In nonfiction writing, it’s important to balance the different elements of style. Here’s what I mean. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s talk about the different nonfiction elements and how to balance them: The Five Elements Any story—fiction or nonfiction—relies on five different ways we can tell a story: Action, Dialogue, Thought, Description (narration) and Exposition. […]
Tag Archives: balance
Balancing the Conflict
Novelists often hear that their character’s conflict must be balanced. What does this mean?Writing Tip for Today: Every character has both an outer life and an inner life. The outer conflict you give this person should be important enough to affect far more than only that character. But all action and no emotions makes this […]
Writing High-Action Scenes
I am still working on an historical novel set in 1880s Idaho Territory, when the specter of Indians and whites clashing loomed as a real threat. If I had to write a battle scene, (not something I usually do) what would make it compelling?Writing Tip for Today: Fiction feeds on conflict, but handling a hectic and […]
Character: Balancing Inner and Outer Actions
A character who only acts is perceived as shallow. A character who only thinks is a navel-gazer. In a novel, the inner and outer lives of a character must be balanced. How?Writing Tip for Today: The character’s inner/outer lives are both evident to the reader, which in my opinion, gives fiction an advantage over cinema/theater. […]
Balance of Power: Inner and Outer Conflict
I love to write tips about subjects that I grapple with in my own writing life. Lately, it’s been remembering to balance inner and outer conflicts in my story. What are the pitfalls of unbalanced inner and outer conflicts?Writing Tip for Today: As a writing instructor, I often see two types of novels. The Navel […]
Balancing Inner and Outer Conflicts
A novel’s story represents not only the world around a character, but also the world within a character. If the writer places too much emphasis upon the outer world, the novel may come off as shallow. If too much emphasis is placed upon the character’s inner world, the novel may become too much navel-gazing. How […]
High Stakes
Once you’ve answered the three magic questions, you may be rethinking your story a bit. Many times a novel’s plot can go from okay to stellar with the addition of higher stakes. This means your character and the world he/she lives in has more to lose. Here are some possible ways to raise the stakes […]
Tension in Scenes
A student wanted me to discuss tension in scene writing. Maintaining tension between what the protagonist wants (or thinks she wants) and what thwarts or is elusive is key to keeping readers engaged. The student asks, “Is there any place for a sympathetic, comforting character interacting with the protagonist?” The answer is yes. What brings […]