Finding Your Way As you write each day, you discover your own process. You begin to see there is no “right way” to create and that your objective is simply to let the story live. The first draft is a …
The Writing Process
But That’s What Really Happened
“I've given my memoirs far more thought than any of my marriages. You can't divorce a book."—Gloria SwansonSticking to "What Really Happened" might cause a disconnect In writing fiction, we …
Trusting the Process
Be open to possibilities When I wrote my first novel Diamond Dogs, I had the idea that my hero, a high school senior, gets rid of the body. He accidentally kills a kid while driving late one night on …
Playing on the Page
When there is a story problem you can’t solve, or there appears to be no way out for your characters, remember one thing: It's not your job to solve it. Instead, get excited by the complication. The …
Surrender to Your Story
Our story asks everything of us. If it didn’t, we would never surrender. How often do we live our lives as though we were not going to die? We make choices and even avoid opportunities out of fear. We …
Writing Without Distraction
You’ve begun working in earnest. The story is alive, your cylinders are firing. You’re getting up every morning and putting in the hours. But then, something happens. Life delivers a distraction, …
Creativity is Your Birthright
Creativity is your birthright. We live in a culture that is invested in our believing otherwise. I frequently hear folks talk of talent as though it's a finite commodity. People tend to think you …
Why Do We Write?
Why do we write? There is nothing logical about wanting to be a writer. The lives of artists can be awful, despairing, regret-filled exercises in futility. Writers and artists can be some of the most …
What is Genius?
What is genius? I don’t like it when people use the term genius, primarily because I think they misuse the word. I believe that genius is an aspect of our nature, rather than a character trait …
Begin Your Story
There are as many ways to begin your story as there are ways to procrastinate. Beginning to write your book or screenplay is easier than you think. All you have to do is sit down, get out a sheet of …
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Why Do We Write?
Why do we write? There is nothing logical about wanting to be a writer. The lives of artists can be awful, despairing, regret-filled exercises in futility. Writers and artists can be some of the most wretched people you could ever imagine. They suffer, often needlessly, and are no more noble or wise than anyone else. …
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What Do I Write Next?
Writers frequently come to me and say: “I have three ideas. Which one should I write next?”In the 90-day workshops, one of the first exercises we do is we write for five minutes, beginning with: “My story is about . . .”And the writer says, “But I don’t know which story to write about.”I tell …
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Stay Out of the Result
For any writer, here’s a question to ask yourself: “Why do I want to write this?” A student told me recently that he was writing his first novel in order to sell it for a lot of money. Though I fully understand this motive, I don’t believe it’s a strong enough reason to complete your …
Read MoreThe 90-Day Novel
The 90-Day Novel® is a Live-on-Zoom workshop with Alan Watt that will take you from initial idea to the completion of your novel's first draft in 90 days.
Recent Posts
We Are All Connected
“No one is free until we are all free.”– Martin Luther King Jr. It is human nature to search for absolutes. Joe is a liar, while Helen is trustworthy. Abe is punctual, while Ruth is always late. Absolutes give us the illusion of security, but they also lead to lazy stories because they simply aren’t true. When …
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Never Give Up
I was a half decent 800-meter runner in high school, not great, but I ran with a lot of heart, and sometimes I placed near the front. It’s a tough race, as it requires both speed and stamina. It is also tactical. If you go out too fast, you choke. But if you don’t make …
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The Price of Joy is Grief
As human beings we tend to seek positive experiences, but as writers and storytellers we understand that the purpose of story is to reveal a transformation. Without suffering and ultimately surrender, there can be no context for your protagonist’s redemption. In other words, the price of joy is grief. At the core of any well-told …
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Loyalty
Do you feel loyalty pulling at you in your story? Isn’t it interesting how guilt emerges when you speak your truth? Why is it that standing up for yourself or setting a boundary brings with it a sense of shame? Have you ever been told you were “too sensitive,” or that you should “get over …
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Why Writers Should Embrace Doubt
Doubt exists in each of us much of the time. We are unsure about our futures, our relationships, our new tile in the bathroom, our car insurance, etc. Doubt is the cradle of conflict, both internal and external. In the heart of every character lives a dilemma. As you become curious about that dilemma, it will lead you to what is universal in your story.
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“Why Do I Get Stuck?”
When writers come to a dead stop there can be a tendency to panic. It’s important to remember that your idea of your story is never the whole story. When you try to figure it out, you tend to dig a deeper hole. Story is alchemy. As your story progresses it becomes something else entirely, …
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What is Success?
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates Years ago, I was on the phone with a prospective student, and he announced, “I will consider myself a failure if my book does not become a bestseller.” Not only did this fellow not have a publishing contract, he hadn’t written a word of his novel …
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One True Moment
“Where did that come from?” I believe there is something we writers are collectively seeking. We are all attempting to convey an experience, a true moment, to tell a story that somehow reveals more than what we thought we knew. I wrestled for a little over a decade with trying to do it my way. …
Read More What Do I Write Next?
Writers frequently come to me and say: “I have three ideas. Which one should I write next?”In the 90-day workshops, one of the first exercises we do is we write for five minutes, beginning with: “My story is about . . .”And the writer says, “But I don’t know which story to write about.”I tell …
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Choose Love
In every story, love is the mystery that is always on the table. In the beginning of your story, the question may appear to be a choice between loving and not loving. But perhaps you have already noticed that, in fact, you have no choice. And while love can be painful and messy and awkward …
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