I think it’s time to talk about filter words. I feel that filter words are sneaky. I look around and see them everywhere. I wonder if they’re unnecessary, because they seem to clutter up our writing. I remember how easily they can slip into our writing yet how hard they can be to delete. Yes,…
Tag: pacing
What is literary fiction, and should I write it?
According to the Huffington Post, “In essence, the best genre fiction contains great writing, with the goal of telling a captivating story… Literary fiction is composed of the heart and soul of a writer’s being, and is experienced as an emotional journey through the symphony of words.” Well then. This explanation comes from Medium: “The…
Keep the Pages Turning with Mini Cliffhangers
What do you think of when you hear the word cliffhanger? Bombs dropping? Car chases? A character literally dangling from a cliff while hungry sharks circle the water below? Not all cliffhangers are so dramatic. They can be big or small, external or internal, over-the-top or subtle. They can apply to thrillers, literary fiction, and…
The Immediacy of Action
Writing an action sequence is a unique part of writing. All of the rest of writing—setting a scene, establishing a character, revealing an epiphany, etc.—are all different as well. But they are clear siblings of each other. Action stands apart from all the others as much as a raven sitting on a wire amidst blue…
Say, Mack, what’s your secret?
There is a restaurant in Manitou Springs, CO, Adam’s Mountain Café, that has the best chicken salad ever. Just plain ol’ chicken salad, but with its one or two secret ingredients—wow. Fantasy and sci-fi author David Farland tells a story about an author he met at a writers conference. She admitted to him that she felt…