Hey Folks, So many of us have forgotten that our primary purpose is to entertain, first ourselves and then other readers. Entertainent really is the sole purpose of writing fiction. We get wrapped around words. Yet in and of themselves, they just don’t matter. Words really are only tools, like nails to a carpenter. (If the carpenter drops a nail, does he stop the project? Uh, no.) We get wrapped around sentence structure, or about whether … Read more
Hey Folks, A few days ago as I write this, I was reading one of my magic realism stories to my grandson. “The Storyteller” by Gervasio Arrancado. I wrote the thing several years ago, and I knew nothing about pacing. Or paragraphing, for that matter. As I read it aloud to him, I got bored. Massively bored. I know it’s a good story, yet I found myself wondering what reader could possibly enjoy wading through this … Read more
Hey Folks, Some writers (and probably all of them/us at first) believe they have to “build” or “create” characters. Some folks even go so far as to create a “character sketch” to one degree or another. The character sketch might be so detailed as to include the character’s educational background, childhood experiences, and anything else. It’s the story of the character. Most often, writers who do this begin with a stick figure and then flesh it … Read more
Hey Folks, For many years I’ve kept a running list of awkward expressions, misplaced modifiers, and other syntactical anomalies that run the risk of distracting a reader. And by “distracting the reader” I mean jerking the reader out of the story. Most often, this is a result of inserting unintentional humor into a serious scene. If the scene is also meant to invoke feelings of sadness or despair or tension, the inadvertent insertion has an even … Read more
Hi Folks, Today I’m going to write about an old saying: Let the buyer beware. Basically the saying means the buyer should perform a reasonable level of due diligence before committing to buying a product. And in the case of instruction, “buying” has a dual meaning: 1. purchasing, trading money for; and 2. believing. You know what I mean. Many of you have heard me say before, “If any writing instructor says something to you that … Read more
Hi Folks, Well, a little fun this time, at least for me. 🙂 A long while back, I listed The Thirteen Traits of a Professional Writer. I am constantly amazed at all the flak I attract for offering people something that might help them if they’ll only try it. But really, seriously, I promise, whether or not you choose to try Heinlein’s Rules or anything else I put out there is strictly up to you. I … Read more
Hey Folks, To follow up on last week’s post, this truism doesn’t favor any particular body part, really. And most of these aren’t as humorous as “her eyes drifted around the room and eventually lit in the corner on a barrel of nails.” But some of them are pretty good. Basically, any time any body part is the subject of a sentence, you probably need to recast the sentence. At least in the example that got … Read more
Hi Folks, Note: I ran this originally in September 2014, but it was so much fun to write I thought I’d share it again. So here it is. Other than some reparagraphing to make it more lisible, it appears as it was written originally. I sometimes experience an exchange of emails with a writer who asks for a critique of some writing with the proviso that I understand he or she is highly sensitive. Others ask … Read more
Hi Folks, Note: I originally posted this back in August, 2013. Much has changed since then. I’ve updated it to reflect those changes. Most notably, I no longer recommend critique groups. At all. Mostly because 1. Criticism (or critique) by definition is a function of the conscious mind. It’s wonderful for “deconstruction,” but worthless for creation. Also, 2. Nobody, even writers who are much farther along the road than you are, can know all the intricacies … Read more
Hey Folks, Note: This post was originally scheduled for 1/10/2014. It didn’t post to MailChimp, so I’m posting it again now. I’ve revised the original post so it’s up to date. Once upon a time, I edited a manuscript that was teeming with clichés, ripe to bursting with platitudes and filled to the brim with trite, self-serving crap. It virtually screamed Look at me! Aren’t I wonderful? Aren’t I generous with my time and helpful in … Read more