Write Like a Girl (or Guy)
Let's talk about sex, baby... How do you write characters of the opposite sex who don't sound like a man doing a poor imitation of a woman, or vice versa? What are the real differences in how we talk?
It's Made Of SCIENCE: Writing Characters That Are Smarter Than You
You might consider yourself intelligent, perhaps even enlightened, but nobody can know everything. How can you write characters that know more than you do?
Do or Dialect: 6 Tips for Building a Believable Voice
By Robbie Blair
Six tips on creating a sense of a character's voice and dialect without resorting to painful phonetic representations.
Storyville: Ten Ways to Avoid Cliches and Stereotypes
Ten tips to avoid clichés and stereotypes in your fiction.
Storyville: Dissecting "Fireflies"
In:
Analysis, Character, Dissection, Plot, POV, Research, Setting, Short Stories, Storyville, Structure
Dissecting my story, "Fireflies," I shine a light on my first attempt at magical realism — craft, process, and structure.
8 Ways to Flesh Out a Character
By Robbie Blair
Looking to develop a character? Here are eight ways you can create a fleshier concept for who your character is and what drives them.
10 Reasons Your Screenplay Sucks (and how to fix it)
In:
Character, Cliche, Dialogue, Grammar, INT/EXT, List, Plot, screenwriting, Syd Field, Top 10, Voice
What makes a reader hate a screenplay on sight? Here are 10 pet peeves - and fixes.
Writing Beyond the Good/Bad Character Dichotomy
Crafting unique characters is a delicate process. Here’s a few tips to help writers bring life and color to the people in their stories.
Storyville: Dynamic Settings
Setting is one of the most important aspects of your story; don't overlook it.
Storyville: Story Dissection - Maker of Flight
In:
Character, Character, Craft, editing, Plot, Plot, POV, POV, Setting, Setting, Short Stories, Storyville, Voice, Voice
Richard dissects another of his short stories, this time, the contest winning, "Maker of Flight."
Storyville: Narrative Hooks
In:
Character, Craft, Dialogue, Literary Devices, Narrative Hooks, Plot, POV, Setting, Storyville, Structure
Writing a great narrative hook isn't easy, but it's one way to grab your audience and never let them go.
Storyville: Writing About Sex
How do you write a good sex scene? By utilizing the right language, all five senses, and empathetic characters, you can seduce the reader into living the moment.
Acting on the Fictional Stage: The Dramatic Method in Fiction
Harness The Dramatic Method For Character Action
An Unreliably Narrated Essay
By Joshua Mohr
In the reviews of my first two novels, the issue of the unreliable narrator has been mentioned often. Whether this is meant as criticism, compliment, or some tangle of the two, the following problem remains whenever this point is raised: I don’t believe in the unreliable narrator.
The Escaping Character
A unique, compelling character must always possess the ability to confront — and ultimately confuse — readers’ expectations at every turn.
Storyville: Writing Horror Stories
What does it take to write a terrifying story? Every tool in your writer's toolbelt.
Keeping it Real: A Rough Guide to Using Real People As Fictional Characters
By Cath Murphy
Ebeneezer Scrooge, Tintin and Alice in Wonderland are all said to be based on real people. Is using your boss or neighbor as a ready made character a stroke of genius, or a fast route to a lawsuit?
The Third Character: A (Very) Rough Guide to Settings
By Cath Murphy
In:
Agatha Christie, Character, Hilary Mantel, Setting, Stephen King, William Gibson, William Golding
Choosing the right setting for your fiction can be as tricky as giving a turtle a haircut. Here's my Rough Guide to what I think of as the 'third character'.
Storyville: Revealing Character
Here are some tips on how to reveal character through showing, not telling.
The Long & Winding Road: Part 1- Writing The Novel
The 1st in a series chronicling my experiences with my novel, including finding an agent and submitting to publishers. Part 1 details writing my novel and my first partial request from "ideal agent"
Storyville: Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
Where do you get your ideas? Turns out, you can get them just about anywhere. But the best stories tap into your personal experiences and emotional truths.
Writing Effective Dialogue
Writing authentic, compelling and engaging dialogue is one of the most vital yet misunderstood challenges of the writing process.
The Changing Character
Does a character have to “change” during the course of a story? Do they have to evolve? Or can they continue behaving the same as always, even at the end of the narrative?
