Quote: Effective Openings
Writing » QuotesAugust 21st, 2007
An effective opening may do many things at once. It might set up the main characters and their relationship, it might describe a setting or a dramatic event, it will probably always introduce key themes.
- Michèle Roberts
Leg/Back Pain
General, Writing » Work-in-ProgressAugust 20th, 2007
There is a good side to this experience: I know the exquisite pain that comes from using your body incorrectly. I have some idea of how a person would walk, would change their habits, in order to accommodate something that will most likely never go away. And it just so happens that I have a character (or had a character since he’s dead) that, while his accident happened much differently, has many of the same symptoms.
Do you use your personal experiences to flesh out your characters? If you do, does it ever hurt to relive those memories in order to write it on your character’s behalf?
Quote: Try, Try Again
General, Writing » QuotesJuly 27th, 2007
- Thomas Alva Edison
Tension Tips
Writing » Craft, TensionJuly 24th, 2007
Fear Factor
Get inspiration from your own fears and phobias - if it scares you, the chances are it will scare a good proportion of your readership. Primal fears go to the very route of who we are and can be particularly effective if they’re magnified or exaggerated for the purposes of your story.
Quote: Failure to Please
Business, General, Writing » Announcements, Fun, QuotesJuly 19th, 2007
A writer attempts to show how even a well-known classic author wouldn’t cut it in today’s cutthroat publishing business.
The Importance of Theme for Organization
Writing » Craft, NaNoWriMo, Theme, TipsJuly 17th, 2007
I often read that the biggest things a writer should worry about are theme and organization. Theme, because that is the heart of your work; organization because that’s the skeleton to help you write about the theme.
For the longest time I wondered, How does one find a theme in the first place? Maybe something happened in your life that you want to write about. Let’s face it, wanting to write about that topic isn’t enough. You need a focus, something that connects you to the topic and distances you from it at the same time, so that you can communicate clearly with your reader.
Quote: Big Ideas, Small Words
Writing » QuotesJuly 16th, 2007
To get your ideas across use small words, big ideas, and short sentences.
- John Henry Patterson
Eight Writing Tips by Vonnegut
Writing » Craft, Quotes, Tips, ToolsJuly 10th, 2007
1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
Book: Stardust
Book Reviews, Writing » Character Development, Craft, Dialogue, Fantasy, Fiction, RomanceJuly 4th, 2007
Why whould you read this book? Because it’s Neil Gaiman, and everyone should read one Gaiman book at some point. This book begged to be read aloud, and I almost wish (now this is a shocker) that I had the audio version. The narration is simple yet intriguing and complex; I want to read it again just to figure out how he was able to convey so much with so little. Which is exactly why you should read this book. Long sentences and over-the-top vocabulary are gimicks easily pointed out…they hide bad plots and expose worse execution. Gaiman’s simple narration is a quick read, yet, there are important themes discussed.
Horror Fiction
Writing » Craft, Suspense, TensionJune 29th, 2007
Think you’re just a simple fiction writer? That your romance doesn’t have anything to do with horror? I find that the best fiction has elements of multiple genres, or at least tricks from multiple genres. You want to add tension, or make your antagonist creepy and scary? Try applying some of these horror fiction hints to bring out that creep factor. Even if in the end you decide it’s not for you, it will make for a great writing exercise!
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