Hi Victoria! I’ve written what I feel is a great book. My readers love it. But I know that a well-written book isn’t enough to land an agent. How can I tell if my story stands out enough? I read plenty in my genre, so I know how it’s similar,… Read more“Putting your best foot forward”
Using your writing time effectively
How do I make this process faster? And don’t give me stuff like turn off the TV/internet/hole up in a cabin. 😉 How do i make the time I’m actually writing more effective?—Iapetus999 When I was in college, my idea of studying for an exam was to show up at… Read more“Using your writing time effectively”
Writing series fiction
Any suggestions for writing a book series? Do’s and Don’ts, etc.—Lyn South Here we’re probably talking about genre, because it’s all but impossible to create a series without categorizing it in a genre so booksellers can point readers in the right direction when they come in looking for book two… Read more“Writing series fiction”
Remembering Barbara Robinson
Hi, guys. I got a letter this afternoon from an aunt I haven’t talked to in years, telling me her cousin—whom I’ve been close to for a very long time, but hadn’t traded email with since last summer—died suddenly last week, after a whirlwind bout of lung cancer that I… Read more“Remembering Barbara Robinson”
Seeing the end of revision
Well, how much do you revise before you consider a piece finished? Best—@sandraslad Oh, gosh. Infinitely? Unto the ends of the earth? Until you’re dead? And then you can be like Monte Python’s plague victims: “‘Not dead yet!” “Yes, you are.” I’ve been asked this before, and the straight-forward answer… Read more“Seeing the end of revision”
Selling mechanical or artistic literature in today’s market
To some, writing is a skill. To others, it’s intuitive. I’ve been reading of late a small controversy brewing over the mechanical writer vs. the artistic. I believe that there is a place in this world for both, but my question is which technique does better in the general fiction… Read more“Selling mechanical or artistic literature in today’s market”
Choosing your significant details
I have a very active imagination and whenever I imagine a story I become quickly aware of a ridiculous amount of details about the plot and the characters. Very often—especially with short stories— I start with an idea that I believe is quite strong in its own right. However, if… Read more“Choosing your significant details”
8 Ways Your Story Needs to be Tweaked
Your characters need to be more distinct from each other. We all have different personalities out here. We want to identify with one character. If you make us look less-than-unique, we will get bored and decide you don’t understand us. Your plot needs to be more solidly structured. Cause. And… Read more“8 Ways Your Story Needs to be Tweaked”
Transcending the evil twin meme
I hate, hate, HATE the Evil Twin Meme. The point is not for one to defeat the other, but for them to unite to fight the real bad guys. How do I avoid making this completely trite?—Iapetus999 For those of you who’ve been following this advice column since the beginning,… Read more“Transcending the evil twin meme”
Differentiating between exposition in fiction & film
Is there an equivalent to exposition in film?—@akimoku In scriptwriting, exposition is described as “Act II stuff,” more than a quarter of the way in. Exposition as backstory in film, often flashback scene (dreams, memories, etc.) In film, it’s sometimes dialogue, but usually action. Someone finds a old news clipping,… Read more“Differentiating between exposition in fiction & film”