13 Stages of Writing a Novel
Be a writer, they said. It will be easy, they said. Continue reading 13 Stages of Writing a Novel
So Where Do the Stories Come From, I Wonder
I do not have a half-naked Greek Goddess of muse and creativity lying across my bed. Inspiration doesn’t work like that. Continue reading So Where Do the Stories Come From, I Wonder
Conflict, Inside and Out
External conflict on its own rarely stands up as being big enough, emotional enough or important enough. Yes, external factors are important in keeping a story moving, but internal factors are the driving force behind character arc and development, and our pathways to making two-dimensional, imaginary characters human. Real. Continue reading Conflict, Inside and Out
Don’t Start at the Beginning
As wonderful as my character’s tragic backstory or hushed conversation might be, none of that matters an iota if I don’t get the beginning right. Continue reading Don’t Start at the Beginning
What I Meant to Say Was…
Listening to the world around you – yes, perhaps more than is polite – is a surefire way to realistically represent the world around you, no matter the setting, time period or characters. Continue reading What I Meant to Say Was…
Don’t You Know, Write What You Know
If you follow write what you know literally, you are going to severely limit yourself as a writer.
What’s the Point (of View)?
Let’s delve a little into point of view choice between first, second and third, and see what influencers, challenges and story elements will help us make our decisions about which to use.
