He lifted his leg and fired. With a whoop and a cry, she shot it out the back. They bent to examine their special organs. He couldn’t believe he was alive—he touched himself with gratitude. She knew he’d never get at the secret she was sitting on. If he couldn’t… Read more“15 Things Your Characters Should Never Do”
Tag: Fiction Writing Advice
4 Do’s & 4 Don’t’s for Writing Series Fiction
This one comes from Lyn South, who submitted her question to Victoria’s Advice Column, which I like to think of as Miss Lonelyhearts for the Word-Worn. DO Identify your protagonist(s) and their nemesis(es) clearly right up front in each book. Your reader wants to know who this series is about…. Read more“4 Do’s & 4 Don’t’s for Writing Series Fiction”
10 Lies Agents & Editors Tell You. And Why.
When I came home from a trip to Europe in 1994, I stayed with five friends living in a studio apartment in a bad part of San Francisco’s Mission District. We slept like sardines on the living room floor, and in the mornings I sat at the kitchen table with… Read more“10 Lies Agents & Editors Tell You. And Why.”
5 Things to Celebrate About Finishing Your First Draft
You didn’t know you had that many words in you. And no, they’re not all just variations on “and then.” They’re all possible variations on twenty-six simple little letters, higgledy-piggledy arrangements of sound and thought and meaning, and the images that leap out of them are a magic of physical… Read more“5 Things to Celebrate About Finishing Your First Draft”
13 Things You Should Have Known About Your Characters Beforehand
Are your heroine/hero and villain related? Closely? Are they, in fact, siblings or, maybe, parent & child? Because if they are, you’re going to have a lot of trouble explaining your idea of parenting. Do your characters care about the dilemma you’ve given them? Passionately? Desperately? Enough to carry both… Read more“13 Things You Should Have Known About Your Characters Beforehand”
9 Secrets Your Story Is Keeping from You
It’s already been done by other writers Thousands of others. Thousands of times. And some of those times were classic. It doesn’t care if you know In fact, it wants you to know. “The truth will set us free.” It plans to keep being done by others Even after everything… Read more“9 Secrets Your Story Is Keeping from You”
9 Secrets You’re Keeping from Your Story
You have no idea what you’re doing Even if you did know. . . . . .you wouldn’t be able to articulate it. You read all the advice on writing out there How to do it, how not to do it, when and where and why to do it, and… Read more“9 Secrets You’re Keeping from Your Story”
Finding the time to write
Today let’s read a Scott Berkun article on time management. He calls it “The Cult of Busy.” I have a real problem getting any writing done these days, besides blogging and emails and paying jobs. I used to spend hours and hours out in the sunshine with a notepad and… Read more“Finding the time to write”
Being interviewed
Hey, folks, I’ve been interviewed on Bob Spear’s Book Trends Blog! Bob’s a bookstore owner who ventured into self-publishing many years ago, way back before it was fashionable. He made a success of his early nonfiction and is now back—blogging about the experience of self-publishing his series of mysteries, beginning… Read more“Being interviewed”
Being a voice in the literary choir
The history of literature is made up of millions of individual voices. Strive to be worthy of the choir.