Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
Fiction can become real for readers. A look at how The Princess Bride combined narration with showing and captured not only a little boy’s attention, but the attention of a wide audience.
Writers only have a few pages to ensnare readers. Learn why yawns and a description of the weather are not effective story hooks.
An ending that doesn’t pay off for the reader, that doesn’t meet genre expectation or satisfy reader anticipation, is a problem ending. A bad ending can turn off readers. Deliver a payoff instead of an ending that disappoints.
Because they’re so simple, so common, we overlook some words when we write. Instead, an examination of such words could easily ramp up our writing. The word “it” is one such word. Understand the reasons for reducing the overuse of “it.”
Lyricism and poetry can change the common into the extraordinary. Explore ways of adding a dash of poetry to your fiction.
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.
Can you combine dialogue for multiple readers in one paragraph? Learn what readers expect about dialogue and why it’s important to follow the rules.
Some writing rules are not rules, certainly not rules that must be followed to craft understandable and engaging stories. Let’s look at some of the rules we can toss out.
Writers are like God, creating worlds and populating them with characters who fit those worlds. Equip characters to navigate your fictional universe.
There’s much more to a paragraph than what you learned way back when. See what your paragraphs can and should be doing for your stories.
The reader will focus on what stands out. Turn the reader's attention where you want it to go.
Thank you for reading The Editor's Blog, an Internet resource for fiction writers,
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.
