Whether you write historical, contemporary, or fantasy, a variety of research techniques can help you create a vivid story world.
Writing Lesson 35 – Be an Invisible Author
May 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Author Intrusion I’d like to introduce you to a term, if you aren’t familiar with it already, called “author intrusion”. You have author intrusion when you’re reading a story and all of a sudden something is said in a way that pulls you out of the “zone” your imagination is in. It might be a […]
Writing Lesson 33 – A Checklist for Revisions
April 23, 2010 By 2 Comments
Revision tops the list for the best thing you can do for your story… but sometimes it’s the most neglected step. Some people don’t revise because their writing seems so personal; it’s their baby, a masterpiece. No one should tinker with it. Others simply refuse to take the time and effort. But if you’re serious […]
Writing Lesson 32 – Let Me Show You How to Show
April 16, 2010 By 1 Comment
“Showing vs. Telling” We’ve written much about this concept of using vivid action, description, and dialogue to show what’s happening in a story rather than simply telling readers about what happens. It would be fitting, perhaps, to “show” you an example. Below is the first paragraph of a scene in my work in progress (wip), […]
Writing Lesson 28 – Randomness
March 19, 2010 By 2 Comments
A Creativity Tool At any point when you create your story, you will come to places where you need to do some brainstorming. It could be at the beginning when an idea first begins to germinate. You’ll need to choose your characters, their profession, the goals, conflicts, and more. Or maybe it’ll be in the […]
