Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
Scenes—someone doing something somewhere—are the pulse and images of the novel. Don’t skimp on scenes. Use exposition to connect them, but be sure you write them. Listening to a character’s thoughts, without knowing where and when he is, can make for dull reading.
Writers are like God, creating worlds and populating them with characters who fit those worlds. Equip characters to navigate your fictional universe.
What firsts do readers look for in stories? The introduction of the protagonist, the first clash between main character and his chief antagonist, the first meet between hero and heroine? Put reader expectations to use and write strong introductions and firsts.
Not all novels contain sex scenes, but for those that do, the sex needs to fit genre and character and plot. Learn what it takes to add sex to fiction.
The creation of a movie requires many specialists. So does the writing of a novel. The novelist, however, plays the part of all the specialists. He alone is responsible for putting his story together the way a movie’s production team does.
Plot, setting, and character are the three major elements of fiction. Get an overview of what they do and how they interact.
Continue reading Plot, Setting, and Character—Fiction’s Top 3 »
Writers have dual sides to their creativity. Both freewheeling Creative Genius and stern Editing Witch are necessary for the crafting of quality fiction and entertaining novels.
In good fiction, characters act in ways that make sense for who they are. When their actions are out of character, the fiction is weakened and readers no longer believe the words on the page. Learn about character motivation and how to weave it into your story.
Writing teachers pound it into us. Books on writing repeat it until we feel we’ve been beaten. And if we’re brave enough to put our work in front of our peers for review, we are pounded yet again—Show, Don’t Tell, our critics intone. But what is meant by this frequently repeated advice?
We add dialogue to our fiction so our characters can communicate. But we also use their dialogue to mis-communicate, to increase tension, to get our characters into trouble. Learn what dialogue can and should do.
The reader will focus on what stands out. Turn the reader's attention where you want it to go.
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freelance editors, and everyone who loves words
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Copyright © 2010-2018 E. A. Hill Visit Beth at A Novel Edit
Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
