Speech tags speak loude...

That should probably be “more loudly,” (assuming speech tags could speak) but I’ll stick with the well-known phrase even though it’s got some grammatical issues, anthropomorphizing aside. The Basics Speech tags. We’ve all seen them, even if we didn’t...

Character and Setting

We’ve talked a lot about developing layers for your characters, building the character arc and using supporting characters to increase the conflict in a story. Today I’ll discuss how setting can bring in yet another layer to your characters. Setting encompasses time period,...

Building Characters: Wh...

In a previous post I discussed the concept of starting out with a character with issues and how the plot action affects the character, creating the character arc. Character x Plot = Ending Let’s rewrite that a little bit Starting Character x Plot = Ending Character Today’s...

A fun and useful tool f...

I’m not sure who first told me about Write or Die, but I didn’t pay any attention to them. It took two or three other people mentioning it before I took a look at the website, and I have to say I’m very glad I did. [Time for a disclaimer: I am not associated in any way...

Writers’ Biggest Issues...

On the recent giveaway, I asked what each entrant considered his biggest problem. Here’s a list of the responses, no names attached. In the coming weeks I’ll write blog posts to cover these topics and hopefully offer some suggestions to overcome your challenges. If you...