In Praise of the Humble Sentence
Voice is the quality of writing that lets a reader see the author behind the work. It’s what makes a piece of writing unique so that you and only you could have written this piece.
BANG! POW! BOOM! (writing action like an end boss)
When I was a wee young writer way too long ago, I remember using pewter figures from my Dungeons & Dragons set to stage a fight scene. I planned it out, had my figs move and wrote that scene in meticulous detail as I ran through it in “real life.”
8 Paragraph Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making
Words, sentences, and paragraphs–they’re the bricks and mortar of the writing craft. They’re fundamental. If we’re not using them correctly, it doesn’t matter how wonderful our mastery of characters and story structure may be. They’re make-or-break territory.
3 1/2 Tips for Fixing an Unlikable Character
I’ve mentioned several times that I struggle with writing unlikable characters when I first draft a story, and I know I’m not the only one.
Back to Basics: Writing a Novel Synopsis
It’s probably the single most despised document you might be asked to prepare: the synopsis. The synopsis is sometimes required because an agent or publisher wants to see, from beginning to end, what happens in your story. Thus, the synopsis must convey a book’s entire narrative arc.
9 (or more) Things I Love About Scrivener
For fifteen years, I was a word processor power user. I was certified as a specialist by the software company, I taught classes on the topic, I created indexes, I performed mail merges… I used it for business letters, term papers, memos, technical manuals, and even a graduate thesis.
Character Likability and Subtext
How are villains, subtext, character likability, and point-of-view (POV) all related? Thanks to my commenters in my previous post, I have a few ideas. *smile*
Business of writing
The State of the Publishing Industry in 5 Charts
Over on my Pinterest account, I keep tabs on data, charts, and infographics related to the media industry—and every so often, I reflect on what the most recent stats are telling us.Here are the most interesting charts to me right now.
Social Media Marketing Is Backwards: Strategy Vs. Tactics
There are more than 200 social media networks, and more hit the Internet daily. No wonder authors are confused about how to approach this behemoth.
If You Sell the Book, Will They Read It?
At the IDPF/BE conference in May of this year, Kobo disclosed data that revealed only 60 percent of books purchased are ever opened. And that says nothing about whether they are even finished.