Three years ago, my photography instructor gave our class this assignment: spend a day taking pictures which, when put in the right order, tell a story. And coincidentally, the next Sunday I was set to attend my first Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field, where we were pitted against our decades-old rival, the Chicago…
You’re sick of hearing “Show, don’t tell.” Got it. But then you’re told to use vivid descriptions and detail-rich settings to enrich your story. So how do you describe the world your character inhabits without “telling” about it? This is a constant balancing act, whether you’re writing space operas, historical fiction, a beach-themed romance, or…
Ah, yes—punctuation: The writing tool that grammar Nazis love to wield and many writers want to wish away. Trends English punctuation rules have largely remained the same over recent centuries, although punctuation does go through significant trends. For instance, during the 1600s most English writers used semicolons every time they wanted the reader to pause…
Last month I shared my anxiety over my latest WIP, which was due at the end of February and not going well. The book had serious problems and I was struggling with what to do about them. I concluded the post by saying since I couldn’t throw away two-thirds of what I’d written and start…
Story One: A writer pal is an established mystery writer. Established, award-winning mystery writer. Established, award-winning, and hard-working mystery writer. She recently finished a new mystery with a new character. She invested lots and lots of time writing this book, based on a highly original character (and job function). My friend is having a very…