Four Types of World-Building
Whatever the genre, sub-genre or story type, the four types of world-building are key to credible and immersive tales. Every […]
how-to
Fantasy Tropes Readers May Hate
A while back, Book-tuber Merphy Napier presented thirteen fantasy tropes readers may hate; tropes so heinous, readers can’t just put
Weak Verbs and Passive Voice
The editing hell of Book One continues with weak verbs and passive voice. Bear in mind I have two lists
Heroes of their own Stories
It’s easy to forget that your side characters are the heroes of their own stories; that they have their own
Characters Outside their Fictional World
If you take your characters outside their fictional world, do they still function as compelling, relatable characters? Drop them into
Restoring a Deleted Scene
Editing is a strange process, especially when you find yourself restoring a deleted scene.
Hidden from the Reader’s View
A vital consideration in plotting your story: what is hidden from the reader’s view? Author and coach Susan deFreitas posed
Make Inciting Incidents Happen Sooner
Forget the old ‘rules:’ make inciting incidents happen sooner. The same conclusion I reached over a year ago came from
The Badly-Plotted Deus Ex
How many stories fall into the badly-plotted Deus Ex Machina ending? A miraculous resolution to a seemingly doom-laden ending, the
How to Escalate a Series
It’s a common writing challenge: how to escalate a series. How do you create a bigger ‘bang’ for books two,