Since I tend to be long winded in my stories, I’m sensitive to it when somebody (fellow author, critique partner – hopefully not the fans) says a piece needs to be tightened up. Visually, some readers just see a long paragraph and get tired. Even lots of medium-long sections might be too much. Are readers […]
I can’t tell you how many posts and articles I’ve read by established authors who make a living writing books who basically say they don’t know what they’re doing. Wendig just did it again, and he does it a lot. Stephen King did it in On Writing. They all do it! Do what? Made the […]
I get asked this sometimes, so here’s my answer. From now on I can copy paste, I guess. What author’s style do you admire the most? For me, it’s Mark Twain. Lame, right? Yawn. How many of us were forced to read Tom Sawyer in school? And why does a book tend to suck when […]
My friend Jenny did a great piece on character description, called Building Character, HERE Building Character I tend to not describe my characters, not so the reader can imagine them as the reader wants, as some have suggested I do, and complimented me for doing. I’m lazy. And sometimes I just forget. Allow me to […]
The rules people play by in a critique group or editing office their honest assessment about what will help you reach a broader audience – but take everything in moderation. You can have an adverb or a dialog tag, it won’t be the end of the world, it’s just a smoother story – a better […]
We recently talked about expressing feelings in your stories HERE https://atomic-temporary-57188753.wpcomstaging.com/2015/06/24/the-real-f-word-writing-feelings-into-your-characters/ One thing I’m constantly telling new writers is to show what’s happening to the reader, don’t just tell the reader it happened. That’s what people mean when they say “show, don’t tell.” When it comes to emotions, that’s harder, so I ask them: How […]
I’m on vacation this week so I thought I’d put you guys to work. Below is the opening chapter of my upcoming family humor book FOURthcoming, which is collection of heartwarming stories about the interaction of a dad and a precocious little girl as she nears her fourth birthday. This is the first draft of […]
I’m on vacation this week and I’m replaying a few of my favorite blogs. This one was from just after Christmas last year. Enjoy. We put up a lot of Christmas trees and Christmas decorations, so the whole house gets rearranged for a while. Then, after the trees come down and the boxes get stored, […]
Posted on July 3, 2015 by the infinitely talented Jenny Allen on her blog https://scribblesoncocktailnapkins.wordpress.com/ Showing your work to someone else can be very scary. It’s something I know better than anyone. Showing your work to other people is . . .painful. But, coming out of the closet to find the right critique partner is one of the most […]
I recently got two comments I’d like all of you to think about, because it’s going to help you a lot “Writing a book is a huge challenge, but I’m beginning to think it’s the easiest part of being an indie author.” That statement says it all. Nailed it. It’s 100% correct – and not […]
DAN ALATORRE