Episodes
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We writers can use lovely phrases and perceptive observations when describing our character in our story, and yet the reader may still quickly forget the character. Here's how to make a character stick in the reader's mind. Also, are you a born writer? Maybe so. Here's why you might be.
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We can show (as opposed to tell) as we create a setting for our story. Showing will make our settings vivid, and will allow the setting description to do double duty: describe the place and suggest a mood. Also, reasons to avoid meetings in our story.
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Episodes manquant?
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We'll build our character as we write along, adding descriptions and actions and dialogue. But there is a way with only one or two sentences to reveal something powerful and memorable about the character--in just a few words--and I'll talk about the technique here. Also, Joyce Carol Oates's rules of writing. And punctuating dialogue, with important techniques about our character's spoken sentences so that our dialogue is a clear window to the story.
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Many listeners are writing literary novels and stories. Here is an important technique regarding construction of a literary story, and it also applies to commercial novels.
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The easiest thing for a reader to do is to quit reading our story. Here are ways to begin and end scenes that'll prevent that from happening. Our scenes' beginnings and endings will propel the reader farther into the story.
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Stephen King is a powerful storyteller, of course, and he is also a highly-skilled sentence-by-sentence writer. Here are his tips on writing dialogue, plus thoughts from me about making our characters' dialogue riveting.
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Readers love first person novels, where the hero talks directly to the reader. Here are some techniques for first person writing. Also, famous novelists reveal the books that made them want to be writers.
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Usually I talk about writing techniques but here are some living techniques for us writers. And some famous writers' favorite writers and novels. Plus: what Ernest Hemingway did when he was stuck. Also: the magic of avoiding dialogue tag modifiers. And Snoopy.
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How can an injury be good for us writers? It was for Roald Dahl. And here are Strunk and White's twenty-one rules of writing. Also, Stephen King on descriptions. And several famous setting descriptions, settings so good they are magical. Plus, Toni Morrison reveals how she works.
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A strong way to make a character likeable, and to have the reader root for her, is to have the character experience "otherness." She's out of place. She doesn't fit. Here are techniques on how to do so. Also, how F. Scott Fitzgerald worked. And, no whining.
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Contrast is among the strongest tools we writers can use. It's magic. Here is a discussion of how and where to use contrast. Also, Henry Miller's rules of writing and how John Grisham works.
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In our novel should we leave plot questions unanswered so we have compelling questions for a sequel? Here are thoughts on how we can approach it. Also, Hilary Mantel's ten rules of writing, how Anne Rice worked, and techniques for writing in the active voice.
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Classic novelists knew the strong technique regarding plotting and it's a terrific lesson for us: go big or go home. And what if we want to ignore a proven technique? And: thoughts on a character's stream of consciousness thinking. Also, how to avoid overthinking our writing project.
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