Even the simplest of stories aren’t simple. Most of them feature dozens of characters, settings, POVs, themes, conflicts–and on and on. A good story is made up of more working parts than most of us can wrap our little brains around in any one moment. Sometimes all these many working parts of the story can get away from us. […]
May 24, 2013 by 24 Comments Prose3 Ways to Add Repetition That Pleases Readers
We all know to avoid “bad” repetition—our overused pet words, unintended echoing phrases, and repetitive sentence structure. But there’s also useful repetition that we can use to enhance our stories. Repetition can be used to reinforce a sense of unity or to supply readers with a satisfying feeling after tying up loose ends. Let’s look at three examples […]
May 16, 2012 by 20 Comments Writing LifeAre You a Genre Flip-Flopper?
Most likely, you already understand the benefits and limitations of genre. You may even have heard me harping on my dislike of the whole notion. When you get down to the heart of things, genre is about marketing, not writing. It’s there to help readers find the books they’re most likely to read. It’s not […]
February 29, 2012 by 4 Comments BackstoryWhen Your Backstory Becomes Your Story
Backstory is called backstory for the very reason that it belongs in back of the story. It’s not the point of the story; it’s only, in a sense, the explanation for the story. So, naturally, you’re always careful not to let the backstory take over. You’re alert to its sneaky attempts to horn in and […]
January 4, 2012 by 25 Comments Beginning Your BookHook Readers With a Sneak Peek
This week’s video discusses how to hook readers with a “flashforward” at the beginning of your novel, similar to the one Edna Ferber used in Show Boat. Video Transcript: As many followers of my website probably already know, I am not a big fan of prologues or other gimmicky framing techniques for the beginning of […]
September 28, 2011 by 50 Comments Beginning Your BookShould You Put Dream Sequences in Your Story?
It’s generally accepted that agents and editors dislike seeing dream sequences in your story. This is because a story opening that features a dream is a story opening that almost always fails to present a strong hook, character, setting, conflict, or frame. Although there are certainly exceptions to this rule, your wisest move is generally […]
June 8, 2011 by 31 Comments Point of ViewIntroduce Important POVs as Soon as Possible
By the time readers get through your first couple chapters, they will have made an emotional and intellectual investment in your main characters—your important POVs. If they’ve read this far and plan to continue reading, they’ve found the characters introduced in these chapters to be worth their time and attention. Now… imagine their annoyance when, […]
May 4, 2011 by 26 Comments Beginning Your BookWhy Opening With a Characteristic Moment Is So Important
One of your first scene’s most important jobs is introducing the main character as someone readers will find worth their time. This is best accomplished by opening with the protagonist in a “characteristic moment.” The characteristic moment will either put leading characters in a situation that shows them performing an action that will figure prominently […]
April 6, 2011 by 48 Comments Beginning Your BookDo You Need a Prologue? One Way to Tell
Do you need a prologue? This question confronts authors in every story they write. Unfortunately, in large part because authors don’t always understand the true function of prologues (and epilogues), the answer often results in unnecessary padding. So can how can you tell when you need a prologue in your story? And when don’t you need […]
August 18, 2010 by 12 Comments Beginning Your BookHow to Strengthen Your Story With Proper Framing
Framing is a useful, but too often overlooked, technique that gives your story a sense of cohesion and directs readers’ loyalties and attention. What Is Framing? Frames bookend a story with a definitive opening scene (that introduces readers to pertinent characters, settings, and themes) and a closing scene (that brings the story to a resonant […]
