I am a scientist. In my field, everything must be accurate. In fact, if you’re not a stickler for accuracy as a scientist, your credibility and your reputation can be seriously impugned. But I also write novels and short stories—both fiction genres. Fiction, by definition, is all made up… The dilemma is obvious, the conflicts inherent. When you want to include scientific details in, say, a historic novel, or a thriller with a scientific bent (science-in-fiction, a term created by … Read More »

Unforgettable characters—they live our heads. But can we convey wheat they mean to us effectively onto the page? Of course! To connect readers to your characters, your primary, secondary, and tertiary characters have to do their jobs effectively. They must have purpose and add something to your story. Over time, with a story or series, they may even develop or require a character arc. A good rule to follow is if you name them, they need a character bio worksheet. … Read More »

October, 2020. Not only is it the month of Halloween, it’s also October in the midst of a pandemic. Hence, the wearing of masks. For fun. Or not. The news, shopping sites, and the world of social media is flooded with all things mask-related. In light of the bombardment, I seized the opportunity to put the idea of a mask to good use as a writer. I found a definition that didn’t warn of impending doom:  A covering for all … Read More »

We all want our novels to be so full of sensual detail that the reader can imagine everything in technicolor. Is there such a thing as too much description? Clearly, every reader’s expectations — and every author’s style — is different, so “too much” is a range, not a point. Nobody has to warn us against purple prose. But is that really too much description, or is it bad description? A typical purple problem is to use an extreme amount … Read More »

Writers are often told their stories need to be organic. Sounds like something that makes sense when you hear it. But identifying elements that are inorganic, and even more challenging, trying to fix them, can be elusive. It can also be frustrating when you need a certain plot point for the progression of your story and it sounds like someone is telling you that you can’t have it. Let’s back up and define what organic means in terms of storytelling. … Read More »

Poems are not short stories. This may seem like an obvious statement, but so many times I see struggling writers that seem to think they need a beginning, a middle and an end in a poem — all things needed by story writers. Yes, there are certainly poems that are more narrative in nature, like ballads and epics. Many of these form the backbone to Western literature, like Homer’s tales, Beowulf, Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, Milton’s Paradise Lost, etc.  But … Read More »