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Many first-time novelists complain that without back story, readers have no way to fully understand the characters. Yet most readers are willing to forgo a detailed history in favor of action in the real-time story. Writing Tip for Today: How can you add back story without stalling your story? No Cold Mashies! Anytime you […]
Writing back story is always tricky. Learn some easy techniques for easing back story into your work. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s review some basic methods for efficient back story in your fiction: Why Back Story? Writers want readers to understand their character. This urge can lead to a lengthy re-tell of the character’s background, […]
One of the most common questions I hear from novel writers is about writing time jumps, or flashbacks. A novel that is nonlinear can add rich depth to a story, but chaos and confusion are always lurking. Writing Tip for Today: If a novel’s narrative jumps around in time, what are some ways to prevent […]
While I’m away teaching at a conference, you might review the elements of writing back story in your fiction. Writing Tip for Today: Back story, or FLASHBACK, can lift your fiction–or sink it. Here are some tips: WHERE THE ACTION IS The question I get often is how readers can possibly sympathize with the Main […]
Years ago, I sent the first pages of my second novel to a semi-famous novelist acquaintance for advice. She wrote back that those pages contained something like forty-four back story references. She kindly suggested I revise. I’d become stuck in the Back Story Swamp. Writing Tip for Today: Back Story or Flashback, is one of […]
Every new fiction writer hears the warning: NO BACK STORY in the FIRST CHAPTER! And then the fretting begins: How will readers understand my character without back story? Won’t they demand to know everything before they commit to the story? Writing Tip for Today: The answer to these back story questions is yes and no. […]
Whenever one of my students asks me how to improve their writing most easily and effectively, I always say the same thing: Improve your scene writing skills. Last post we talked about a few simple ways to improve those skills. Ready for a few more? Writing Tip for Today: Let’s look at a few more […]
Last post, we discussed “bullying” one’s Main Character into action and keeping her in danger. One of the best ways to keep readers interested in that character is to understand his motivation. What makes her react to things the ways she does?Writing Tip for Today: Most of the time, understanding a character’s motivation involves back […]
Many first-time novelists complain that without back story, readers have no way to fully understand the characters. While it may be important that Our Hero was abused in childhood by a demanding father, most readers are willing to forgo a detailed history in favor of action in the real-time story.Writing Tip for Today: How can […]
Novel writers long to be understood. That is, we long for our readers to understand our characters. As we toil endlessly toward the goal of showing not telling, EXPLAINING can derail our plans.Writing Tip for Today: RUE or Resist the Urge to Explain, is a handy acronym for battling telly passages in novel writing. Who Needs […]