As a declared English major from day one, my running joke through four years of college was, “I’ve just always wanted to live in a box.” But of course, I still got offended when non-English majors laughed, because I believed it was as useful and applicable a major as anything else—and I wasn’t wrong! Sure,… Read more »
Think about the time you spend researching before the first word of your novel finds its place in chapter one. Sometimes, after adding up the hours I spent researching, I had actually spent more time pre-writing than the total writing hours of my completed manuscript. If you set your romance novel in an unfamiliar time… Read more »
Storytelling language can go by many names, especially when it comes to major plot points: point of no return, external and internal conflicts, stakes, etc. One of the most well-known terms defines a moment essential for every story. It comes at the very end of your middle act and pushes your Lead into a new… Read more »
Hello Readers! If you missed the first article of this three-part series, check it out right here. The romance genre is unique in that writers follow a set of plot points and deep characterization to deliver an enticing story with an emotionally satisfying, happily ever after (HEA) ending. Let’s talk about how that is accomplished…. Read more »
From Agatha Christie to Alfred Hitchcock, plot twists have long been used to amuse and amaze us. But they’ve become so pervasive in recent fiction—especially in crime, thriller, and mystery novels—that readers have come not just to expect plot twists, but tire of them. Indeed, many twists these days are predictable, poorly structured, or simply… Read more »
You have an idea for a story and you’re pretty sure this is an idea that would appeal to kids, be they tots or teens. But you haven’t been a kid yourself in . . . well, a long time. And if you don’t have kids yourself, or your kids aren’t the same age as… Read more »
Hi, I’m Tammy Lough, and I’m thrilled to be talking romance with you. Over my next three articles, we’re going to go over ten rules to help you craft a killer romance. Plant the soles of your Jimmy Choo’s on the floor and wiggle your backside. Let’s do the “Happy Dance.” Why? Keep this on… Read more »
The man-versus-X distinctions we were taught in school are pretty useless. In my experience, at least, knowing that an individual might struggle against nature or man or self or society does little to help me craft gripping scenes. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying conflict isn’t important. It’s absolutely essential. But giving broad labels… Read more »
I’m going to diverge a bit from the usual for the next couple of columns. As we approach the end of the year (where did 2018 go, and so fast?!) it’s the perfect time to consider something we may take for granted most of the time: our creative process. Right now, many—or some, at least—of… Read more »
Some may argue that fantasy offers the most wide-open landscape for storytelling. But with 5,000 years of recorded human history spanning many civilizations both extant and extinct, empires that have come and gone, innumerable people both famous and infamous, and seven continents (well, maybe Antarctica isn’t quite so rich a source), the worlds and characters… Read more »
