Not many things in real life are more annoying than a slow leak of the faucet. That plop-plop-plop from the bathroom is guaranteed to drive a writer (who’s probably hoping for a distraction anyway) craaazy. But in your writing, those slow leaks can be an effective way to build tension and lead the reader along clue by clue to a surprise ending. This is supremely important with mysteries and thrillers, but any book with any tension is going to have … Read More »

You want to know how bad a writer I am? I used “by the time” twenty-one times in my current manuscript. I used it twice on the same page. That’s how bad a writer I am. You may not find “by the time” on any list of crutch words, but it appears to be a crutch of mine. I also used “just” two hundred and fifty-two times. “Then” two hundred times. “Turn,” “so,” “right,” and “looked” each more than a … Read More »

Have you ever read a book and found a glaring factual blunder? They happen. In Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper, a character refers to Punch-and-Judy shows. The Punch-and-Judy puppet shows began in the century after the setting of the story. This kind of blunder is an anachronism, a thing out of its time. How do we avoid factual flubs? Research! Yes, great editors help, but ultimately the responsibility for getting the facts straight falls on the author. Discover … Read More »

Picture books are quick reads, fun, and often gems of characterization, mood, sensual detail, and dialogue. They are also perfect for learning the basics of storytelling—regardless of the writer’s age, or genre. One thing well-written picture books do is to organize what’s happening in a coherent way—and they do this quickly. Usually within 32 pages and less than 1,000 words. There are a variety of story-mapping, or outlining, techniques that can be used in pre-writing. All of these are helpful. … Read More »

Antagonists are such a pain. Why should a writer bother with one, or more? All they do is cause trouble! Exactly! A story needs to have opposing forces, conflict, and struggle. Otherwise, it won’t be a story worth writing–or reading. Creating your protagonist (main character) and sending him on his merry way might be the easy part. Pitting someone or something against him (the antagonist) is another matter. Now that you know you need one, let’s explore some options. And … Read More »

Much of my writing is about Florida’s natural world – its waters, birds, trees, even clouds. When my first book, The Young Naturalist’s Guide to Florida, was accepted, the editor sent every chapter to a different expert in that subject, and on one expert’s advice, the editor asked me to rewrite a short paragraph.  She read it to me over the phone. I thought a moment and changed the wording to incorporate the correction, to which the editor replied, “That’s … Read More »