Create Sentiment; Avoid Sentimentality
Flannery O’Connor says that sentimentality is a “distortion of sentiment.” That distortion can occur in one of two ways. Learn about those distortions and then avoid them through the 7 remedies presented here.
Dealing with Criticism and Rejections
Coping with criticism and rejection is key for writers. Having endured lots of critiques and rejections, I can share what mindset I’ve found successful in coping with the ups and downs of receiving critiques and rejections.
Approaching the Workshop
There are lots of problems with the default workshop approach. But that’s not to say that workshopping isn’t valuable. It is. And if the workshop members have the right attitude, it can be an incredibly helpful experience for all.
How to Create Story Momentum
A story with momentum makes me want to know what’s going to happen next, and makes me care about the characters, objectives, conflicts, and action.
3 Techniques for Creating Tension
Let’s talk reader engagement. A writer can create tension and hook readers through three situations: mystery, suspense, and dramatic irony.
10 Lessons from “Cat Person” on Character Interiority
Kristen Roupenian’s “Cat Person” handles character interiority masterfully. Here are 10 tips we can glean from the story.
Author, Narrator, Character
There is a distinction between author, narrator, and character.
The author creates the story.
The narrator tells the story.
The character lives the story.
These are three distinct entities, which exist on different planes.
12 Ways to Be an Invisible Writer
Once the author becomes visible, the enchantment of the story dissolves. The author is the creator of a story, but the author should never be a part of the story. The author is the man behind the curtain. Reveal the man behind the curtain and the Wizard of Oz narrative dies. What sorts of things reveal the author? Here are 12.
Novel Structure: An Aggregate Paradigm
I’m very much a believer that writers must find the methods that work best for them. But just as a musician must first understand something about the structure of music (rhythm, tempo, scales, etc.) to be able to invent and improvise, so, too, must a story writer have some understanding of the structure of story.
My previous article featured a list of novel structure resources. Having combed through that list, I found some common ground among the various paradigms I investigated. This post features a video in which I walk through the plot points I saw over and over again in my research.
A Compendium of Novel Structure Resources
I’ve done an exhaustive exploration of novel and story structure advice. Below, I’ve assembled what is more or less a bibliography. Consider this a list of resources more than the typical craft tip article. Bookmark this one and come back to it for future reads.