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As your fiction writing becomes more skilled it’s important to know how to blend scene and narration for a better reader experience. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some things to consider when blending scene and narration: Rule of Three As with a lot of writing skills, I think the Rule of Three is a […]
When you write a story—short, novel or memoir—we can always improve our approach to writing scenes. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s discuss ways of writing better scenes. Find the Why If you aren’t sure why you’re writing a scene in your story, the characters may not be able to advance the story. By that I […]
As summer winds down, the conferences are finished, the agents and editors begin to return and we writers all look to the coming fall months. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s refresh a few important rules for writing fiction: Write More Scenes Those of us who write fiction—either novels or shorter stories—always must keep in mind […]
In nonfiction, essays are one of the trickiest to master. Even if you write only fiction or poetry or memoir, knowing your theme can help you stay on track. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some tips for discovering and adhering to a theme: Only One Thing One of the first rules of essay writing […]
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 […]
Re-Writing Your Scene Last post we discussed rewriting the “Big Picture” aspects of a scene. If the big questions aren’t answered—the why, conflict and tension of the scene—the little stuff isn’t important. Except that the little things matter too. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s look at other elements of scene rewriting. Unpack the Action As […]
Three Ways to Edit Scenes It’s almost NaNoWriMo time, that glorious month when we can dash off 50k words and not criticize ourselves for any of them. Yet the morning after will come, and when it does, we’ll need our editing toolboxes to be in fine form. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s look at some […]
Writing Beats for Better Stories I used to be a pantster, that is I started with a character and a vague goal. These days, I’m becoming more inclined to map out main plot points or as they’re known now, beats. Plotting these major turning points helps me deepen my character and improves the story. Writing […]
In well-crafted scenes (as opposed to narration, description or exposition), readers are irresistibly transported to the fictional world where they can live vicariously through the character. But how can you write irresistible scenes that readers can’t refuse? Writing Tip for Today: Here are some easy ways to craft better scenes: Predetermine Scene Purpose Even the […]
Last post we discussed how to write powerful dialogue. But what about stuff that your characters are doing while the dialogue flows? Writing Tip for Today: What are some ways to write active (as opposed to static) scenes? Use the Wilson Principle! The Wilson Principle is all about keeping your POV character from delivering soliloquies. […]