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In writing fiction, your character’s strengths and weaknesses determine the story’s trajectory, conflict and emotion. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some ways to identify and then utilize your character’s strengths and weaknesses: Your Character’s Story Place any character into the point-of-view role and you’ll likely have different versions of a story. Your main character’s […]
When writing fiction, conflict is often at the top of the must-do list. Conflict makes us think of action: the bad guy chasing, the hero fighting his way out of a jam. Yet a quieter kind of conflict can create more tension that a space war scene. Writing Tip for Today: How can creating emotional […]
It’s a story’s pivotal moment—the one where everything changes for your character. One moment, this protagonist thinks all is lost, then somehow finds inner strength to meet the biggest challenge. But how do you write this? The key word is in the somehow. Writing Tip for Today: Stories are more satisfying and believable if character […]
Chase, fight or argument scenes come with what we hope is built-in tension. But how can we maintain that tension in a high-action scene’s aftermath? Writing Tip for Today: Let’s discuss some ways to keep the tension taut and provide rising action in the scene following a high-action passage, also known as a sequel scene: […]
Writing action scenes is important, but so is writing character reactions. Throughout the fiction you write, your protagonist must react to each and every event (action) encountered. A character who doesn’t react will have a difficult time moving the story forward. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s examine some ways to write character reactions in more […]
Writing fictional characters that are also unforgettable takes a delicate combination of inner and outer knowledge, motivation, actions and decisions. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s take a look at some simple ways to deepen your fictional characters: Where the Stakes Are Before your story can take off for readers, the lead character must need/want/be desperate […]
This post’s idea sparked by my fab writer buddy, Mo Buckley. Thanks! So what is Hokey Pokey Writing? Other, less creative teachers might call it “writing too many stage directions.” Think of it as trying to cram specific stage directions into a short description. Writing Tip for Today: What’s Hokey Pokey Writing and how can […]
Scene Writing: Using Sequel to Heighten Emotion If you’ve been writing scenes for your fiction, you’ve probably heard the term sequel. Sequel indicates the spaces between the scene’s actions, where your character processes the last action. The character combines thought and emotion to decide what to do next. Writing Tip for Today: Here are […]
We’ve all seen those domino constructions where, after tipping the first piece ever-so-slightly, all the rest fall in a beautiful cascade of rhythmic motion. The “domino effect” means any actions that cascade in that same way. Have you ever thought of your novel (or any writing for that matter) in terms of dominoes? Writing Tip […]
We writers all want to hook our readers. Whether it’s the opening line of an essay or article (often called “the hook”) or the opening chapter of a novel, writing that engages readers, or makes them “care” is a combination of essential qualities that any writer can learn to use. Writing Tip for Today: What […]