We’ve been naughty.

We’ve gone back on our word. For that, we’re truly sorry.

But there’s nothing to do now except lean away from the monitor and hope you understand.

Though we have decisive, exciting plans for the Inkwell, we simply cannot feed them our attention right now.

Dave and I are working tirelessly to do some remarkable stuff, both behind the drawn curtains of our own projects and with our awesome new friends at REV.

We have an official product in the works and have enlisted the brilliance of Danny Cooper to make it happen. It’s so impossibly awesome I can hardly stand it.

We’re still working on Available Darkness and were thrilled to meet our first deadline in a month with a new issue published last Friday. However, work on getting Penny to print has ceased, as has most of our other author work.

Not only do we have a deficit of minutes with which to write about the shifting plates of the publishing world, for the time being we are no longer immersed enough to provide authentic perspective.

This means the Inkwell must make a temporary return to its roots.

Before we knew what we wanted the Inkwell to be, Dave and I were sure of one thing – we wanted a place to unify our talents, where we could each rely on the other to help turn our combined efforts into something remarkable.

We didn’t know what we would write, exactly. Only that we would continuously share the duties and always put our best ink forward.

And so it is again.

I’ve no idea what I’ll be writing when it’s my turn to press publish, though I’m sure it’ll probably have a lot overly eager and slightly scattered enthusiasm. Dave’s posts will probably be a bit on the glum side, we might even change the site design back to black on his days.

We’ll play a little Tag, You’re it!, passing the baton and keeping our best writers in touch with another, while keeping ourselves connected with you.

Give me a shout if you have an opinion about what you’d like to read first. I’ve been dying to write about how freaking awesome LOST is and how much I’m enjoying this final season. Yeah, I’ve written about it twice before, but that show is so hellz yeah, I could fill a NaNoWriMo with my thoughts for this season alone.

I’ve also been wanting to write a rant about the 900 teacher layoffs in my school district. I could write about it over at Writer Dad, but then I’d have to omit highly effective words such as piss and shit.

Lastly, I’ve been thinking about simply starting out with some version of Once Upon a Time, then seeing where the next 500 words or so take me. There’s not been a lot of creative writing in my work these days (though a creative brief I finished last week was referred to as “A Work of Art!”), so it might be a wonderful shifting of gears.

Would love to hear what you think.

Tag – you’re it Dave!

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(As Collective Inkwell evolves, we’d like to take an opportunity not only to interview other writers but to also spotlight their work. This is an excerpt from the forthcoming debut book Sugar Milk by Ron Mattocks of Clark Kent’s Lunchbox. Ron is a longtime friend of ours, a great writer, and all around nice guy, even if he looks like a male model. If you’re not familiar with Ron, check out his site and of course, his book, which features one of the best book covers we’ve seen in a while! )

With the start of the school year, Allie and Avery’s school hosted its annual, Parent Orientation Night. Even though this was Avery’s first year of school, she had already been well-versed on what to expect, having spent most of her summer being drilled by Allie on the nuances of elementary school. As a testament to Allie’s thoroughness (or fledgling neuroticism—we’re not sure which, at this age), her instruction included full dress rehearsals, complete with a mock schoolroom in their bedroom. Eavesdropping on snippets of interaction, I noticed that Allie took her role of teacher seriously, exhibiting all the dedication of a method actor immersing herself into the character to achieve utmost believability.

“Does the teacher really yell at you like that?” Avery asked from her seat in the bedroom/classroom.

“Yes! She does!” Allie screamed, reminding me of a totalitarian nun carrying a large ruler adorned with the notches and names of students gone missing. “Is your arm broken, Miss Avery? Because, if you’d like to speak, you. Raise. Your. HAND! Now, tell me the Latin breakdown for the word monochromatic, or you can forget about recess. And don’t you dare cry this time; there’s no mommy to wipe away your sniveling tears anymore. Not in kindergarten.”

I have to admit, I was impressed to see that Allie’s lessons on how to be the perfect kindergartner covered not only pedagogy and content material, but classroom rules and behavior as well.

