"…try to read your own work as a stranger would read it, or even better, as an enemy would.” Zadie Smith
A Writing Tool (to keep you healthy enough to write)
Here in California, things are shutting down again due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Protect yourself and everyone else out there - and show some literature love - by choosing a book-themed facemask. A few places you can get them are Out of Print (with a portion of profits donated to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC) to support small bookstores struggling during the pandemic), Etsy, and Teepublic.
Productivity Tip
Three tips to help you "read your own work as a stranger would" are to change your manuscript font to something very different - try Comic Sans. Read your book out loud - this really helps with flow. Finally, print a bound copy of your book, especially if you do most of your work online. I've found that Office Depot has reasonable printing prices.
There's a Story Here: Bowman Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA, 2020
What story would you write about this photo?
Next Step Book Coach - If you're ready to start your novel, are stuck in the middle, or have finished and need to know what to do next - we can help.