Every story needs details—it’s what helps bring it to life for the reader. Details set stories apart from one another and enable the writer to introduce seemingly insignificant nuggets that may play a major role as the story progresses. The challenge for the writer is to find the acceptable ratio of details to plot without drowning the reader in details. Let’s examine a few pitfalls and see what we can learn from them. Example: A historical fiction novel features a … Read More »

Writers, whether plotters or pantsers, inevitably get stuck somewhere along the way in the creation of their story and struggle to find a way forward. It’s a situation I’m familiar with, and it brought to mind a Robert Burns quote: “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” So, what’s a writer to do other than stare at the screen like a zombie for hours on end or throw their hands in the air and walk away in … Read More »

Successful stories take readers by the hand and invite them into the multi-sensory world the writer has created. Integrating as many senses as possible is critical to helping readers invest in the story and what is happening from one sentence/scene/chapter to the next. However, it requires a delicate touch to avoid bombarding the plot with in your face, obvious attempts at integrating the fabulous five: sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. Let’s whip up a batch of lasagna and see … Read More »

The world you create for your characters is bound to be full of color—it’s everywhere you and your character(s) look. Sight is a powerful sense, so you want to make the most of it. As a writer, the tendency might lean toward using your favorite color, simply naming what your character sees (the green tree), and move on with the rest of the story’s narrative. Hang on! Don’t let the power of color fade away into thin air! Let’s explore … Read More »

You’ve decided. Your fiction story will become a series. The decision could have been made when you realized your characters have more to say than one book can hold, or you may have decided at the outset that a series is the best way forward. Either way, here are a few hints and suggestions to help make that series a successful one. Timeline Structuring It’s logical to think that books in a series continue where the last one left off, … Read More »

It may feel like an afterthought or process a writer goes through when the writing is done, but whether or not to include a table of contents (TOC) warrants careful thought and special attention. The discussion that follows is based on my own (unofficial) research and inspection of various titles in my own small library. What is a TOC anyway? Basically, it’s a list of chapters and page numbers at the beginning of a book. As a writer, it’s important … Read More »