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Writing Craft

Setting Thesaurus Entry: Pool Hall

February 6, 2010

Setting Thesaurus Entry: Pool Hall

February 6, 2010

Sight Rows of coin operated pool tables, balls, racks, cues of different weights, chalk squares (blue the most common), bar, stools, drinks on small tables along the walls, coasters, spills,…

Natural: Calla lily flowers Waves Water currents Open flame Smoke Sand dunes… Man-made: Flags in the wind Bed skirts Silk Swimming pool reflection Ripple afghan Corrugated metal… Synonyms: ruffled, curled, ripple,…

Seven Deadly Novel Writing Sins: Sharing Too Much Information

February 1, 2010

Seven Deadly Novel Writing Sins: Sharing Too Much Information

February 1, 2010

TMI (Too Much Information) We’re all guilty of this sin at some point during the writing process. The trick is finding the correct balance by the time we reach the…

The Seven Deadly Novel Writing Sins: Dialogue Disasters

January 25, 2010

The Seven Deadly Novel Writing Sins: Dialogue Disasters

January 25, 2010

Pick up any work of fiction and flip through it. In fact, flip through several. How much of the novel is dialogue? With the exception of a few genres or…

Setting Thesaurus Entry: Elevator

January 22, 2010

Setting Thesaurus Entry: Elevator

January 22, 2010

Sight Metal doors, metal or faux panelled walls, sticky surfaces, smudges, fingerprints, gum wrappers, dirt, pea gravel on the floor, poster ads behind glass, a sanitizer dispenser, operation panel, buttons…

Seven Deadly Novel Writing Sins: Flat Wordsmithing

January 20, 2010

Seven Deadly Novel Writing Sins: Flat Wordsmithing

January 20, 2010

Sin # 5: Flat Wordsmithing We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘The writing is flat.’ The question is, what does that really mean? Flat writing is where the prose lies dead…

Setting Thesaurus Entry: Spaceport

January 16, 2010

Setting Thesaurus Entry: Spaceport

January 16, 2010

(Content generously supplied by Liana Brooks) A small note on sci-fi settings: There is no setting in fiction more fluid than the ones used for science fiction and fantasy worlds.…

Texture Thesaurus Entry: Crackled

January 13, 2010

Texture Thesaurus Entry: Crackled

January 13, 2010

Natural: Walnut shell Papery or scaly skin Dried mud puddles/riverbeds Lightning Disintegrating leaves Marble… Man-made: Burnt timber (charcoal) Manufactured electricity Static electricity Old, peeling paint Antiqued paint technique Mummified remains……

Seven Deadly Novel Writing Sins: Plot Problems

January 11, 2010

Seven Deadly Novel Writing Sins: Plot Problems

January 11, 2010

Sin# 4: Plot Problems Your plot is the meat and direction of the novel. Even the most compelling characters lie flat on the page without something to do. For some,…

Setting Thesaurus Entry: Shopping Mall

January 9, 2010

Setting Thesaurus Entry: Shopping Mall

January 9, 2010

Sight Crowds, bright store signs, sale signs, glass doors/windows, clothing racks, shelves, displays, washrooms, food courts, benches, garbage cans, specialty item kiosks, shopping bags, store logos, tile floors, plants, escalators,…