One of the tricky bits of being an artist is getting feedback and advice. In the beginning, fledgling artists need help finding their wings. It’s a common problem with novices in any field—not knowing what they don’t know and not knowing what to ask. Asking “How do you do it?” without adequate antecedent for that…
Category: Blog
Deep POV Lesson 9 – Establishing POV
At the beginning of a scene (or when you switch POV in as scene, which we’ll talk about tomorrow), you have to clearly establish whose POV the scene is in. If you don’t, your reader will slow down or stop reading to clarify who’s talking. It’s like when there’s a long dialogue exchange and the…
Are your beta readers too nice?
For the first time in forever I’m not writing crime fiction. It’s a “regular” non-genre novel (whatever that is). Mainstream, I suppose. I’ve had many beta readers reading big chunks as it comes together—and I cannot thank them enough. I’ve had some excellent feedback, and I’ve been making adjustments as things progress. And then came last…
Meet the IWOTY Finalist: Lori Johnson
For all that is good and holy in the world, what possessed you to become an author? I have always wanted to tell stories. I love seeing stories in all formats, whether novels, television, or movies. I minored in film at the University of Florida, so story has always been high on my list of…
Building Plot Complexity
For most readers, a satisfying plot is a fairly complex one. A single, relatively linear plot can be mildly entertaining, but usually not very memorable or satisfying. A story with not only twists and turns, but with sidetracks and subplots that all seem to somehow tie in, even loosely, give readers a much richer, deeper…