Rayne Hall

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About Rayne Hall

Rayne Hall is a fantasy and horror writer, editor of the Ten Tales anthology series and author of the bestselling Writer's Craft series. Her short stories have been published in many anthologies, and some of her books have been translated into several languages.

She has lived in Germany, China, Nepal, Bulgaria and Britain. A trained publishing manager, she has worked (sometimes at the same time) as a museum guide, investigative journalist, magazine editor, adult education teacher, tarot reader, and belly dancer.

She loves walking, reading, gardening and training cats.

If you're a writer, subscribe to her newsletter, and she'll send you a workbook 'Grow Your Unique Author Voice' http://eepurl.com/boqJzD.

Here's her website: raynehall.com. If you're a writer or reader and follow Rayne on Twitter, she'll probably follow you back. https://twitter.com/RayneHall

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Titles By Rayne Hall

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Writing Dark Stories: How to Write Horror and Other Disturbing Short Stories (Writer's Craft Book 6) Jan 8, 2014

by Rayne Hall

( 145 )

$4.99

Learn to haunt your readers with powerful, chilling tales. Make their spines tingle with anticipation and their skins crawl with delicious fear. Disturb their world-view and invite them to look into the dark corners of their own souls.

This book gives you a wealth of tools and techniques for writing great short stories. It is part of the acclaimed Writer's Craft series.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
1. FEED YOUR FICTION WITH YOUR FEARS
Places. Weird Shudders. Phobias. Childhood Fears. Dreams. Human Attitudes. Ordinary Things.
Assignment.
2. WHY THE TITLE IS A STRONG START
Gathering Ideas. Assignment.
3. WRITING BY THE SEAT OF YOUR PANTS
Now Write. Prompts. The Freewriting Experience. Assignment.
4. FIFTEEN MASTER PLOTS
Plot Ideas You Can Use. Assignment.
5. DARK FICTION AND HORROR GENRES
Horror. Splatterpunk. Extreme Horror. Psychological Horror. Dystopian. Lovecraftian. Thriller.
Mystery. Dark Fiction. Supernatural. Paranormal. Paranormal Romance. Dark Fantasy. Urban
Fantasy. Gothic. Erotic Horror. Horror Comedy. Romantic Suspense. Steampunk. Ghost Stories.
Slipstream. Speculative Fiction. Weird Fiction. Flash Fiction. Slice-of-Life. Cross-Genre.
Collection. Anthology. Assignment.
6. POINT OF VIEW
Deep PoV Techniques. Serial Point of View. Omniscient Point of View. Other Point of View Styles.
Assignment.
7. MANAGING TENSION
Goal. Raising the Stakes. Conflicts Among Characters. Peaks and Troughs. Assignment.
8. BUILDING SUSPENSE
Pose a Question. The Ticking Clock. Pacing. The Door Opens. Assignment.
9. HOW TO SCARE YOUR READERS
Darkness. Sounds. Chill. Isolation. Meet the Monster. Get Visceral. The Gory Bits. Assignment.
10. CREEPY LOCATIONS
Select the Setting. Inspiring Pictures. How to Describe the Setting. Practical Research. Setting
Research Checklist. Assignment.
11. MAKE THE MOST OF THE WEATHER
Create Atmosphere. Deepen the PoV. Make it Difficult for the Characters. Strained Tempers. Mood
and Foreboding. Beware the Pathetic Fallacy. Collecting Descriptions. Assignment.
12. HOW TO OPEN YOUR STORY
Opening with Setting Description. Opening with Dialogue. Opening While All Seems Well with the
World. Assignment.
13. HOW TO END YOUR STORY
Endings to Avoid. Seven Possible Endings. Leave Questions in the Reader’s Mind. Assignment.
14. VILLAINS AND MONSTERS
Human Villains: Clichés to Avoid. Motivation. Depth. Describing the Villain. Monsters: Reveal it
Bit by Bit. Keep it Plausible. Assignment.
15. GHOST STORIES
Plot and Backstory. Setting and Mood. Characters and Point of View. Assignment.
16. VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES, ZOMBIES
Vampires: Sparkling Versus Traditional. Vampire Tropes. Fiction Ideas. Werewolves: Werewolf
Tropes. Questions to Consider. Zombies: How Zombies are Made. Zombie Tropes. Fiction Ideas.
Beware the Bite-Hiders. Assignment.
17. RELIGIOUS HORROR
Horror in Holy Books. Faith Versus Fear. Religious Historical Horror. Unbelievers Meet Scary
Gods. Stories Presenting Religion as Evil. Writing About Other Faiths. Controversy. Assignment.
18. Why Do People Read Horror Fiction?
Seven Psychological Reasons. Assignment.
19. MARKETING AND PUBLICATION
Traditional Publishing. Markets. Rights. Payment. Self-Publishing. Trends. Assignments.
20. SAMPLE STORIES WITH COMMENTS
Burning. Seagulls. Only A Fool.
DEAR READER

