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Fiction Writing Tips

Fiction Writing Tips

Writing Tips - General On other pages of this site, you can read many of my best writing tips. But this page is for you! Your tip can be about a grammar or spelling rule, the writing process, or how to get published. Click below to see writing tips from other visitors to this page... Spelling, Spelling, Spelling!!!!!! What to do for Writers' Block. Agony first, ecstasy second As you and your contributors have noted, reading is essential; lots of reading and extra reading in fact cannot be emphasized enough. Avoid time warp Keep notes of details and timeline separate from what you will write or need to write in your novel. Google Images for the win! Your writing - your interests One problem I often face is that I get bored half - way through. Cliches and Sterotypes We always roll our eyes at these. interesting characters Think of how you would you be if you were the character you describe. Add a bit of everything When you're writing a book you must add a small bit of everything. Backwards! enjoy it! Written.

Stephen King's Top 20 Rules for Writers Image by the USO, via Flickr Commons In one of my favorite Stephen King interviews, for The Atlantic, he talks at length about the vital importance of a good opening line. “There are all sorts of theories,” he says, “it’s a tricky thing.” “But there’s one thing” he’s sure about: “An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. We’ve talked so much about the reader, but you can’t forget that the opening line is important to the writer, too. This is excellent advice. Revision in the second draft, “one of them, anyway,” may “necessitate some big changes” says King in his 2000 memoir slash writing guide On Writing. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. See a fuller exposition of King’s writing wisdom at Barnes & Noble’s blog. Related Content: Stephen King Creates a List of 96 Books for Aspiring Writers to Read Stephen King Writes A Letter to His 16-Year-Old Self: “Stay Away from Recreational Drugs”

Chapter length and starting new novel I think a lot of writers do conceive of a chapter as being a single scene, and certainly if you think of the basic nature of fiction as being character in action, then you could think of a scene as a unit of action: an event by the end of which things are different from how they were at the beginning. Of course, though, you have to link the scenes together, and those links can also be a chance to show the new state of affairs after that change, before you set about changing things yet again. For me, a chapter is a set of such scenes, and from more than one narrative, which belong together and add up to a bigger unit of the shape of the novel as a whole. Sometimes I'll work my way out of a scene and into the next one with continuous narrative, but other times I'll do the equivalent of 'Cut' at the end of a scene, with a double line space, or a *** to mark a really big jump in time or space. Emma It sound like a really crap book, doesn't it. But you get the idea.

34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better Writer James Chartrand – Web Content Writer Tips Nice collection of tips! Some I agree with, some I don’t, but I think what is important to remember is that each one of us has unique tips and tricks to offer for better writing.Two tips: Online content writing demands concise business writing. Forget the flowery prose; web content needs more succinct language. Drop the passive language. Planning a Novel: Character Arc In A Nutshell It’s NaNoWriMo Season, and that means a ton of writers are planning their novels. Or, at the very least (in the case of you pantsers) thinking about their novel. Whether you plot or pants, if you don’t want to end up in No Man’s Land halfway to 50K, it is often helpful to have a solid foundation of ideas about your book. Can you imagine it, that fresh page that’s full of potential? But here’s a fact, my writing friend…if you don’t know WHY your protagonist is doing what he’s doing, readers may not care enough to read beyond a chapter or two. It doesn’t matter how well drawn your hero is or what cool and trippy things he does in a story…if readers don’t understand the WHY behind his actions, they won’t connect to him. Because of this, the question, What does my character want? Outer Motivation – THE BIG GOAL (What does your character want?) Your character must have a goal of some kind, something they are aiming to achieve. What do I mean by that? Characters, like people, bury pain.

