[WRITING] Holly Lisle - A Baker's Dozen Antidotes to "Meh" Writing

Holly Lisle not only explains what she means by "meh" writing (not godawful, but not brilliant, just sort of ... "meh"), she gives a baker's dozen of antidotes.

from the site: Holly Lisle has a full article explaining each line item

Tambo has collected a series of painful editor confessions about "meh" writing. Anyone who is writing but not yet published needs to read these articles -- they're generally shocking to folks who haven't crashed head-on into the hard realities of publishing yet.

However, when you're finished getting good and depressed, here are thirteen antidotes I use to kill "meh" writing. These are techniques that keep my heart and soul in the books I'm writing. Maybe they can help you ward off the "mehs," too.

1. Say what you mean.
   
2. Find your themes.
   
3. Reclaim your wings.
   
4. Live in your skin, not your head.
   
5. Claim your unique voice.
   
6. (Ethically) steal what you love.
   
7. Immerse your work in conflict.
   
8. Ask the right questions.
   
9. Make your scenes count.
   
10. Pace your scenes to keep your reader moving forward.
    
11. Explore your life's strangeness.
    
12. Sharpen your talent.
    
13. Embrace your fear. Don't deny it.