by DiAnn Mills Recently I read a suspense novel that left me wondering what the story was all about. I couldn’t follow the storyline or figure out character motivation. Although many aspects of the novel were outstanding, I couldn’t find the plot (storyline) and that meant I had no stake in the protagonist’s life. In short, I lost interest. After …
Daring Dialogue
by Jordyn Redwood I have to confess that dialogue is one of my favorite things to write. It also is the easiest for me. Often times when I start a scene, I’ll just lay out the dialogue first. My love of dialogue likely stems from my real life job as a pediatric ER nurse. Communication in the ER is very …
Crafting Effective Scenes
by Winnie Griggs The workhorse of a story is not words, sentences, or paragraphs – it is the scene. Because it is in a scene that we see the key element of any good story – namely relevant change. Today I’d like to discuss eight elements I feel make up an effective scene: 1 Something happens The ‘something’ doesn’t have …
Critique Partners: Full Circle
by Kit Wilkinson Aside from paying a free-lance editor to critique your work, nothing can help your craft like having a great critique partner. Finding the right one, however, can be really tricky. It’s a relationship you have to enter slowly and with caution but, when it’s right, can benefit the both of you immensely. In July 2008, I sat …
Opening Night Jitters
by Dr. Richard Mabry I remember it well. It was the opening (and closing) night for the fifth grade’s performance of the musical, The Gypsy King. I played the male lead, Kom, opposite the attractive blonde classmate on whom I’d had a crush for a year. (Never mind why Yola, the Gypsy Queen, was a blonde. Ever hear of “suspension …
Writing Believable Romantic Suspense
By Marta Perry The covers may no longer feature a heroine fleeing a dark mansion in her flowing white nightgown, but contemporary romantic suspense is the direct descendant of the classic gothic novels of such talented authors as Daphne du Maurier, Victoria Holt, and Mary Stewart. No matter what twists and turns the genre takes, storytellers still promise a combination …
Setting the Pace to Keep your Story Moving
by Myra Johnson The latest fitness research suggests that if you want to increase your calorie burn and build stamina, vary the intensity of your workout by alternating between moderate and brisk exercise. Same with writing. If you want your plot to have momentum and keep the reader engaged, pacing is everything. According to Jack Bickham, “Fiction is movement.” Narrative …
Building Your Writing Career While Working Full Time
by Lisa Jordan For the past 15 years, I’ve owned and operated my own state-registered in-home childcare program. My days are very busy and extremely noisy, but I reap many incredible blessings. In 2011 I received my first publishing contract, so for the past two years, I’ve been juggling my day job with my night job. After dinner ends, I …
Top 5 Tools for the Not-Yet-Published Writer
by Laura McClellan As a lifelong student of the writing craft, I’ve heard and read lots of good advice, tons of suggestions for essential tools for those of us who are working toward a career as a writer. I thought I’d offer my suggestions for the top five tools for pre-published writers: 1. A calendar. All the real experts, the …
What A Writer Needs
by Dani Pettrey Every writer is different and every writer has different needs while writing. I always write with a piece of dark chocolate and a coffee drink (Mocha, Americano, etc.) at hand. I always write my first drafts longhand, and I’m pretty particular about the notebooks and pens I use. It got me thinking about what other writers need …