The five senses are the ministers of the soul.– Leonardo da Vinci By PJ Parrish When you enter someone’s house, what is the first thing you notice? The feng sui alignment of the furniture? The chatter of their chihuahuas? The … Continue reading →
by James Scott Bell @jamesscottbell We’ve had some good posts and comments about writing methods, grouped generally under the two broad headings of plotter/outliner and pantser. You can read the latest entries HERE and HERE. What I want to examine … Continue reading →
Jordan Dane @JordanDane When this blog posts, I will be JET LAGGED from my return trip to Italy. It will be my first full day back home, after a late flight on Wednesday. I hope to be coherent enough to … Continue reading →
by James Scott Bell @jamesscottbell Today’s first-page critique provides an opportunity to discuss the nuts and bolts of the basic unit of novel writing—the scene. Let’s have a look the opening and take up this crucial craft matter on … Continue reading →
by Larry Brooks Deeper than what, you might fairly ask? Perhaps, deeper than you’re thinking about them now. Because too often, newer writers (in particular) begin writing a scene without a clear intention for that scene. As a means of … Continue reading →
by Larry Brooks When teachers teach, even within the realm of art, the essence of the learning is based on some form of undeniable, unassailable truth. Otherwise, it’s just some guy’s notion of how things are done. Even finger-painting requires … Continue reading →
Religion in Mysteries, by Nancy J. Cohen, May 20, 2015 Humor in Mysteries by Nancy J. Cohen, April 8, 2015 Theme Through Intent by Nancy J. Cohen, January 28, 2015 Creating a Scene Outline for Your Novel, by Jodie Renner, … Continue reading →
James Scott Bell @jamesscottbell Back in November, TKZ commenter Dale Ivan Smith talked about a major challenge he faced. Here’s the key paragraph: The big challenge … is not taking forever on the pre-writing and outlining. How do you … Continue reading →
James Scott Bell@jamesscottbell May I pop some champagne? This past week marked the 10th anniversary of Plot & Structure (Writer’s Digest Books). I’m extremely gratified that the book has helped so many writers, because I needed such help when I … Continue reading →
Jordan Dane@JordanDane I’d been writing for awhile before I heard the term “layering.” It was a writer craft thing I was doing instinctively in my rolling edits, but I’d never heard it called something specific until I attended a writer’s … Continue reading →