Allaboutwriting

September Writing Competition

Imagine you are in your twilight years and you want to tell a grandchild a story to inspire them to overcome some difficulty they are dealing with. Don’t allow your narrator to launch into a lecture; it should be a story. Remember to have a beginning, middle and end. And remember suspense. Remember to set … Continue reading →

Monday Motivation: It’s our job to make sense of the world

It’s part of the pedagogical lexicon of writing classes: don’t write just one damn thing after another. The temptation to do so is especially strong when you’re writing memoir or biography. But it lurks in the undergrowth for all writers, whatever their subject. Consider the story a biographer is writing. On Monday, the subject of … Continue reading →

The secrets behind the practice of good writing: Characters shouldn’t think too much

Don’t let your characters think too much. It can be a cop out. I had this discussion with a writer friend, who tries to avoid using “inner life” in his novels because “it feels like cheating”. He says it seems too much like explanation to him. I know what he means. If your characters mean … Continue reading →

Monday Motivation: A choice between what’s bad and what’s terrible

We understand that conflict lies at the heart of all drama – that the tension between what your protagonist wants and what stands in the way of his satisfying that desire is what drives all stories. I’ve been thinking, though, about how the protagonist’s choices fit into that matrix. My thoughts were prompted by my … Continue reading →

The secrets behind the practice of good writing: Allow us to walk in their shoes

More than the more visual media of story-telling, reading immerses us in the experiences of others – which is why I particularly fear a society that doesn’t read. It’s my belief that reading creates empathy. Because of this feature of reading, the good writer must be aware of and make best use of it, in … Continue reading →

Monday Motivation: Lessons from the Giudecca Canal

Santa Maria del Rosario, on the Giudecca canal in Venice, is noted chiefly for its classical façade – enormous Corinthian pilasters support a heavy triangular pediment. It is an imposing presence on the shore of the canal, and must, at the time of its erection, have impressed both local Venetians and foreign visitors. It was … Continue reading →

The secrets behind the practice of good writing: Verbs are your friends, but don’t choose the undesirables

Here’s a little point that’s been bothering me a great deal while reading assignments recently. Have you used the strongest verbs you possibly can? He walked to the door? You need hardly bother to tell us. But does he stride, amble, limp, plod, hobble, lurch, mince…? That will mean something. “Walk” is kind of lame, … Continue reading →

Monday Motivation: The power of textural memory

Returning to Venice reveals the power of textural memory. You might not remember what palazzo lies round the next corner of the Grand Canal – but you do remember the groaning of the rope as it brings the tethered vaporetto to a stop. You might not remember precisely the route from San Silvestro to the … Continue reading →

The secrets behind the practice of good writing: People are important, but they’re just not enough

Characters may be the most important part of a narrative, but they’re not all you need to hold us. Last week I made the point that startling events are not all we need if we’re to be drawn into a story. You need a character whom we care for and follow, while the great events … Continue reading →

Monday Motivation: Carmen and the proof of love

Last night we went to a performance of Bizet’s Carmen staged under the stars in Verona’s Roman amphitheatre – the city’s famed Arena. I love opera, but I’m no buff. Chat amongst aficionados leaves me grasping for the names of sopranos I’ve loved, productions I favour, arias I can name. But I do know that … Continue reading →