Writing Process – Christine Otis

Getting There

Posted on July 31, 2015August 1, 2015 Christine OtisLeave a commentPosted in Writing Process

When I work from piece to piece, I think about what it is I want to say, and then I write it, or when working with my camera, I set the shots up and take hundreds of them. I give careful and deliberate thought to my work, and other times, I allow pure creativity to […]

In Medias Res

Posted on December 17, 2014December 18, 2014 Christine OtisLeave a commentPosted in What's going on, Writing Process

In medias res most accurately mirrors life, which is why I’m so drawn to this narrative style. What is in medias res? This Latin phrase means “into the middle of things.” It’s a storytelling technique which begins the story from the midpoint of action without any knowledge of what preceded it. As a writer, writing […]

Author Interview: John Scalzi

Posted on August 21, 2014June 8, 2015 Christine OtisLeave a commentPosted in Creative Process, Dialogue, Flim, & Script Writing, Interviews, Marketing, Writing Process

JOHN SCALZI is one of the most popular and acclaimed SF authors to emerge in the last decade. His massively successful debut Old Man’s War won him science fiction’s John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His New York Times bestsellers include The Last Colony, Fuzzy Nation, and Redshirts; which won 2013’s Hugo Award […]

Author Interview: Laird Hunt

Posted on July 27, 2014July 28, 2014 Christine OtisLeave a commentPosted in Interviews, What's going on, Writing Process

Laird Hunt is the author of several works of fiction and a two-time finalists for the Pen Center USA Award in Fiction. He is on the faculty of the University of Denver’s creative writing program and lives in Boulder, Colorado. His latest novel, Neverhome, is about a woman who disguises herself as a male soldier, so […]

Author Interview: Lin Enger

Posted on July 6, 2014July 8, 2014 Christine OtisLeave a commentPosted in Creative Process, Interviews, What's going on, Writing Process

Lin Enger is the author of two novels, The High Divide (Algonquin, September 2014) and Undiscovered Country (Little, Brown, 2008). He received his MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and teaches English at Minnesota State University Moorhead. In the 1990s he collaborated with his brother, the novelist Leif Enger, on a series of mystery novels […]

Raw Emotions

Posted on March 31, 2014June 8, 2015 Christine OtisLeave a commentPosted in Creative Process, Dialogue, Flim, & Script Writing, Writing Process

There’s something to be said about raw emotions. They tug and pull at us while watching movies, reading books, and with what we see and do. In my interview with Rodrigo Garcia, he said when writing a story, “go where it hurts.” Going to that place isn’t easy, but as an author, it’s where I […]

Setting the Scene

Posted on February 7, 2014June 8, 2015 Christine Otis4 CommentsPosted in Creative Process, Writing Process

What’s In This Closet? by Guest Blogger Linda White One of the best ways to set a scene is to walk through the main character’s closet. Talk about the tuxedo, praise the paisley, or mention the mink coat in your piece. Chances are the second your reader sees the words “worn coveralls” she’s going to […]

About Writing Secrets

Posted on January 24, 2014January 24, 2014 Christine OtisLeave a commentPosted in Writing Process

There’s nothing like a deliciously good secret that keeps a reader reading; the one that comes to mind is from Charles Dickens’ novel, Great Expectations. It’s the secret of Pip’s benefactor, as well as many others in the novel, which keeps the reader in suspense and turning the page. Writer Frances Susanne Brown, explores the […]

Writing Techniques

Posted on January 19, 2014January 19, 2014 Christine OtisLeave a commentPosted in Writing Process

I have enjoyed this post that appeared on Jane Friedman’s site, 8 Writing Techniques to Win You a Pulitzer by Joe Bunting. Here’s a synopsis: Write Long Sentences Write Short Sentences Be Lyrical Make an allusion to Classics, like Moby Dick Use an Eponym in Naming Your Characters Be Descriptive Write a Story Within a […]

Good Bye 2013

Posted on December 31, 2013June 8, 2015 Christine OtisLeave a commentPosted in What's going on, Writing Process

With the end of the year so near, I offer these words of encouragement from my fellow writer, Kelly Merritt: “Write smarter, not harder.” Use free writing to your advantage; allow everything to come out on the page, then trim and edit. One last important thing to say before we enter the new year, give […]