This book uses British English.

Other Formats: Paperback

Writing Fight Scenes: Professional Techniques for Fiction Authors (Writer's Craft Book 1) Jan 7, 2014

by Rayne Hall

( 355 )

$4.99

Learn to craft realistic, exciting action scenes: duels, battles, riots and more.

This is the updated 2014 edition of the 2011 bestseller.

Other Formats: Paperback

Writing Gothic Fiction: Learn to Thrill Readers with Passion and Suspense (Writer's Craft) Sep 10, 2019

by Rayne Hall

( 49 )

$4.99

Romantic and creepy, passionate and thrilling, Gothic fiction grabs readers and makes their hearts thud with excited suspense.

This is the genre of dark secrets, forbidden loves and illicit passions, of ancient curses and evil crimes. Brooding heroes, wealthy eccentrics, obsessed scientists and corrupt priests come to live in these tales, often joined by a ghost, werewolf, vampire or supernatural hound.

Stories are set in gloomy old houses and spooky mansions. Picture wild, windswept landscapes, s0mbre clouds and torrential rain. Stolen jewels, vile murders, an unexpected inheritance, bigamy, madness, illicit love and dangerous inventions keep the readers glued to the pages.

Gothic is one of the oldest fiction genres, with classic masterpieces like Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, Dracula, Rebecca and The Fall of the House of Usher. In the 21st century, they are represented many Thrillers and Romance novels on current bestseller lists.

The most successful works of literature blend Gothic with other genres - especially Romance, Horror and Thriller - with the Gothic elements ratcheting up tension and enveloping the reader in suspense.

So you want to try your hand at writing a Gothic story? Maybe you have a draft novel in another genre that needs more passion and thrills? I'll be your guide, showing you step by step how to craft a Gothic tale.

This book is for experienced writers who want to add to their toolkit. If you're new to the craft of fiction writing, you can still enjoy this book and pick up useful techniques, but writers who've already mastered the basics of their craft will benefit most.

Are you ready to delve into the mystery and excitement of the Gothic tale? Let's open the portal the old mansion. Can you hear the hinges squeal? Duck under the cobwebs, and mind that trap door under your feet. Take a few steps on the threadbare crimson carpet while I light a candle to show you the way.

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Writing Vivid Dialogue: Professional Techniques for Fiction Authors (Writer's Craft) Jan 4, 2016

by Rayne Hall

( 195 )

$4.99

Do you want to write fast-paced, exciting, sizzling dialogue?

This book reveals professional dialogue techniques to characterise the speaker, carry the plot forward and entertain your readers.

This is not a beginner's guide. I assume that you have mastered the basics of fiction writing, and don't need an explanation of what dialogue is and why it matters for your story. But your dialogue isn't yet as strong as your story deserves. Perhaps it drags, perhaps the characters all sound the same, and perhaps it lacks tension, wit or sparkle.

I'll offer you a toolbox filled with techniques. These are not 'rules' every writer must follow, but tricks you can try. Pick, mix and match them to suit your characters and your story.

