August 2018: Writing Advice
~ Lynn Collins ~
CTR asked:
QUESTION: What is the one piece of writing advice that has stuck with you and why? (Something other than ‘write what you know.’)
Lynn Collins said:
Always have a lake monster.
When I was explaining a story idea to a group of writer friends, one more seasoned author kept interrupting me. I had a story about a woman who was going through some bad times and had moved to a remote cabin on a lake. The cove had two other cabins. And…
Then she was attacked by the lake monster, my friend said.
No, no lake monster. I went on to tell the lovely story about her and this child who also lived there and was dealing with issues with her mother…
And then the child was attacked by the lake monster, my friend interrupted.
No, no lake monster, I repeated. So then in the story she get a bunch of apples and makes pies, delivering them to the other cabins…
Where she finds the lake monster has attacked the woman, my friend chimed int.
Frustrated, I turned to him. No, no lake monster. Why do you keep adding one?
Because every story needs conflict, he said, sipping his coffee.
Now, I always look for the lake monster when I’m writing.
– Website – https://www.lynncollinsauthor.com/
– Twitter – @LynnCollins07
Sweet Hearts, Castle View Romance Series #2
[Small Town Modern Western Romance]
One is tied to home by commitment and responsibility, the other is running from those same ties. Can they find common ground or will their attraction be just one more memory from the road?
When he walked into her bar, Maggie Castle decided to have a little fun. For once. But once Josh got into her bed, he also climbed deep into her heart. Something Maggie wasn’t expecting. Josh thought he was in town for a rest stop. He didn’t expect to like the small mountain town so much. To like the owner of the Tiger Café, so much.
Roadside Attraction is the second book in the four book Castle View series set in northern Idaho. The roaring tigers at the sanctuary, breathtaking mountain scenery and complicated families ties makes Castle View the place you want to visit, time and time again.
Available in Ebook:
– Kindle – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A3RSFVU
– Nook – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweet-hearts-lynn-collins/1129193640?ean=9781722708627
– Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/ebook/sweet-hearts-3
– iBooks – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/book/roadside-attraction/id1163663448
More Authors Dish about their writing advice.
Day One: https://coffeethoughts.coffeetimeromance.com/ad2018-aug1-advice/
Day Two: https://coffeethoughts.coffeetimeromance.com/ad2018-aug2-advice/
0 COMMENTS
Helen C. Johannes
6 years agoFunny, and so true. Without conflict to hook the reader, a story, while sweet and nice, is boring. Hooray for the lake monster!
Madeleine McDonald
6 years agoVery true, and the “lake monster” can take so many forms. The image is a handy way of remembering to introduce conflict. Good luck with inventing monsters.