Readers have spoken: they want more diversity in fiction. And writers are stepping up, but it can be hard to write about someone who’s different than you. Careful research is the key to avoiding misrepresentation, which causes harm to the very identities being portrayed and creates fallout for … [Read more...] about Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: People of Color
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Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: Female Characters
Readers have spoken: they want more diversity in fiction. And writers are stepping up, but it can be hard to write about someone who’s different than you. Careful research is the key to avoiding misrepresentation, which causes harm to the very identities being portrayed and creates fallout for … [Read more...] about Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: Female Characters
Subterfuge in Dialogue
Dialogue—good dialogue—is tricky. Mechanics can be learned; the rules are readily available and are hammered into us by teachers, editors, critique partners, and countless Facebook memes. The hard part of writing good dialogue is nailing the back-and-forth, the natural ebb and flow that turns … [Read more...] about Subterfuge in Dialogue
Six Tips for How to Write a Compelling Action Scene
By Emily Young Did you know that when you read a novel, your brain thinks you're experiencing the events? “The brain, it seems, does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life,” according to this article in The New York Times. No wonder we … [Read more...] about Six Tips for How to Write a Compelling Action Scene
Stoking Your Story’s Fire: Three Considerations for Revising Scene by Scene
By David G. Brown The Two Pillars of Storytelling After my first couple years as a fiction editor, I realized that all of my developmental feedback for clients fit into one of two categories. The first is immersion: the quality of a narrative that transports readers to another time and place. … [Read more...] about Stoking Your Story’s Fire: Three Considerations for Revising Scene by Scene
How Memoir and Autobiography Differ
By Liz Alterman A few years ago, I told a friend that I’d nearly finished writing a memoir. She knew that it focused on the period my husband and I—both in our mid-to-late forties—were laid off simultaneously and struggling to get our careers and marriage back on track. Yet that didn't stop her … [Read more...] about How Memoir and Autobiography Differ
How to Write a Compelling Antihero
What is an Antihero? Heroes embody courage, perseverance and skill. They can easily turn into villains when they use their talents for personal gain. This means antiheroes are like their name suggests ... a character that DOESN'T have or has twisted the classic hero attributes, for … [Read more...] about How to Write a Compelling Antihero
How Symbolism Adds Depth to a Story
I think we all agree, stories need to be more than a character, goal, and a series of scenarios that keep the two apart. Reading isn't a mechanical action after all, it's something we do to escape and enjoy. So, to deliver a true experience, we want to write fiction with layers, pulling readers in … [Read more...] about How Symbolism Adds Depth to a Story
Relationship Thesaurus Entry: Stepparent and Stepchild
Successful stories are driven by authentic and interesting characters, so it’s important to craft them carefully. But characters don’t usually exist in a vacuum; throughout the course of your story, they’ll live, work, play, and fight with other cast members. Some of those relationships are positive … [Read more...] about Relationship Thesaurus Entry: Stepparent and Stepchild
How to Write Emotion Well: Know Your Character
We've all read stories where our breath slows, the world falls away, and the page disappears. We're somewhere else, a place that isn't real, yet is. We're with people who don't exist, yet somehow do. We see what they see. Feel what they feel. We are in the moment, captive, compelled, not just … [Read more...] about How to Write Emotion Well: Know Your Character
Other Story Elements
We know that when it comes to a writer giving out the coveted red rose, plot and character are first to receive one. But guess what? Alone, they won't get very far. A great story is a team effort, so let's look at other key storytelling elements needed for our book to earn a spot on the … [Read more...] about Other Story Elements
Relationship Thesaurus Entry: Godparent and Child
Successful stories are driven by authentic and interesting characters, so it's important to craft them carefully. But characters don't usually exist in a vacuum; throughout the course of your story, they'll live, work, play, and fight with other cast members. Some of those relationships are positive … [Read more...] about Relationship Thesaurus Entry: Godparent and Child