Some of these tools work for all kinds of dialogue, others solve specific problems—how to create male and female voices, how to present foreign languages and accents, how to present historical dialogue and flirtatious banter, how to write dialogue for alpha characters, for children and for liars.

I suggest you read once through the whole book to discover the tools in this kit, then return to the specific chapters which address the challenges of your current project.

You can apply the techniques to write new dialogue scenes, or to revise sections you've already written. When revising, you may want to compare the 'before' and 'after' versions. You'll be amazed how your dialogue scenes come to life.

I won't weigh this book down with literary theory. Sometimes I'll use examples—mostly from my own books, for copyright reasons—but in essence, this is about your writing, your stories, your dialogue.

If you like you can use this book as an advanced dialogue writing course, working your way through each chapter, doing the exercises in the chapter and the assignments at the end of each chapter. Or you can simply read the whole book to get a feel for what's in it, then choose the techniques you want to study and apply for the chapter you want to write or revise.

Download the free sample to try out how this book can help make your dialogue sparkle.

(British English grammar and spelling.)

Other Formats: Paperback

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Writing Vivid Settings: Professional Techniques for Fiction Authors (Writer's Craft Book 10) Dec 27, 2014

by Rayne Hall

( 246 )

$4.99

Do you want your readers to feel like they're really there—in the place where the story happens?

Whether you want to enrich stark prose with atmospheric detail, add vibrancy to a dull piece or curb waffling descriptions, this guide can help. Learn how to make your settings intense, realistic, and intriguing.

This is the tenth book in Rayne Hall's acclaimed Writer's Craft series.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Writing Deep Point Of View: Professional Techniques for Fiction Authors (Writer's Craft) Oct 21, 2015

by Rayne Hall

( 177 )

$4.99

Do you want to give the readers such a vivid experience that they feel the events of the story are real and they're right there? Do you want them to forget their own world and worries, and live in the main character's head and heart?

The magic wand for achieving this is Deep Point of View.

Readers love it, because it gives them the thrill of becoming a different person. The reader doesn't just read a story about a gladiator in the arena, an heiress in a Scottish castle, an explorer in the jungle, a courtesan in Renaissance Venice—she becomes that gladiator, heiress, explorer, courtesan.

Deep Point of View hooks readers from the start. After perusing the sample, he'll click 'buy now' because he simply must read on, and when he's reached the last page, he's grown addicted to the character, doesn't want the story to end, and buys the next book in the series at once.

A reader who has been in the grip of Deep Point of View may find other books dull and shallow. Who wants to read about a pirate, when you can be a pirate yourself? Immersed in Deep PoV, the reader enjoys the full thrills of the adventure from the safety of her armchair.

In this book, I'll reveal the powerful techniques employed by bestselling authors, and I'll show you how to apply them to rivet your readers. I'll start with the basics of Point of View—if you're already familiar with the concept, you can treat them as a refresher—and then guide you to advanced strategies for taking your reader deep.

This is not a beginners' book. It assumes that you have mastered the basics of the writer's craft and know how to create compelling fictional characters. If you like, you can use this book as a self-study class, approaching each chapter as a lesson and completing the assignments at the end of each session.

Now let's explore how you can lead your readers deep into your story.

(This is the 2019 edition with improved formatting.)

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Writing and Publishing a Book Series: Success Strategies for Authors (Writer's Craft) Sep 3, 2022

by Rayne Hall, Nicholas Rossis

$0.99

Boost your books' potential by creating a series that readers recognise and love.

The Word-Loss Diet: Professional Self-Editing Techniques for Authors (Writer's Craft Book 4) Jan 8, 2014

by Rayne Hall

( 184 )

$2.99

Tighten and tone your writing style, and use simple revision tricks to slim down your manuscript. Shed thousands of words without changing the plot.

Strip away the word fat and reveal the muscle of your unique author voice.

This book is short, but potent.

