Fiction Writing
Food Dictates Character by Brenda J Wood
Food Dictates Character What She Ate: six remarkable women and the food that tells their stories by Laura Shapiro (Penguin Random House Publishers) evoked all kinds of questions in my mind. The book describes the eating habits of Dorothy Wordsworth, Rosa Lewis, Eleanor Roosevelt, Eva Braun, Barbara Pym, and Helen Gurley Brown. Their eating habits… Read more »
The Power of Fiction by Tracy Krauss
While nonfiction is probably the most direct way of addressing issues of importance, my personal preference, for both reading and writing, uses fiction as the vehicle. Recently I read a book called Then She Was Born, written by Cristiano Gentili and translated into English by Lori Hetherington. I am often asked to review books,… Read more »
You Gotta Wind Up Where You Started From by Janice L. Dick
Beginnings and endings are the most important parts of our stories, besides the middles! Each part is essential. Take a look at I Corinthians 12:21ff, “. . . the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ ” Our stories would… Read more »
What Gerald Did Next by Brenda J. Wood
Ever read a mystery that left you flabbergasted? The murderer was not the suspect you had in mind. How did that happen? There wasn’t a clue—or at least not one you figured out. So how did the writer pull it off? Quite possibly they were surprised too.
A Three Act Sandwich by Tracy Krauss
Building a Sandwich You may be familiar with the good old sandwich analogy. Take two pieces of bread—the beginning of the story and the ending—and layer the rest of the ingredients in between. This is the basic three act structure that fits almost every kind of fiction, no matter if it’s a play, a short… Read more »
Middles by Janice L. Dick
Middles have a way of sagging. I’m talking about books, of course! (adapted from http://www.coloring.ws/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.coloring.ws/animals/horses/horse7.gif)
Combining the “Ps” by Tracy Krauss
The InScribe Blog on Writing would like to welcome our newest bloggers: Tracy Krauss and Violet Nesdoly. Enjoy the following post by Tracy on plotting vs. pantsing. Plotting vs. Pantsing There is much debate among authors over which works best. There is certainly merit to both methods. Plotting ensures continuity while pantsing keeps it fresh…. Read more »
Fiction 101: Research by Janice L. Dick
When I began writing, I came across this statement: “Write what you know.” Wise, but severely limiting if you’ve led a sheltered life. I reversed the adage to read, “Know what you write.” Even if I don’t know something from firsthand knowledge or experience, I can find out about it.
Fiction 101 (12) – Point of View by Janice L. Dick
Point of view can be a tricky subject. Basically, it refers to how we decide to relate our story, the perspective from which we see it. Which character(s) will communicate the story most effectively? Do we want to tell the story from one person’s perspective?
Effective Endings – Fiction 101 Part 1 by Janice L. Dick
Satisfaction Guaranteed! That’s our motto. We want to make sure that once we’ve shared with our readers the journey our characters have taken, we also grant them a satisfying ending. It doesn’t matter how great the story is; it must leave us content on some level by the time we turn the final page.