It’s always exciting when we get news that one of Holly’s students has gotten an offer from a publisher. We love to celebrate the success! Unfortunately, sometimes offers come with stings attached. What should a new author do when an … Continue reading
As writers, we don’t always have the luxury of carving large blocks of time out of our lives in order to write. We have kids and dogs, spouses and jobs, and any number of other tangible realities that interfere with … Continue reading
In grade school, I was taught to remember what allegory was by thinking of it as an alligator – something you can’t see by looking at the water, but it’s there nonetheless. In HTRYN lesson 8, Holly discusses why you … Continue reading
So you have this fantastic idea for a story. You’re in love with your character, your conflict, your setting… but you aren’t sure how much story you actually have. How do you decide whether the story you want to write … Continue reading
Some writers love sitting down to a blank page and just starting to write. The problem is, without at least some basic planning, it’s never entirely certain where they’ll end up. For most writer’s, having some basics about your characters, … Continue reading
Some people complain that their Muse is shy, stubborn, or generally non-compliant. It won’t come out to share ideas… except perhaps at the most inconvenient of times. Others have quite the opposite problem. Some Muses have ideas spilling out so … Continue reading
In the new version of How To Think Sideways, HTTS-ULTRA, Holly has included all of her time-tested techniques, a bunch of practical extras, as well as a few new gems never offered before. Among the features are her “Quick Fix” … Continue reading
A major milestone for any writer comes during revision. It’s the point at which you have finished rereading, analyzing, and planning, and you’re going to actually start the cut – dismantling your novel so you can reassemble it. You really … Continue reading
When you’re writing your story, often just going full speed ahead, scene by scene, is the best thing to do. It makes it easy to keep track of your characters, your plotlines, and any twists while you’re getting your story … Continue reading
The new “ULTRA” version of How To Think Sideways is open, and with it we have some new students starting lesson one. The first exercise in the first lesson is a technique to get your muse to come out and … Continue reading