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Showing posts 31 to 40 labeled Writing in General (77 total)

Writing without Fear (July 10, 2016)

Two months into our new home in Central Oregon, Sweetie and I feel like we're finally settling down. We've arranged the furniture, made friends with the neighbors, and learned our way around the area. Last week I went shopping without looking up directions first, and I didn't get lost once! More »

Stage Directions, My Latest Pet Peeve (March 25, 2016)

Turning, moving, looking...these things work on the stage and in film, but not in books. In books, stage directions are boring and hard to follow, and they distract from more important information. More »

Show, but Sometimes Tell (March 20, 2016)

The advice to "show, don't tell" doesn't mean you should give visual descriptions of everything. Rather, it means you should provide solid evidence of characters' thoughts and feelings through their choices and experiences. More »

Thoughts on Conflict and Tension (March 2, 2016)

Conflict creates tension, the excitement an audience feels when anticipating how characters will react to a situation. Tension is what makes fiction interesting and addictive. More »

The Benefits of Outlining (February 20, 2016)

Writers have intense feelings about outlining. Some love it and actively advocate for it, while others despise it with a startling passion. To me, outlining is like exercising. I don't love or hate exercising; it's simply something I must do to stay healthy. I don't love or hate outlining, either; it's simply something I must do to write good stories. More »

Writing That Sounds Like Writing (January 31, 2016)

Writing that sounds like writing uses a lot of flowery adjectives and adverbs, clever wordplay, and million-dollar words in long compound-complex sentences. It prioritizes poetry and wit over coherence. More »

Faux Strength in Female Characters (January 17, 2016)

Not every heroine needs to be strong, but if you intend to write a strong heroine, you should do it properly. You can't just put her in combat boots and call it a day. More »

What Is Romance? (December 24, 2015)

Romance is the promise of happiness. Love stories give people the dream of safety and stability with someone who cares. More »

American vs. East Asian Storytelling (December 17, 2015)

Cultural differences make it harder to identify with East Asian protagonists than we do with Western ones. More »

The Hero's Journey (November 7, 2015)

If you're not familiar with The Hero's Journey, a.k.a. the Monomyth, it's a model of a common narrative arc found in myths and fairy tales across world cultures. More »