Shall We Begin? Aristotle & Beginnings
The beginning, commonly called the setup, is the initial action of the situation, presented to us as a problem to be solved. The beginning defines your characters and the wants…[...]
Mood and Atmosphere
Stories without mood and atmosphere have an incomplete feeling. They need substance and fleshing out. The dialogue has nothing physical to play against. The characters have no arena in which…[...]
NaNoWriMo: Day Ten Update – Ugh, What Am I Doing?
My NaNoWriMo Advice for Success! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uepFO4psgKE] So.... How's That NoWriNaMo Thing Going? ...Rassinfrassinmuffinlovin... mumblegrumblebumblefumble... Do you have people in your life who think that writing a novel is just…[...]
#RoE: In the Garden of the Lady Rathtyen
Note: this is an adapted excerpt from The Romance of Eowain, a forthcoming full-length fantasy adventure novel. Come check out this and all the great books in the Matter of…[...]
Characters and Multiple Viewpoint
What is Multiple Viewpoint? Multiple point-of-view is the literary technique of presenting a story from the points of view of two or more characters relevant to the story. It's not…[...]
#13WeekNovel Writing Challenge: Week Seven – The Decision
Ok, welcome back. Congratulations! This week, you've reached the top of the mountain. It's all downhill from here. Take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back. You've already…[...]
Imagining a World
The first step in the writing process is to simply imagine the world of your story. When you attempt to plot out your story, you may find yourself just writing…[...]
Conflict: The Nuts and Bolts of Drama
Drama is not simply "a series of unfortunate events." Drama heightens interest and charges the atmosphere. It's a shock, unexpected, unnerving. Drama is uncanny, what Freud described as unheimliche, "un-home-like,"…[...]