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Introducing Sensory Saturday…Meet the Setting Thesaurus!

August 16, 2008

Introducing Sensory Saturday…Meet the Setting Thesaurus!

August 16, 2008

Many elements go into creating a successful novel, but one of the most important is Setting. For a reader to relate to the current action, they need a physical anchor…

Techniques For Atmosphere and Mood Building In Fiction

August 18, 2008

Techniques For Atmosphere and Mood Building In Fiction

August 18, 2008

I thought today I’d take a quick look at how setting description can transcend to convey atmosphere through the deft manipulation of the five senses. First off, what is Atmosphere?…

Pacing Potholes: Common Hazards that Slow Forward Motion

September 9, 2008

Pacing Potholes: Common Hazards that Slow Forward Motion

September 9, 2008

Pacing is a difficult thing to master. Like driving a car, there are many things we need to be on top of to keep our story on the road. Are…

Clichés…The Poisoned Apple of Description

October 14, 2008

Clichés…The Poisoned Apple of Description

October 14, 2008

It’s been awhile since we talked about clichés, so I thought I’d look at the temptation aspect of using them and why writers are drawn to them when faced with…

Introducing…the Color, Texture, and Shape Thesaurus

February 26, 2009

Introducing…the Color, Texture, and Shape Thesaurus

February 26, 2009

I think most writers understand that the goal of sensory description is to convey a specific image to the reader in a unique way. A good story alone isn’t enough,…

Creating Effective Atmosphere: FALL

October 6, 2009

Creating Effective Atmosphere: FALL

October 6, 2009

As writers, we think carefully on the setting we use for our stories. The where and when of each scene is not only an anchor for both story and characters,…

The Seven Deadly Sins of Novel Writing: Low Stakes

December 14, 2009

The Seven Deadly Sins of Novel Writing: Low Stakes

December 14, 2009

In my mind, there are seven big things that can undermine a novel. I want to address them all, but to avoid having a post 8 miles long, I’ll break…

Seven Deadly Sins of Novel Writing: Counterfeit Characters

December 21, 2009

Seven Deadly Sins of Novel Writing: Counterfeit Characters

December 21, 2009

The most brilliant plot is nothing without the right characters. The writer’s job is to create unique, emotionally charged characters that are strong enough to drive the story. The characters…

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…

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…