Post 24 Character Development – Keeping notes. My first bit of advice about character development is simple – keep notes. Especially if you want to write a story laden with multiple characters it’s very important to strive for consistency in characterization. I know, I know… we’ve all read and seen stories where the coward suddenly…
Looking back over my old posts I realized I haven’t spent much time talking about characterization, having devoted only one post (#12) to it. Well, let’s change that. In many stories (especially genre stories) characterization is the ignored feature. How often have you read a review (for a book, a movie, or a tv series)…
The last don’t do I want to discuss for now is really simple – don’t steal plots. Every so often I come across a posted story that elicits a sense of déjà vu as I continue to read. Then it strikes me – this is just (put title of famous novel or movie here) rehashed…
Don’t forget to do your homework. Huh? Aren’t we talking about writing? Yes, we are, and by homework I mean research. Even fiction requires that you present the reader with a sense that you know what you are talking about. Small slips are common in writing, especially anachronisms. In Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar, Act II, Scene…
Well, it’s been a while since my last post, and to get started up again I just thought I’d mention a few things that I see writers do in their first novels that really are wrong. So let me start with this: Are you writing a novel or a screen play? Every so often I’ll…
Last time, I used ‘The Walking Dead’ as an example of consistency in world building, but ended with an implication that this may be changing. The main reason is the way they’ve skirted their “rule” that any character can die. The most egregious case is the character of Glenn. Now he’s a good character and…
If you write Science Fiction or Fantasy, a major part of your work will be the process of world building. You need to carefully set the stage on which your characters will live out their lives. The easy way to do this is to take the shortcut of not being very original (see my blog…
Still drowsy, sipping your morning coffee, you stumble toward your computer as you get ready for a new day. Checking your e-mail, you’re hoping for a note about your story. After all, you joined that writer’s site a few weeks ago and have dutifully read and reviewed a number of posts since then. Your eyes…
Everyone wants feedback on their work – or do they? That might sound like an odd question, but let me tell you a story. When I was in college I once did something really stupid (only once?) and was on the receiving end of some negative feedback from people in the group I hung out…
So here you are, staring at the complete first draft of your novel. What do you do with it? I’ve already told you not to send it to a publisher or post it on-line, so what’s left? Put it aside for a while. Work on something else. I know, this is really difficult to do.…