Disclaimer: As expressed in my first post in this series (see here), I’m struggling with how to approach my own writing in this era of political instability. I don’t have an answer, so I’m writing this series to explore possible … Continue reading →
This is the third in my multi-part series on my publishing experience. Click to read Part I and Part II. In the midst of my unsuccessful attempts to market The Goddess’s Choice, I finished my second novel, The Soul Stone, … Continue reading →
Today, I want to talk about developing character by focusing on the character’s actions or what the character does. It is far better to let the reader know the character’s thoughts, emotions, and personality by what s/he does than by … Continue reading →
I recently read a friend’s post on why she’d decided to pursue traditional publishing for her first novel. (You can find it here.) After reading it, I felt inspired to discuss my own publishing journey in the hopes that what … Continue reading →
Something I was reading yesterday slammed me in the face with how clumsily beginning writers are with dialogue, so here are five tips for doing it right. Tip #1: Know how to punctuate Proper punctuation is so important because it … Continue reading →
Last week we talked about using image to present your characters. This week I want to discuss a second way of character presentation: voice. In the same manner that you tell from a couple of words over the telephone … Continue reading →
In character development, one of the most, if not the most important, aspect to think about is your character’s motivation. What does he or she want? It is a character’s desires that controls their actions, and if you don’t have … Continue reading →
Summary versus Scene. What are they? When do you choose one over the other?* Summary is where you take what happened in a relatively long period of time and convey it in a short space. It compresses time and detail, … Continue reading →
(Note: some of the following has been adapted from Rayne Hall’s blog.) I can’t remember what show I was watching or which book I was reading, but one character needed to tell another what had happened. She says, “I don’t … Continue reading →
Sanderson’s First Law of Magics: An author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to how well the reader understands said magic. Magic is at the heart of fantasy, so it’s important for an author to get the magic right. You may … Continue reading →