One of the most powerful tools in a writer’s arsenal is subtext. This is the art of letting readers figure things out for themselves. When you know how to write subtext in fiction, you can create deeper, more engaging stories that invite readers to lean in, pick up on subtle cues, and connect with your […]
August 22, 2022 by 54 Comments Plotting Your NovelIs Your Story Too Complicated? Here Are 9 Signs
Calling a story “complex” is a high compliment. But what is complexity? How can we learn how to write stories that are complex—without skidding across that narrow dividing line into complicated? What’s the difference between a complex story and a complicated story? And is your story too complicated? This a topic I’ve spent quite some […]
June 24, 2019 by 50 Comments NarrativeCritique: 4 Ways to Write Gripping Internal Narrative
The old joke about how “the book was better than the movie” is a reflection of several attributes written fiction offers over visual fiction. One of the main ones is the ability to get inside characters’ heads via internal narrative. Narrative, by its very nature, is narrated by someone. Usually, that someone is the protagonist. […]
September 29, 2017 by 30 Comments Characters4 Ways to Amplify Your Characters’ Subtext
The magic ingredient in fiction is subtext. In part, it is magic because of the dynamic reaction it creates in readers: their sudden ability to become an intelligent participant in interpreting the story. But also, it is magic because, like any good trick, it can be difficult for authors to interpret exactly how to execute it. Nowhere […]
August 7, 2017 by 32 Comments DialogueMost Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 61: 5 Types of Clunky Dialogue
When you write excellent dialogue, you will simultaneously sharpen the rest of your narrative tools. When you write clunky dialogue, however, it’s unlikely readers will be able to engage with the story on any level. Happily, dialogue is usually one of the most enjoyable and intuitive parts of writing narrative fiction. We all do dialogue […]
April 7, 2017 by 25 Comments ThemeHow to Write Stories Your Readers Will Remember
Think back about the books you read and the movies you watched in the last year (heck, think about just the ones you experienced in the last month). Which do you still remember vividly? Which are already foggy in your memory? Now: which type of story do you want to write? No-brainer, of course. You want to […]
November 4, 2016 by 142 Comments BackstoryThe Only Reason Your Story Should Have Flashbacks
Writers love their flashbacks. And with good reason. Flashbacks are a multi-functional technique for stepping outside your story’s timeline and sharing interesting and informative nuggets about your characters’ pasts. But just as they can be used to strengthen your story, they can even more easily cripple it. First things first: what is a flashback? A flashback […]
September 12, 2016 by 77 Comments Plotting Your NovelThe Only 5 Ingredients You Need for Story Subtext
If there’s a magic ingredient in writing, it’s story subtext. It’s actually not magic, of course, any more than any of the other demystified techniques of structure, theme, or character arc. But story subtext often seems like magic simply because, by its very nature, it is the execution of the unexplained. Subtext is supposed to be invisible. It lives […]
September 2, 2016 by 88 Comments BackstoryThe #1 Key to Relatable Characters: Backstory
Part 10 of The Do’s and Don’ts of Storytelling According to Marvel Ever stop to think about why you enjoy backstory? I receive lots of questions from writers about backstory, most of it along the lines of: I love my backstory soooo much. How can I cram as much as possible of it into the main story? I […]
April 3, 2016 by 152 Comments Most Common Writing MistakesMost Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 50: Info Dumps
On its most fundamental level, a novel is nothing more or less than the dissemination of information. As such, the writer who understands exactly how and where to share information is a writer who understands the most fundamental skill of storytelling. That’s why info dumps are such a big, bad deal. They’re peanut butter in […]
