A Story Needs a Place

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 8 Comments

“The setting in a book is as much a character to me as the people who populate the story.” ― Joie Lesin A story has to have a setting whether that place is real or imagined. It can be an actual place with a name and a history or one imagined with or without a name and with whatever history …

Names, Names, Names

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 8 Comments

Just because you know my name doesn’t mean you know my story. That is a slightly enhanced version of a quote attributed to Jonathan Anthony Burkett. “You know my name, not my story.” Sometimes that’s where I am when writing a new story. Names are important to me as I try to get to know my characters. I have a …

Story First Line Fun

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 2 Comments

A novel needs a good first line. It needs every line to be good but that first line in your story needs to grab a reader’s interest. Those few words need to be a flashing pointer toward the rest of the story. A good first line can also help a writer dive into the story. Most writers, including me, work …

Talking to Kids about Writing

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 8 Comments

Tomorrow I’m going to an elementary school to talk about writing to around three hundred kids. Would that strike fear in your heart? I can understand if you say yes. But the teachers won’t desert me, I’m sure. Almost sure. Pretty sure. No, actually I’m very sure. LOL. And it’s fun talking to kids about reading and writing. I’ll let …