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In Praise of the Humble Sentence
Voice is the quality of writing that lets a reader see the author behind the work. It’s what makes a piece of writing unique so that you and only you could have written this piece. I don’t look at it as a mystical thing; instead, I look to the tools that writers have to work…
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Online Video Course: 30 DAYS TO A STRONGER NOVEL
The course is now live on Udemy.com! Each day includes: A quote that inspires Short, practical instruction from Darcy on a specific topic A simple “Walk the Talk” action to take Over the course of the month, you’ll receive the entire text of Darcy’s book, 30 Days to a Stronger Novel (November, 2014 release). We…
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Get Your Tone Right
“Young man, don’t speak to me in that tone of voice!” When you see that bit of dialogue, you know that a boy is talking sarcastically or disrespectfully. We understand that it’s not just the words said, but it’s how the words are used that conveys an attitude. Humor, irony, satire, pleasantness, excitement, righteous indignation–the…
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5 Ways First Pages Go Wrong
Withholding information When a reader first opens your novel or story and reads the first line, the first paragraph, have you welcomed the reader and tried to put them at ease? It is imperative to invite the reader into a story in a way that puts them at ease. This means clarity must rule. The…
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3 Vs of Fiction: Vulnerability
In this 3-part series, “The 3 Vs of Fiction,” we have discussed the first two Vs of writing contemporary fiction, voice and vision. The last V is vulnerability, the ability of writers to be open about who they are and to allow their passions, fears, shames, successes, victories and hopes to be expressed clearly on…
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3 Vs of Fiction: Voice
In this 3-part series, “The 3 Vs of Fiction,” we have discussed the first Vs of writing contemporary fiction, vision; tomorrow, will be vulnerability. Voice is the way you write something, how it comes out when you allow your personality to populate the characters on the page. There are two main ideas when you discuss…