Hello Members!

In a blink, we have found ourselves nearing the end of the year. Entering this season of gratitude, I’ve stolen a few precious moments of reflection, ruminating upon the unique gifts that we, as creatives, bring to the world.

Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we share is our ability to see things differently—to observe, interpret, and express the world in ways that others might overlook. It’s a powerful trait, a vitality quietly woven into the fabric of who we are as writers, shaping much of how we experience and influence the world.

Our creative vision allows us to find beauty and meaning in the unexpected…in the ‘ugly.’ Where others may see the ordinary or unsavory, we notice the subtle play of shadows, the quiet exchange between strangers, the textured light on a weathered surface. We see beyond and, with our words, go beyond.

We continually capture the depth of these seemingly small details, bringing life to our words and allowing readers to see their world anew. This gift—illustrating perspective through language—is something to celebrate and, above all, a treasure entreating our appreciation because it distinguishes and defines our voices and allows our stories to resonate across realms.

As writers, our work enriches not only our lives but also the lives of those who encounter our work. By expressing emotions with nuance and care, we invite readers to connect, explore, and gain insight into experiences beyond their own.

Embracing gratitude for your creative vision is an indispensable component of your craft and a powerful way to honor the rare gem that you are.

I also present a gift because—although we love to write and write to love—the process can get sticky and is oftentimes rote. To help you through those bumps in the road, I offer you 20 Tips, Tricks, and Points to Ponder to help you cultivate or invigorate your processes.

These tricks are not of my design, but I did not include their originations, so you can search them out yourself. You’ll never know what other treasures await along the path of discovery.

1. Never throw out any of your writing, not even the little paragraph. Save it for later. You never know what ideas it could spark.
2. Write a scene that takes place immediately after a tragedy—don’t mention the tragedy.
3. A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build toward/around it.
4. If you’re struggling with writing a character, write 20 things the reader will never know about this character. These will naturally bleed into your writing and provide richness even if you don’t inherently share these details.
5. Treat all your secondary characters like they think the book’s about them.
6. Write a story that starts with a word you pick out of a dictionary or thesaurus at random.
7. Start with a question you don’t necessarily have the answer to and then write until you answer it.
8. In the spirit of Wicked, write a retelling of a fairy tale with a different ending, or with flipped genders.
9. Write a story of a magical creature missing its species’ key feature, ie: a siren without her voice, a unicorn without his horn, a dragon without her fire.
10. Dedicate your next book to “everyone who wonders if I’m writing about them. I am.”
11. Write 20 sentences that start with the word green, then see what happens. (Use any color)
12. What false beliefs does your antagonist or protagonist continue to operate from?
13. Write a story around this premise: As my story came to a close, I realized I was the villain all along.
14. What resolution did your character vow to make in your story? Don’t reveal that fact to your audience.
15. A villain is just a victim whose story hasn’t been told.
16. Remember this easy premise: somebody gets into trouble and then gets out of it. People love that story. They never get tired of it.
17. Lie. Put down on paper the most interesting lies you can imagine, then make them plausible.
18. The simpler you say it, the more eloquent it is.
19. The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar, and familiar things new.
20. Good dialogue illuminates what people are not saying.

Happy Writing!

Cynthia M. Hall
President, Space Coast Writers Guild
Launching Writers to New Heights