Did you know there’s such a thing as an author being too clear? Most of the time, we worry our heads off to ensure our stories are clear enough. (One of my first questions to beta readers and critique partners is always, “Were you ever confused?”) After all, a story that doesn’t make sense will […]
January 13, 2013 by 21 Comments Structuring Your NovelStructuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 6: Variations on the Scene
The great thing about structure is that it provides a solid framework for your story, while still presenting endless possibilities. This is just as true of the Scene* as it is of the larger plot structure that guides your story as a whole. Now that we’ve concluded our exploration of the first part of the […]
March 9, 2011 by 26 Comments ThemeHow to Strengthen Your Book’s Thematic Motif Through Repetition
One of the easiest ways to drive home a point is through repetition. Sometimes, repetition in a novel can come across heavy-headed—to the point readers either grow bored or begin to feel manipulated. But what if you could mix the power of repetition with the effectiveness of subtlety? This is exactly what Kurt Vonnegut teaches […]
December 29, 2010 by 27 Comments DescriptionHow to Bring Adjectives to Life
As a writer, you’re always being told you’re not supposed to pile on the adjectives to describe something. But how else can you share with readers the nuanced vision you see in your own mind’s eye? David Guterson’s lyrical study of life and death in East of the Mountains offers a surprisingly simple and effective […]
October 31, 2010 by 16 Comments Narrative4 Questions to Improve Your Stories With Powerful Juxtaposition
An easy way to add depth to a story is to introduce one of the most marvelous techniques known to writers: juxtaposition. Juxtaposition is the art of contrast, the foundation of dichotomy, and the tool of both subtlety and boldness. In using juxtaposition, you are able to take two seemingly incompatible things and combine them […]
October 13, 2010 by 21 Comments BackstoryIs Backstory Sinking Your Book?
Backstory is often misunderstood, mostly because it has gained something of a bad reputation through misuse. It’s important you neither underestimate this crucial storytelling technique, nor allow it to overwhelm your main story. Backstory, as its name implies, is intended to stay in back of the main story. It’s never the point of the story, […]
August 25, 2010 by 21 Comments Prose3 (Brief) Benefits of Writing With Brevity
Ernest Hemingway is famed for his sparse prose. Love his style or hate it, the man knew how to say what needed saying in the fewest words possible. In reading his World War I tragedy A Farewell to Arms, I was able to study the three main benefits of writing with brevity. The 3 Main […]
August 10, 2008 by 20 Comments ThemeSubtext: The Art of Iceberging
Sometimes the most powerful writing isn’t so much about what’s said as what isn’t said. If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as […]