“You certainly can’t do that! Now, put your skirt down.” The way Allie rolled her eyes when she’s exasperated is so cute. “And don’t even think about doing the thing with your nose that you like to do when you think no one’s looking. They’re always watching, Avery. Remember that, or you’ll never make it to where I’m at.”

Sure, Allie’s regiment seemed demanding on the surface, maybe even cruel, but I let it continue with the best of intentions. Allie was establishing an impossible standard for her younger sister to live up to, so the real thing would be a breeze. After all, wasn’t that how older siblings showed love?

During these sessions, Avery slumped her shoulders and let her eyes sag to the floor. “Then what can I do in school?” she asked.

In response, Allie unfolded her arms and held out two fingers. “Number one is to listen,” she said, closing her pointer finger and leaving the middle one prominently displayed three inches from her sister’s nose. “And two: shut your pie-hole!” Allie left the finger up for a moment before folding her arms again and resuming the lesson on photokinesis.

My wife referred to Allie as a Kindergarten Life Coach, but I thought she was closer to a battle-hardened sergeant running fresh recruits through their paces in preparation for the rigors of combat. Like war, kindergarten, is hell, or at least it was for me thirty-some years ago. Allie sounded just like the teachers of my early childhood—eerily so. Because of the similarity, I took no issue with her rants spurred on by the discovery of an unsharpened crayon among Avery’s box of 64 colors or a half-eaten, jelly donut hidden in her backpack.

Let me see your “school face,” Avery! AHHHH!

Ashley, however, being a big, liberal softy, finally interceded after Avery came to the dinner table wearing a sign, designating her as “Private Pile.”

“How would you feel if your teacher did that to you, Allie?” her mom asked. “I think your sister’s going to be perfectly fine at school, without your help.”

“Nice job decorating the sign with American flag stickers, though,” I added, in a veiled show of support for her methodology.

Despite all of Allie’s zeal, in the end she only meant to look out for her little protégé. I’m sure that, at kindergarten graduation, it would be Allie who sheds the first tear and gives the longest hug to the latest member of the family to achieve this educational milestone. Unfortunately, such a touching moment was a long way off, and getting further by the day, as it appeared that all of Allie’s guidance had been for naught.

During the first few weeks of classes, Avery got in trouble several times for talking out of turn, lying to her teachers, and bringing a copy of The Anarchist’s Cookbook (it’s her mom’s) to share time. Learning of her sister’s sub-par behavior discouraged Allie. When they got off the bus, Allie shook her head in bewilderment, a stark contrast to her cheery little sister, who handed me yet another note from the teacher, explaining that Avery had missed part of recess for pointing out her vulva to classmates who had already filed one harassment complaint against her. Avery’s actions were so blatant, I wondered if it represented a passive-aggressive form of retribution aimed at her older sister for the summer months of humiliation. If my theory was true, the strategy appeared to be achieving its objective, because Allie hardly ever mentioned kindergarten, except to say how much she missed it. Then again, Allie may have purely been struggling to adjust to the first grade, and her sister was just destined for a lifetime of medication and a long list of military academies.

* * *

If you’d like to read more from Sugar Milk: What One Dad Drinks When He Can’t Afford Vodka, you can go to the book’s official website, SugarMilkBook.com, where Collective Inkwell readers can find out how to receive a copy before the official release date.

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When you start out blogging, you shouldn’t push yourself too hard. After all, you’re just starting out and you gotta get a feel for how things happen around here. Isn’t that right?

Not if you want to succeed, it’s not.

Once you enter the club, there’s no time to dilly dally. The second you get there, you have to step onto the dance floor, pronto. Then you got to pull some serious dance moves. You hear what I’m saying?

In the early days of your blogging career, your readers are going to be your mom and maybe your stalker if you’re lucky. And this creates a real problem: You’re going to write post after post, many of them are going to be excellent and no one’s going to see them. What a waste!

And what’s worse, this can go on for months.

Let’s face it. You need an audience. You need to do what I’m doing right now. I’m getting in the middle of the dance floor and pulling some serious moves while enthusiastic crowds surround me clapping and hollering, “Go Bamboo, it’s your birthday! … you da’ man!” At least that’s how it plays out in the movie in my mind.

