Avsnitt
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Stephen King says there is no idea dump we can visit to find a good plot. We have to create our own plots. How can we do so? Here's a discussion on creating plots. Also, if Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition can learn to write, so can we. And the critical technique of using the active sentence form.
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Does our story's first sentence cause the reader to ask, "What's next?" Or does the reader say, "So what?" Here are thoughts on creating a tense, sparkling first sentence. Also, how the masters use specific, definite, and concrete details to convince the reader.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Our setting descriptions should do more than describe a place. They can also show the reader much about our character. Here's how to do so. Also: what's the main thing our plot needs: trouble. Here's why. And how Edna Ferber worked.
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Two mistakes can ruin our presentation of what our character is thinking: telling rather than showing, and interior monologue. Here are ways to present thoughts in a way that grabs the reader. Also, how Octavia Butler worked. And examples of wonderful character descriptions from masterful writers.
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Sometimes the strongest writing technique isn't the strongest in our story. Every writing rule has exceptions, and here's a discussion on when to make exceptions. Also, how to create a strong title for our novel and short story.
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Having readers fall in love with our character is so important, and making our hero an underdog is a good way to do it. Here are thoughts on underdog characters. Also, I'll read a few character descriptions from master story-tellers that may make us stronger writers.
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Our story should be like a state fair: one thing after another. Here are some ideas on state fair plotting. Plus: settings shouldn't be inert locations in our novel or short story but rather should work for our story. Here's how to get the most from our settings. Also: my experiment with AI proofreading.
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Readers want five things in a story, three of which are right in the beginning. Here's a discussion of how to deliver those five things. Plus, a character's thoughts are the least interesting aspect of a story. How can we show what a character is thinking without entering her mind?
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Best-selling writers disagree on the importance of a theme in stories. Here are thoughts on whether we should present a theme in our novel or short story. And famous authors on their writing discipline. Plus, mixing genres when telling an agent or publisher about our novel.
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Putting a sidekick into our story adds many benefits, a main one being that readers love sidekicks. Here are some techniques for creating a sidekick for our novel or short story. Also, a list of catchy, memorable novel titles. And a big question: how do bad novels get published?
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Remember the fabulous worlds that fantasy, sci fi, and historical writers create for us readers? How do they do that? What works so well? I'll talk about world-building, not just for those novels but for all genres. And also: more on the critical craft of character description.
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Many readers only give a story ten or twenty pages before putting it aside to look for something more interesting. A fast start is the best way to maintain the reader's interest. Here's how to write the fast start. Also, how Alice Munro worked, and Richard Ford's rules of writing.
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Edna Ferber was a master of character description. Here are a few of her characters, and maybe we can pick up some of her skill. Also, how many words a day do famous writers write, and how many words a day should we write? And showing pain, as opposed to telling about pain.
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Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre is a classic of western literature, a novel that endures and still hugely entertains because . . . it's so great. (How that for being profound?) Charlotte Bronte offers an important lesson for today's writers, and I'll talk about her lesson in this episode. Plus, the trouble with prologues.
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Why are some novels so good? One of the reasons is that the author is a master at setting descriptions. How did Charlotte Bronte and Edna Ferber make their settings magical? We'll talk about their techniques here. Also, strong verbs versus weak verbs: how and why to choose the stronger action word.
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Good stories are filled with surprises for the reader. There are right and wrong ways for us writers to deliver surprises, and I'll talk about them here. Also, the importance of a tie-up-later list.
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- Visa fler
