The fastest way to frustrate readers is to write everything but the good parts of a story. You’d think this would be a no-brainer. After all, as story aficionados ourselves, we’re presumably writing the story because of the good parts. The action, the romance, the comedy, the drama. We can’t wait to get it on paper, and readers can’t […]
August 26, 2012 by 42 Comments Plotting Your Novel5 Ways You’re Blocking Readers From Suspension of Disbelief
Unlike non-fiction or memoir, the whole point of fiction is that it isn’t true. Or rather, that’s half the point. The other half is that this untruth is constructed in the pattern of truth, in order to shine a light on the reality of our lives. As per Picasso: Art is the lie that tells the truth. Readers […]
June 24, 2012 by 73 Comments Writing LifeAre You Writing Your Novel Too Fast?
Are you writing your novel too fast? How fast should a novel be written? Is there some kind of guideline to which all authors should conform? Are faster writers better than slow writers—or vice versa? When it comes to my own writing, I admit I’m a tortoise. I can spend roughly a year outlining and […]
March 23, 2012 by 22 Comments Researching Your NovelDo Authors Need to Travel for Research?
This post is by Sanjida O’Connell. Stef Penney, bestselling author of The Tenderness of Wolves, is famously agoraphobic. To research her novel, set in the Canadian wilderness, she barely made it to the British Library. At least she had an excuse. Two authors of books recently published on Haiti and China have both answered the question, Do authors need to […]
October 26, 2011 by 30 Comments Researching Your NovelHow to Be as Smart as Your Readers
Writers are generally pretty savvy people. We know how to string sentences together, we know how to use punctuation properly, and we can spout off lots of big words. But we can’t let this presumed savviness go to our heads, because readers are also very smart people. Readers know when we’re hoodwinking them with pseudo-facts—and […]
July 10, 2011 by 56 Comments CharactersFast and Easy Guide to Writing Characters of the Opposite Gender
Very few authors can get through even one story without writing about a character of the opposite gender. The interaction between the sexes is vital in fiction, just as it is in life. If nothing else, it’s a sure solution for creating conflict. But writing a character of the opposite sex can be tricky, as […]
May 22, 2011 by 45 Comments NarrativeThe Kung Fu Panda Guide to Writing Action Scenes
You don’t have to love kung fuuuuuuu to enjoy a good action scene, but you do need to understand the basics of the action scenes scene if you’re going to blind readers from overexposure to your action awesomeness. Fight scenes, chase scenes, and other action extravaganzas appear in stories of every genre, so consider the […]
May 8, 2011 by 49 Comments Writing LifePictorial Ideas for Constructing Your Own Writing Routine
I’m often asked about my writing routine. What techniques have I found most useful for making the most of my writing time, getting in the groove as fast as possible, and making sure I’m writing to my full potential every day? Although my writing routine evolves in minor ways depending on what’s going on in […]
February 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment Writing Life5 Writing Rules You Should Break
Today, I’m guest posting on Victoria Mixon’s blog with the post “5 Writing Rules You Should Break“: Writers and pirates have more in common than you might think. Aside from the truth that we all enjoy roaring out a hearty, “ahoy, matey,” now and then, the biggest commonality is the fact that neither of us […]
January 23, 2011 by 65 Comments Researching Your Novel5 Reasons to Read the Same Type of Stories You Write
Aside from writing itself, reading is the single most important element in a healthy writing life. As Natalie Goldberg and Stephen King, respectively, point out: If you read good books, when you write, good books will come out of you. If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time or the […]
