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Blog postAt a conference some time ago I was on a panel with some fellow thriller writers. During the Q & A, we got this question from the floor: How can I learn to write a good action scene?
I answered first. I told the questioner that it’s what happens inside the character that’s the key, and you can make that implicit or explicit by using all the elements of fiction writing–-dialogue, internal thoughts, description, and action.
I recommended he read how Dean Koontz does it, espe -
Blog postWhile writing the middle of a story usually isn’t as tricky as the beginning, for many authors, the middle can start to sag if they aren’t careful. Previously we went over three problems that come up with middles. Today we are back to add three tips to keep your middle interesting. 1. Vary Your Story Sometimes a novel feels dull in the middle because your conflicts are not varied enough. In other words, as the reader is going along, he feels like the novel on page 400 reads just like it di
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Blog postMany readers and editors state that a strong voice immediately draws them into a story, and one of the most important voices will come from your viewpoint character. But even when you’ve developed their personality and voice, it can still be tricky to actually get them on the page. Here are nine dos and don’ts to help out.
Hi all, September C. Fawkes here, back to talk more about voice. Last month, I broke down how voice works at three levels: the author, the narrator, and the charact -
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Blog postFor many people, the middle of the novel is the biggest challenge. Writers usually know when they’ve got a good start, and they have months to think about how to create a great climax. But what do you do with all of that stuff in between? Thankfully, by the time you’re into the middle, you’ve gotten some character development down, your settings have been firmed up, and you have a very good idea where you’re heading. But you can still run into problems.
Here are three problems that b -
Blog postRealistic, evocative dialogue is an important part of any successful story. We need our characters’ interactions to be authentic, consistent, and engaging to draw readers into what’s happening. So when we’re learning to write, we spend a lot of time on mechanics—learning all the grammar and punctuation rules. But proper form is just the first step.
When writing strong dialogue, we often forget that real-life conversations are rarely straightforward. On the surface, it may seem we -
Blog postIn writing, voice happens at three levels: the author, the narrator, and the characters each have their own voices. While many editors and readers openly state they are hooked and reeled into a story by a strong voice, many writers struggle to understand let alone implement voice. Despite voice often being regarded as elusive, and even magical, voice can be understood and honed just like any other element of storytelling.
Hello everyone, September C. Fawkes here, and I’m going to be c -
Blog postFantasy and Our Modern World: A Few Observations The first truly modern fantasy work was The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien. That’s not a statement that very many critical theorists can dispute. But what is fantasy, and how did Tolkien make it “modern” and what does it mean for us today? Fantasy is […]
The post Fantasy and Our Modern World appeared first on MyStoryDoctor.com.
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Blog postWhen you choose to do what you love, you have the greatest job in the world. If you love writing, it’s worth doing. Years ago, I had a reporter call and ask, “If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?” The only answer I had was, “I’d just keep on being a writer.” Since it was Career Day, the reporter wrote an article in which he posed that question to dozens of people. As one person chose a career, he would call someone with that job and ask what they wanted to be. So a
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Blog postWhen writing in speculative genres, it’s important to consider the cost of magic. Everything in life has a cost. It’s a law so universally understood that we feel it in our bones. Yet when we deal with fiction, some writers forget to consider the high price of magic.
The renowned author Nancy Kress noted that a defining moment in her career came when a fellow writer pointed out she needed to consider the economic systems in her stories—whether they were fantasy tales or science ficti -
Blog postHow should we critique someone’s writing? Frequently authors ask if I have a form that I use to help me critique a story. Given the large number of things that I look at in a story, any form that I might use would simply be too long to be workable. Yet it makes sense to try to codify the critiquing process.
There are of course people who don’t believe that art can or should be measured. They might say, “Sure, this author uses the passive voice so much that his tale f
Titles By David Farland
by
L. Ron Hubbard,
Frank Herbert,
Kevin J. Anderson,
Brian Herbert,
Diane Dillon,
Azure Arther,
Desmond Astaire,
J. A. Becker,
Lazarus Black,
Z. T. Bright,
John Coming,
N. V. Haskell,
Em Dupre,
Michael Panter,
Brittany Rainsdon,
Mike Jack Stoumbos,
M. Elizabeth Ticknor,
Rebecca E. Treasure,
Michael Talbot,
André Mata,
Xiaomeng Zhang,
Ari Zaritsky,
Jim Zaccaria,
Annalee Wu,
Jerome Tieh,
Brett Stump,
Natalia Salvador,
Majid Saberinejad,
Tenzin Rangdol,
Zaine Lodhi,
Nick Jizba,
Arthur M. Doweyko,
Bob Eggleton,
David Farland
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Relics, Wrecks and Ruins
Jan 31, 2021
by
Aiki Flinthart,
Neil Gaiman,
Ken Liu,
Robert Silverberg,
Garth Nix,
Juliet Marillier,
Mary Robinette Kowal,
Alison Goodman,
Jasper Fforde,
David Farland
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