One of my favorite means of finding inspiration is talking to other writers. Nothing shakes off the cobwebs gathered during a stint of writer’s block quite like a good conversation with an author who has been in your shoes. Recently I’ve had the pleasure of touching base with some fantastic writers, some of whom are [...]
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A Productive April
A beautiful spring here in Seattle has beckoned us to explore sunny nooks and relish pre-summer trips. We’ve been busy learning from other writers and stretching our own craft as we’ve pressed forward, reaching and expanding in our own individual niches. To begin with, we wrapped up a Destination Inspiration: Portland series with a taste [...]
How to Give Your Character an Achilles’ Heel
*Guest post by Lesley Ann McDaniel* Every hero needs an Achilles’ heel. But what exactly does that mean? In one of my current manuscripts, the hero gets an opportunity to rescue the heroine in the climax of the book. What kind of hero would he be if he didn’t, right? Since the story takes place [...]
From the Pros
All writers learn from those who have come before. In my case, I am blessed with a circle of friends who are successful in their writing right now and have books coming out soon. Part of me celebrates with them and the other part wants to learn from them. Lucky for you, we’ll be doing [...]
Cowboy in the City
Here at Nooks & Cranberries our motto is that “there are plenty of reasons not to write, but we’re here to ensure that a lack of creativity isn’t one of them.” Lately I’ve had plenty of creativity, but what has kept me from finishing the many projects that I’ve started is fear. It’s a silly [...]
Chelan Writing Retreat: The Barrel Feast
It was a gorgeous weekend. The sun was out, the sky was clear and the snow capped mountains were a gleaming backdrop. The best part was that we were viewing all this splendor from the car as we drove out of Seattle and made our way to Chelan for a quick writing retreat. The kids [...]
Yoga Pants
There are a handful of books I come back to whenever I’m in a writing bind. They are like a lucky shirt or an old pair of jeans – the things I slip into when I feel blah. They are my yoga pants. I’ve been in a writing pickle lately. Overwhelmed and not sure where [...]
Valentine’s Day Special
Today is Valentine’s Day, so it only seems appropriate that we talk about romance. I don’t mean the romance in your own life, I mean the romance in your fiction life. I know what you’re thinking…”Harlequin novels? Bodice rippers? Ew, no thank you. I’ll pass.” Let me assure you right now, that’s not where I’m [...]
Leftovers
Have you ever had a great line that you had to pull from a piece because it just didn’t work? Did you save it? I usually do. I have a pile of great lines and paragraphs left over just waiting to be used. Try pulling those out and re-inventing them into something new. Just yesterday [...]
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Writer’s Kitchen: Homemade Marshmallows
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How to Give Your Character an Achilles’ Heel
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How to Schedule Writing Appointments… and Keep Them!
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4 ways to keep your 2011 writing goals
About Nooks & Cranberries
There are many excuses not to write, but we're here to ensure that a lack of creativity isn't one of them.
Nooks & Cranberries was created by two friends, Sarah Madson and Daytona Strong, who are freelance writers based in Seattle.
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