Category Archives: Writing Tips

Today’s Writing Tip

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If your story becomes a series, remind your readers the fundamentals, such as what the characters look like and any important backstory information. This benefits not only those who read the earlier books sometime in the past, but helps those who start with a later episode.

As an author, your series is one continuous story, but it’s unlikely your readers will read all books in sequence, especially if they’re released at different times. You’ll want to draw them back into the story and plot as quickly as possible so they’re comfortably established. Also consider that your books may not be read in order. Thus, including a plot summary here and there or flashback to a previous story is essential; a prologue is another possibility.

You can find additional tips for writing a series here and here.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Remember to include scene transitions, especially when a significant amount of time has passed or the location has changed. Failing to  address such details first and foremost can stall readers, causing them to go back and reread what came before, wondering what they missed. As the author, you know exactly what’s happening, but a reader may not if you don’t provide sufficient information.

If in the previous conversation your characters were talking about going to the beach, then picking up the next scene at the beach isn’t a problem. However, if in the next scene they’re in a courthouse and you don’t establish that immediately, they’re going to have one of those “WTF?” moments that throw them out of the story. Do this too often and you’ll have frustrated readers who just might cross you off their favorite author list.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Avoid giving characters similar names, such as those starting with the same letter or sound, or names that rhyme. Using unique or unusual names makes them easier for readers to keep track of and more memorable as well.

For example, Shelley and Sherry; Allen and Andrew; Michelle and Rochelle; Allison and Madison; Jerry and Terry; Kelly and Kerry, etc. can cause confusion, especially if they’re minor characters who aren’t around for the entire story. Any time a reader has to stop and figure out who’s what it breaks the story flow.

On the other hand, unique names in and of themselves make a person stand out. Surnames are popular given names, so if you can’t think of anything else, you can always use your grandmother’s maiden name. My paternal grandmother’s surname was Jarry. Not bad for a character, unless you already have a Harry, a Barry, or a Larry. My other grandmother’s name was Gale. Another good option.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Not every character who strolls on scene in your story deserves a name, only those who contribute to the plot in some way. Consider that you encounter numerous nameless people every day, whether on your daily commute or even at work. In fiction, these often include incidental characters such as waiters, people in the elevator, some coworkers, etc. Describing their appearance for the sake of imagery, however, makes them seem real. This is when unusual or outstanding characteristics help them stand out and add to the story, even if they have no plot significance.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Know the difference between omniscient point of view and multiple points of view. Omniscient goes into everyone’s head in any given scene. Multiple viewpoints concentrate on one character at a time, but covers several throughout the course of the story.

Multiple is usually more effective for reader engagement. Your POV character should be able to tell a lot about what others are thinking by their actions, body language, and facial expressions, just like you do every day. Remember that verbal communication is a very small percentage of what a person projects. Such cues are often more effective for conveying emotion than dialog alone.

Today’s Writing Tip

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When you have a huge cast of characters, remind readers who the minor ones are from time to time so they can keep them straight. Placing them in a scene that fits their role sometimes will suffice.  Having a dramatis personae is also highly recommended. This is a list of the people in your story and who they are. In highly populated novels these are greatly appreciated by readers, especially those without steel-trap memories or who may take a little longer to finish a book.

If your book is published in both print and electronic form, make sure the character list is included in the e-book’s table of contents so readers can refer back to it more easily.

Today’s Writing Tip

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If you end a chapter or section with a flashback, be sure to close it out properly so you take the reader back to the present. Otherwise, they might be lost if the story returns to its normal time frame in the next scene. Remember that readers often stop reading at the end of a chapter or scene. By the time they pick up the story again, they may have forgotten what had just happened and, without a clear transition, wonder what they missed.

Today’s Writing Tip

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When you start a new chapter or section, if a significant amount of time has passed, be sure to tell the reader so s/he doesn’t think something was missed or lost. These breaks are intuitive indicators that something has shifted, unless it’s one of those chapters that ends with a cliff hanger. Assuming that’s not the case, if the change is dramatic, such as years have gone by or the viewpoint has shifted to another character, clue in your reader as quickly as possible. Remember that losing your readers doesn’t build suspense, only annoys them.

Today’s Writing Tip

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In traditional fiction publishing format, the first paragraph in a chapter or section is not indented, but flush with the margin. This helps set the stage, even subconsciously, that it’s not a direct continuation of the previous scene, but something new. This is particularly important in e-books, where extra spaces are often lost.

Book interior formatting is something that you seldom notice, unless there’s a problem. Which is as it should be. The last thing a reader needs is distractions. Rather, it should facilitate the flow of the story, indicating scene and viewpoint breaks in a smooth and intuitive manner.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Be familiar with the archetypal “Hero’s Journey”. It resonates with humanity and has been a literary vehicle for millennia. This pattern was identified by Joseph Campbell as a Monomyth in his book, “The Hero With A Thousand Faces.” This was later adapted by Christopher Vogler as the Twelve Stage Hero’s Journey.  The number of stages vary, usually between eight and twelve. Just Google it and you’ll find multiple references, including several different illustrations. As a writer, it’s something with which you should be familiar. Classic examples include “Lord of the Rings” and “Star Wars.”