Two Secrets to Writing Success in 2016 By Patricia Skalka
Writer, know thyself. With apologies to Socrates, I would say that sounds like good advice with which to start the New Year. So, as the world turns to the opening weeks of 2016 and I finish up the third book in my Dave Cubiak Door County mystery series, may I humbly offer two suggestions for success in the coming months. The first is very much in line with knowing thyself as a writer. I interpret this adage as knowing what works for you. Many successful writers start with an idea and little else. They jump in with both feet, work hard and months later have the first draft of a book-length manuscript to show for their efforts. That’s a fantastic approach but one that doesn’t work for me. Every time I’ve tried being a “pantser” (one who writes by the seat of her pants), I’ve ended up stuck in dead ends or getting lost in a knotted maze of plot lines that refuse to come untangled.. And I use up precious writing tim...