I read a lot of book manuscripts, and I’m here to tell you there are some story openers in danger of being used more often than “once upon a time.” Here are some beginnings I see quite frequently: • Character waking up • Character looking out a window and thinking about the weather • Character thinking about the setting, reviewing the objects in a room • Character thinking or saying out loud, “This isn’t happening.” • Character pondering her life, … Read More ..read more

These thoughts are aimed at those who are writing a series, as I have been. It’s begun to feel like I’m writing the same book over and over! Why? Because the characters and their sitz im leben need to be reintroduced each time, in case (a very likely case) someone picks up Book Three without having read Books One or Two. Just how much grounding in the continuum of the series is necessary for each episode? That depends on the … Read More ..read more

Writers create images with words, and the techniques used are called literary devices. Because of the wide variety of literary devices, we will examine them in groups. In this article, we review the literary devices used to compare and contrast. By comparing and contrasting things, the author invites the reader to see a deeper truth. Use these devices to emphasize an idea, a character, or important moment in the story. Analogy An analogy clarifies by comparison. Unlike simile and metaphor, … Read More ..read more

New York may be the city so nice they named it twice, but when it comes to novels, most readers want a point well made once and not battered home in multiple forms. There are several ways this can happen. One is by showing and telling the same fact. Here’s what I mean: She was steaming with frustration. “Why can’t you ever be on time?” she cried. Nothing is really incorrect about this, but it could be tighter. Her words … Read More ..read more

Writers, whether plotters or pantsers, inevitably get stuck somewhere along the way in the creation of their story and struggle to find a way forward. It’s a situation I’m familiar with, and it brought to mind a Robert Burns quote: “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” So, what’s a writer to do other than stare at the screen like a zombie for hours on end or throw their hands in the air and walk away in … Read More ..read more

Titles are so important. After noticing the cover and spine art, what’s the next thing a reader looks at? Maybe the author’s name, but certainly, the title. It’s got to catch the eye of the beholder. Which would you rather read: Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss or When to Use the Oxford Comma? Com’on, unless you’re a total punctuation nerd, you’ll head toward Eats, Shoots and Leaves. It’s a grabber. We don’t know if someone is shooting a … Read More ..read more

You have a great idea for a workshop and there is a conference coming up. Time to fill out the faculty application. How can you give yourself the best chance of being selected as a presenter? Write a stellar workshop description! Many times writers view the description as a little nonfiction blurb stating the basics of what they will be sharing with the group. Incorrect. You are selling your workshop, and not just to the person selecting faculty, but to … Read More ..read more

Silence. Try to picture it: a novel with no dialogue. That would seem cold and distant indeed. Dialogue is showing, not telling what the characters think. It gives us their own tricks of speech, carries the weight of their emotions, lets us literally hear their own voices. Well done, it adds to the force and immediacy of the story. But if we neglect it, dialogue can drag down the pace, unravel the characterizations, even take readers out of the fictional … Read More ..read more

Successful stories take readers by the hand and invite them into the multi-sensory world the writer has created. Integrating as many senses as possible is critical to helping readers invest in the story and what is happening from one sentence/scene/chapter to the next. However, it requires a delicate touch to avoid bombarding the plot with in your face, obvious attempts at integrating the fabulous five: sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. Let’s whip up a batch of lasagna and see … Read More ..read more

Picture books are jewels in the world of literature; artistic, fun, informative, and full of heart-shine. One important aspect is that they are short. Many publishers insist on less than 500 words. Yet they must have characterization, plot, setting, theme, and mood—all the same things a 90,000-word novel has. The other thing they must do is grab and retain the interest of young minds. Those minds are racing at phenomenal speed. It’s a tricky business to get that young reader … Read More ..read more