Category Archives: Characters
After The First Five Pages
Noah Lukeman’s The First Five Pages alerted novelists to the need to create an intriguing opening. But the truth is, writers need to keep readers interested beyond that first scene. After the initial intrigue, what will keep them turning pages? Continue reading
Filed under Backstory, Characters, Story
Characters Can Be Cliches Too
When I was growing up, westerns dominated the small screen. As my experience expanded, I realized that it didn’t take much to figure out who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. Good guys — white hat, … Continue reading
Filed under Characters
Help For The Stalled
From time to time it seems writers of fiction or non-fiction get stuck or stalled. Some people might even say blocked. There are pressures that may contribute to a mental attitude that screams, “I can’t,” but I’m not addressing those … Continue reading
Filed under Inner Conflict, Research, Writing Process
Compelling Books – Inner Conflict
A quiet book, my friend said, and yet something makes you want to keep reading. She was speaking of the new middle grade novel, A Diamond In The Desert by Kathryn Fitzmaurice. Last night I discovered for myself just how … Continue reading
Filed under Inner Conflict
Story Triage
Donald Maass put his finger on the twin beams upon which good stories are built — characters readers care about, acting in ways that generate tension. Writers who want to improve their novels would be wise to look at those two factors first before concerning themselves overly much with secondary elements. Continue reading
Filed under Characters, Story
The Ins And Outs Of Backstory, Part 3
Learning to handle backstory correctly is vital. Some agents and editors talk about it as the element that shows an author is either a competent professional or still in the “learning” stage. Consequently, I’d like to take a closer look … Continue reading
Filed under Backstory, Dialogue, Internal Monologue
Antagonists Are Real People Too
Antagonists are the sparring partners of the heroes in our novels. Years ago when I began to study fiction, I heard the admonition to make all characters, even the antagonist realistic. Good advice, certainly, as far as it went. The … Continue reading
Filed under Antagonists, Characters
The Power Of Prose – More About Description
According to writing instructor Sol Stein in Stein On Writing, editors report that they principally reject manuscripts because there is too much static description or too much told action. Continue reading
Filed under Characters, Description