But I wasn’t always this bold. I used to sit on the sidelines sipping margaritas (which wasn’t so bad) while all the other guys were getting their dance on with all the pretty honeys.

I’ve learned my lesson. I’ve come to realize that it’s downright foolish to create quality content with only a small audience to appreciate it. When you’re first starting out, that’s when you’ve got to get your hustle on, and not a second later.

Glen Allsopp of Viperchill writes,

“Focus on getting over the 500 / 1,000 subscriber hurdle (depends on the niche) as quickly as possible. Based on what happens, you could find this to be the hardest part of your blogging life. Especially if you’re a “nobody”. However, if you can just keep going and get over this hurdle, your blog is going to start growing exponentially from there.”

Here’s the deal: before you hit a certain number of subscribers, it’s really hard to get your material promoted. So you have to dig deep and do whatever it is you have to do to attain that core audience that will promote your material naturally. And the most vital time to do this is when you have next to no subscribers.

Though there’s various ways to get your hustle on and to get those subscribers, there’s no one way that’s more in your control than writing guest posts. And this is why, of late, I’ve been getting circles around me while pulling spectacular moves all across the blogosphere and I gotta be honest: I make this look good.

I may not know where all this guest posting is going to take me. I do know, however, that it ensures I won’t be on the sidelines watching all the other cats get their moves on. I’ll be one of them. I’ll be busting mad, wicked moves. And everyone, including you, will see it all go down.

So take it from me… go get yo’ ass on the dance floor and start strutting your stuff. Aight?

Bamboo Forest creates the funk over at Pun Intended, where he blogs on humor and inspiration. He also created an online timer that helps you KILL procrastination. Word?

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If you’d like to see me be a big fat crybaby, you can check out my post, “A Promise to My Family,” over at Writer Dad.

If you’d like to read some rather vague clues about what’s going on, you can read this week’s “Content Marketer’s Diary” over at Ghostwriter Dad.

David and I will be off the grid this week. We’re flying cross country to meet a new collaborator, as well as one another for the first time ever.

Wonderful stuff is in store and we are eager to share it. However, we’ve nothing in the Inkwell bank and nothing prepared. You deserve the very best and we don’t want to waste your time.

We will be taking this week off and will return to the Inkwell on Monday with some piping hot goodness.

Thank you to everyone who emailed or tweeted wondering what happened to Available Darkness. Your concern was unexpected, a bit surprising and wonderfully validating.

As always, if you have questions we’d love to answer. Just leave them in the comments or shoot us an email and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

See you Monday!

David and Sean

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You can do it.

You are an author. You just need to get your book finished and get it out there. However, like all of us, doubt has seeped into the cracks of your foundation.

Maybe others have said you couldn’t do it. Perhaps they told you there was no use in trying. Maybe they even gave you a few reasons you shouldn’t write your book.

All the great ideas have already been done
You’re not a writer
Nobody reads anymore
You’re a boring person who can’t possibly have anything of interest to write

There are a million and one reasons not to write – if you dwell on the negative.

However, there are also a million and one reasons you should.

You have it in you. Despite predictions otherwise, books aren’t going anywhere. They might change format a bit as eBooks and podcasts increase in popularity. However, a story is a story, no matter the format. You are a writer, dammit.

We are all unique, each of us with a story burning inside us. Whether you have one story or 100, there is something in you yearning to be freed.

It burns. You beg it to quiet. Sometimes it listens, sometimes it doesn’t. However, even in its hush you know it is there.

Do want to live the rest your life wondering what could have been?

I hope the answer is no. Life is too short for clipped wings and broken dreams.

William Faulkner was told, “Good God, I can’t publish this!”

Lord of the flies, the landmark allegory on the failure of man-made society, was referred to as, “An absurd and uninteresting fantasy which was rubbish and dull.”

“It is impossible to sell animal stories in the USA,” they said to George Orwell.

The eight-year-old daughter of a small London publisher’s CEO is the only reason we got to read “Harry Potter and the Philosopher‘s Stone,” a book that had been rejected by 12 other publishers already. How much do you want to bet those 12 people cry themselves to sleep every night for missing out on the most successful series in forever?

Original consideration for “The Diary of Anne Frank” was, implausibly enough, that “The girl doesn’t, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift interest above the curiosity level.”

