A couple of months ago I ranted about writers (mostly poets) who insist on cutting out every a, an, and the that can be found in their writing. (Weighing the Weight of Little Words) Today, in honor of April Fool’s Day, I want to stomp some sense into those who foolishly insist on using 4 and 5 syllable words when a single, good ol’ Anglo-Saxon word will do. Some writers are obsessed with finding the bon mot—the good word. And … 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 »

If you’ve ever laughed out loud or cried or chewed a fingernail while reading a book, it’s because the character came to life for you. The character’s experiences drew you into the story, so you vicariously felt that awkward moment, heartbreak, or fear. How does an author create that kind of connection with a reader? Through credibility, authenticity, and originality. Credibility Credibility makes the reader believe the story is possible. Research yields facts and knowledge about the story setting and … Read More »

Did your parents tell you about their growing-up days? Would your children and grandchildren like to read about how they coped during the Great Depression? The Second World War? What their teenage years were like? What do you suppose your children and grandchildren would like to know about your own growing-up days? Do they know where you were born? Where you went to school? What you and your family and your friends did together? I’m talking about writing for the … 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 »

Storytelling to entertain means skipping the boring parts. Why narrate the time it takes a character to travel from one point to another or to dress or eat or perform other mundane activities? The reader wants meaningful action and gradually increasing conflict. By plotting the story so one event causes another and so on, we choose what happens and the order in which events happen. There will be gaps in time and changes in setting and point of view from … Read More »