But will it be enough to hook readers? Run the Gauntlet (RTG) is a free monthly program where one lucky writer receives a developmental edit of their opening scenes. The feedback is recorded in real-time, on-screen and then posted publicly so that other writers can share in the insights garnered. In this live critique: A … Continued
The 5 Narrative Writing Modes: Dialogue, Action, Description, Exposition & Thought Today we explore the five narrative writing modes every fiction and memoir writer must master for dynamic storytelling. My research of this subject began when I shifted from screenplay assessment to fiction editing. I’d often wonder why, in film adaptations, the book was … Continued
Hint: Sell the sizzle, not the sausage. Today we look at how to write a great sex scene, so steel yourself for lots of bad puns and double-entendres! The suggestions below are most relevant to writers of romance and erotica, where love and sex form the heart of the plot, but writers of all narrative genres … Continued
Guest Post: Editing & Proofreading Tools By Leona Hinton Writing with style and substance is essential to becoming a successful author or blogger, but perfecting the ability to proofread and edit your own work will save you time and money down the line. The best way to start the proofreading and editing process is to … Continued
4 Fast Rules for Mastering Dialogue Punctuation Punctuation rules, like all literary devices, are there to help the writer get a succinct, accurate meaning across. To discard the finer points of punctuation (in this case, the proper use of quotation marks) is like a sculptor wielding a sledgehammer. Messy, messy, messy. Use the following rules … Continued
So everyone hates adverbs. But why? An adverb is a descriptor such as: She rubbed her eyes and said tiredly, “These adverbs are so redundant.” Consider that sentence. The word “tiredly” didn’t need to be there, because we already indicated she was tired by saying she “rubbed her eyes”. Recognizable by their ‘ly’ ending, adverbs … Continued