“I’m sorry Mr. Kipling, but you just don’t know how to use the English language.”

Yes, Rudyard Kipling.

The turn-of-the-century literary blockbuster, “War of the Worlds,” by H.G. Wells, was “An endless nightmare,” and Wells’ other book, The Time Machine, was considered “not interesting enough for the general reader.”

Moving into modern days, Judy Blume, one of the most influential children’s authors of all time, received nothing but rejections for two years straight. And one of my favorite books growing up, Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” was turned down 26 times before someone said yes. “A Wrinkle in Time” went on to win the Newberry medal in 1963.

Two of the most successful authors of the twentieth century, Stephen King and John Grisham both had difficulty getting to print. Before “Carrie,” King was told, “We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.” Of course, millions of readers proved that prognostication wrong. Grisham went through 16 agents and a dozen publishers before finding success with “A Time to Kill.”

And my favorite rejection of all time?

Dr. Seuss, Theodor Seuss Geisel, who I consider to be the finest children’s author ever, had his first book, “And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street” rejected 27 times before finally being deemed worthy for ink. An excerpt from just one of his many rejection letters reads, “This is too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling.”

Things whisper inside us for a reason.

Sometimes it’s okay to ignore the murmur as passing fancy or a maybe someday. However, other times the whisper is right, even if everyone else is wrong. Sometimes the whisper is insistent for a reason.

Write the book inside you.

We can’t wait to read it.

Be your best writer and see your book to print. Subscribe to the Inkwell for free updates by RSS or Email.

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My bookshelves were once wobbly with cool music.

Then I had children.

I no longer have the time, resources or stamina to keep up with sonic gems as I once did. Like many parents, my time is now restricted and my auxiliary hobbies reduced.

But I will always make time for Beck. When he comes out with something new, I buy it.

Why?

Because Beck is an exciting artist. He’s always interesting and has never let me down. His music is instantly warm, familiar, and each time not quite like anything I’ve heard before.

Isn’t that the type of author you’d like to be?

Your model doesn’t have to be Beck. He’s a good example for me because I’ve always been drawn to his music and style. I’m sure you have your own artist.

The artist you love probably shares many of these qualities.

Beck Followed His Muse

When Beck signed with Geffen for less money than other labels were offering, it was because they offered him creative control.

Good move.

Beck’s spent his career marching to the beat of his own drum and millions of fans have remained marching behind. He’s continued to make the music he wants to, enjoy his choice of collaborators, and follow his own artistic blueprint.

When it comes to your art, make sure you’re the one making the rules. Of course, you should listen to constructive criticism, but ultimately it’s your art. Bending it to make others happy will warp its individuality.

Be Persistent

Beck was living on the streets when he was signed.

I remember reading a interview in BAM!, a now-defunct but then free black and white circular that filled the music stores and littered the streets of LA back in the day. In that circular, Beck said the best thing about being signed was that he finally had his choice of breakfast cereal.

Beck kept doing what he wanted to do without changing it to suit the needs of anybody, despite the difficulty of his situation. He continued working hard because he knew that one day his hard work would pay off.

Of course that’s easier to do when you’re not even twenty and don’t have children, but we can all find the time to do what’s truly important.

Don’t Listen to the Naysayers

If Beck had been shopping for opinions in 1993 when recording his breakout hit, “Loser,” then somebody probably would’ve told him that the lyric, “My time is a piece of wax falling on a termite that’s choking on the splinters” was too incomprehensible to ever find its way to airplay.

But it launched his career and is now just one of countless loopy lines from the original Loser.

Many music critics doubted Beck would be anything more than a one-hit-wonder, relegated to the cut out bins. However, Beck continued to follow his muse, experimenting with different musical styles and found more success in 1996 with his second major label release, Odelay, which garnered him two Grammys.

Even the best authors have been told their stories weren’t good, right for the market, or were unoriginal. However, the truly good authors don’t give up on themselves or their stories. They find a way to persevere and find the right audience.

Just Do it

Beck didn’t wait to get signed, nor did he a need million-dollar studio time to generate a hit. “Loser” was recorded on a friend’s 8-track, picked up by local LA stations, then spread across the country.

