Tag: writing

November 4, 2015

The Top Tool for Realism Is Imagery

It’s hard to talk about realistic writing without talking about imagery. What I said yesterday about realism related to research, experiences, and believability is true, but it was still framed in big ideas (almost more related to plotting: what situations or experiences will the reader believe are real?). Imagery is more about the small details of the experience, and it is one...

Categories General Thoughts & Updates/Literary Devices & Writing Techniques/Research & Worldbuilding Comments: 6

November 3, 2015

Researching for Realism

Yesterday’s Stephen King quote made me think about a post I wrote in September that probably made any realism writers reading it think I was nuts (or a hack). It was called “Writing Requires Research,” and it was about the minimum research needed to make a story work. My minimum probably sounded ridiculous to them. The best part about minimums,...

Categories General Thoughts & Updates/Research & Worldbuilding Comments: 2

October 29, 2015

When Complications Go Too Far: The Lazy Reader Issue

As I was getting distracted on Facebook instead of doing what I got on FB to do (again), I clicked on yet another post about Disney character remakes as this or that. It’s kind of old hat now, but I enjoy seeing them – if it doesn’t take too much time or energy. That’s the problem. See, as soon as...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/General Thoughts & Updates/Research & Worldbuilding Comments: 0

October 28, 2015

Gotta Catch ’em All – Not

Too often, we try to make our writing appeal to everyone. We cut something that might offend one group of readers even though it would probably amuse another. We add something to try to interest a third group. Adding and cutting like this can mangle a story so much that everything that used to be good about it is buried...

Categories General Thoughts & Updates/Humor & Wordplay/Writer Resources Comments: 0

October 27, 2015

The Mystery of the Meh Film: Nature Or Nurture?

I bet every one of you have a seen a movie or television show that was ok (with meh overtones) but could’ve been great if it’d had better writing. You know the ones I’m talking about – the shows that get brought up with an “if only” (either in a grumble or a sigh, possibly over alcohol). I can think...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/General Thoughts & Updates/Theatre & Film Comments: 0

October 25, 2015

Learning To Write Stories

I like to joke that I was writing stories before I knew how to write words. That usually gets me a “you’re weird” expression or a generally confused look, but it’s actually true. Even back when I was a toddler and hadn’t learned to write (or read) yet, I would make up stories. And since people had read books to...

Categories Creative Process/General Thoughts & Updates Comments: 0

October 19, 2015

Is Something Missing from Your Story?

Sometimes, I get about 50,000 words into a book and realize that I’m a bit too close to the ending. If I keep going straight through, I’m going to end up with more of a novella than a novel. That’s not necessarily bad, but it’s generally not what I’m trying to do. When this happens, it’s because I only wrote...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/Creative Process Comments: 0

October 16, 2015

A Big Problem for Playwrights

One of the biggest problems the modern playwright faces is the way we imagine and envision scenes. More and more of us have grown up with cartoons, television, and now the internet and computer games. We’re used to CGI and other technological tricks that allow characters to fly or scenes to change in an instant. So when we get great...

Categories Theatre & Film Comments: 0

October 7, 2015

I Must Be Doing Something Right: “Pixar’s Rules of Storytelling” by Readers+Writers Journal

As a writer, I often find that I am a strange combination of extreme arrogance and utter insecurity. One minute, I’m supremely confident in what I’ve written: the next, I’m supremely confident that it’s crap. That’s why it’s very reassuring to find out that a resource I admire agrees with what I’ve written (or, more likely, has said the same thing without ever...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/General Thoughts & Updates/Literary Devices & Writing Techniques Comments: 0

September 30, 2015

Recommended Reading: Evan Pickering’s “The Single Greatest Strength of Any Writer”

I guess today is a day to talk about the task of writing – what it is and what you need to succeed. I came across this great article by Evan Pickering, “The Single Greatest Strength of Any Writer.” It’s a good read. Yes, I usually nitpick at any “the one thing you need to be a _____,” but this isn’t...

Categories Creative Process/Grammar & Editing Comments: 2