We all know that writers fall into one of two groups: the Plotters, who lay their entire story out methodically in advance, often using a formal outline; and the Pantsers, who fly by the seat of their pants, letting the story unfold as they write, perhaps with the aid of a few notes. Neither method is better than the other. It depends on the personality of the writer — some people are orderly and want to be in control. Others … Read More »

I don’t know about you, but with all this social distancing I’m finding it difficult to get close to some of my writing. A little trick I sometimes have to play on myself these days is to simply concentrate on just one literary technique at a time. Just one, so I don’t get overwhelmed whether I’m revising or writing something new. And one of my favorite literary devices to play with is personification. Personification is a power-wielding giant, because it … Read More »

When you write a series, you hope your readers will start the journey as you did — with the first book. That may not always be the case. Readers may pick up a book midway through the series or find one out of sequence that grabs their attention. As a writer, it’s your challenge to ensure that any book in a series is a satisfying, engaging experience. Stand Alone This may seem contradictory to the concept of a series, but … Read More »

We all want our book to crackle with excitement, to race to the finish so breathlessly that the reader can’t put it down. But we still need enough emotional and physical description to make her care about the characters. Just as we’re always told to show rather than tell in our narration, we need a certain amount of showing and telling in a dialogue scene. Every author has a different balance, and that’s part of what makes up their style. … Read More »

With all the imbalance going on in our lives today, it’s a good time to think about controlling—balancing—what we can. And if you are writing in verse for young readers balance is an essential element. It needs to be right up there with consideration of characterization, setting, plot, meter and rhyme. As readers, we ofttimes can sense imbalance even if we can’t put our finger on exactly why something feels clunky. For example, the magical number in most western literature … Read More »

If you’re going to write a credible story that your readers will want to invest in, it must be believable. And to be believable, you have to research, research, research! I know it can be tedious, and I sometimes wonder if readers would notice if something is a little “off.” Trust me, they will! There are no shortcuts in this department (even fantasy must be believable), so let research become your best friend and ally! Don’t Turn Them Off! One … Read More »