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We all want our readers to follow our lead character to the last page. Writing passionate characters will give you increased reader engagement. Writing Tip for Today: Here are a few tips to increase your character’s emotional passion: Let Em Mingle One of the surest ways to turn off readers is by writing long soliloquys, […]
When you write an effective scene, you have a lot of plates spinning at once. Here’s a scene tune-up to help you keep it all together. Writing Tip for Today: Here are a few tips for better scene writing: Keep it Active The number one mistake I see in student fiction work is a lack […]
Last post we reviewed basic rules for formatting and writing good dialogue. Today, let’s dive a little deeper. Writing Tip for Today: Writing effective dialogue relies on speech that sounds natural, is easy to read and that maintains and heightens a scene’s tension. Here are some more tips: Mix it Up When you write dialogue, […]
Writing effective dialogue is one of the most valuable skills for writers of fiction and nonfiction. If your dialogue needs shining up, here’s a little refresher. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some tips to help your dialogue skills improve: Punctuation is Vital The most basic rules of dialogue concern how each line of spoken […]
Over the past year, my son’s use of meth has dropped off considerably. I blame it all on my learning how to love him well, as my friend Pam Lanhart says. Instead of binges lasting weeks or until he finally sleeps, now he still uses but it’s more of a scattershot use. He says it’s […]
Writing descriptions of characters, settings or other items requires details. But which details matter? Writing Tip for Today: Here are some tips for writing effective details: Paint a Picture Readers need mental images in order to imagine your story. You supply details to help them conjure the images you want them to have. What many […]
Ernest Hemingway was a famous minimalist in his writing—he knew that clean sentences convey info, action and emotions to readers. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some tips for writing clean sentences: Need to Know Every sentence you write must communicate some kind of information. Whether you’re describing, showing action or developing your characters, you […]
Many who write novels seem to lean on Prologues to start their stories. Here are the pros and cons. Writing Tip for Today: Good reasons for and against including prologues in novels and memoirs: Prologue Purpose Including a prologue in your novel suggests that certain bits of background information are necessary before the story proper […]
When you’re seeking feedback from a writing or critique group, what should you look for? Writing Tip for Today: Here are a few tips on feedback from your crit or writing group: The Basics As a writing coach, I’ve helped with several genres, from nonfiction to memoir to thrillers and historical fiction. As a reader, […]
We all want our writing to communicate our intended meaning. As you get closer to the end of a first draft of a novel or nonfiction work, you may notice that your original idea has changed. This is common, but readers will need a straightforward way to organize what you’re telling them. Writing Tip for […]