Writing Tips for Fiction Writers Effectively Outlining Your Plot by Lee Masterson Have you ever had an idea for a novel, and then just sat down and began writing without knowing exactly where the story was going? It happens to everyone at some point, but most people begin to realize that the events in your plotline get confused, or forgotten in the the thrill of writing an exciting scene. There are those who continue to write on, regardless, fixing any discrepancies as they work, or (worse!) those who do not check that events are properly tied in place to bring their stories to a satisfying conclusion. And then there are those writers who believe that creating a plot-outline is tantamount to "destroying the natural creative process". Whichever type of writer you are, creating a simple, inelegant outline to follow s not the same thing as already writing the story, and it could save you an enormous amount of time and rewriting later. Of course, this brings us to the problem to what was discussed above. Synopsis First
8 Basic Writing Blunders 1. Morning-routine cliché Clichés come in all shapes and sizes. There are just as many clichéd scenes as phrases and words. For instance, how may times have you seen a book begin with a main character being “rudely awakened” from a “sound sleep” by a “clanging” alarm clock? Have you written an opening like this yourself? Compounding that cliché is having the “bleary-eyed” character drag himself from his bed, squinting against the intruding sunlight. Are you cringing? I know you want me to suggest alternatives to those hackneyed constructs, but inventing fresh ways to start a story and describe a character is your job. Mortal dread. 2. If your character gets a phone call, resist the urge to have her look up, startled, then rise, cross the room, pick up the receiver and say, “Hello?” “Hi, Mary?” “Yes.” “This is Jill.” “Hi, Jill. (Or if you’re a mystery writer): “Hi, Jill. Enough already. 3. The tinny ring echoed through the dark house. You get the idea. Late that night, Mary phoned. 4. 5. 6.
Writing The Perfect Scene: Advanced Fiction Writing Tips Having trouble making the scenes in your novel work their magic? In this article, I’ll show you how to write the “perfect” scene. Maybe you think it’s impossible to write the perfect scene. After all, who can choose every word perfectly, every thought, every sentence, every paragraph? What does perfection mean, anyway? Honestly, I don’t know. But structure is pretty well understood. The Two Levels of Scene Structure A scene has two levels of structure, and only two. The large-scale structure of the sceneThe small-scale structure of the scene This may seem obvious, but by the end of this article, I hope to convince you that it’s terribly profound. Before we begin, we need to understand how we keep score. Your reader is reading your fiction because you provide him or her with a powerful emotional experience. If you fail to create these emotions in your reader, then you have failed. Large-Scale Structure of a Scene The large-scale structure of a scene is extremely simple. GoalConflictDisaster
A Simple Novel Outline – 9 questions for 25 chapters « H.E. Roulo Just as every tree is different but still recognizably a tree, every story is different but contains elements that make it a story. By defining those before you begin you clarify the scope of your work, identify your themes, and create the story you meant to write. At Norwescon 2011 I sat in on a session called Outline Your Novel in 90-minutes led by Mark Teppo. Here are the 9 questions to create a novel: 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.) Now, with those 9 questions answered to your satisfaction, try to fill in a 25 chapter, 75,000 word outline. Chapters 7-18 are the middle of your book. Chapters 19-25 depict the heroic act to victory. Wasn’t that easy? Okay, sure, the work isn’t done yet. Using the idea that there are 25 chapters, I outlined my current work in progress. I hope that was helpful. Tell me what works for you. Related 6 Steps to Masterful Writing Critiques June 7, 2013 In "Writing Tips" 8 Novel Editing Steps - The Basic Overview Writers love to write. December 2, 2011 In "News"
Graphic Novel Writing & Illustration Online Program Program Description Emerson College's Graphic Novel Writing and Illustration Online Program offers the perfect opportunity to develop your writing and illustration skills and adapt your creative talents to the exciting graphic-novel medium. Through the program, you will explore your interest in picture books, novellas, and comic strips in courses designed to chronicle the literature and artwork of graphic novels. You also will delve into the world of graphic-novel writing and illustration through a course of study focused on specific story-writing and image-creation techniques. Participants who complete four core courses and the final Portfolio Project course from the non-credit graphic novel and illustration series will earn the Graphic Novel Writing and Illustration Certificate. Who Should Enroll Core Courses Participants may enroll in one or several of the following core courses, to broaden their knowledge of graphic novel writing and illustration techniques. Summer Intensive Courses Mr.
Easy Novel Outline – Free Writing Lessons and Worksheets Here you'll find easy novel outline techniques to plan your book step by step, along with worksheets for planning characters and scenes. This is just one of many pages on this website with creative writing worksheets and advice. At the bottom, you'll find links to related pages on how to write a novel. An outline for your novel A novel outline is a plan for a novel. If you are doing this for yourself and not for an editor, then the good news is there are no rights or wrongs. Why outline your novel? It can make it less intimidating to start writing. Advertisement: Dangers of a novel outline A reason some writers prefer not to work with a detailed outline is that they feel that the outline stifles their creativity and makes them less spontaneous. Top tips for your novel outline Know yourself, and figure out the method that works best for you. A simple way to outline Here is an easy system you can use to outline your novel if you find it helpful. Who will be your main character? Examples:
12 Tips on How to Create a Graphic Novel <img alt="Image titled Create a Graphic Novel Step 1" src=" width="670" height="449" class="whcdn">1Edit step1Learn a drawing style. Manga and US Comic styles are popular, or you can draw humorous cartoons and give it a quirky edge. There are many resources available to learn how to draw. Your local library or bookstore is a great place to find "How to draw" books, but the only way to really improve your drawing skills is to practice. To accelerate the process, have a skilled artist such as a teacher or friend give you lessons, or look over your work and give you pointers. Often just watching a talented artist work is enough to open your mind to the techniques and possibilities.
