A common problem I see in contests or manuscripts I’m editing is that the narrative thread isn’t strong enough to pull us as readers through the story. Here are a few reasons why it fails. A series of events versus cause-and-effect events A plot is not just a series of events. That… Read More
conflict
Backstory: It’s not all bad when it’s done well.
I’m going to say something you probably haven’t heard in writing classes before. Backstory is absolutely necessary to your book. But if done badly, it can ruin your book and keep your readers from ever reading past the first few pages. What is backstory? Backstory is everything that has happened to your characters before they appear in your book. You… Read More
The Action/Reaction Sequence
Diana gave us a good overview last week about how reactions can be either physical or emotional. Good writing requires both, because it gets the reader in the character’s head and helps create that emotional bond that makes for the most excellent reading experience. Physical reactions are part of an Action/Reaction sequence. It’s important to get these in the right order… Read More