Soon enough there was a bidding war. The rest is history.

You’ll have your own way of doing it, but it will never happen if you don’t get started.

Create what’s inside you, as authentically as you can, then get it in front of as many eyes as possible. With social media, artists have never had more power to find the audience that’s perfect for them.

Then, when you are successful, remember the true you and continue to nurture it.

Your audience will love you. Even more important, they will make time for your art even after their lives become crowded with too much to do and not enough time to do it.

Be your best writer and see your book to print. Subscribe to the Inkwell for free updates by RSS or Email.

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Wow! I can’t believe I’m guest posting at the Collective Inkwell.

I thought it was pretty exciting when Mr. Platt let me guest post over at Writer Dad on Wednesday, but the Inkwell is even better. I’m usually not even allowed to read this site because my dad said that sometimes it’s inappropriate. I tried to tell him that was really only on Fridays and not even anymore since they moved their horror story to its own thingy, but then he asked me how I even knew about the story in the first place and then I had to leave the room.

Anyway, Mr. Platt said it might be kind of fun to publish something at the Inkwell since that’s where a bunch of other authors hang out. Then I said that I wasn’t really sure if that was a good idea and that I didn’t consider myself an author. I’ve only written the one book after all, and it hasn’t even really come out yet. Besides, I’m only in sixth grade.

“Did you write a book?” he said.

“Yes.”

“Then you’re an author.”

My mom gets really mad at me when I argue with grownups so I just said okay. Then I started to get excited.

I don’t want to be one of those writers who repeats themselves all the time, so I won’t talk about what the book is all about like I did at Writer Dad. Instead I’d like to talk about what I plan to do with the book since that’s probably what you’re more interested in anyway.

A couple of days ago I released my new book, Penny to a Million in a really pretty PDF and it’s available as a free download. I wrote all the words, of course, but I had Collective Inkwell do the book cover because whenever I try to draw something my sister Nicky makes fun of me. Making a book cover that a whole bunch of people are going to see would probably be like a million times worse.

I’m gonna put the book in print, probably in a couple months or so. But I’m giving the PDF to the first 1,000 people who want it. After that I’m going to charge like five bucks.

I read the thing I was supposed to read over at SmashWords, so next week I plan to get the book in a whole bunch of different formats and stuff. I hope to get it done quickly, but I’ll get in trouble if I finish it before I’m done with my science project. Our teacher gave us the prompt in September, but I haven’t even started mine, even though it’s due in March. My mom is trying not to get mad at me, but I think I’m pushing her.

Anyway, when I’m all done with SmashWords, then I’m going to do the podcast. Except I’m probably going to have Mr. Platt help me record since my voice has been a little squeaky lately.

Mr. Platt said I could come back and talk about what it was like to put the book on SmashWords and record the podcast, but he also said it was up to me. I might blog about it over at my site, but I haven’t decided. I have a lot on my plate and everything. Plus, there’s this girl I really like and I heard her tell her friend Wendy that she thought blogging was nerdy. I’m on Twitter though, if you want to follow me.

If the book does well, I’ll write another one because a LOT has happened so far in sixth grade.

If you want to be one of the people who gets to read my book for free, you can download it here.

Thanks for reading!

Be your best writer and see your book to print. Subscribe to the Inkwell for free updates by RSS or Email.

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“I’m an author, I don’t need to worry about SEO.”

Don’t worry. I used to think the same thing.

But if you’re writing online for anything more than a hobby, you do need to worry about SEO, authors included.

In case you don’t already know, SEO stands for search engine optimization. You know how Google has an answer for all our questions? Well, if you’re searching for an answer that a lot of other people are looking for as well, then chances are excellent the link you see at the top was written by someone who knows their SEO.

Whatever you’re writing, you probably want people to find you. This means you need to be using the same language that they are. Think of it as picking up the dialect of your ideal client or reader. Because you’re a writer, you might be thinking that altering your language to fit SEO is a bad thing.

Again, I was once there and I was wrong.

Blending SEO naturally into your copy is like building specific roads that will help lead your ideal reader directly to you.

Good news is, SEO is a lot simpler than you might imagine.

