Tag Archives: pacing

Go ahead, create a scene. (Encore)

Writers and non-writers have completely different notions about what a scene is. Non-writers rarely think about those that don’t feature someone being outraged over something. I suspect too many who spend time aligning verbs and nouns overlook how significant “our” … Continue reading

Posted in Historical writing, novel writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Passion isn’t enough (Encore)

When it comes to writing creatively, passion certainly helps, but I think it’s over-rated. In addition to passion, there are several other P-words that apply. The one most critical to your success probably won’t be the same for me, but … Continue reading

Posted in novel writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Go ahead, create a scene.

Writers and non-writers have completely different notions about what a scene is. Non-writers rarely think about those that don’t feature someone being outraged over something. I suspect too many who spend time aligning verbs and nouns overlook how significant “our” … Continue reading

Posted in Historical writing, novel writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Death, Doom, and Destruction

I am often suspicious of action movies. They’re not bad, as a genre. Far from it. I’ve seen some wonderful action films, and I would gladly watch them over again. But for me, that list is pretty short. I’m content … Continue reading

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Formula fiction? Me? Never!

Okay, not never. In fact, always. Why? ‘Cause it works. There are certain things fiction readers crave, but the item sitting at the top of the list is simply this: a rousing good tale. It needn’t even be original. But it … Continue reading

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Never too old to learn

[Posted previously, in error, for about two minutes. I apologize to everyone who tried to comment on the original post which disappeared so quickly.  The error was entirely mine. –Josh] I’m pleased to share this guest post from a wonderful … Continue reading

Posted in editing, Guest posts, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Passion isn’t enough

When it comes to writing creatively, passion certainly helps, but I think it’s over-rated. In addition to passion, there are several other P-words which apply. The one most critical to your success probably won’t be the same for me, but every word … Continue reading

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Drama in a memoir?

There’s drama in life, so why not in the documentation of a life as well? We’ve all experienced moments where an outcome wasn’t guaranteed. The concept isn’t limited to sports or warfare. Who hasn’t taken a test of some kind, … Continue reading

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Stop! Don’t answer that. How to write a novel–part 29

I care deeply about my audience. I really do. I want everyone to live long lives, read all my titles, and tell their friends about them. The irony is that in order to develop such ties, I have to treat my … Continue reading

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments