In both my reading and writing, I’ve always struggled with flashbacks. As a reader, I’ve trudged through my fair share of voluminous, interminable flashbacks, wondering when I’m getting back into present action, and quite honestly, at times feeling like I’m in a lecture hall while my professor/author data-dumps all he knows about a situation and/or […]

If like me, you write or enjoy reading action-based fiction, nothing can kill a passage like the over-use of “to-be.” Maybe Shakespare’s Hamlet did ask a critical question, and as a guiding principle for what follows, we’ll answer it with a qualified “not to be.” Passive voice and just being I’m not going to get […]

Who do I write for? We should always know our intended audience, I heard somewhere. But even if we intellectually know them, do we consistently and unequivocally write for their benefit? I’ll tell you my short answer and then expand. I write for my readers. I write for their enjoyment and, if I can manage […]

Have you ever read a book or story description that claims it is “character-driven”? What exactly does it mean for a character to drive a story’s plot? Is the author sitting at the keyboard while a bunch of unruly characters make him write this and that? Well, yes. No. It’s complicated. Maybe an example will […]

Should you write what you know? Have you frozen to a stop when facing a topic or story because you realize how little you know? Do you fear that writing only what you know will limit your writing? A recent blog post by a fellow writer caused me to consider these questions anew. You can […]

Whether you’re like me and don’t outline your stories or you outline them to the last detail, if you don’t know how your story ends, you have a lot of head-scratching coming. Lately not knowing how my story ends has bothered me a great deal. I think I have that great hook of a beginning, […]

Haven’t you heard? Agents are looking for writers with a strong voice. As I shop and submit my work through the usual wickets, I keep reading statements like that and have to wonder whether we’re hearing — and reading — voices in all the wrong places. Why do I say that? One simple statement guides […]