The purpose of optimizing your copy for search is to help Google (or other search engines) determine which sites are most suited to searcher needs. Search engines do this through a combination of analyzing the keywords in your copy, the title tags on the page, the organization of your internal linking and, most importantly, what others think of you (the quantity and quality of your incoming links).

For a more thorough explanation, read the SEO series on Copyblogger. If you’re not already subscribed to their free updates, you should be. You might not think of yourself as a copywriter, but if you’re trying to get known online, the time you spend reading their posts Monday through Friday might be the best 10 minutes you spend each day.

Because you are a writer, you already have an advantage over most people, even if you didn’t know what SEO meant until the top of this page. You’re a natural when it comes to language. You know how to articulate yourself well. SEO isn’t about stuffing a bunch of keywords into your copy, or gaming the system in any way. Google wants to please their searchers. As time passes, semantics will continue increase in importance. Again, you as a writer have a clear advantage.

With a little bit of help, you can easily express yourself in a way that pleases both Google and all extra visitors that find you with their help.

The better news is, if you’re an online writer using WordPress and either Thesis, Headway or the any theme with the SEO All in One Plugin, then there’s a brand new tool that just made your life a LOT easier. It’s called Scribe, and it is nothing short of remarkable. I’ve been using it for the last few weeks.

Scribe analyzes your copy. Then, a few seconds later it gives you a report along with a percentage grade for your copy. The report tells you what the search engines will think you’re writing about, then it suggests tweaks to improve your page based on SEO best practices.

It gets better.

I’ve been writing SEO copy for a while now, and scored a perfect 100% on every one of the first 10 pages I analyzed. Yet Scribe still helped me improve my copy by giving me keyword suggestions and a gentle nudge in the right direction.

Using Scribe is like having a hand to hold, helping you tweak your copy to SEO perfection.

There is a free version of Scribe as well as a paid one. The free version will allow you to analyze up to 5 pages each month. You can find out more here.

If you are making a living with your words, I cannot recommend this plugin enough. And if you don’t have a compatible WordPress theme, I can’t say enough nice things about Thesis. David and I have built a lot of sites over the last year and between its SEO friendly architecture, ease of customization (without having to code), and now Scribe, it could be the best $97 you could spend online.

If you have any specific questions about Scribe, I’m happy to answer them either by email or in the comments.

Be your best writer and see your book to print. Subscribe to the Inkwell for free updates by RSS or Email.

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There was once a princess who lived happily ever after. The end.

Doesn’t make for much of a story, does it?

Yet, some authors are writing stuff just like that. Only they’re taking 400 pages to do it. YAWN.

Think about all the great stories you’ve read and the unforgettable movies you‘ve seen. No matter the genre, they all have one thing in common—conflict.

Without conflict, there is no urgency. Without urgency, there is no compelling reason to keep turning the pages.

Twist the vise and pages will turn. Build the tension as a symphony builds to a swell.

Your hero needs conflict. Conflict can come from a number of sources, whether it be physical (in the form of other people or the environment), emotional, sexual, or even internal. The best way to provide conflict is by constantly giving your protagonist barriers to cross, boundaries to crush and hurdles to jump.

Swing the scythe, tighten the noose, drop the grand piano. Do everything you can to bring pain to your hero and exhilaration to your reader.

But it’s not enough to throw barrier after barrier at your characters. You must also make their pain relatable to your reader. You must either find a way to make the reader understand what the hero is feeling or experience the pain right along with them.

This means you must ground their conflict in a shade of reality.

Don’t get me wrong, you can have a purple dragon soaring through green skies on her way to a land made of mushrooms and chocolate, but if the rider on that dragon’s back has nothing in common with the reader, your book might end up on the nightstand moonlighting as a coaster.

Fantastic and unrealistic are not mutually exclusive.

Did you ever read Spiderman?

readers clung to Peter Parker because he was someone they could relate to

Spiderman is one of the most memorable, recognizable and popular superheroes of all time. His character was an immediate breath of fresh air from the moment Marvel Comics introduced him in 1962. It wasn’t because of his cool powers or his flashy suit, though. No, readers clung to Peter Parker because he was someone they could relate to, a high school outcast who didn’t fit in. This combination of external and internal conflicts would prove popular with Spider Man’s target audience, teenage males.

