Grounding Your Reader
One reader asked me to discuss a bit about what I call “grounding” the reader. Quite simply, grounding is the fine art of letting the reader know what is going on. You need to focus on some basics: Who is in a scene? Where does it take place? What is the major conflict? Those questions […]
Why You Only Got an Honorable Mention
A while ago I promised to tell you why I reject good stories when I’m reading for Writers of the Future. So let’s talk about those stories that get an Honorable Mention. Right now on my computer, I have a story up. I’ve read the first two pages, and although I’m a little soft on […]
Time-wasting Techniques for Writers
Let’s face it, many writers actually avoid writing. In fact, I know lots of writers who have given up completely, but they all seem to do it in different ways. Some writers stop writing by “courting the muse.” They may wander to foreign countries while spending years researching a novel, or take long nature walks […]
Where is Your Story?
Here is a question from a fellow writer: “Writing is hard, even when you sit down with a good plan based on good advice. An infant story can go anywhere with just a few keystroke decisions. So my question is, how do I find the one story that tells itself? I’ve got my interesting character, […]
You’re Going to Get Hacked!
As a new writer, you may not be able to imagine why anyone would want to hack you. After all, you’re a small-fry, a one-person business. But as your fan base grows and you gain more notoriety, you will attract the attention of hackers. It’s in the news a lot lately. Just over the weekend, […]
Busting Your Editor’s Chops
Writers love to gossip about editors, agents, and publishers. Much of the time, that gossip is pretty harmless, but sometimes it can come back to bite you. I was reminded of this over the past week when I read a Facebook post by a young woman who had had a story rejected for an anthology. […]
How to Write a Damned Good Scene, Part 2: Who Owns the Scene?
Many new authors will open a tale by telling us about their character: “Johnny Appleseed was a nice little kid with red hair and freckles.” They may want to tell us about how he loves to ride his bike around town and terrorize bluebirds and cats with his slingshot, how he loves his mom and […]
Ten Reasons Why I’ll Quickly Reject Your Story
This past week I’ve been judging Writers of the Future. Most of the stories come to us electronically, so much of my day is spent opening files, taking a look at them, and then putting in a review–usually one that says “Rejected.” I hate that “Reject” button, and I may ask our programmers to give […]
How to Write a Damned Good Scene, Part 1
Often while looking at the scenes a new writer creates, I take a look and think, Well, that’s pretty lame. So how do you avoid writing lame scenes? First, you need to brainstorm every scene. There are a few common questions that need to be answered in each one. Who is your viewpoint character? This […]
Being Culturally Appropriate
Lately I’ve heard a lot of people grousing about cultural appropriation. That’s where an author writes a story set in a world that he or she isn’t a part of. For example, it happens when an author decides quite innocently, “I think I’ll write a story about a gay black Catholic who joins ISIL.” When […]