Onstage and Offstage Action in Fiction

Monday, December 31, 2007

On the stage or screen we witness most of the story, don't we? Occasionally, some action takes place offstage, and we learn of it through hearsay. For example, in Hamlet we don't witness what happens on Hamlet's voyage to England. But we do know that Claudius has arranged for his murder there. So, we see Hamlet reach the coast, thunder his great soliloquy, and embark. Then, back at the ranch….The

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The Business of Writing

Friday, December 28, 2007

Some thoughts on the business end of writing. But first a disclaimer: If you are getting business advice from me, you are in trouble!That said, here are a few things I learned and noticed. Note that, in college, I was one of those "helper types" (studying to be a teacher) who would have felt it beneath me to stoop to a mercenary course of study by taking any business classes. So, what I do know,

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Writing in Immediate Scene

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Via Bertram's Blog:It wasn’t bad, merely boring; it read like a synopsis rather than a fleshed out novel.Like a synopsis, eh? In other words, no immediate scene. I have finally given way to the belief that many would-be novelists just don't know what immediate scene is! They're faking it when they pretend they know what you're talking about.Nonetheless, you'd think they'd notice the glaring

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On Writing & the Price of 50-Pound Paper

Friday, December 21, 2007

I recently revisited one of the many writers' fora on the Net and was immediately reminded of why I quit doing so. I suppose there are some good ones out there, but I haven't run across any.In this case, right at the top I found the one billionth example of good advice going in one ear and out the other. The obtuseness of 99.9% of these people is amazing! It all bounces off their foreheads.How

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Distancing Characters in Fiction Writing

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Though you ordinarily want reader intimacy, sometimes it's best to keep the reader at arm's length — either from the story or from a character (even perhaps the protagonist) or both.For example, especially in the opening of a novel, you don't want to the reader to feel accosted by something off-putting that is too close for comfort. He hasn't been hooked yet and may put the book down. So, if the

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