Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
There is more to story than a character’s thoughts. Be sure to step outside a character’s head so readers can experience a full story that includes action, dialogue, emotion, setting, and thought.
Continue reading Claustrophobia—Don’t Imprison Readers in a Character’s Head »
If readers aren’t engaged by your story, maybe you’re holding them at a distance, using filtering phrases that keep them a step away from the action and emotion of a scene. Check out these common filtering phrases that keep readers at a distance.
Readers bring perceptions to every novel. Put those perceptions to work for you rather than allowing them to annoy your readers.
Readers can get really ticked off when you use coincidence to solve story problems. They are pulled out of the fiction and made aware that you’ve been fooling them.
Continue reading Coincidence Destroys the Suspension of Disbelief »
Give your main character a tour de force moment where he reveals his true personality and all the needs and fears he’s been repressing and stuffing deep for a lifetime.
Continue reading Character Rants and Breakdowns—Let ’em Rip »
Author intrusion is disruptive and annoying. Look at ways to identify and cut out the writer’s obvious intrusions into a story.
Some lament the seeming death of fiction—but maybe readers simply aren’t reading because writers aren’t creating stories that readers can enjoy. A reminder and an argument to write for the reader.
Writers only have a few pages to ensnare readers. Learn why yawns and a description of the weather are not effective story hooks.
Compelling fiction means stories that engage the reader. And readers are engaged by conflict and tension, by friction between characters and between one character and himself or his surroundings. Explore ways to write boldly and without restraint to create conflict and tension.
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 »
The reader will focus on what stands out. Turn the reader's attention where you want it to go.
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Copyright © 2010-2018 E. A. Hill Visit Beth at A Novel Edit
Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
