Mastering story openers that hook the reader and build up to our story is one of the most essential skills for a writer. If we don’t give our readers a compelling reason to invest their time in our story early on, it won’t matter how solid the middle is or …
This exercise is based on a personal recommendation from Rowena Harding-Smith to R. Jean Bell (aka bex). Bex has been having trouble finishing stories lately, unless they are microfiction. She gets ideas and starts but stalls out and can’t seem to complete them. So the goal of this exercise is …
As a less experienced writer, it can be difficult to know how to provide developmental feedback to your peers. You may feel insecure about your abilities and concerned you’re telling people the wrong things. Grammar feels safe and easy–the rules there are more clear cut. But there is no point …
INKsightful, INKouraging, RidINKulous is a series of babbles from our members on writing, advice, or general whimsy. All of which are randomly said in our Discord server during the various conversations that take place. We had an amazingly intelligent and calm discussion about the importance of diverse voices in …
INKsightful, INKouraging, RidINKulous is a series of babbles from our members on writing, advice, or general whimsy. All of which are randomly said in our Discord server during the various conversations that take place. The words of editorial feedback can be overwhelming: Anike Kirsten (@anikekirsten): “By the way, …
Part 1 Part 2 Rest It If Possible Rushing is rarely ideal for a story. If you have time, put the story aside for a few hours or overnight before you do a final line edit and submit. Or call in a friend with fresh eyes you trust to …
This is Part Two of Floundering in Feedback. It continues where Part 1 left off. Identify the Root of the Problem First we had to identify the real cause of the conflicting feedback. My crit partners were pulling me in several different directions and none of them offer haphazard advice. …
Dealing with peer review feedback can be absolutely brutal. It’s painful enough that many people shy away from the process time and again even if they know the feedback would help them. No matter how much you love and respect your critique partners, it hurts sometimes. Knowing they’re competent …
When INKubator set up its charter, the four founding admins appointed three community members to the Board to help get the community running and to enable the Board to make decisions for the community. They were given a three month term–half the time of an elected term of office. This …
For this exercise, we’re going in a very different direction. It’s good to mix up what you work on to keep yourself from losing too many other skills while focusing on a particular area. Also if you vary, you’re less likely to get frustrated and tired of things and want …
