Techniques
Why Realistic Details Can Misdirect Your Story
Yes, details are good. A writer needs to research and ask experts and know all the facts behind everything in their book. Right? Not necessarily. Too many details can create a confusing map of how to get through to the story…
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Boost Your Stories Through A Series
A quick post to share my latest article on WritetoDone.com about writing an irresistible series to bolster your career and set you on a happy writing path. As Grant Smith commented on the article: “When I wrote my first novel I…
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Protagonist Murdered!
Caution: Villains Can Kill Your Story! Your main character may survive the bad guy’s beating, shooting and stabbing him. But your story can suffer–and die–if you don’t know how to pick the right antagonist and how to integrate him into your story….
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Thinking about a Series? Think again!
SERIES, SERIALS, SEQUELS AND SPIN-OFFS Have you thought about writing a book series but felt the task was just TOO big? Or have you planned a series, like for YEARS, and yet never quite gotten that first chapter written? Or…
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Are Writers Being Shorted with the new James Patterson approach?
What’s this “the shorter the better” all about in publishing these days? James Patterson jumped on that bandwagon–and is racing off! Publishers are also seeking shorter books. Short fiction is no longer ONLY a testing ground for new writers–here are the facts.
Quit Writing to Stop Procrastinating! Huh?
Procrastination is a demon in any writer’s life. So why quit writing to avoid it? Here’s a 5-step “Quit” trick that will find you writing more productively. Procrastination comes in many guises, but here are two that I see often…
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When Do Weak Characters Spell Publishing Success?
Is your protagonist charming? Uh-oh! That may seem good, but then why is it many successful protagonists are weak, sad or, at least to a degree, miserable characters? How come? Many books and movies focus on the little kid who needs…
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Writing “50 Shades of Plot”
Want to learn how to plot your book “Fifty Shades of Grey” style? I’m not talking erotic mysteries, mind you (let’s save that for a slightly different forum, hmm?), but there is a secret hidden in this title that writers can…
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How to Velcro Your Readers in Place
Some writers enjoy meandering into their stories, with scenics and details and moods that carry the story through for pages, or chapters, before anything really “happens.” We’ve all read at least a few books whose openings are slow but that…
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A Toast to Tavern Scenes (and How to Use them In ANY Genre)!
Tavern scenes are the mainstay of nearly every adventure and fantasy book. So are readers bored with them? How could they be? You’ve got swaggering characters looking for adventure; the inclination to pour out one’s woes (along with beverages); and…
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