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What Went Wrong? Story Conflict and How to Make it Stronger
In your story or novel, something must go wrong. Without conflict, there is no story. As you develop a plot, it’s helpful to think about what is the worst thing that could happen and then figure out if you can make that even worse? The absolute worst thing–the thing your character fears most of all–MUST…
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Introverted: The Writer’s Power and Downfall
Do you love to go to your writing cave and spend hours? Do you hate marketing, which means getting out in front of people? Why is is so easy to be alone for hours at a time while working on a project and so hard to be out among the crowds? You’re an introvert. Of…
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63 Character Emotions to Explore
Readers want to get emotional when they read a piece of fiction, whether it is a novel or a picture book. We concentrate usually on character and plot, but often forget the emotional thread of a story. Emotions are one place where the author should “show, don’t tell,” or “show, then tell.” Show, Don’t Tell,…
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Poland: A Writer’s Vacation
I just got home from ten days in Europe and I am ready to write. Why? Because getting out of my writing cave makes me bump up against people, against history, against emotional struggles. One place we visited is a memorial for the Belzec (Bee AWA zhek) Death Camp in eastern Poland, the first and…
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Suspense: 10 Tips to Grabbing Your Reader!
Creating Suspense to Strengthen the Narrative Arc Great novels grab your attention and never let it go until the reader looks up from reading, “The End.” That’s a given. But it’s not always easy to grab that reader’s attention. What you need is suspense. Suspense is created by an uncertainty about what happens next in…
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Scene Quiz: Harvard Bar Scene
Scene Quiz: From a Harvard Bar to Your Scenes Yesterday, we talked about what you’d find if you dissected a good scene. Today, we’ll apply this information by studying a scene from the classic movie, Good Will Hunting. (Warning: Adult language) Then, you can apply it to your own scenes.