Excitement is certainly something you want to infuse your stories with. Passion and power, danger and delight—they all require exclamatory writing. But something writers often forget is that emphasis (whether it’s in the form of italics or punctuation) should be treated like salt: A little goes a long way. How Not to Use Italics One of my […]
March 22, 2010 by 47 Comments Structuring Your Novel21 Must-Haves for Your Story Structure (in 90 Seconds)
A writer’s life is busy. Sometimes we need shortcuts. And while there really aren’t any shortcuts, sometimes there are, at least, cheat sheets. Today, I’m going to give you a Mouse-ter Class in story structure—in all of 90 seconds. Ready? Strap in and take a look at the video below to see the foundational art of […]
March 20, 2010 by 21 Comments Writing LifeI Was Normal–Then I Wrote My First Story
Before I even get started I guess I probably need to disclaim my title. The very fact that I was the type of person who wanted to write a story in the first place probably means I was never normal. Stories running rampant in my head, imaginary people demanding my attention, random bits of dialogue […]
March 17, 2010 by 44 Comments Chapter BreaksChapter Openings: Orson Scott Card’s Occasionally-Appropriate Trick
A gimmick is a dishonest trick. As such, it’s usually not a good way to gain readers’ trust or engage them your book’s chapter openings. Except …. for when it is. Gimmicks in fiction take many forms, but most simply boil down to flashy intrusions—such as: Multiple fonts to indicate different points of view Strange […]
March 14, 2010 by 44 Comments Editing Your NovelThe 6 Best Ways to Rewrite Your Book
Everybody who loves to rewrite your book, raise your hand! No takers? Yeah, that’s pretty much what I thought. In my experience of ten novels and hundreds of short stories, rewriting ranks way at the bottom of the writing process–somewhere down there with paper cuts and insomnia. By the time you finish your beautiful story, all you […]
March 11, 2010 by 25 Comments Beginning Your BookThe 4-Step Checklist for Your Story’s Opening Scene
Your story’s opening scene is always going to be tricky. It has to accomplish all kinds of goals in very little time and few words. Today, let’s look at the four things your story’s opening scene needs to check off its list–starting with the single most important one. The Most Important Job of an Opening Scene Arguably, […]
March 10, 2010 by 24 Comments CharactersBring Your Character to Life by Correctly Using Show and Tell
As an author, you must walk a narrow line between presenting skillful, competent, admirable characters—and realistically fallible human beings. It’s easy to unintentionally overemphasize one aspect or the other through a poor use of “show and tell.” The result? Readers sometimes end up getting completely the wrong idea about your character. Allow me to demonstrate. How […]
March 7, 2010 by 36 Comments Writing Life15 Authors Share Their Best Writing Advice
When authors whose stories have impacted the world start talking, you better start listening! Enjoy the following collection of the best writing advice from top authors on fifteen important topics. Be instructed, and be inspired! 1. Beginnings Write a section or scene that comes before the place where your piece will begin, to help you become familiar […]
March 3, 2010 by 26 Comments Structuring Your NovelHow to Write Scenes That Matter
One of the single most important decisions in storytelling is one you make every day, maybe even several times a day. It all comes to: how to write scenes that matter to your story. Imagine your story as a line of dominoes and each individual scene as a single domino. If you expect your line […]
February 28, 2010 by 59 Comments Writing InspirationHow Writers Can Stop Procrastinating With One Simple Habit
“How writers can stop procrastinating” isn’t just a question of the writing life. Sometimes it’s the question. After all, if you’re not writing, then all the other good writing habits and knowledge you’ve collected are just going to sit in the back of your brain collecting dust. Fortunately, there’s a simple fix. Tell me if this sounds […]
