As we step into a season filled with gratitude and gatherings, author Peyton H. Roberts invites us to pause and look a little deeper at the stories stitched into our everyday lives. In today’s guest post, she shares how one unforgettable Thanksgiving—marked not by turkey and pie, but by heartbreaking headlines from halfway around the […]
Creating Characters Nothing Like You: A Suspense Author’s Journey
At Scrivenings Press, we know one of the biggest challenges writers face is creating characters who are nothing like themselves. In this guest post, suspense author Heidi Glick shares her story of stepping outside her own experience to write authentic law enforcement characters. From hands-on research to reflecting on her own perspective, Heidi shows how […]
You’re Not Paid to Be Nice
Somewhere between “once upon a time” and “they lived happily ever after,” you’ll find conflict. Conflict keeps the story interesting. If a boy finds a lamp, rubs it, a genie pops out and grants him his heart’s desire, and the boy lives out the rest of his days in splendor and peace, well…it’s a nice […]
Show, Don’t Tell
For years, I operated a critique service and I still judge contests from time to time, so I see a lot of manuscripts from new novelists. Often, the story starts with a bang-a great passage of dialogue, an action sequence, an intriguing lead that grabs my attention-and I read on. Unfortunately, paragraph number two almost inevitably […]
The Great Backstory Dump
For years, I operated a critique service and I still judge contests from time to time, so I see a lot of manuscripts from new novelists. Often, the story starts with a bang–a great passage of dialogue, an action sequence, an intriguing lead that grabs my attention–and I read on. Unfortunately, paragraph number two almost inevitably […]
Ready, Set, Action!
Recently one of the writers’ e-mail loops I receive conducted a lively discussion about the “was” word. Today’s novelists hear “avoid passive voice” repeatedly from critique partners, editors, friends, and probably even strangers on the streets. Is passive voice evil? Is the “was” word a sin? Are its friends evil companions (is, are, were, be, […]
Cut Clichés
One way to perk up our prose is to incorporate various stylistic devices. Another way is to revise or even cut words or phrases that can better be said in another way. Clichés are one such thing we can revise. Remember, our purpose as novelists is to give our readers an emotional experience. Since clichés […]
Avoid Backing In
I gave my daughter’s friend a ride home once. We drove for several miles along a road that could almost be described as a pig trail. One narrow lane, deep ditches on either side, more dirt than gravel. Her home was perched on top of a low ridge. As we neared her driveway, she said, […]
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