When the main character in a story is created, the reader needs to be able “see” a fully-formed individual they can connect with and invest in for the duration of the story. He/she cannot be a teetering paper doll or a penciled stick figure struggling to grab and hold the reader’s attention. Let’s see what we can do about that. A Physical Body Would your reader recognize your MC (main character) if they walked into the room? Would you, the … Read More »

Wikipedia calls writer’s block a “condition.” Sounds serious, doesn’t it? Like a chronic malady that a writer struggles to keep at bay, the threat of a recurrence is always lurking in the dark shadows of that last sentence, paragraph, or scene. It’s something you might get a bit of respite from, but is guaranteed to return at some point. I suspect anyone who writes has felt at one time or another that they are unable to move forward with their … Read More »

A question was recently posed to me about a creative way to insert facts and information from the past into a story. Readers don’t want an information dump, so how does a writer provide the pertinent details without a lot of backstory? After I offered up a few suggestions (I hope they helped!), I thought some might be worth sharing. Invite a Character From the Past When you invite a character from the past into your story, they will naturally … Read More »

You did it! You completed an amazing writing journey, and you’ve got something you’re proud of and excited about—a novel, short story, memoir, etc. After long (endless?) hours of writing, tears of frustration, and feelings of self-doubt, you finally typed those last, two word: The End. Before you whisk it off to your editor, consider these suggestions to put it in the best possible shape before handing it off. The Hiding Obvious You’ve done the spell/grammar check that comes with … Read More »

I happened across this photo of a stone wall project I completed a few years ago, and it made me think about how I might compare it to the construction of a story. Tools, materials, planning, and brain power translates to creating a wall (or a story) that will stand the test of time. I thought it might be fun to break apart this project into story-building elements. Plan for the End Result Before you head out to the landscape … Read More »

Free is great, right? Who doesn’t love free? It’s especially fabulous when you are gearing up to write your first (or next) story. Settings, characters, and other story elements are free for the taking — in unlimited quantities! So forget about TP, grab your cart, and let’s shop ’till we drop! Your Genre Aisle This may be an aisle you’re already familiar with. You may have already written a story here, you’re continuing a series, or it may be a … Read More »