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Readers Notice and They Care

February 19, 2020 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Readers care about story details and they care about characters. Both last night and this afternoon I had conversations with readers upset about the way authors had portrayed a character. The first conversation was with a grocery clerk, a stranger to me, and the second was with a family member. Both mentioned that a character […]

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Get Skilled

June 13, 2019 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

You’ll find a lot of articles at this blog that encourage the new writer. Writers come to writing for many reasons, and not all will have a background in writing, fiction, or literature. And while I will forever encourage writers to begin writing at any time and for whatever reason, I do want to further […]

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Hold Off on Polishing

May 30, 2018 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Don’t bother trying to polish a first or second draft. Because of the changes you’ll make to subsequent drafts, a polish before its time is a waste of time.

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When the Familiar is Too Familiar

May 11, 2018 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Fact-checking is critical so that readers trust what you tell them and so they aren’t pulled out of your stories by inaccurate details. Fact-check your fiction.

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Finish What You Start

January 2, 2018 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

The lure of fresh ideas and new characters is hard to resist, yet finishing stories and pushing through problems is a sure way to become a stronger writer.

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Showing and Telling Particulars

October 29, 2017 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Explore situations when telling rather than showing might be beneficial. Explore too the different types of showing in fiction.

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Saving the Day, Solving the Problem

June 25, 2017 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

To ensure reader satisfaction and a tight story, make sure that the protagonist solves the story problem. Make sure that the main character is involved in your story’s resolution.

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“And” in Action

March 27, 2017 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

A discussion about the use of “and” to connect two actions of the same subject. “And” doesn’t imply that the actions happen simultaneously.

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Know Your Character’s Language

February 10, 2017 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

If a character comes from a country different from yours or different from that of your other characters, make sure that he uses words and phrases peculiar to his country and not to yours.

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The Perspective From Inside a Character

November 28, 2016 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Tips for writing action and description from a character’s point of view. For a close narrative distance, show story events and descriptions through the character’s perspective.

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