Archives
Keeping the Middle Moving––Part I
Posted on June 21, 2017 Leave a Comment
You’ve heard of it––in more than one way. That awful, sagging, middle. In fiction, a sagging middle will bog down your story. Click to Tweet The reader may decide to stop reading. Not what you want. #keepmiddlemoving #amwriting
Writing Scintillating Scenes––Part XII
Posted on June 14, 2017 Leave a Comment
They key to writing a page-turner novel is creating scintillating scenes––they shine, they’re dazzling, unforgettable, and brilliant. Writing sparkling scenes make the story something the reader can’t put down and will read long into the night. Click to Tweet #amwriting #scintillatingscenes We wrap this up with another scene model: reading scenes in context.
We Interrupt This Series… Part II
Posted on May 9, 2017 Leave a Comment
A few weeks ago, I just had to share the news about finding my ethnicity, and confirming who my birth mother was. I also mentioned that a sister had reached out to me on this blog by leaving a comment, with hopes we could connect soon. Finding openness with new biological family members is healing. […]
Writing Scintillating Scenes––Part II
Posted on March 29, 2017 3 Comments
Last week, we learned that a scene is and has––action. Action is what happens. Every scene should have an impactful event that occurs during it. As the story progresses, each scene adds its contribution to the overall tale, to make an event. Scene events don’t always need to be spectacular, but must be meaningful and […]
Writing Scintillating Scenes––Part I
Posted on March 22, 2017 3 Comments
I read somewhere that scenes are the “guts” of your novel. They are powerful and intense, they engage readers and help them to keep on reading. What is a scene? It is the most vivid and immediate part of the story, emotionally involved, their minds are filled with images and memories of actions. Click to […]
Story-fixing Your Novel––Part IX
Posted on March 8, 2017 Leave a Comment
This lesson will be a challenge for me, because although I understand the concept, I’ve not used it as much in my writing. Subtext––is what’s really meant, not what’s said. Click to Tweet #amwriting #storyfixing
Story-fixing Your Novel––Part VIII
Posted on March 1, 2017 Leave a Comment
It’s all in the details. But there are so many of them. Which ones to include? What is necessary to the story, and what isn’t? Details will either help your story take wing, or weigh it down like an anvil. They’ll either lift your story or burden it. Click to Tweet #amwriting #storyfixing
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
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
Donna L.H. Smith 