I never wanted to write a romantic comedy. It’s not my genre. I like spaceships, alien civilizations, dragons, time travel and sword fights in space. That’s more my speed. The decision to write a romantic comedy was pure marketing. It sounds obvious, but the best strategy to selling more books is writing more books. As […]
Writers, how to generate sympathy in your readers
Stringed instruments have a little-known special ability: sympathetic vibration. Each string is tuned to a particular pitch, and when something nearby generates a sound exactly on that pitch, the string will hum along. For example, you can get a violin, a harp, or a piano to do this. Some unusual instruments have special strings that […]
Fleshing out your research by author Carole Brown
“He had a tattoo on his arm.” Wow. That tells us a lot. Or not. What if we phrase it like this: “. . . the big eye rippled on his arm, never blinking, only staring.” The first one gives us information: A man has a tattoo on his arm. Basic. Factual. Interesting? No. The […]
Watch out for Weasel Words
They may be different for each author, but we all have our weasel words. Like the animal they’re named after, they pop up in unexpected places. They often slip past our awareness when reviewing our work. We are so used to using them that they often don’t even register in our brain as a problem. […]
Mow Down Episodic Scenes
It is essential for the author to know a great deal about his story–the characters, the setting, the backstory–but the question we need to ask ourselves is, “How much of this does the reader need to know?” If we put in too much, it will slow the story down and bore the readers. If we […]
How to shorten your journey to becoming an author
In my nine-year apprenticeship as a novel writer, I first learned the mechanics of writing a good scene. A crackerjack critique group quickly taught me point-of-view nuances and the difference between showing and telling. I already knew some of the other basics from my nonfiction writing, such as using strong verbs. My first few pages […]
Revision Prompt – Remove Small Movements
You’ve heard of writing prompts, now we have revision prompts! Each prompt will give you a specific writing issue to check for in your WIP, along with tips on how to fix each. Going through this process one issue at a time will not only help polish your current novel but will also teach you specific ways to […]
The writing craft: drawing fiction from real life
Today we hear from writer Emilie Hendryx. Drawing from real life as a writer is not only helpful but also crucial in my opinion. What you draw out is what matters. Taking your cue from real life, use these three things to strengthen and enliven your fiction. 1) Motivation Read news stories or talk with […]
Writers: how to show thoughts
We writers keep hearing “show, don’t tell” a lot. So, how do we apply that to showing thoughts? Readers want a cinematic experience where they experience what’s happening right alongside the character, drawing the reader in so well that he or she can’t put the book down. The writers’ jargon for this is “deep POV,” […]
Revision Prompt – Replace Generic Verbs 2
You’ve heard of writing prompts, now we have revision prompts! Each prompt will give you a specific writing issue to check for in your WIP, along with tips on how to fix each. Going through this process one issue at a time will not only help polish your current novel but will also teach you specific ways to […]