In film, orientation is almost immediate. In prose, oreintation requires ink. Here are some guidelines for what orientation the reader needs.
Centrifugal Forces: How a Character Doesn’t Want What They Desire
Story is a vortex; a character circles around the climax, wanting and not wanting to get to the center of the vortex, where they will be transformed.
How and Why to Write Your Back-Cover Synopsis Early
The back-cover synopsis lays out the book’s premise and piques reader interest. Here’s how and why you should write one early and often.
How to Write While You’re Freaking Out
How can you write when the world seems to be falling apart? Some considerations for releasing the anxiety and allowing some healthy creative pursuit.
How a Scene List Can Help Your Revision
A scene list is a simple but powerful tool you can use to wrap your head around your whole story and begin to troubleshoot where it might need revision. Here’s how and why it helps.
How Your Attitude and Approach Toward Habits Can Revitalize Your Writing Practice
Habit formation is crucial for writers trying to improve their process. These tips might help you revolutionize your approach to your writing.
100 Books Published in 2023 for Your TBR Pile
A mega list of books published in 2023, compiled in a table with info about genre, book description, and the person and tense of the narration.
Verisimilitude: What it is and how it works
Verisimilitude all about getting the reader to suspend disbelief and see realistic depictions of character, setting, and events. But what does it mean for such story elements to be realistic?
Prepping for Beta Reading
Once you’ve found a beta reader for your work, how should you proceed? Some tips here on how to prepare your expectations, your manuscript, and your reader.
Show, Don’t Tell Disambiguation
What’s at the root of the “Show, Don’t Tell” concept, what does showing look like, and how might people abuse showing? An exploration of this oft-cited piece of writing advice.
Delight: The Secondary Source of Reader Engagement
Though tension is maybe the main source or reader engagement, there are several sources of “delight” that help charm the reader and make books memorable.
Varieties of Omniscience
Using an omniscient narrator? It may help to be aware of these two dimensions, which account for the varieties of omniscient approaches.