Writing Tip: Balance Action and Reflection
Great stories must balance action and reflection. Action drives excitement, while reflection adds depth, and both are essential.
Writing Tip: Research… Even For Fiction!
Research is a key to authenticity. It allows us to create worlds that feel real, characters that feel like people we could know, and plots that make sense.
Feedback is Essential
While writing might start as a solitary pursuit, it’s the input, critique, and support from others that help shape our work into something truly remarkable.
Writing Tip: Symbolism
Whether you choose to make it something overt and explicitly stated, or you opt for a subtler approach, symbolism might be what takes your writing to the next level.
Writing Tip: Build Tension and Suspense
When readers are on the edge of their seats, emotionally invested in the outcome, they won’t want to stop turning pages. Tension does that.
Writing Tip: Polish Prose Like a Pro
We can always improve our craft, and prose is one of those areas where this improvement can be seen most clearly when we’ve been working on it consistently.
Writing Tip: Experiment with Style
Experimenting with different styles can breathe new life into our work, foster innovation, and ultimately elevate our craft.
Writing Tip: Keep It Tight
Why tight writing is important and some practical tips on how to achieve clarity and punch while avoiding the pitfalls of overwriting.
Writing Tip: Find Inspiration in Every Day Life
For writers, the ability to draw inspiration from the seemingly mundane aspects of everyday life is an invaluable one. It’s a constant source for creative content!
Writing Tip: Focus on Dialogue
The key to authentic dialogue is infusing our characters' conversations with nuance, subtext, purpose, and true-to-life interaction.
Writing Tip: Create Memorable Settings
A well-crafted setting becomes more than a backdrop; it’s an integral part of the narrative itself, often becoming its own character.
Writing Tip: 3 Tips For A Solid Revision Plan
I think a clear revision plan is a must when revising, whether it’s based on our own notes or an editorial letter from an agent or editor. Hopefully these tips will help!
Thoughts on Themes from WSD
Instead of approaching it as a broad idea like “identity,” it helps when I ask a specific question and use the story to explore more. I’ll expand on this, using my own manuscript as the example.
Writing Tip: Using Metaphors and Similes Effectively
By choosing appropriate comparisons, creating vivid imagery, and aligning metaphors and similes with the themes of our writing, we can elevate our prose to new heights.
Writing Tip: Be Intentional With Point of View (POV)
Being intentional with our choice of POV is crucial for crafting a story that resonates with our intended audience.
Writing Tip: Play With Perspective (Multi-POV)
Narrative perspective is a powerful tool that shapes the reader's experience. Playing with perspective and exploring various vantage points to tell a story offers unique insights and challenges.
Writing Tip: Write Powerful Openings
Take a look at those opening chapters. Are they doing the work they need to do in order to captivate and hook the reader?
Writing Tip: 5 Commandments of Scene and Beyond
Explore Gilbo’s 5 Commandments for Scene as well as 5 additional pieces of storytelling you can incorporate into every scene to really bring it to life.
Writing Tip: Create Consistency
When it comes to writing, the journey from inspiration to completion is often paved with the bricks of consistent habits.
Writing Tip: Show Don’t Tell
Show, Don't Tell is the transformative magic that turns words into immersive worlds.