We often mention that telling instead of showing is the biggest reason why we reject submitted manuscripts, and we have many articles on the Castle Gate Press website that discuss ways to show rather than tell. Recently, I came across an example of what showing looks like that is so deep and vivid that I just […]
Point of view: how deep?
Editors these days will typically steer a writer to use “deep point-of-view,” or deep POV. It’s a writing device where the reader learns only what the current POV character sees, feels, or thinks — until the next scene, when the POV character may be someone else. If there are one or two POV characters, the […]
Writers, what do you do about a sagging middle?
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, […]
For writers: Conflict is the root of your story
The root of a good story is always conflict. The more, the better. But you don’t like conflict in your own life. No one does. You’d like to be nice to your characters. Give them easy lives. Get over it. You’ve got to have conflict to keep people turning pages. How to set up conflict? […]
Is Your Manuscript Ready For Publication?
One of my favorite parts of being the editorial director at Castle Gate Press is the sense of hope that fills me every time I open an e-mail with a submission. Each one brings the possibility of a great story, memorable characters, and plot twists I won’t see coming. I almost hold my breath as I […]
MRUs Can Transform Your Writing
A search of the internet for advice on how write better fiction will lead to millions of links to articles about a wide variety of techniques that vary from learning the minutia of grammar to firming up your overarching theme. One technique, however, is both insanely simple and incredibly effective. It’s called the motivation-reaction unit, […]
Revision Prompt – Chapter Hooks
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 […]
Revision Prompt – The Oxford Comma
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 […]
Keeping Track of the Details
The old saying says that the devil is in the details, meaning that problems in the details can ruin the whole project. When applied to novel-writing, it can refer to the following type of mistakes: – He’s wearing jeans and a Cardinals t-shirt when they leave the house, but camo pants and an Army t-shirt […]
Showing, not telling, character emotions
Some writers seem to have no trouble conveying the emotions of their characters. But it’s hard to do. We’re tempted to just out-and-out tell our reader what the character is feeling. “Fear strangled her.” “Love poured through her.” And so on. What’s wrong with that? Here’s what’s wrong: The reader feels held at a distance. […]