What’s the most common piece of feedback on fiction manuscripts, especially early drafts? It might be this: Show, don’t tell. Often writers apply telling when they should be showing. The result is that readers become bored with lack of engagement (more on engagement later). But it also often happens that writers show when they ought …
When to show and when to tell — and give your reader autonomy Read More »
Picking a point-of-view (POV) might be the most important decision for a story. You may default to first-person or third-person limited. After all, they are the POVs you most often see in fiction and maybe those are the ones you’re most comfortable with as a writer. Still, you need to understand the effect that all …
I’m often shocked to hear some novice writers say that they don’t read much. I heard this on Reddit recently (I’m paraphrasing): I want to be a writer, but I don’t like to read books — I prefer to play video games. Many video games can reveal storytelling technique. The same goes for screenplays and …
How to read like a writer (step 1 to becoming a master storyteller) Read More »
The biggest challenge I’ve faced as a writer has been to create conflict-driven scenes that propel the story forward. In my early stories, conflict between characters was vague or weak, and often my first scene, beginning with gusto, would lose steam. Or else the conflict would be intense, but it would go in circles or …
A simple 5-point checklist to help you write faster and revise less Read More »
Many years ago, I wrote a story I was very proud of — a stylistic breakthrough, I thought — but it was boring as hell. The language was rich and challenging, a reflection of the narrator’s state of mind, with long, meandering sentences and lots of subsidiary clauses in paragraphs that rarely gave the reader …
How to write characters that don’t bore readers to death Read More »
When I think about a great story — whether it’s a book or movie or stage play or other format — I likely remember those hair-raising, heart-thumping, gut-wrenching moments when change happens. These moments are the turning points in the story. It wasn’t until I studied story structure that I began to understand why these …
The three essential turning points on your character’s journey Read More »
How do writers get ideas for novels? Popular author Neil Gaiman says it’s through daydreaming, which isn’t far off the mark, but he also offers a more active approach: asking what if. ”You get ideas when you ask yourself simple questions. The most important of the questions is just, What if…?” — Neil Gaiman In …
Generate a story concept for your novel in 30 minutes Read More »
Creative writing is notoriously difficult to make a living with and most full-time writers struggle to find financial stability. Many people view creative writing as a hobby or “nice-to-have,” not a serious or valuable pursuit. Even as a creative pursuit outside your main career, your writing may not be taken seriously. Unfortunately, friends, family, or …
Why your creative writing is worthwhile — and how to get started Read More »
In the early years of my writing life, I used to carry a notebook and pen with me wherever I went. It was my constant companion, and I’ll share why it helped me then and how, even today, it’s still the most important technology I own. At university, I’d be waiting for a class to …
Why the notebook is (still) the writer’s best friend Read More »