It is perfect for
- self-editing before you submit your book to agents and publishers, or before self-publishing
- understanding why your stories get rejected, or why so few readers buy your book after downloading the sample chapters
- taking your writing craft skills to the next level
- polishing your writing style for the move from amateur to professional

The book is based on Rayne Hall's popular class of the same title which has helped many writers shed word weight and develop a leaner, stronger writing style. Some authors say the class was the best investment they ever made. Now you can study the techniques in book form at your own pace.

Please note: This book assumes that you have some fiction writing experience. You'll benefit most if you've already mastered the basics of the craft and want to learn specialist techniques. It is not recommend for absolute beginners.

Other Formats: Paperback

Writing Vivid Emotions: Professional Techniques for Fiction Authors (Writer's Craft) Feb 20, 2017

by Rayne Hall

( 133 )

$4.99

Do you want your characters to feel such strong emotions that the readers' scalps prickle, their mouths go dry and their hearts thud like they're sharing the experience?

Do you want to convey fear or happiness in ways that make the readers feel heat radiating through their chest or cold sweat trickling down their spine rather than the tired 'he was afraid' or 'she felt happy'?

Step by step, you'll learn how to express feelings through body language, dialogue, thought, similes, visceral sensations and mood-rich descriptions. The book also guides you through layering emotions and varying their intensity. It shows you how to subtly reveal a character's secret or suppressed emotions.

The book also flags mistakes to avoid and reveals tricks used by professional authors. At the end of each chapter, you'll find assignments. If you like, you can use this book as an advanced fiction-writing course.

Please note: This book is not suitable for absolute beginners. It assumes that you have mastered the basics of your craft and know how to create characters and write dialogue and are ready to to take your craft skills to the next level.

British English.

Other Formats: Paperback

Writing About Villains: How to Create Compelling Dark Characters for Your Fiction (Writer's Craft Book 5) Jan 7, 2014

by Rayne Hall

( 108 )

$4.99

Create fiends whom your readers will love to hate and can never forget.

Forget the cardboard evil-doers with their evil laughter and stinking breath. Your villains will have personality, ideals, feelings and conflicts. They will challenge your heroes, chill your readers, and give your novel excitement and depth.

This book is part of the Writer's Craft Series: Writing Fight Scenes, Writing Scary Scenes, The Word-Loss Diet, Writing About Villains, and more.

Please note: This book assumes that you have some fiction writing experience. You'll benefit most if you've already mastered the basics of the craft and want to learn specialist techniques. It is not recommend for absolute beginners.

British English.

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Writing Love Scenes: Professional Techniques for Fiction Authors (Writer's Craft) Mar 30, 2018

by Rayne Hall, Susanne McCarthy

( 74 )

$4.99

Learn to write love scenes like a a pro.

Two professional authors show step-by-step how to create conflict, depth and intensity, and craft a heart-warming or harrowing scene that readers will never forget.

This book shows you step-by-step how to to write about
- the first meeting
- the first kiss
- characters in disguise
- confessing a secret
- relationship conflicts
- breaking up
- marriage proposals
and much more.

Do you want to write 'clean' or 'steamy' love scenes? The choice is yours. This guide shows techniques for
- keeping your characters and your writing chaste
- implying intimacy without showing it
- creating erotic tension without sexual action
- seducing the reader with explicit sex.

Whatever genre you write, you'll find useful advice for your story:
- gay love scenes
- lovers belonging to different cultures
- love between members of different species
- love scenes involving several characters.

'Writing Love Scenes' is intended for intermediate and advanced-level writers and want to learn specialist skills. It is not recommended for absolute beginners.

About the authors:

Susanne McCarthy is an experienced romance novelist.

Rayne Hall is a professional fantasy and horror author, editor of the Ten Tales speculative fiction anthologies, and creator of the Writer's Craft series.

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Writing Vivid Characters: Professional Techniques for Fiction Authors (Writer's Craft) Jul 30, 2016

by Rayne Hall

( 130 )

$4.99

Do you want to create compelling characters about whom the readers care deeply?

This book reveals professional techniques to invent individuals who are so real that your readers will love or hate, fear or root for them, and so fascinating that your readers will remember them forever.

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

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