Writing Resources Category
Story-fixing Your Novel––Part V
Posted on January 25, 2017 Leave a Comment
Villains. Scoundrels. Antiheroes. Adversaries. Mwmah ha ha! Every story needs an antagonist. Click to Tweet #amwriting #story-fixing
Story-fixing Your Novel––Part IV
Posted on January 18, 2017 Leave a Comment
This time we’re talking about setbacks. How can hindrances, hold-ups, delays, impediments, and obstructions to your protagonist can actually help move your story along? Click to Tweet #amwriting #story-fixing
Story-fixing Your Novel––Part III
Posted on January 4, 2017 1 Comment
Interlude. Scene and sequel. Taking a break. Hit the pause button. You know, that thing in-between scenes, right after a scene, the character processes, takes stock of what’s just happened, and decides what they’ll do next. Even an action novel or cozy mystery needs to have an interlude. Click to Tweet #amwriting #story-fixing
Story-fixing Your Novel––Part II
Posted on December 14, 2016 Leave a Comment
What makes a story? Is it the plot? Is it the characters? Is it both? Yes and no. You can have the best plot in all the world, but if no one cares about your characters living the plot, then the story doesn’t succeed. The U.S. Declaration of Independence talks about as our main goal…life, […]
Story-fixing Your Novel––Part I
Posted on December 7, 2016 Leave a Comment
You’ve written your novel and proofread it for grammar and usage. We’re starting a new series based on Troubleshooting Your Novel. In it, pantser extraordinaire Steven James will show us what questions to ask ourselves to analyze and fix some of the problems our novels have. Asking yourself the right questions when story-fixing your novel […]
Creating Suspense––Part IX
Posted on November 30, 2016 Leave a Comment
Suspense is in itself, now a genre, but suspense techniques can be used in whatever genre you write in. Suspense helps to create page turners, and as an author, that’s the goal. There’s a lot to creating suspense, and we’ve just scratched the surface here, but hopefully you have enough techniques to help you write […]
Creating Suspense––Part VIII
Posted on November 16, 2016 Leave a Comment
When creating suspense, you want to draw it out. Milk every part of it. We’re going to be looking at how to draw out that tension in the next two weeks. Every scene should be chock full of some sort of tension that drives the story along. Click to Tweet #amwriting #creatingsuspense
Creating Suspense––Part VI
Posted on November 2, 2016 Leave a Comment
The clock is ticking. Will the hero save the girl? How will they escape the villain? We’ve looked at the term “cliff-hanger” –– what it means and its modern origins in the silent film era. But even after sound, cliffhangers kept moviegoers in suspense. They’ll keep your readers turning pages. Click to Tweet #amwriting #creatingsuspense We’re […]
Creating Suspense––Part V
Posted on October 19, 2016 Leave a Comment
Damsels in distress, the clock is ticking, someone’s about to go over the edge. The Perils of Pauline, where she would be put in a dangerous situation, especially hanging off a cliff to keep from falling many feet below to her death. Would she escape? The term “cliff-hanger” comes from the silent film era. Click […]
Creating Suspense––Part IV
Posted on October 12, 2016 3 Comments
Every genre can utilize these suspense techniques to create tension and generate a page turner. We’re looking at different suspense threads. Last week, we looked at Macro and Scene suspense. This week, we’ll look at Hypersuspense and Paragraph Suspense. What drives suspense? It’s that question: What will happen next? Click to Tweet #amwriting #creatingsuspense
Donna L.H. Smith 