Writing Tips
Summary, Exposition, and Narrative
Facts and information! All books need them in order for the reader to understand the story. But deciding how to deliver them is often the difference between a book that’s a slog and a book where the pages turn themselves. Whether fiction or non-fiction, and with works for any age of reader, the writer’s ability…
Read MoreDetails, Juggling, and Chekhov’s Gun
Imagine you’re reading a story and learn in the first chapter that the protagonist does not speak. Maybe he can speak but chooses not to. Maybe he is unable to speak. No matter the reason, the fact remains. As we readers assess this story, we are immediately intrigued! How did the protagonist get this way?…
Read MoreWhoa Writing: Crafting Four-Dimensional Characters
Writing advice often stresses the importance of writing three-dimensional characters. These characters are “fully fleshed out,” which is a really creepy metaphor if you think about it for too long! They feel like “real people” because they have flaws and biases and personalities and backstories and all the other things that we know about real…
Read More