fiction
Authors: do you have ‘too many writing ideas’ syndrome?
‘Too many writing ideas’ is a frequent issue. Several writers have been in touch about writing that grows out of control. One mentioned ‘the spiralling complexity of WIPs’ (beautifully said!); others mentioned ‘finishing projects without getting distracted by new ones’, and ‘digging yourself out of rabbit holes’. I suspect that these issues have a shared…
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Writing technique – how to use camera shots in fiction WIDE
Want to learn a powerful writing and editing technique for your fiction? Try using camera shots! Movie thinking can help focus your writing, improve your editing, and hone your visual imagination. Part 1 of this series covers the wide shot. This is an excerpt from Dramatic Techniques for Creative Writers (see below). Learn about wide…
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Writing style: 10 tips for writing authentic voices
When writing authentic character voices, how accurate do you make the dialogue? Especially with non-mainstream accents?! Blog reader B.V. Cooper sent this question in connection with the Southern US country accents in his non-fiction book. His characters are based on actual people with accent variations that include “poor grammar, incorrect pronunciation etc. Does this detract…
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Starting your creative writing MFA – 9 tips
For many a creative writing MFA and MA, it’s the start of the academic year, and writing students are about to get cracking with their studies. For 13 years, I taught on a university creative writing MA in the UK, and wanted to share some tips after working with hundreds of students on their writing.…
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Creative writing techniques that really work
Creative writing techniques are hard to pin down, as writers are all so different. But which are useful to the beginner? Here are 5 practical techniques that my creative writing students have found most helpful. 1. Beginning, middle, end This is a well-worn writing mantra, but what does it really mean? Every piece of writing…
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How to use objects in your fiction writing 1
Are you making the most of the physical objects in your fiction? Dramatic techniques used in scriptwriting often use objects to physicalise conflict, create tension, externalise emotions and relationships, and bring talky scenes to life. At the editing stage, they can also help to transform a lifeless scene. Read on to discover how pianos, trees…
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Writing technique – how to make fiction characters visible
Invisible fiction characters are great fun. From the Invisible Man to Bilbo Baggins to Harry Potter, characters who vanish from view are a much-loved touchstone of fantasy writing. But sometimes, fictional characters aren’t meant to be invisible. And yet the reader can’t see them. Some characters are unintentionally invisible, because the writer hasn’t made them clear…
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Writing technique – signposting issues in fiction
Signposting issues in writing are a common difference between work by beginning writers and that of expert self-editors. Often, new authors are so excited by their fiction world that they forget to paint clear pictures for the reader. Reader who get confused will drift away. Usually, this happens because the writer tries to cover too…
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Writing tips: make your fiction characters visible
Fiction characters need to be brought to life. But how? First, get the basics right – help readers to SEE your characters. Here are some tips on visual description and how to keep characters alive in the mind’s eye. In many fiction drafts, the characters don’t come to life and remain blurry or even invisible…
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Writing tips from improv theatre – offers and deadballs
Improv comedy has some great techniques for writers. Flow and momentum are crucial in improv, just as in writing. Here are some *gold* writing and editing tips taken from improv and drama. I’m so in awe of improv artists. It’s such a risky, pressurised performance, and you’re horribly exposed if things go wrong. I know…
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