The Writing Café Learn Word Sense search Use the search box at the top of the page to find words. figures Select a word sense on the left side of a word page… …to view its figure on the right side of the word page. Quickly view definitions and navigate by interacting with the figure. nouns and verbs Nouns and verbs are in hierarchies. Less specific words are to the left and more specific words are to the right. adjectives and adverbs Adjectives are grouped around root adjectives, which usually have opposites. begin feedback Creative Writing For Dummies Cheat Sheet Rewriting and editing helps to tighten up your work. But it can be difficult – what to chop and when to stop may not be clear, and you may change your mind more than once during the process. Ask yourself whether you need to take out: Unnecessary information and explanation. Passages of dialogue that go on too long. You may need to add or expand: Something you know but have forgotten to tell the reader; perhaps the age of the main character. You may need to move: Dramatic sections to make a stronger opening. In your final edit: Check for grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes.
Turkey City Lexicon - A Primer for SF Workshops Edited by Lewis Shiner Second Edition by Bruce Sterling Introduction by Lewis Shiner This manual is intended to focus on the special needs of the science fiction workshop. Having an accurate and descriptive critical term for a common SF problem makes it easier to recognize and discuss. This guide is intended to save workshop participants from having to “reinvent the wheel” (see section 3) at every session. The terms here were generally developed over a period of many years in many workshops. Introduction (II) by Bruce Sterling People often ask where science fiction writers get their ideas. Workshops come in many varieties — regional and national, amateur and professional, formal and frazzled. But the workshopping experience does not require any shepherding by experts. The general course of action in the modern SF workshop (known as the “Milford system”) goes as follows. No doubt a very interesting book could be written about science fiction in which the writing itself played no part. Fuzz
Daniel & Daniel Publishers: Writers Resources #1 You may not wish to follow these rules as you write your own stories, but you should at least be aware of them, and know that if you're not following them, you are not following them by choice. If you do find yourself following them, it won't be by choice. It will be because you are writing well. If you don't believe that art should have rules, then think of what follows as a set of standards, or a collection of common sense. If what follows doesn't make sense to you, then you may be a very good writer, but you are not a short-story writer in any sense I understand. About style Show 'em, don't tell 'em. Stay in control: outline your story, and follow your outline. Stay in control: don't be controlled by your outline. If those last two items seem to contradict one another, you're right, so find the rule that works best for you, but remember that the desired result is the same: a story that presents an ironic combination of inevitability and surprise. Be selective. Write strong. Climax!
150 Resources to Help You Write Better, Faster, and More Persuasively It doesn't matter if you're a student or a professional writer: there's always something new to learn and ways to make your writing more refined, better researched, and more effective. Writing is essential for students who want to succeed, whether they're enrolled in one of the top online colleges or an Ivy League university. As essential as it is, learning to write well isn't easy. The best practices for writing and research can sometimes be subjective, and the finer points of syntax and style often take a backseat to looming deadlines and strict citation guidelines. Luckily, there are many helpful resources that make it easier to build on your existing skills while learning new ones. We've compiled links to sites dedicated to helping students, bloggers, and professional writers improve their techniques while also becoming better editors and researchers. Blogs Copyblogger: On Copyblogger, Brian Clark offers tips on how to improve the content, marketing, and business of a blog. Genres
What Novelists Should Know About Short Fiction When I first started writing seriously, all I wanted was to publish a novel. I thought my intentions were honourable—that I wasn’t just another wannabe with dreams of making it big—but there was always that little part of me that still wasn’t ready to put in my dues. I wanted it all, and I wanted it right away. Then, something life-changing happened. An opportunity fell into my lap. A Writing Revelation In order to be sure I was writing something that wouldn’t be rejected, I read and deconstructed a lot of short stories, listened to them on podcasts, and spent a painfully long period of time perfecting my piece. My piece was accepted. All of this changed the course of my writing forever. And that could have a huge impact on my ability to write, sell, and market a novel. If you consider yourself strictly a novelist, have you given some thought to whether short fiction can help you achieve your goals? Consider: 1. Start today: For one week, read a short story per day. 2. 3.
Forensic Psychology Back to Main Index / Back to Forensic Index / Back to Psychology Index Forensic Psychiatry / Profiling Important note: This whole section has been compiled from books and websites, with occasional help from people working in this field. Like the rest of Deep Background (of which this is only a small part), this information is designed for writers of X-Files fiction, and covers only those things that they might be expected to need. It is not a comprehensive guide to the subject. Forensic Psychiatry Forensic psychiatrists work with prisoners and criminals to assess their mental condition, treatment, and whether they are fit to plead or to be released. In particular, they establish: Is the defendant fit to plead? For the defendant to plead insanity he is admitting guilt - sauing that, yes, he did the crime, but here are the mitigating factors. Psychological Profiling As we all know, this is what Mulder did before the X-Files. For further information, read "Mindhunter" by John Douglas. Stress