Writers Helping Writers^®

Writing Lessons

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…

Talk Amongst Yourselves: Realistic Dialogue

September 16, 2008

Talk Amongst Yourselves: Realistic Dialogue

September 16, 2008

Saturday was Date Night (woohoo!) and while we were out, I realized a few things. First, I recognized that while going out to eat pre-baby was merely fun, it’s now…

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…

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?…

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…

Writing 101: How to Show, Not Tell (Part Two)

August 8, 2008

Writing 101: How to Show, Not Tell (Part Two)

August 8, 2008

Today, we’re continuing our discussion of show-don’t-tell so we can learn how to find the telling in our work and show those passages instead. (For information on what showing and…

Your Audience: Boys vs.Girls

June 9, 2008

Your Audience: Boys vs.Girls

June 9, 2008

I thought it might be interesting to look at what hooks a boy reader vs. a girl reader in the Chapter Book/Middle Grade category. As a writer of what may…

Writing 101: How to Show, Not Tell (Part One)

May 18, 2008

Writing 101: How to Show, Not Tell (Part One)

May 18, 2008

Show-Don’t-Tell is one of the cardinal rules for authors who want to engage readers and pull them into the story. But it’s one of the most challenging to understand and…

Introducing The EMOTION THESAURUS

January 24, 2008

Introducing The EMOTION THESAURUS

January 24, 2008

The coffee on the desk is cold. The doorbell’s ringing. Your dog is making those frantic whimpers meaning ‘I want to go outside and maybe pee on something’ has escalated…