There are few things in life quite like being told that something you’ve poured your heart into isn’t good enough. It hurts, of course, like a sharp sting or a festering wound, but honest criticism can be the only way to see the flaws that were hidden in our blind spots. If we want to… Continue reading Handling Criticism
Category: Writing
Writing advice and other writing-related topics
What’s Taking So Long? A Novel Update
Those who read the last post related to my novel-in-progress may remember that I had a “nearly completed rewrite” as of last December. Some of you, possibly, are wondering what happened with that. Others, if I may be so fortunate, might be newcomers curious about when they can expect to see the published version of… Continue reading What’s Taking So Long? A Novel Update
The Writing of Fahrenheit 451
One of the things that most impressed me on my reread of this book was the quality of the writing. More than the plot, the premise, the passages explaining how the dystopia came to be, it was the simple beauty and originality of the sentences that kept me reading on. I’m not usually one to… Continue reading The Writing of Fahrenheit 451
Third Person Omniscient and Head Hopping
Third person omniscient is a point of view that allows the author to provide a window into the thoughts and feelings of any character at any time, which can be an exceedingly powerful tool. Many writers, however, struggle to pull off these moves from one character’s head into another. In third person limited, every time… Continue reading Third Person Omniscient and Head Hopping
“Show, Don’t Tell”… in Third Person Omniscient?
One of the most difficult things to grasp for writers used to writing in third person limited is how to make effective use of the narrator when writing in third person omniscient. This isn’t helped by the fact that many of the “rules” I’ve heard or have had repeated to me seem to have been… Continue reading “Show, Don’t Tell”… in Third Person Omniscient?
30 Books in Third Person Omniscient
As a writer, one thing that helps me improve my craft is reading books that use a technique I’m trying to master. Reading a how-to-write book teaches you the theory, but I find that delving into how the professionals have done it both solidifies the knowledge and details examples for handling specific cases the how-to… Continue reading 30 Books in Third Person Omniscient
So… How’s that Novel Coming?
The question in the title is one I have been asked countless times as an aspiring writer. It started out in junior high, when I was turning a former short story into my first ever novel. Of course I’d told my friends all about it with excitement, and of course I’d completely underestimated how much… Continue reading So… How’s that Novel Coming?
How I Published Key Lime
I was co-president of my university’s writing club by default. When I joined during my freshman year, there were two people running it. When that year was up, they graduated, leaving a void. I, being consistent to a fault, was one of the few who’d hardly ever missed a meeting, and, what’s more important, I… Continue reading How I Published Key Lime
Novel Openings in Third Person Omniscient
As someone writing a novel in the third person omniscient point of view, I’ve gotten some conflicting advice about the best way to “hook” the reader. Tales are told of agents rejecting based on the first sentence. The first paragraph, everybody seems to say, is crucial. But most of the so-called rules I’ve seen for… Continue reading Novel Openings in Third Person Omniscient
How to Create a New Character Sketch Template for Scrivener
The default character sketch template in Scrivener for Windows works well enough if you want to track a few key details about the characters in your novel. It can also be edited to add more information or take it away. But have you ever wanted to just start from scratch and create a brand-new template… Continue reading How to Create a New Character Sketch Template for Scrivener
Shannon Fallon 