Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif. (Photo by Cindy Fazzi, March 31, 2018)
Feeling envious of the academic writer? What’s not to like about a tenure? Don’t even mention the summer breaks and the cozy office in a beautiful campus with ivy-covered brick buildings and sprawling lawns. Now that it’s out of your system, it’s time to pick up some tips from academics on how to boost your writing productivity. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on April 4, 2018
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2018/04/04/six-writing-productivity-tips-from-academics/
Don’t let your supporting characters get lost in the crowd. Photo: sonstroem via Visual hunt / CC BY
Have you thought of making the supporting characters in your novel the stars of their own lives? It’s the key to developing more interesting secondary characters, according to a Penguin Random House editor. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on October 18, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/10/18/penguin-random-house-editor-offers-tips-on-beefing-up-supporting-characters/
Photo credit: popturfdotcom via VisualHunt / CC BY
Film is a universal art form. Those of us who write novels can learn a lot from the storytelling techniques of filmmakers, especially masters like Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, and François Truffaut. Their films defied Hollywood norms and yet found a global audience. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on June 14, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/06/14/14-lessons-for-writers-from-3-classic-foreign-films/
Book Review—“The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings: How to Craft Story Openings that Sell” by Paula Munier, published by Writer’s Digest Books, 2016
The image of an open door graces the cover of Paula Munier’s latest writing book. It’s an invitation to learn and keep an open mind. It also reminds me of the proverbial door being slammed in a novelist’s face. “Competition is fierce—and that’s why your words must be fierce as well,” says Munier. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on November 18, 2016
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2016/11/18/paula-muniers-guide-to-beginnings-why-the-opening-can-make-or-break-your-novel/
The May 2015 edition of Romance Writers Report, the monthly magazine for members of the Romance Writers of America, published an article I wrote about how to choose the perfect title for your book. It described my experience choosing a title for my debut romance novella, “In His Corner,” published by Lyrical Press (April 2015).
Posted by cindyfazzi on May 3, 2015
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2015/05/03/romance-writers-report-the-art-of-choosing-the-perfect-book-title/
Hitting the beach can be good for your writing. (Makena Beach, Maui, July 2014. Photo by Cindy Fazzi.)
Many successful authors—from Ernest Hemingway to Khaled Hosseini—have imparted the same advice: Write every day. But when summer or Christmas rolls around, even the most diligent writer has to take a break for a few days or weeks. If you feel guilty and resentful when you’re not writing, learn how to optimize your downtime. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on August 17, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/5-ways-to-optimize-your-writing-even-when-youre-not-writing/
In “Rashomon,” the 1950 classic film by Akira Kurosawa, viewers can be certain of three things: A samurai is dead, his wife has been sexually assaulted, and a bandit is the main suspect. Everything else about the film is open to discussion. Every viewer is entitled to his or her own conclusion. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on June 23, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/4-lessons-for-writers-from-akira-kurosawas-rashomon/
A quick Google search will show you that “La Dolce Vita,” which means “the sweet life,” is a popular name for Italian restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops. The term has taken on a life of its own ever since Federico Fellini’s film of the same title was released in 1960. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on May 10, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/05/10/5-reasons-why-writers-should-watch-federico-fellinis-la-dolce-vita/
“Desert” by Nina Fazzi
I met Bret Lott, the best-selling author of Jewel, in 2006 when I attended a writing workshop as part of the Writers at Work Conference in Salt Lake City. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on April 12, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/04/12/best-selling-author-bret-lotts-advice-to-writers-build-your-house-of-rejection/
“Parasols” by Nina Fazzi.
Like millions of readers worldwide, I fell in love with Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants. So when she graced an online discussion forum sponsored by a group I belong to, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask her a question on behalf of all aspiring writers. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on April 7, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/04/07/best-selling-author-sara-gruens-advice-to-writers-keep-your-writing-time-sacred/
Cindy Fazzi 