Word Magic
In fiction writing, dialogue is more than conversation, so make your dialogue work for you. Unlike real-life conversation, dialogue builds your plot and characters. It’s heavy with subtext and packed with conflict. Have you noticed that commercial fiction is dialogue-heavy? Readers expect scenes (showing) rather than narrative (telling.) This means there’s lots of dialogue and every word of dialogue is … Read more
Love to write short fiction but struggle to plot a short story? You’re not alone. A novel gives you freedom to go off on tangents; a short story or novella doesn’t. Many authors find corralling their story a hassle. I do too. I’m a wordy writer, so I’ve had to learn to stick to the point in short fiction. In … Read more
When you’re writing fiction, suspense is vital, no matter the genre. When readers can’t turn the pages fast enough, you’ll build readers and fans for your books. Recently a writing student asked about a quick way to build suspense. That’s an excellent question, because when you’re writing fiction creating suspense always needs to be in the back of your mind. … Read more
I received this message from an author: “What’s happening with mind mapping apps? I can’t afford hundreds of dollars. Even little apps seem to be subscription-only now…” It’s an excellent question. Just a few years ago, you’d find lots of free mind mapping apps. These apps didn’t have all the bells and whistles of apps intended for business use, but … Read more
Thinking about writing fiction? Here’s a secret. Start with the idea. When we read fiction, we may be bored… Or we’re living through an unbearable life event and need to escape for a while. Perhaps we enjoy stepping into another world. Whatever a reader’s reason for reading your novel, they read for entertainment. When you’re writing fiction, you’re an entertainer … Read more