The bored reader is the writer’s worst nightmare. Angry readers we can tolerate—some writers even cultivate them—because anger at least indicates emotional involvement. Boredom, however, indicates only apathy. The scary part of all this is that we don’t always realize when we’re being boring. I once turned over to a beta reader a handful of […]
January 12, 2011 by 6 Comments CharactersMaking the Most of Walk-On Characters
Walk-on characters are often the neglected heroes of fiction. If the protagonist didn’t have other people with whom to interact, most stories would quickly fall apart. So, whenever the need arises, we stick in a taxi driver or a receptionist or a bum on the corner. Often, these unnamed characters fulfill the needs of the […]
November 28, 2010 by 8 Comments DescriptionThe Pros and Cons of Writing Description
“Nothing bores me faster than description.” You’ve probably heard readers make that comment. Perhaps you’ve even made it yourself. In the face of the modern impatience with pages (or even paragraphs) of descriptive narrative, it’s easy for writers to overreact and decide to avoid description altogether. After all, you can’t afford to do anything that […]
November 5, 2010 by 13 Comments Writing Inspiration5 Ways to Seek Multi-Media Inspiration for Your Writing
We live in a world saturated with artistic creativity. For writers, this means inspiration is all over the place. All you have to do is open a magazine, read a book, turn on the television, or switch to a new radio station. In my book Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration, I specifically touch upon how […]
October 28, 2010 by 15 Comments Writing Inspiration13 Places to Find Inspiration
Today, I’m honored to be hosted on the Conquering Writer’s Block & Summoning Inspiration blog tour by Matt Delman. Be sure to stop by his blog to read the guest post “13 Places to Find Inspiration.” Below is a sneak peek: People are always asking writers where they get their ideas. My typically trite reply is, […]
March 28, 2010 by 29 Comments CharactersDoes Your Story Have the Extraordinary Factor?
Readers want fiction to be extraordinary enough to thrill them with its strangeness and excitement. But they also want it be ordinary enough for them to find aspects they can relate to. How’s a writer supposed to pull off this apparent paradox? How do you make your stories both ordinary and extraordinary? Is Your Hero Ordinary […]
January 4, 2009 by 7 Comments Writing InspirationThe Myth of Originality
All of art is based on a quest for originality. As individuals, we become artists in an effort to highlight new ideas and invent new vantage points through which to view the world. As agents and editors and publishers, we’re seeking the one story the public has never read. And as readers, we’re looking for […]
December 20, 2008 by 19 Comments Beginning Your BookSecret Storytelling Weapon: The Book’s Back Cover
What’s the first thing most readers look at when they pick up a book? If they’re anything like me, their attention is first snagged by the cover art, the title, and the author name, and from there they flip the book over and a take a gander at the back cover or the inside jacket […]
