Recently, I picked up a YA novel set in a fictional version of the real city Fairy, Texas (how cool is that as a place to live?) and was amused to see that the heroine's name was Laney (which is basically what the L. in L. Jagi Lamplighter stands for. Actually, it stands for Lane,…
Beware, fair reader! Be not slain by the baneful sneer of Reader X, The Condemner of Covers! So who is Reader X? And why does he condemn books with less-than-professional-looking covers? If you would keep yourself—and your book—from so dire a fate, read on! I have a great many friends who are published by small…
I have been wanting to write about this for quite some time. Today seems like the day. It has come to my attention that there are two kinds of readers when it comes to reading about emotions. (There may be more, but I’ve only discovered two of them.) The first one, I shall call the…
Last week, we discussed the Payload Moment—the moment that lifts or deepens a given scene or character. This week, I promised to discuss how to do this. But first…a confession. In Gone With The Wind, the little slave girl Prissey declares boldly that she has helped women give birth many times. But when the moment…
Payload: Every scene/fight/sex scene should have some moment that moves the plot along or heightens awareness, drawing the reader into something greater. Villains should reveal something important during a fight, and romantic partners should learn more about each other or reveal secrets. Also, every character should have at least one paragraph/scene where they reveal…
Dickens' Trick: Using action in description: “There is not just a kettle on the fire, it is boiling over.” "Horses at the cab stands are steaming in the cold and stamping. When people enter a room they are sneezing or hiding something in their pockets." Hmm…this one is hard to write about because, while…
Hey, today an updated reprint of an article of mine is appearing on the Book Daily blog. Here is the beginning and a link: Mid-March, I will be sending my latest novel off the publisher. Whohoo! The Raven, the Elf, and Rachel, the second book in my Unexpected Enlightenment series—about an overly inquisitive British girl…
Yesterday, I came upon a post by the lovely Princess of YA Fantasy, Alethea Kontis. In it, she expressed perfectly a sentiment I myself agree with very strongly. She very kindly agreed to allow me to repost it. The Harsh Light of Day by Alethea Kontis I seem to be having a problem with reality. Mom and…
Recently, I added two new Writing Tips to my collection that I have been collecting for myself for years. The most recent one is: Princess Elodie in her Expression Robe Long Live Exposition – Use the Long Life the Queen system to evaluate where to put exposition. Last week, I had to move a large…
Today we have a special treat, a guest post from best-selling writer Michael J. Sullivan. I came upon Mr. Sullivan on another blog and was really impressed with his grasp of the writing market today and his elequent explanation of them. Here, again, Mr. Sullivan shares his insights with the rest of us. Why…