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Not Mary Poppins
Let me set the scene for you. It’s an elementary school classroom in Cedar Rapids, Iowa sometime in the mid-1960s. Young Steve Southard is a student in second, third, or fourth grade. He has no idea...
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What? I’m Supposed to Learn Structure, Too?
Yes, you should know about short story structure to be successful in selling your tales. Luckily, it’s not difficult. To learn about structure, I mean. The actual writing of successful short stories...
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Figured out the plot for a story you’re going to write, have you? Got some rough character ideas in mind? You say the only problem is, you’re not great at fleshing out the personalities of your...
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Writing for Young Adults
Want to write stories for Young Adults? Hard to blame you. It’s a large market, and some authors have become successful in aiming for it. If you, like J. K. Rowling, happen to write a YA story that...
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Giving and Receiving…Critiques
‘Tis the season for giving and receiving, so I thought I’d discuss critiques of fiction manuscripts. Last time I did so, I said I’d let you know how to give and receive critiques. My experience is...
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Tightening the Screws
Today I’m discussing why and how writers increase conflict in their stories. Long-term fans of this site with keen memories will recall that I promised to get to this topic in a previous blog entry....
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Ay, Now the Plot Thickens
When George Villiers, the 2nd Duke of Buckingham wrote those words for his play “The Rehearsal” in 1663, I believe he had today’s blog post in mind. For, ay, I intend to discuss how to plot a story....
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When Your Protagonist Meets You
It saddens me to report that author Ann (A.C.) Crispin died a few days ago, on September 6. Before I discuss my connection with her, I should give you a brief bio. A.C. Crispin was a science fiction...
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Ex-Out Deus ex Machina
Strange term, that ‘Deus ex Machina.’ All it means is ‘the god from the machine’ and if your story’s got one, you probably don’t want it. Although the concept comes to us in its Latin wording, it dates...
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When Characters Wrest Control
Sometimes, while playing God, writers get surprised. Occasionally, while we’re creating our little worlds and our little people to inhabit them, one of those people doesn’t stay in the intended space....
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What Do Editors Want, Anyway?
Most beginning writers, especially those who’ve suffered a few rejections, wonder about the answer to this post’s subject question. What do editors want? I can’t pretend to speak for all editors. I’ve...
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