Posts Tagged ‘Writing craft’
When ‘In Medias Res’ Works, and When it Doesn’t
You may have heard conventional writer wisdom dissing action beginnings: car crashes, police chases – everything bad happening at the opening, right up to and including Armageddon. I’m not here to do that. I mean, think about it. Thousands of movies start that way, right? Remember though, movies are visual storytelling. They are usually faster-paced…
Read MoreRandom Recommendations for Writers
You know when you tell your friends about the latest life hack you discovered? This is the writer equivalent. The coolest, bestest stuff I can’t live without. And no, no one paid me for an endorsement – these are things I believe in. Blogs & Info: The Passive Voice – ‘a lawyer’s thoughts on authors,…
Read MoreTrust Your Voice
In 2004, Christopher Booker published The Seven Basic Plots. There have been others who’ve put forth other numbers, but let’s just agree; whether it’s six, seven, or twenty, it means that your plot isn’t going to be unique. So what’s the use of slaving away, if someone has already written your story? Ah, but they…
Read MoreOverused Words
We all have them. Mine may be different than yours. They’re like whack-a-moles – you banish one, and two others pop up. You may think they don’t matter, but they do. They irritate the reader on a subconscious level. Use them enough, and they’ll remember they have to put the laundry in the dryer –…
Read MoreDynamic Dialogue
I teach writing classes, and one of the things I see most often is awkward, stilted or boring dialogue. Why? Because dialogue in writing is not like dialogue in real life. It’s real life on steroids. It’s all the great stuff without all the, how-are-you’ s, um’s and awkwardness. It’s all the stuff you lie…
Read MoreEasiest Edit to Get Closer POV
POV is like Algebra. You either get it or you don’t, and if you don’t, people can explain it ten different ways, and you just feel dumber with every one. Hey, I understand. I didn’t get it either, back when rocks were new. And what’s frustrating is, I’ve never found a way to explain it…
Read MoreTrust Your Reader!
I am a very lean writer (not a lean person, mind you, that’s a different meeting). I think when you pare a sentence to its essence, making sure that every word is critical and sparkly, that’s when the power comes through. Many writers (and not just beginners) end up saying something more than once. It…
Read MoreEssentials of a Writer’s Library Part III – Writer’s Life
Let’s talk about what I call, ‘Writer’s Life’ books. I have two sections of these in my library. I’m going to cheat and offer my faves from both sections Section 1: Those written by writers about how they write, with nuggets of wisdom for other writers On Writing – Stephen King is in…
Read MoreBoring Scene? Here’s a Fix
I’ll admit it. I can write a scene that only a mother can love. One so sappy you’ll need to test your blood for sugar afterward. A sure cure for insomnia. (as boring as all these old saws). And when the author knows it sucks, you can imagine the sheer volume of suckage I’m talking…
Read MoreDescriptions – The Angels are in the Details!
Descriptions are some of my favorite things to do. But they’re not easy to write well. Descriptions have changed over the years. Stienbeck’s The Gapes of Wrath was published in 1939. Here’s the beginning: Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Steinbeck fan, but that was before TV, Netflix, apps, and Xbox. Back when readers had…
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