Debbie Mumford | March 17, 2010
Human Adulthood: Part 3
The third step of our seventeen-part view of the adult human being is the step of Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” referred to as “Acceptance of the Challenge.” If one has become aware of the need to mature, and dealt with the fears and conflicting emotions involved, then the journey begins.
And this step is [...]
Debbie Mumford | March 10, 2010
We’re building a seventeen-part structure for self-coaching and self-exploration, with an end toward becoming responsible, awakened adult human beings. The first ten steps of this structure originate in Joseph Campbell’s famed “Hero’s Journey” The second part of the Hero’s Journey is called the “rejection of the challenge.” What this means is that you are aware [...]
Debbie Mumford | March 3, 2010
For the next few weeks I’m going to present a series of articles by Steven Barnes. They apply to writing (explaining pieces of the Hero’s Journey) as well as to a life well-lived. Steven has given permission to reprint these articles:
You are free to reprint any of these essays on your own site, so long [...]
Debbie Mumford | October 4, 2009
I gave my first ever writing-related speech last night, so I thought I’d celebrate by posting a good portion of it for your enjoyment.
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At a casual glance, world-building would appear to belong exclusively to the science fiction and fantasy genres. It doesn’t. Successful writers of every genre are concerned with world-building.
Historical romance demands [...]
Debbie Mumford | September 9, 2009
Dean Wesley Smith has started a series of posts on “Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing.” This week he’s tackling what he considers the myth that “You MUST rewrite to make something good.”
Go read it and tell me what you think.
For myself, when I compare the reality of my process to Dean’s description of his, [...]
Debbie Mumford | September 6, 2009
I’ve heard numerous recommendations for white boards, bulletin boards, note cards and sticky notes for plotting a novel. Systems where you can list your chapters and scenes and then move them around at will. They always sound fabulous until I get home and try to implement them.
That’s when I run up against two fatal flaws:
space [...]
Debbie Mumford | August 30, 2009
As a published novelist, a question that pops up frequently in conversations is, “Where do you get your ideas?”
The world around me is a constant source of inspiration, though I rarely stay in the here-and-now for more than a few pages. I’ve published a few contemporary romance short stories, but they were flash fiction (1,000 [...]
Debbie Mumford | July 26, 2009
I’ve been doing some revision work this weekend and thought I’d share a few recent and not-so-recent but much loved articles on the subject. After all, you can never have too many tools in the toolbox when a challenging rewrite comes your way.
Devon Monk posted a great list of revision questions over at Deadline Dames.
On [...]
Debbie Mumford | September 3, 2008
Motivation. Why does a character, or a real-live person, do what they do? How are their actions consistent with their core beliefs even when those acts might seem to be at odds with their public persona?
Conflict may be the beating heart of your story, but motivation is the life-blood that allows readers to invest themselves [...]
Debbie Mumford | January 1, 2007
After taking a couple of weeks away from my manuscript, I’m ready to move into the ‘polishing’ phase. Taking that rough nugget I created in a flurry of typing and turning it into something sparkly enough to attract an agent or editor’s attention.
The main difference between this and revision for publication (in my humble opinion) [...]