What makes the difference between a good novel and a great one? Simple: the editing. Seasoned fiction writers know that in order to reach a pinnacle of excellence with their writing, they have to be “brutal self-editors” (quoting Jerry Jenkins here). The problem is most writers, whether newbies or experienced, don’t have training on how […]
Today, I want to talk about learning how to trust yourself as a writer rather than relying too much on other people’s advice. This is a question I receive in one form or another quite frequently from writers, particularly the writers who are just starting out and are trying to find that balance of honoring […]
Podcast: Download (Duration: 32:46 — 45.0MB) Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More In this solo episode, I talk about my lessons learned from 13 years as a full-time author entrepreneur. You can read/listen to previous updates at TheCreativePenn.com/timeline. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today […]
After the Midpoint, your story heats up. The Second Half of the Second Act is where your plot really begins popping. Your main characters cap the dramatic event at the Midpoint with a decision that allows them to stop reacting and start acting. Almost always, this is born of a personal revelation, even if the […]
Halfway through the Second Act, something marvelous happens. There you are, minding your own business, toiling in the seemingly endless desert of the Second Act, when everything changes all over again. Legendary director Sam Peckinpah talked about how he always looked for a “centerpiece” on which to “hang” his story. That centerpiece is your Second […]
Nailing proper use of POV (point of view) is a challenge for many fiction writers. It seems easy, right? Whoever has the point of view in a scene is telling and showing the events unfolding. You can only be in one head per scene, the current “rule” goes. Back in the day (some decades ago), […]
Every segment of a story offers its own challenges, but perhaps none leaves more writers bewildered than the Second Act. At least beginnings and endings provide a checklist of things to accomplish. The middle of the story, on the other hand, is a yawning blank. You may feel like you’re entirely without a guide as […]
Editing’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. The best person, though, to edit a manuscript or article or blog post is the author herself. Sure, writers can—and should, when necessary—hire a professional copyeditor to go through and correct a manuscript before it is sent off to an agent or book designer in […]
Today, I want to talk about writing strong themes, because there’s a lot of misunderstanding around the concept of theme (which is why I wrote the book Writing Your Story’s Theme). When we think of theme, we often think of a one-word or short phrase aphorism. For example, maybe the theme of the story is […]
Post by DiAnn Mills. A reader experiences a suspenseful story when the writing leaves them excited, anxious, and turning pages. Time stands still. The world around the reader fades into obscurity. Devouring each word while sitting on the edge of their seats. Their beloved character faces danger and a high risk of failure. The reader’s […]
