Writing Secrets: Take the leap – we’ll leap with you
We don’t need to follow your character into the bathroom. Her brushing and flossing routine don’t do it for us – or even for your story. If, however, she enters […]
Writing Secrets: The silver thread between your character and you
Be aware of your connection to your character – that silver thread that attaches you to them – and you’ll write better. I believe this and I’ve seen it again […]
Monday Motivation: A story-teller in search of six characters
Let’s examine how a master story-teller whips a little literary confection into existence. Stephen King is the dude I’m thinking of – and the confection in question is a feature […]
Writing Secrets: The touchy-feely art of character portrayal.
We need to know how your character is feeling, okay? It’s not enough simply to have things happen to him without giving us any sense of his emotional state. Part […]
The secrets behind the practice of good writing: If you want for nothing – it’s the end of your story
In life people speak about “wanting for nothing” as though it’s a good thing. Actually, in life and in stories, it’s not a good thing at all. It means, basically, […]
Monday Motivation: Make details do double-duty
Consider for a moment the four-dimensional world you live in. You might well be sitting at your computer at this very moment, reading these words… But a few minutes ago, […]
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The secrets behind the practice of good writing: Go on, be a sadist
As a novelist, you shouldn’t be too kind. We all know Kurt Vonnegut’s exhortation to put your characters through hell, but do we always heed it where our own beloved […]
Monday Motivation: Your protagonist must remain the lead in his story
I think in the film and television business we talk more about agency than people do when discussing stories destined for print – although why this should be so I’m […]
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The secrets behind the practice of good writing: Lessons from George Elliot
If you want to be reminded that characters are the most important part of a narrative, go and read (or reread) George Elliot’s Middlemarch. I have just done exactly this […]
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The secrets behind the practice of good writing: Tears and snotty noses
Tears streamed down her cheeks. She wept and wept, sobbing into her sodden tissue until it dissolved and she was left hiccupping… It’s worth making the point again because I […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
