Among the biggest mistakes novice writers of nonfiction books make is not adequately researching their material. The result is that they often misstate facts, don’t provide the evidence to back the…
“Writing is not apart from living. Writing is a kind of double living.” – Catherine Drinker Bowen“There is nothing harder to estimate than a writer’s time, nothing harder to keep t…
Sometimes rather than finding a truly evocative term, writers get lazy and use pushbutton words. Pushbutton words attempt to evoke an emotional response from readers without appealing to their…
Writers often are told that they need to show rather than tell. There are times, however, when the writer must tell, that is they must use exposition. A scene that is dramatic (which means it shows…
Readers love to learn about the authors of their favorite books. You can help foster that love – and in doing so get them to purchase your next book – by including a page on your website …
Give Readers Sleepless Nights with Narrative Drive
Ever read story before bed and find it so gripping that you stay up far later than you should just to find out what is going to happen? If so, you’ve been a “victim” of narrative drive.Narrati…
One way for an author to slow a story is to employ “countersinking.” A term coined by science fiction writer Lewis Shiner, countersinking involves making explicit the very actions that the story im…
Despite the mantra of “show don’t tell,” sometimes when telling a story, you’ll need to use exposition. A good example of this is when one character must catch up another on what has occurred. Thou…
“Every great and original writer, in proportion as he is great or original, must himself create the taste by which he is to be relished.” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge“Style has always been …
Rob Bignell, Editor/Author
