We’ve all read books with sagging middles. The story starts out with a bang and then seems to … sort of .. meander around a bit. If we are persistent we may find that the story settles down to a strong, bang-up ending. But with a sagging middle, most readers will never get there. So, […]
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 […]