I read a pretty popular novel recently, written by a fellow author in my genre, and I enjoyed it. I might have given it a solid four stars. BUT, I mentally only awarded it a three-star effort for one single reason. Near the end of the story, the author seemed compelled to explain the lessons […]
Archives for 2013
How to Avoid Distancing Your Reader with Patched-In Themes & Morals
March 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Writers Beware!
March 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“Plagiarism and copyrights and trademarks! Oh, my!” (Read this in your best imitation of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, or the Tin Man in Oz.) Sometimes, like Dorothy and Toto, we may get into situations where suddenly we realize we’re “not in Kansas anymore” and are facing all sorts of previously unknown dangers. To help you become […]
Word Trippers
March 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Today’s post highlights a tool for writers. I can’t take credit for this, but I think it might be more valuable than a post from me this week. Many words in the English language are confusing. They trip us up. Writer and editor Barbara McNichol wrote a book and an email Ezine to assist writers […]
Body Language
March 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment
I confess! I swiped this Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers from Archtype Writing.com–a website that bills itself as “The Fiction Writer’s Guide to Psychology” … but they told me I could reproduce it freely for educational purposes, so I guess that keeps things legal. 😉 Either way, it was too good to pass up […]
Understanding the Role of Subplots When Structuring Your Story
February 22, 2013 By 2 Comments
You often find writers and reviewers speaking of a story’s layers — whether they viewed those layers as in-depth or lacking. Layers might be defined as the presence of subplots. Subplots, when broken down, are often scenes strung together that reveal a closer look at a hero’s personal life in a way that exposes deeper […]