Flirting and Writing Good Dialogue | The King of Elfland's Second Cousin I love exposition: flowing sentences, tight action, enveloping description. Prose is great. But for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been wondering what makes dialogue tick. Well-written dialogue is not conversation. Writing Dialogue with Game It’s a great feeling when our game is on, and every exchange is tantalizing, enticing, teasing, and provocative. Functional versus Emotional Dialogue Good dialogue works the same way. Less is More: Make Every Word Count When I have been particularly flirtatious (not that it happens often, but it has happened…once…I think), I feel like every sentence, every word I uttered made the other person dig me more. Imagine you’re trying to ask someone out to dinner. Probably the best tool I’ve found to find the happy medium is the comic book panel. A good rule of thumb is for panels to not exceed twenty-five words of dialogue. There. What did you say? Clarity’s another important factor. . Like so many aspects of writing, this is a balancing act. . Like this:
Do You Want to be a Children's Book Illustrator? By Carolyn Edlund Are you interested in knowing more about how children’s book illustrators work? Here’s a step-by-step process and how to get involved in this exciting field. Cherish Flieder and Benjamin Hummel Cherish Flieder, a Colorado native and children’s book illustrator, spoke with me recently about her career and how she has developed her full-time business. How do you become a children’s book illustrator? The Career and Alumni Services department of the college put her in touch with her first book publisher, who gave her an opportunity to present her portfolio and get started in the business. multiple children’s books. When publishers feel that their portfolio is a good match for a manuscript, they are contacted about developing illustrations for it. What’s the process of illustrating a book? Break the manuscript into a storyboard layout, creating a thumbnail sketch of what happens on each page spread. Working for free or “on speculation” is not a good idea. Share and Enjoy
A Writer's Guide to Horses An Equestrian Writer’s Guide by Susan F. Craft In this motorized era the majority of humanity suffers from equestrian amnesia. Consequently finding correct facts about horses, saddles, distances, etc. is increasingly difficult, which explains why the LRG-AF routinely receives requests from authors in desperate need of truthful equestrian knowledge which they can incorporate into their work. To help encourage equestrian literary accuracy the Long Riders’ Guild Academic Foundation commissioned the creation of the most precise and detailed Equestrian Writer’s Guide ever created. Thoughts on equestrian writing by Long Rider authors Jeremy James is a Founding Member of the Long Riders’ Guild. CuChullaine O’Reilly is a Founding Member of The Long Riders’ Guild, who has spent thirty years studying equestrian travel techniques on every continent. Sadly, many writers either think they know more about horses than they do, or they simply guess when it comes to horses. Equine Anatomy Sex/Age Height
Become a Children's Book Illustrator: Career Roadmap Learn how to become a children's book illustrator. Research the education requirements, training, and experience you will need to start a career in children's book illustration. Children's book illustrators design and create pictures and drawings for children's stories. Artists can get training in illustration by enrolling in a bachelor's degree program in illustration or by taking private art lessons, workshops, or art classes. Step 1: Earn a Degree Although a degree is not required to become an illustrator, graduates may have an easier time finding a job with a degree or some formal training, according to the BLS. Success tip Complete an internship or apprenticeship program. Step 2: Develop a Portfolio Many education institutions with art and illustration programs also help students develop a portfolio; some schools offer an entire course devoted to portfolio development. Success tips Create your own unique style. Step 3: Obtain an Illustration Job Success Tips Develop marketing skills.
A Pencil Carrier that Straps to Your Arm and Sketchbook = The Arm-Adillo Japanese Ink Painting Lesson Plans Why Select Other Criteria? Sometimes you only have 45 minutes to review participles before Tuesday's assembly, or you need curriculum you know was reviewed after a certain date. Duration: If curriculum authors indicate how long it takes to implement a resource, i.e. a 30-minute vocabulary exercise, a three-day science experiment, or a two-week expository writing project, we note it for you. When you select a duration in this box, you'll see only resources with that stated duration. Reviewed After: Limit the resources you see to those reviewed since the date you choose by clicking the box and making a selection.
Burning Incense Is Psychoactive: New Class Of Antidepressants Might Be Right Under Our Noses -- ScienceDaily Religious leaders have contended for millennia that burning incense is good for the soul. Now, biologists have learned that it is good for our brains too. An international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses. "In spite of information stemming from ancient texts, constituents of Bosweilla had not been investigated for psychoactivity," said Raphael Mechoulam, one of the research study's co-authors. "We found that incensole acetate, a Boswellia resin constituent, when tested in mice lowers anxiety and causes antidepressive-like behavior. To determine incense's psychoactive effects, the researchers administered incensole acetate to mice.