Why do we sometimes say that a person we know is “quite a character”? You know the type I'm talking about. This person is distinctive, amusing, mystical, humorous, larger than life, etc. In
Continue readingDetails make the difference. When I make a second, third, fourth, etc pass on my manuscripts, I'm always on the look out on how I can add details to add dimension. Details are what help to keep our characters
Continue readingWhat is plot? For some reason plot is not easily defined, and yet if plot is missing in a book or movie we know it. How? We find ourselves shaking our heads saying, “I don't get it,” and “What is
Continue readingIn the last tip, Tackling the First Draft, we talked about how putting words on the page is like making clay—creating malleable material that you can later sculpt through revisions. It's not important
Continue readingMAKING CLAY Now that you have the story idea, characters, and you've mapped out the major plot points, it's time to start writing that first draft. To use GINGERBREAD MAN as an example: the story is about
Continue readingCreative writing is a craft. And like any craft, we learn from others, experts and forerunners in our field. We get to ride on the backs of those who've gone before, who have succeeded, and who are willing
Continue reading