’m Brian. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a mean moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor. I’ve also written a book called The Jungle Within.