Once upon a time, it was common for books to be written in an omniscient third-person voice. A disembodied and all-seeing narrator told you the story, gentle reader, and he knew what every character was thinking and how they looked as well. Increasingly, though, readers seem to want the in-head experience of close third-person. One character carries them around through the action of the novel, and they see the world and other characters though her eyes. She can report her … Read More »

The other day in our writer’s group, somebody brought up the idea of each of us taking responsibility for a periodic “artist’s date” to recharge our creativity. Those of you who remember Julia Cameron’s 2020 blockbuster The Artist’s Way will recognize this concept. I, who avoid self-help books, did not, but when its eloquent proponent among us presented the idea, it sounded extremely appealing. And then I realized I’ve been on one long artist’s date here on the farm, and … Read More »

Picky! Picky!” wasn’t exactly a compliment when Mom aimed it at you at the dinner table. You were supposed to eat everything on the plate and have no preferences. But we writers can hardly be picky enough when it comes to choosing just the right word. It’s a primary duty of a prose author—let alone a poet—to expend some effort in finding the expression that captures exactly the image she wants to convey. The one that rolls most smoothly over … Read More »

I recently blogged about the importance of beginnings—that first chapter or so of your novel that gins up your reader’s interest in it and hooks her good, so that she has to keep reading. Then there’s the all-important ending of the book, wherein you take advantage of your last chance to impress and leave a satisfied taste in readers’ mouths. We’ll get back to that in due time. And that’s the thing about endings: you have to get to them. … Read More »

Since we’re beginning a brand new year, it seems appropriate to reflect on beginnings—the beginning of books, that is. Few things are as daunting to a writer as that blank page upon which we type “Chapter One.” That’s because we know that we only have this one chance to hook the reader, to intrigue and delight her so strongly that she won’t be able to put down the novel until she’s read it cover to cover. It may be the … Read More »

What makes for good literary style? The components are so numerous that it would take all day to list them, but one that jumps out at me is description that is vivid and original. Vivid and Original Vivid: It engages your senses until you can really see, hear, taste, smell, and feel the scene the author has laid before you. In fact, she hasn’t just laid it before you. She has drawn you into it. Original: She has expressed herself … Read More »