Writing Tips

The Villain Reveal: Three Different Approaches

September 11, 2017September 9, 2017Uncategorized, Writing Tips

A dark figure emerges from the shadows. In a raspy voice, he taunts the hero, having once again bested him. Stepping into the light, the figure thrusts back his hood, revealing the face of…

Sound familiar?

Every story of good vs. evil story needs a villain revelation scene; a sequence in which the great mastermind behind the evil plot is revealed for who he/she is. In many instances, this can be the critical moment of the story: the “hot point” of the climax in which the hero comes face to face with his/her nemesis. Being that this moment is so key to both the climax and the story as a whole, it is crucial that you are equipped with the right tools to bring the moment to a crashing crescendo, as a poorly written revelation can crash the story at its most critical point.

Of course, you should keep in mind that there are many different ways to construct a villain revelation scene. Choosing the right option is often half the battle. Here are three potential ways you can reveal the villain in your story:Continue reading

How Do I Make Dialogue Meaningful?

September 8, 2017September 8, 2017Uncategorized, Writing Tips

By Hyu-Wai Loucks

One of the most difficult aspects of writing a novel, or any narrative for that matter, is striking the delicate balance between dialogue and description. While insight into a character’s thoughts, emotions, and perceptions help shape the audience’s understanding of the character’s mind, dialogue aids readers in developing an accurate and full understanding of the character’s complete self. It offers an external glimpse into how a character moves, speaks, and reacts to the world surrounding them; dialogue is a character’s internal motives coming to life. Even so, it is difficult to develop a meaningful flow of speech which progresses the plot, rather than stagnating it.

Countless times while I have been writing, I will be immersed in the world of my own mind, putting down the situations being played out in my head by pen to paper, only later realizing that my dialogue loops in circles, or even worse, straying entirely from the point I am trying articulate.

How can I prevent this????

Thus, there are three necessary regulations dialogue must follow:Continue reading

What Conflict Really Means

August 14, 2017August 12, 2017Uncategorized, Writing Tips

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Ask any agent or editor to list the top three reasons manuscripts get rejected and you’ll find “not enough conflict” on that list. Conflict is at the core of every story, and without conflict, there is no story. It’s so vital, “conflict” and “story” are almost interchangeable when writers talk about it. It’s common to ask, “What’s your story about?” and have the author describe the conflict.

Which is part of the problem.

Since conflict covers such a wide range of storytelling, it isn’t always clear what people mean when they say “conflict.” Does it mean the plot of the story? The character arc? Does conflict mean the characters have to argue? Does it mean a physical battle? Does it mean soul-crushing angst or a mustached villain plotting against the hero at every turn?

No. Conflict fuels the plot and character arc, but they’re separate elements. You can have conflict without battles, without major angst, and without evil villains bent on world domination. Some of the best conflicts are those between characters who love each other deeply, but can’t agree on what to do about a problem.

I think the biggest reason writers struggle with conflict is that it’s not just one thing. Conflict is a one-two combo of a challenge faced and the struggle to overcome that challenge.

The conflict of the plot (the physical challenges faced to resolve the problem)
The conflict of the character (the mental challenges faced to resolve the problem)

These are the two sides of conflict and they appear in every story (and scene) in some fashion. Let’s look at each of them a little closer.Continue reading

Theme in Commercial Fiction

June 16, 2017June 15, 2017Uncategorized, Writing Tips

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Years ago I was stumped when I received an email from a middle school student. He was reading one of my books for a school assignment (this, in itself, was startling), and he was trying to figure out what the theme of the book was. I guess he decided to cut to the chase and just ask the author directly. Because surely the author would know.

But the book was simple crime fiction. Cozy crime fiction. Maybe this is why the student was having such trouble figuring it out. I hadn’t explored theme in the story other than the typical ‘good versus evil,’ or ‘the importance of justice’ of your typical mystery novel.

After that incident, I made more of a conscious effort to incorporate theme, very lightly, in my books. I didn’t want to hit the reader over the head with it and I still wanted to keep the lighter, comedic tone that I strive for in my cozies.Continue reading

Description: Letting Readers Fill in the Gaps

May 26, 2017May 21, 2017Uncategorized, Writing Tips

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I read a nice post by Nils Ödlund, “Don’t Show, Don’t Tell — How to Leave Room for the Reader’s Imagination ” on the Mythic Scribes blog.

As he says in the post: “…I’d like to explain why the reader’s mind is so strong: it’s because they put something of themselves into it. They use their own experiences, expectations, and associations to create the image, and this make it theirs. It becomes more personal; making it easier to understand and to believe in.”

Twice recently, I’ve been surprised by readers with compliments on my character descriptions.

One woman said, “I could see her perfectly. She was just like my Aunt May.”Continue reading