Archives
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 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 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
Creating Suspense––Part I
Posted on September 21, 2016 Leave a Comment
I’m not a suspense writer, but I love to read it. A few years ago, I wrote Zorro stories on FanFiction, and I learned a little bit about creating suspense, just by doing it. In this new series, we’ll talk about what suspense is, and how to use it for whatever genre you write. Suspense […]
Plunging the Depths of Deep POV –– Part VIII
Posted on September 14, 2016 Leave a Comment
We’ll finish this today. Hopefully, this series, though not scouring for every little detail of Deep POV, will give you tools to improve your skill at making your POV characters come alive. Click to Tweet #amwriting #DeepPOV
Plunging the Depths of Deep POV –– Part VII
Posted on September 7, 2016 Leave a Comment
Let’s continue our tumbling into the fathoms of our subject. Writing in Deep POV helps us to “show” rather than “tell.” Click to Tweet #amwriting #DeepPOV
Plunging the Depths of Deep POV –– Part VI
Posted on August 31, 2016 Leave a Comment
We’re continue to delve into depths of our subject. Deep POV is all about creating an immediacy with the reader. Click to Tweet #amwriting #DeepPOV Most of us learn visually or by example. This whole lesson will be filled with examples to learn how to create that propinquity in writing that will make our writing […]
Plunging the Depths of Deep POV –– Part V
Posted on August 24, 2016 Leave a Comment
Last time look at the interior life of the viewpoint character, their thoughts, attitudes, reactions, and emotions. Deep POV enhances the reader’s experience with your story. Click to Tweet #amwriting #DeepPOV This time, we’ll begin a series of examples, before and after, to show you the differences, and how text comes alive.
Plunging the Depths of Deep POV –– Part IV
Posted on August 17, 2016 Leave a Comment
We’re discussing Deep POV, and how to get inside the character’s head to make the experience more impactful for the reader. Last time, we listed basic writing tips for deep POV. Only visceral reactions by the viewpoint character count for building deep POV. Click to Tweet #amwriting #DeepPOV
Donna L.H. Smith 