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Writing Lessons

The Writer’s Bane: Describing a Character’s Physical Appearance

April 26, 2010

The Writer’s Bane: Describing a Character’s Physical Appearance

April 26, 2010

I’m going to be totally honest here. There is little I detest more than trying to describe how my character looks. The reasons are numerous. I think it sounds boring.…

Setting Description…Writing More Than What You See

March 22, 2010

Setting Description…Writing More Than What You See

March 22, 2010

Today’s Question: What is the best way to describe a place in a really special way, without sounding too visual? I like this question, because it’s what the Setting Thesaurus…

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…

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…

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,…

Seven Deadly Novel Writing Sins: Voice and Point of View

January 3, 2010

Seven Deadly Novel Writing Sins: Voice and Point of View

January 3, 2010

Voice is one of the most elusive aspects of writing. If you struggle with it, you are not alone. Just understanding what it is can be a challenge. When a…

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…

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…

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,…