Is it enough for a writer to simply tell a good story? No. In the process of telling an entertaining story, a good writer, even if only implicitly, deals with important ethical, social, relational, or personal concerns. A good writer helps readers think about important things while they are being entertained. There is a long…
Tag: writing tips
Working with an Editor … by Mathiya Adams
I am very fortunate to have an editor with whom I have a great working relationship. I had first approached my editor when I was trying to publish a sword and sorcery fantasy book under another pen name. I had been following this editor’s blog (Tara Maya’s Tales on http://bestfantasynovel.com) for some time and thought…
Descriptive Power on Page One
By Karen Duvall Description often gets overlooked for the power it can have in a story. Some dismiss it as no big deal, just use the five senses and you’re good to go. Some avoid using it altogether because they think readers skip that part to get to the action. Some worry over excessive exposition…
Three Traits of Truly Fascinating Villains … by Bonnie Ramthun
When RMFW blog editor Pat Stoltey asked if I’d like to write a post I jumped at the chance. I enjoy these postings and learn a lot from them. Then the panic set in. What do I have to contribute? I looked at my current writing research and found an answer. I’ve recently been working…
Whack the Cliché
By Mark Stevens Is it possible to write a 100,000-word novel that is devoid of clichés? Completely scrubbed free of all tired descriptions, predictable scenes, over-used descriptions, seen-them-all-before characters? A panel* on clichés at Left Coast Crime last month in Portland sparked my thinking. First, check this out: The word cliché is drawn from the…