Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
Story-specific words add an extra dimension to a story. They are beyond correct punctuation and grammar. They are deeper than plot and characterization. They go to a third level of writing, a level that deals with layers and symbols and meaning and rhythm. Mastery of the elements at this level assures the writer that each story is not only a good read but a great work.
Continue reading Story-specific Words—Fitting Word to Story »
Are there writing basics that every writer should master? Of course. Learn the elements of fiction and how they interact to create memorable stories.
Continue reading The Elements of Fiction—The Basics & Beyond »
We know that to engage readers, our fiction should touch them emotionally. But how do we guarantee that our writing touches readers on an emotional level? We use techniques that produce emotional responses.
Using clichés is like wearing someone else’s old and dirty clothes. They might have looked good at one time, but they don’t look good anymore. They don’t fit right and they don’t smell too good and they do nothing to improve your looks and bearing.
A novel’s first draft is never the final product. Learn both what’s missing from a first draft and what should be taken out to make it a better manuscript.
Continue reading The First Draft—What it is and What it isn’t »
Emotions pull readers into the story faster than most anything else a writer could try. They are instant connection points. Think of emotions as tentacles reaching to the reader and tying him to your tale. Wrap him tightly, so tightly that he must stay with you until the end.
No matter where you take the reader, what you drag him through or under or around, you must see that he’s satisfied. Ensure that at the moment he reads the final page, he feels the satisfaction that yes, this story could only end this way.
Readers are looking for something more than the common or ordinary. They’re looking for something other, something different from what they find in daily life. Writers can give them that other.
We’ve all laughed at humorous dialogue tags, at the Tom Swifties and wacky phrases produced by creative tags. Learn more about dialogue tags and why simple is best.
Good scene transitions are vital for making your novel move forward without dragging and to keep you, the author, from giving too much importance to every moment in your characters’ lives.
The reader will focus on what stands out. Turn the reader's attention where you want it to go.
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Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
