When I sit down to start a new novel or short story, the first thing I do is profile my main characters. The full debate of “plot first vs characters first” writing is best left for another post and has no true correct answer. The way I operate goes like this: A story idea strikes.… Continue reading Fiction Author’s Guide to Crafting Characters
The mystery genre is about forcing your audience to the edges of their seats by asking them to flex their brain to unravel the clues you've tangled together like Christmas lights or spread out like bread crumbs. But there is a wide array of mystery-based plots, and each has its own unique flavor. Mystery fans… Continue reading Morsels of Mystery: List of Mystery Subgenres
“Don’t head jump” is a command that gets thrown around a lot of Creative Writing 101 classes. It essentially means, don’t allow your reader to view the thoughts and feelings of more than one character in your story, at least not in the same chapter. When characters are talking to each other, you don’t want… Continue reading How To Head Jump: Properly Implementing Multiple Characters’ Thoughts in Stories
Do you fall in love with characters first, or the plot? Characterization has always been my favorite part of reading and writing. A great plot is dulled if I don’t care about the characters undergoing the plot’s hardships. But what makes a phenomenal character like Hermione Granger or Atticus Finch? What does a writer pour… Continue reading Literary String Theory Part 1: Multidimensional Characters
If there is not conflict in your novel, you don’t have a plot. You have nothing for the characters to solve and nothing for the reader to look forward to or dread. Similarly, if your character has no internal conflict, he or she cannot change and thus will have a weak character arc. Now, not… Continue reading Literary String Theory Part 2: Characters Collide
Ensuring that your readers understand the actions and feelings of your characters is the only way to endear them to readers’ hearts for the long haul. Empathy for characters also keeps readers more invested in the plot. It’s pretty easy to have readers empathize with your protagonist(s), especially if you’re working in third person limited.… Continue reading Literary String Theory Part 3: Empathy Trumps Entropy
Photo by Sašo Tušar on Unsplash Good horror is about more than making your reader afraid to walk through their house in the dark (though that’s fun, too). It’s about addressing the unknown, examining your worst fears, and grappling with the concept of death, all in the hopes of finding new perspective … and detoxing your system with… Continue reading Heaps of Horror: List of Horror Subgenres
Photo by Hey Beauti Magazine on Unsplash In college, I started getting notes on my short stories that said, “Don’t open a scene with dialogue.” Of all the rules I gathered over my writing education, this one always made the least sense to me. Probably because I never really got a solid answer on “Why not?” That’s partially… Continue reading Shout It Out: How to Properly Open with Dialogue
Fantasy is about making the impossible possible, and even commonplace, in a world that doesn't live by our rules. It is the ultimate escapism genre. But fantasy is a large genre. If you're writing or planning to write a fantasy novel, and you plan to submit to publishers, they're going to want to know where… Continue reading Flavors of Fantasy: List of Fantasy Subgenres
Over and over again, new writers are told, "Show, don't tell." It's great advice because all too often, new writers clog up the action of their story with summaries of places, events, and character relationships rather than properly immersing readers in the moment. I was given this advice as a fledgling writer, and I've written… Continue reading Tell, Don't Show: Properly Implementing Exposition
