You know you’re in good hands with a story (usually!) when the opening of the story starts with a suggestion of good genre conflict, you get just enough setting to feel like you’re smart for noticing subtle details (that the author has carefully designed for you to notice), and you get a sense of who …
Okay, so, weird thing about story openings: mostly, you won’t remember them. There are some famous story openings, but mostly what you’ll remember is the first scene with any real-time conflict in it. And that conflict won’t happen right away. Before the conflict comes the information needed to set up the rest of the story. …
What is the conflict? When a story starts introducing elements that directly affect the outcome of the story, that’s conflict. When characters fuss with small objects, make small talk, or think about backstory, that’s not conflict. The vital elements of character and setting are in place, and the “meat” of the story proceeds forward, leading …
Sorry, I got sidetracked and a) didn’t get the next Writing Craft post cleaned up, and b) ended up what was supposed to be a “short” guide to SEO for my co-editor, Jamie, for the Amazing Monster Tales #4: Into the Briny Deep release. The guide turned out okay! But it’s 2,000 words long and …
The SEO Post that ATE MY WRITING TIME. Ehhhh…I can’t even be mad. This will make an excellent post to optimize on my website at some point. But I sat down to make a ten-minute list, and ended up with a half-day project. What writers do to sell their books doesn’t involve a lot of …
Story openings = setting + point of view There are many ways to open a story! In general, though, you don’t want to start with the conflict of the story. Until the reader is invested in the story somewhat, they really won’t care about the actual conflict. Start with setting and character: Give a setting …
We will talk more later about points of view in Writing Craft, Volume 4: Keeping the Reader Trapped In Your Story. But I do need to address a few points about creating point of view characters, because they are vital to how you write setting! You can’t write setting without a point of view character …
I can’t deal with a long, extended process of coming up with characters for a story. I have to do make characters who feel fresh and interesting in the moment–if I have to plan ahead too much, I won’t want to spend time with the character. I don’t want to have to read a dossier …
I’m second-guessing myself: should I include more information on how to write reader check-ins or not? At first you have to think about writing reader check-ins. It doesn’t necessarily come naturally. You: “I just want to tell the story!” Reader (eventually): “It’s a great story but it’s not for me…” You: [Sobbing] It seems like …
(This section is about the type of setting that you’re probably used to, the place and time. I didn’t put it first; I put the “reality” and “rules” of the story first. But these two types of setting usually work together inseparably, so don’t hesitate to juggle as your particular story warrants!) What’s more important, …
Writing Craft Vol. 3: Where is the story set in place and time? Read More »