I've now started work on rewriting the second chapter of my novel. The first chapter went better than I expected, so I feel like I have momentum behind me. My concern was having a strong opening to the story, something that would draw the reader in, get them interested, make them want to know more.… Continue reading And now the second chapter…
Talking about dialogue
Arguably one of the most difficult aspects of writing fiction is creating realistic dialogue. The problem lies in the fact that everyone speaks differently, with subtle nuances like slang, pronunciation, and accents. It’s easy enough to pick up on these things when you’re listening to someone speak. In writing, however, it’s difficult to convey those… Continue reading Talking about dialogue
Novel Update
I’m working on the second draft of my first novel and, well, I’m making progress. Slow progress, but progress. I’ve been working on the first chapter for about a week now, trying to get it just right. The first chapter is where the first impression is made and I want to make sure I pull… Continue reading Novel Update
A different kind of beast
I’m working on the second draft of my novel and I’m finding it…challenging. This is my first long-form story and it’s much different from the short story format. The first draft took a few months, but it went better than I expected. I created a rough outline of each chapter, a character list to keep… Continue reading A different kind of beast
Inspiration – Music
I’ve previously written about listening to music when writing, but for this post I want to write about music as inspiration. I think most people use music as background noise when going about their daily lives, or as a distraction when doing something boring – like driving to work, toiling away in the office cubicles,… Continue reading Inspiration – Music
Is Bad Fiction Good?
The consensus opinion is that in order to be a good fiction writer I must read well-written fiction. The idea is that I'm exposing myself to the best and should, in turn, absorb some positive influence from it, making me a better writer. Sure, I can see that to a degree, but does that mean… Continue reading Is Bad Fiction Good?
The Solitary Writer
I realize I'm showing my age with this post, but I feel the need to comment on how things have changed for writers. Previously, I wrote about how much easier it is now to find and submit to magazines and journals than it was twenty-five years ago. What occurred to me this past weekend was… Continue reading The Solitary Writer
The Cold Open
What’s more important, a strong first line or a strong first paragraph? I posed this question on Twitter the other day and received an amazing number of responses (and retweets). There were a variety of replies, but the consensus opinion was that a strong opening paragraph was more important. I agree, despite the fact that,… Continue reading The Cold Open
Writer’s Guilt
Confession time – I feel guilty when I have some free time and don’t spend it writing. It’s strange because I love to write, I need to write, but there are some moments when I simply want to unplug my brain and do something else. Usually, it’s something unproductive, like play a game on my… Continue reading Writer’s Guilt
Why I Write
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been writing stories and poems for as long as I can remember. I started in early childhood, inspired by song lyrics and the wide variety of books handed down to me by much older family members. As I grew older I began keeping a journal, writing down story ideas, exploring… Continue reading Why I Write