Category: writing style
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She Narrowed Her Eyes: Emotions into Body Language
One thing I look for when writing a characters emotions is body language. How does anger translate in a person’s expression, posture and movement? How does shock? How should a writer transcribe what their characters feel into tangible body language? Let’s break it down. First, I want to thank author K. M. Weiland for introducing…
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No Character Is Perfect
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
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Friday’s Findings
A few weeks ago, I started to read a book by a self-published author. As I chugged through the first chapter of this science-fiction novel, I was getting into the story, but one thing was annoying me. The author had really overdone it with the exclamation marks. Now, I’m not saying never use an exclamation…
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Writing Advice Page Updated
Have you ever wished you knew more about writing short stories and novels? How to write realistic dialogue? How to create smooth prose? I’ve updated my writing advice page by collecting links to articles on fiction elements. Feel free to explore them to hone your writing craft through learning or reference. Topics include: Backstory Beats…
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Some Writing Tools
When I taught college English courses and creative writing classes, I came across a book by Roy Peter Clark called Free to Write: A Journalist Teaches Young Writers. It’s out of print now, but this book offered me a treasure trove of writing instruction for my college students. Recently, I found the infographic below and…
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Friday’s Findings
One of my former co-workers has more free time because he is quarantined at home. For the past few years, he has been telling me about the fantasy novel he’s been working no, but with his job and family, he hadn’t had much time to work on it. Now he’s been catching up on his…
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Writing Style Outcasts: Passive Voice
You may have heard using the passive voice is “incorrect.” In fiction writing, however, the passive voice can be used. It is not so much incorrect as “When is it appropriate?” Before discussing the answer to that question, I’d like to offer a brief review of the difference between passive voice and active voice. Sentences…
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Writing Style Outcasts: Telling
Geez, “telling” gets treated like like the weird kid at school, but it’s an important tool in the writing and editing process. Stop harassing it! You’ve all heard, “Show don’t tell.” The thing is, the writer is suppose to use both. Usually, I use telling at the beginning of the scene. If the reader needs…
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Writing Style Outcasts: Exclamation Marks
“An exclamation point is like laughing at your own jokes.” F. Scott Fitzgerald As the author of classics such as The Great Gatsby and This Side of Paradise has said in the above quote, the exclamation point is like that guy who utters stupid jokes and laughs at himself. Followed by that awkward silence. In…
Andrew M. Friday 