Peter Parker had bills to pay, classes to study for and girls to impress. He hurt, bled, wisecracked, and, at times, felt terribly alone.

Just like you.

Don’t detonate the drama all at once. Start your story by giving your protagonists something small to overcome. This could be a missed appointment, a speeding ticket or perhaps a false alarm.

For Peter Parker it was unpopularity and facing the school bully.

Next, give your hero some breathing room just before you ratchet up the drama. Give them a gift, and then take it away. Let your main character think they’re getting a promotion before they get fired, come home on their anniversary to another person in their bed, or have the BIG deal that will change everything crumble at the final moment.

Shortly after Peter is bitten by the spider and given this incredible gift, his uncle Ben is murdered. Murdered as an indirect result of Peter using his powers for selfish reasons, no less! How about some guilt to add to your plate full o’ conflict?

Love your characters, but don’t be afraid to punish them.

Love your characters, but don’t be afraid to punish them. Beat them up, run them through the emotional wringer, visit things unto them which you wouldn‘t wish on your worst enemy. But draw your reader into the human side of their pain and you will be building a bridge between the words on the page and the human experience inside the soul of you reader.

If it ever seems as though the tension might be too much, feel free to add a little more—so long as you’re making it believable and it helps the story.

The cheating spouse isn’t sorry and the man never gets his job back.

Uncle Ben doesn’t rise from the grave.

And sometimes the hero dies. That’s fine, so long as you have found a way to resolve the conflict.

Just be sure not to betray your reader with a simple solution. Resolution will come, but it should be a twisted road to get there. You are both the engineer of your hero’s life and the reader’s experience.

Learn to punish the one and you will please the other.

5 Tips to Create Good Conflict

1. Make your readers care about the protagonist. Make this person someone they can relate to on some level.
2. Introduce the conflict early. You don’t have to spell the whole thing out on page 2, but plant some seeds of what’s to come. If you wait too long, you lessen the impact and believability of what follows.
3. If your conflict is coming from a bad guy, make your readers understand the antagonist’s motives. It’s not enough to introduce the villain. Today’s readers want a peek inside the minds of evil. They want to know what makes the bad guy tick. Show them.
4. Make your readers care about the antagonist! If you can find a way to make them care about our hero‘s nemesis, or perhaps even feel a bit torn about their allegiances, you can deliver a complex and powerful story.
5. Deliver the goods. If you’re going to start a conflict, you’d better resolve it. If you fail to do so in a satisfying manner, then you are breaking the bond of trust with your reader.

Please, spread it if you like it and link it if you love it!

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You are a writer, but do you sometimes find it hard to write?

One of my best friends is a chef. You wouldn’t believe how often he has a hard time deciding what’s for dinner.

This is normal. Whatever your occupation, you are subject to the same fatigue as anyone. Dentists get tired of looking at teeth, plumbers get tired of pipes and writers, well no matter how much you might love language, sometimes you’re probably going to get a bit tired of slinging words.

The amazing thing is, once you crash through that inertia, your brain will be there to delight and surprise you. There is nothing better for a writer trying to smash their writer’s block than to simply start writing. One of the best pieces of writing advice I ever read was simply, Give yourself permission to write a first draft.

Your first draft can be terrible and it doesn’t have to make sense. It’s primary function is to get your fingers and brain working together.

Once you start writing, magic happens.

This is the idea behind the Creative Copy Challenge, our six-week-old site that has been doing gangbusters in the community aspect. We would love to bring some of that creative energy to the Inkwell.

We plan on publishing one prompt per week to get our writers writing as well as helping us to know our community a little better. We did this a couple of times last year with interesting results. We don’t intend for this to replace Creative Copy Challenge, but to rather work in a slightly different manner, exercising different creative muscles.

Prompts will be either visual or written. Both David and I will contribute our own entries in the comment section.

Here is the first prompt:

“She placed the box on the sidewalk, looked over her shoulder, and then slowly walked away.”

We look forward to reading what each of you come up with. Write a short paragraph or a full fledged short story, whatever you want.

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