We talked last week about an alarmingly bizarre piece of writing advice one of my clients got from an agent in response to her requested full manuscript. We also talked about exposition & telling and why they’re pretty much exactly the same thing, even though I know we out here… Read more“3 More Things to Know About Exposition & Telling”
Tag: Exposition
3 Things to Know About Exposition & Telling
A bizarre thing happened to a client of mine the other day. This writer that it happened to is one of my best clients. She’s been writing all her life. She has a fabulous imagination and sees her characters moving and acting and speaking with wonderful vividness. She’s written lots… Read more“3 Things to Know About Exposition & Telling”
6 Things I Learned from Dashiell Hammett
I’m still studying Shirley Jackson, and if you don’t know why you can easily find out. I spent yesterday doing a scene-by-scene analysis of Chapters 5 and 6 of The Haunting of Hill House that turned into line-by-line—that’s how fast she switches gears in her most profound passages!—and at some… Read more“6 Things I Learned from Dashiell Hammett”
Guest speaking on exposition on Twitter Sunday
That’s today. I know. I’m springing this on you. Sorry about that. Today, Sunday, 3:00-4:30 Pacific Time, I’ll be talking about exposition on #storycraft on Twitter. I’m the guest speaker. I don’t know what time that is where you are—you’ll have to break out the ole calculator. Just go on… Read more“Guest speaking on exposition on Twitter Sunday”
Clarifying and not clarifying in exposition
Let’s address an issue today that a lot of aspiring writers run into with their critiquers: “I don’t get what’s going on here.” I did a Copy & Line Edit on the opening pages of a very beautiful novel this past week. I did a Developmental Edit—along with a Copy… Read more“Clarifying and not clarifying in exposition”
Exposing, summarizing, illuminating
We’re talking about exposition today on the magazine. Not till the knife of love gained sufficient edge could he cut out her figure from its surroundings. —Elizabeth Bowen, “Ivy Gripped the Steps” Exposition: the necessity for it to be sharp and succinct ties it intimately to line editing. . .yet… Read more“Exposing, summarizing, illuminating”
Linking to three great pieces
Susan Johnson of The Urban Muse has done a really nice piece today on creativity, or What I Learned About Being a Fiction Writer from Musical Theater. And I’m not just saying this because I live with a musical theater buff who can sing all of The Pirates of Penzance… Read more“Linking to three great pieces”
Sketching in story
“Show, don’t tell.” If the world of fiction has a motto, that’s it. But of course you already know you can’t show everything. Remember Ramona the Pest? Beverly Cleary’s masterpiece? As it happens, we used to have a couple of neighbor kids who were just like Ramona and Beezus, right… Read more“Sketching in story”
Linking to Mystery Man On Film
I’m going to institute a new regular feature on this blog called: Linking to. Every week, I’ll find some blog of interest to fiction writers and talk a bit about it for your edification and entertainment. I’m starting with pretty much my all-time favorite writing blog, which isn’t even for… Read more“Linking to Mystery Man On Film”
Bringing you the party from Nathan Bransford's blog
How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live. —Thoreau So I’m having a wild time over on Nathan Bransford’s blog, where my post “Everything You Need to Know About Writing a Novel, in 1,000 Words” went up yesterday. People have been… Read more“Bringing you the party from Nathan Bransford's blog”