How to Use an Unreliable Narrator in Your Story
In general, even people who commit the worst crimes do not go around thinking of themselves as monsters; they justify their actions to themselves. In Lolita, Vladimir Nabakov signals Humbert Humbert’s unreliability to the reader in a number of ways such as his outrageous claims, his endless justifications for shocking acts and his contempt for others.
Sell More Books with Calls To Action at the End of Story
Putting calls to action in the back of your book is a form of passive marketing that will help you to sell more books. You only need to set up these calls to action once and you’re done–but they will continue working to help you to sell books.
Short Story Writing: 4 High Impact Tips
One of the most important ways to make a big impact in a short story is to write crisp, concise dialogue. Dialogue helps drive the plot and reveal information about the characters.
13 Tips for Writing a Dan Brown Page Turner
Here are 13 applicable observations Ellis Shuman has made, his deduction of the formula required to create a Dan Brown-like thriller that will captivate readers:
Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet for Novels
Snyder breaks down the three-act structure into manageable sections, each with a specific goal for the overall plot goal.
Write your book title in 10 minutes
We know better than to judge a book by its cover, but a title is our first reader hook. A great story with a ho-hum title may be overlooked and left unread.
Kill Writer’s Block Now: The Fast Track to Creativity Starts Here
Staring at a blank page? No me, my friend; I’m already off and writing this blog post, charmed by the prolific Charles Bukowski, “Writing about writer’s block is better than not writing at all.” (The Last Night of the Earth Poems) Garnering the wisdom of two of my favorite writing instructors, I’m here to solve your […]
Fiction Writing: Building Conflict to Discover What YOU Know
No plan, no map can ever foretell the revelation to be revealed on any journey. A committed outliner, every fiction story I’ve ever written has been prepared with (and in some cases, pre-empted by) a laboriously detailed outline spanning nearly 10,000 words. And yet, as faithful as I remain to my plan, the following words […]
A writer’s manifesto for 2012. Read this and get to work
Sometimes I like to pretend I’m writing “to” novelist Chuck Wendig. It helps me cut the crap when self-censorship creeps in. I love Wendig’s writing voice, and I just feel freer to speak my mind on the page when I’m in his literary presence. What you’re about to read was actually blogged by Chuck Wendig last April. Who cares? If […]
Sell More Books: Good Writing vs. Creating Urgency
Writing “well” should be good enough. Good enough to score an agent and a publishing contract. Good enough to entice a potential reader to move past page one, and keep reading, breaking only for food and the uncontrollable urge to refer your book to everyone with an inbox. Author and mighty story expert and deconstructrix […]
