How to beat writer’s block (the fun way)
Writers are famously lazy, but years of writer’s block, well, that is too sour. I have heard people getting stuck in writer’s block for as long as eleven years, thank the animals (for once, please) they have a regular job. All right, you are here not for small talk, but to get a hand to [...]
What’s all this about word count?
Put A Love Story by Eric Segal beside War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and the argument does not stand. But I am not thinking about selling, for a change; I am thinking about determining the volume of your book accurately.
I read somewhere an easy way to do it. If you divide your book into [...]
Show, Don’t tell: Emotions and Expressions
From editors to fiction gurus we hear the same advice Show, Don’t Tell. Careful use of verbs instead of a truck-load of adjectives is what an experienced writer will say. I add that transforming emotions into expressions is one of the must-do jobs of every fiction writer. It is a simple trick if you know [...]
Tip on building fictional characters
When authors talk about their characters, they often say that the characters cut themselves off from the author and take a life of their own. Some say that the characters become independent to such an extent that they begin to manipulate the plot as well. It sounds weird, and I guess it is.
To people, it [...]
10 Handy Fiction Writing Resources
1. Here to Create
This page has the ‘I-wanted-it’ list of great resources for fiction writers. From character building, POV, dialogue, plot, conflict, story world, structure, ideas to everything writing related under the universal sun.
2. Fiction Factor
On this page, you will find good advice on various topics such as conflict, sub-plot, main plot, narrative, ending etc. [...]
List of best publishing websites
Book Market
This page has a list of 400+ book editors including editors of first novels with full address, phone number, fax, e-mail and website address.
Cader Books
On this page, you will answers to questions ranging from how to find an agent to how to write a good book proposal. The information provided is concise and well [...]
7 books that should be on every writer’s bookshelf
Seven books that have served writers for years, helping them refine their art. These concise powerhouses of information provide much needed advice on pre-writing, writing and post-writing. That is why they are a must on every writer’s bookshelf.
1. How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James. N. Frey
This popular book for fiction writing [...]
10 Best Resources For Creating Fictional Characters
1. Hollylisle.com
Holly Lisle is a full-time fiction writer with 32 published books. You would expect her to have excellent character building tips, and she doesn’t disappoint. Her advice.
2. Writing.com
The page has character building tips for different genres of fiction writing along with flat and round character creation, naming fictional characters and so on. [...]
Paralanguage
What is paralanguage? Is it a distant relative of paragliding? Naaah. Paralanguage is the study of non verbal language that reveals itself through nonsensical sounds that make sense to us such as aaah, un-huh, huh, pooh, hmm, yuhoo, tich etc; body language; facial expressions and environmental factors.
Now we come to the point. How can we [...]
Interior monologue revealed
Using interior monologue is great fun, and reading it too! You can almost hear the author saying ‘oh, how stupid’ or ‘the world is too much for me’ or ‘I can burn the whole civilization’. Of course, you can also hear the voice of your POV character.
Your fiction is who you are; and interior monologue [...]
Organizing your fiction
It’s the pretty word in fiction writing. After all, it washes away all the muddled thoughts out of your head. Pretty and working. Organizing your thoughts (never mind if you like your house all messed up) is something a fiction writer compulsively has to adopt in writing. You already know that, so let’s move onto [...]
Active & Passive Character Motivation
What motivates my characters? That is a question you will need to ask yourself before and during your writing. Yeah, it’s an important question. I’m in no mood to waste your time (sometimes I just might). Okay, what Motivation gives your fiction what the wind gives to the windmill: Action. Action is excitement, it thrills [...]
Character Sketch
Here is a list of what all you will need to include in your character sketch -
• Character name, age, gender
• Appearance
(Face, hair, weight, height, structure, features, skin color)
• Physical and personal strengths and weaknesses
(Body type, hair, eyes, facial features, dress, posture, movements, mannerisms, speech)
Breathing Story World – Novel Writing
Chipping walls of a house, brick floor, narrow streets, an old rug, leaking ceiling and a bed made of hay. These six objects fill up a vacant space in the mind to bring out the picture of a poor home. A carefully chosen collection of objects is a smart way to delineate your story world. [...]
Creating characters
Yossarian; David Copperfield; Stevens, the Butler; Scarlett O’Hara; Heathcliff; you remember them all. They don’t exist in real life, still you see them in your head as clearly as your neighbor. That’s queer, that’s magic. To create such magic, you need to know the tricks, the technique and then you can effortlessly pop out real [...]
