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Terry Brooks: Sometimes the Magic Works (After 20 Years)
I attended the Imaginarium Convention last weekend, and Terry Brooks was a special guest. In 2003, I bought his book Sometimes the Magic Works, his half memoir, half writing instruction book. I read it and learned a lot. Since then, I’ve read many of his fantasy novels. At the conference, I asked him to sign…
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Friday’s Findings: Where Are You With Your Writing Goals?
It’s hard to believe it’s June already. Where are you with your writing goals for this year? Fiction University: Choose the Setting for Your Short Story: Location, Weather, Atmosphere (janicehardy.com)provides guidance on selecting the right setting elements to enhance the overall impact of your short story. When to Use Semicolons: 4 Rules and Examples (reedsy.com)offers…
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Friday’s Findings: Do We Really Need Story Structure?
I just finished Stephen King’s On Writing. Once again. I’m still flabbergasted that one of the best-selling authors in American history doesn’t endorse story structure. And I also just listened to a fiction writing seminar with Lisa Cron. In it, she reiterated what she says in her book, Story Genius, to begin with the story.…
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Friday’s Findings: Plot and Story
I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the concepts of the difference between plot and story. The simplest, bare-bones definitions is this: plot is what happens on the surface and story is what happens on the inside. Plot is the physical action and events. Story is the internal thoughts, themes and conflicts of the…
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Friday’s Findings: Can AI Write a Novel?
Apparently, Artificial Intelligence can write a novel. The question is: can AI write a good novel? To me, good novels require human emotions. Characters need to make decisions in their fictional exploits. And decisions, even those based on just the facts, require emotions to be made. Can AI make decisions as complex as humans? Can…
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Friday’s Findings: The Perfect Story?
This week, I came across some articles that go over the basics of fiction: story elements, types of characters and the three act story structure. I also came across Writer’s Digest’s 50 best websites for writers in 2023. Elements of Fiction: A Quick Guide to Writing the Perfect Story – Kotobee Blog A refresher on…
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Reading Like a Writer: The Questions to Ask
I’ve had a desire to really break down the novels I read. I want to understand what the author did to make their story work. Or not work. The goal: learn to be a better writer through my reading. I consulted several articles on reading as a writer, and I distillated some questions to ask…
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Friday’s Findings: Vision Boards and Facial Cues
My Seven writing rules – JMJ Williamson Not so much ‘rules’ as they are ‘preferences.’ How to Write a Good Villain: 6 Scenes Your Story Needs (thewritepractice.com) Some good suggestions for scenes to make your antagonist more real to the reader. Fiction University: Give Your Story Meaning with Inner Conflict and Theme (janicehardy.com) Some good…
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Put Butt in Chair to Find Your Voice
Last year I took an online course with Writing Mastery Academy called Crafting Dynamic Characters. The instructor was Mary Kole, an editor. One thing I’ve realized with Writing Mastery Academy courses is that they always end up being way more than I expected. The same can be said about Crafting Dynamic Characters. I thought it…
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