From Rubbish to Publish Crazy Familes=Character Conflict Guest post by mystery author Terry Ambrose Are these my real parents? Have you ever asked yourself that question? If not, then perhaps you’re a member of a perfect family where nothing ever goes wrong or everyone is always understanding. If you do live in that wonderful world of family dynamics where nothing ever gets misconstrued, misspoken, or feelings hurt, I say “how nice for you.” But, as a writer, I find those types of family dynamics downright boring. Conflict. Right now, my mother-in-law is visiting us to escape the heat in the desert, where she lives year-round. “Mom, I saved the last cup for you.” “Oh no, dear, you take it.” “You always have another cup. “I can drink instant. “But I don’t want another cup! And so it went until my mother-in-law took that last cup of coffee. In real life, these friction points tend to be overlooked. Ah, yes, the fictional world. When I’m reading or reviewing a book, I look for those types of character dynamics. Where do you find your inspiration?

Creating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 1: Can You Structure Characters? What if there were a sure-fire secret to creating stunning character arcs? Would you be interested in discovering it? If you care about connecting with readers, grabbing hold of their emotions, and creating stories that will resonate with them on a level deeper than mere entertainment, then the answer has to be a resounding yes! But here’s the thing about character arcs: they’re way too easy to take for granted. 1. 2. 3. That’s character arc in a nutshell. Turns out: a lot. (Featured in the Structuring Your Novel Workbook.) The Link Between Character Arcs and Story Structure Too often, character and plot are viewed as separate entities—to the point that we often pit them against each other, trying to determine which is more important. We often think of plot as being about structure, but our notions of character and character arc tend toward the more airy-fairy. Surely, right? Wrong, actually. The three acts of the [story] correspond to the three stages of the hero’s outer motivation.

Five Major Turning Points on the Road to Finishing a Book Travelers in foreign territory often need good maps. But book writers rarely have them. We often don't know about the major stops--what I call "turning points"--in the book-writing journey. It's hard to tell when we've arrived, when we're ready to move on, when the writing is finally enough. These five turning points are often where we get stuck and frustrated. Moving to the next level requires skills and a new approach, and for a while we might flounder, thinking our project has gone south, when it's just a matter of re-orienting ourselves to a new task, a new stage of the journey. So if you feel like you're stalling out, you may just be approaching the threshold of another turning point. These five are "make or break" moments, in my experience. That's why I'm grateful to have completed so many books myself, and helped so many others write and finish theirs. When You Reach a Turning Point Reaching a turning point is kind of like coming of age. Not an easy task. Why even bother?

Real Writers Revise: Lecture Notes, Crime Bake, November 2012 | Blog - B.A. Shapiro on November 9, 2012 in On Teaching Writing Lecture at Crime Bake, November, 2012 B.A. Shapiro Can’t do it all at once: too many moving parts. - Use only what’s useful, omit the rest - Devise your own procedures Finish the first draft à put it away for at least 2 weeks. Read it as if you were reading a novel – without taking notes, then consider... ELEMENTS: A good piece of fiction contains four elements woven into a seamless whole: DO YOU HAVE THESE? - a riveting story (plot) - an engaging protagonist (character) - an enthralling narrative (voice) - a convincing portrayal of a human predicament (theme) EXERCISE: What’s your theme, i.e. what is it that your protagonist learns in the course of the story that you want the reader to learn or consider? 1. the inciting incident 2. the goal 3. the conflicts (a, b, c...) - external - internal - interpersonal 4. the crisis 5. the climax - the sacrifice: the price of the choice - the unconscious need filled from the back story 6. the resolution or: - major story goal

Writers' Workshop | Characterisation How to write convincing characters Characterisation - the task of building characters - isn't easy. But if you're struggling to build characters with real life and vigour, just follow these rules. If you do follow them correctly, we can pretty much guarantee that your characterisation will be just fine! Know what kind of character you are writing There are roughly two types of protagonist in fiction. The second type of character (rather less common, in fact) is the genuinely extraordinary character who would make things happen in an empty room. Either type of character is fine - don't struggle to equip your ordinary character with a whole lot of amazing skills, or try to 'humanise' your James Bond character by making him nice to old ladies and interested in baking. Empathy is about story and good writing Likewise, don't worry too much if your character is likeable. A) you write well enough that your reader is drawn in to your protagonist's world, whether they like it or not; and

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