When writing fiction, we often focus on the plot, and our characters become vehicles for moving the narrative forward. However, if we want readers to become invested in the story, we need to create protagonists who will draw them in. So what are some concrete strategies for helping readers identify with our main characters and develop some sort of attachment? How can we be sure readers care about what happens to these fictional friends, and that they stick around to … Read More »

As writers, we know that the three basic elements of a fictional story are character, setting, and plot. We spend a lot of time planning and developing each of those elements. However, if we want to create a story that really captures readers, we need to be mindful of the stakes. When we talk about stakes, we’re referring to what might be gained or lost in the story. The higher the stakes, the more compelling the story. If the protagonist … 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 »

Your story idea is well underway, and the characters are firmly set in your mind. Yikes! They’re all naked! Unless your story takes place in a nudist colony, you’ll need to clothe those bodies, and quick! When and What? When your story takes place has a significant bearing on what your characters wear. You won’t dress a medieval peasant woman in a flowing gown of silk or velvet when they would be wearing linen or wool. They couldn’t afford it, … Read More »

I generally do not write to specific forms, and always have to look up the “rules” for villanelles, Shakespearean Sonnets, sestinas, and the like. What I truly love is free verse. However, there are many times that working within a form is liberating in that you’ve already got a set of parameters you don’t have to worry about. And, sometimes, when you’re forced to conform to a certain structure the little creative geniuses in your brain run off into territory … Read More »

Yay! You came up with an awesome idea for a story! It’s been swirling around in your brain for months, growing in size and complexity, and it’s getting more and more insistent in its pleadings to be released onto the page. You finally comply and begin the process but find yourself frozen in front of the screen/paper. What happened? And, just as important, what can be done to jump-start the journey from brain to book? As much as I may … Read More »