Latest Writing Tips
Time to Get Serious
A lot of people “play” at writing. We tend to think of it as a hobby or a pastime. But I sometimes wonder how much
Is My Novel Too Long?
I got this question once about writing large novels. We may all ask a variation of it, is my novel too long? How precise can
Persistence Is Key
There is a myth among the general public that the greatest writers are born with uncanny innate talents that average folks dare not aspire to.
Turning Points
Whenever you have a story that seems too predictable, look for ways to add turning points. If a character is trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B, figure out how to force him to go to point C first. If he thinks that he understands someone else’s motivations or goals—say those of a lover or killer—surprise the reader with a twist that casts the story in a new light.
Writing Hyper Realism
So how do you write a “hyper-real” scene?
There are several keys.
Select unconventional images to propel the scene forward.
Appeal to powerful emotions such as love, fear, anger, guilt, and so on.
Be careful to apply your poetic sensibilities to every line.
Make sure that you appeal to all of the senses.
Writing A Series
Every week or two, someone asks me whether their first novel should be a standalone or if they should begin a series. The answer to
Writing with Authority
In judging some stories for a contest recently, I had to ask myself some tough questions. I found one story where I loved the concept
How Much Money Do You Need?
It takes money to make money. Often, new writers will ask, “How much money do you need in order to start a writing career?” The
Ground Your Reader
Today I’m going 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. In order to ground your reader, you need to focus on some basics: Who is in a scene? Where does it take place? What is the major conflict?
Choosing A Writing Style and Tone
Unfortunately, there is so much covered under the umbrella of style and tone that it would take a good long book to deal with it. In fact, I’ve read several good books on the topic, and I can’t cover it all here. Choosing a writing style and tone is not a one time decision.
How Should You Write Emotion?
As we write, I suspect that we try to express the world as we see it. In other words, those who are emotionally dead inside will portray protagonists who are very much like themselves, while those who are emotionally charged will try to portray people with rich and powerful interior lives, and both can be a problem.
Tightening Your Focus
Tell the story from that person’s point of view. This is especially true if you have multiple protagonists, because it means that you will need to characterize those people by showing just how differently they relate to the world. Seeing the word through their eyes and being immersed in how that character thinks and feels, requires tightening your focus.
Why Write Fantasy?
A hundred years ago, if a writer were discussing and writing fantasy, he would have used the term fantasy that way. Today, when discussing fantasy as a literary genre, we often are discussing a branch of literature.
What is Your Story Really About?
When you write a story, it may seem to be about a character, in a particular setting, struggling to overcome a problem. But if that is all that your story is really about, it will fail. So what is your story really about?
Time to Get Serious
A lot of people “play” at writing. We tend to think of it as a hobby or a pastime. But I sometimes wonder how much
Is My Novel Too Long?
I got this question once about writing large novels. We may all ask a variation of it, is my novel too long? How precise can
Persistence Is Key
There is a myth among the general public that the greatest writers are born with uncanny innate talents that average folks dare not aspire to.
Turning Points
Whenever you have a story that seems too predictable, look for ways to add turning points. If a character is trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B, figure out how to force him to go to point C first. If he thinks that he understands someone else’s motivations or goals—say those of a lover or killer—surprise the reader with a twist that casts the story in a new light.
Writing Hyper Realism
So how do you write a “hyper-real” scene?
There are several keys.
Select unconventional images to propel the scene forward.
Appeal to powerful emotions such as love, fear, anger, guilt, and so on.
Be careful to apply your poetic sensibilities to every line.
Make sure that you appeal to all of the senses.
Writing A Series
Every week or two, someone asks me whether their first novel should be a standalone or if they should begin a series. The answer to
Writing with Authority
In judging some stories for a contest recently, I had to ask myself some tough questions. I found one story where I loved the concept
How Much Money Do You Need?
It takes money to make money. Often, new writers will ask, “How much money do you need in order to start a writing career?” The
Ground Your Reader
Today I’m going 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. In order to ground your reader, you need to focus on some basics: Who is in a scene? Where does it take place? What is the major conflict?
Choosing A Writing Style and Tone
Unfortunately, there is so much covered under the umbrella of style and tone that it would take a good long book to deal with it. In fact, I’ve read several good books on the topic, and I can’t cover it all here. Choosing a writing style and tone is not a one time decision.
How Should You Write Emotion?
As we write, I suspect that we try to express the world as we see it. In other words, those who are emotionally dead inside will portray protagonists who are very much like themselves, while those who are emotionally charged will try to portray people with rich and powerful interior lives, and both can be a problem.
Tightening Your Focus
Tell the story from that person’s point of view. This is especially true if you have multiple protagonists, because it means that you will need to characterize those people by showing just how differently they relate to the world. Seeing the word through their eyes and being immersed in how that character thinks and feels, requires tightening your focus.
Why Write Fantasy?
A hundred years ago, if a writer were discussing and writing fantasy, he would have used the term fantasy that way. Today, when discussing fantasy as a literary genre, we often are discussing a branch of literature.
What is Your Story Really About?
When you write a story, it may seem to be about a character, in a particular setting, struggling to overcome a problem. But if that is all that your story is really about, it will fail. So what is your story really about?
