Writing Powerful Scenes, Part 7: Say Something!
Strong stories are built through meaningful scenes. Write stories that have meaning by tapping into subtext or theme, or by adding your own insight. Very often as a reader, I’ll come across a story that is well written in many regards: The characters have strong voices. The setting is energetically created. The action progresses in […]
Writing Powerful Scenes, Part 6: Novelty
Have you ever read a novel where the entire book lacked a single element that was original? Sure you have, lots of times. Whenever you begin to read in an established genre, you find that many novels are written as an homage to a well-known book. Thus, after Treasure Island was written as a serialized […]
Writing Powerful Scenes, Part 5: Complexity
Once, I picked up a novel by a new writer and started to read. His scene construction looked fine at first glance: He had a character, in a setting, with a conflict, but the scene lacked luster. I asked him after I read it, “What was the purpose of that scene?” His answer was straightforward: […]
Writing Powerful Scenes, Part 4: Conflict
When writing strong scenes, conflict is key. If there is no conflict, the “scene” probably doesn’t contribute much to the story. Every story needs conflicts to drive it. You can write pieces that aren’t stories and that therefore have no conflict. We typically call these “slice of life” pieces or vignettes. They might simply be […]
Writing Powerful Scenes, Part 3: Setting
Though a scene can have a dozen different types of virtues, it must take place in some type of location, and truly unforgettable scenes don’t often come together when the setting is tepid or common. Use Imagery Now, a scene comes to life when the writer imbues it with enough detail to convince the reader […]
Writing Powerful Scenes, Part 2: Beginning with Character
Historically, a “scene” was a set on a play. It consisted of the setting in which a dramatic exchange took place. It’s not a coincidence that “scene” and “seen” sound exactly alike. But as novelists, we don’t necessarily have the same kinds of “scenes” that occur in a play. A scene could, for example, consist […]
Writing Powerful Scenes, Part 1
How To Write Powerful Scenes A story is made up of both large components, such as try/fail cycles and denouements, and small components, such as scenes and sentences. In order for your story to be strong, you need to write strong scenes. I’m in the process of taking a screenplay from outline to first draft, […]
Finding Your Talent
Every writer has his or her own talents and strengths. Don’t give up on your writing. Very often as a writer, I will find myself reading a tale by another author and saying, “My, I wish that I had her talent.” I’m sure that most of you feel the same at times. I know that […]
Writing Tips for Fiction Writers
Crafting Your Masterpiece: Expert Guidance for Fiction Writers MyStoryDoctor.com is the first and last place you should visit for the best writing tips on the web. Writing a book can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not sure where to start. Google can help you to a point, but how do you know the […]
3 Tips that Strengthen Middles
While writing the middle of a story usually isn’t as tricky as the beginning, for many authors, the middle can start to sag if they aren’t careful. Previously we went over three problems that come up with middles. Today we are back to add three tips to keep your middle interesting. 1. Vary Your Story […]