Writing Craft
Does this “flow”? A checklist to check for and create flow in your writing.
Every writing teacher or coach ever has had a student ask this question, “Does my writing flow?” I’d bet money on it. Writers ask it because they know that the piece isn’t flowing, but they have no idea how to fix it or even how to define flow. They just know they haven’t achieved it.…
Read MoreTackling Edits: How to Revise & Cut Thousands of Words to Improve Your Writing
My eyeballs hurt, a deep ache after finishing the micro-edit on The Fiddler’s Son. This latest draft is now getting some well-deserved “drawer time” as it goes off to two beta readers to help me with yet another macro-edit. Macro-edit? Micro edit? What are these terms? They’re actually somewhat new to me, too, but they…
Read More5 Strategies to Seamlessly Tie in Back Story
[originally published May 2015; updated Dec. 2021] This week, I was talking to some members of the Let’s Write Club who were struggling to introduce new characters. They wanted to include all the details about the character but realized that was bogging their story down which brings us to the question at hand, how do…
Read MoreWhat are the types of “voice” in writing?
Understanding the concept of “voice” in writing can be tough because voice itself can be hard to define. The best explanation of it is in the book True Stories by Rebecca Rule and Susan Wheeler. They wrote, “Voice…is like sex appeal in a person: You know it when you see it, but you probably can’t…
Read MoreStart your Story Strong: 6 Strategies to Write a Great First Line
Starting a new story or novel is one of the most exciting parts of writing…and also one of the most challenging. There’s so much to think about: How to “hook” your reader? Where or when does your story start? What characters should be on the first page? These are huge decisions that will dictate the…
Read MoreHow to Write Chapter 1: Include the 4 C's and a Q
[originally published 11/2014; updated 5/2021] Starting a new project is often the most exciting stage. As creative writers, we get to put our imaginations to work dreaming up witty and fun characters, fantastic settings, conflicts that would destroy anyone but our stalwart protagonist, and plot twists that readers never see coming. We get it all…
Read MoreShow don’t tell: adding descriptive details to strengthen your writing
If you’re a writer you’ve probably heard the phrase “show don’t tell” or add more details? But, what the heck does that mean, why is it important, and how do you do it without turning your writing into a long annoying, flowery piece? Let’s start with the first question. Show don’t tell means that you…
Read MoreLose “Said” & Try Action Tags in Dialogue
Dialogue is one of the most fun parts of a story to write. We can really get in our characters heads while writing dialogue. It’s our opportunity to let our characters speak, to share who they are. We can also use dialogue to develop our characters not only through their words but also through their…
Read MoreWriting Dialogue: How to Develop (and Hear) your Characters’ Voices
I’ve been hard at work on my latest novel and am enjoying getting the characters developed and on the page. I always have a pretty good grasp on my characters by the time I start writing because I definitely fall into the category of “planner” when it comes to writing my novels. Never could I…
Read MoreThe Beloved and Oft-Misused Semi-colon
I’m not sure why it is that teen writers love the semi-colon, but they do; however, despite their love for it, they often misuse the poor thing. I don’t think this is all their fault. For whatever reason, at least where I teach, students have a semi-colon “learning gap.” They seem to be either terrified of…
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