This article, from Laura Backes, originally appeared in the February 2010 issue of the Children’s Book Insider newsletter and is reprinted here in its entirety with the CBI’s permission. While the CBI newsletter is primarily aimed at authors of children’s books, the advice given here is applicable to any work of fiction. If you’re writing a…
Category: Writing Tips
Similes and Metaphors
A SIMILE is a figure of speech where X is compared to Y , using the words AS or LIKE . For example: “My love’s LIKE a red, red rose.” “He was AS cold AS ice.” A METAPHOR is a figure of speech where X is compared to Y, and where X is said TO…
Scene and Sequel in Romance
In the plotting and storyline process of writing, often times the term, ‘Scene and Sequel’ is brought into play. This is a very important aspect of the writing process, as the entire structure of your story rests on the way you compose each of these elements in your work. The scene and the sequel are…
Plot vs. Story
based on material originally published at cinemoose.com, author unknown One of the things that every writer needs to know is the difference between story and plot. It’s very easy to confuse the two and many people often do. So what is the difference between story and plot? To put it simply, “plot” is the sequence…
Great Openers
These favorite opening lines were originally collected by book clubs in New Zealand: Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered she had turned into the wrong person. Anne Tyler, Back When We Were Grownups Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last… Sena Jeter Naslund, Ahab’s Wife My mother…
Comprehensive Character Attribute Form
Developing Memorable Characters
45 Questions to Create Backstories How much about your characters do you really know? Small details might seem superfluous even irrelevant to the story you intend to write, but the smallest detail informs the bigger picture. The more you know about your characters, the better you’ll create believable characters who live and breathe on the…
Conflict: The Scene’s the Thing
By Alley Carter, author of the YA series The Gallagher Girls Are you a plotter or a seat-of-your-pantser? If you hang out around enough writers you’ll eventually hear that question. And it’s a pretty good one. Everyone has a different approach to plotting. Some people just sit down and start writing; some agonize for weeks or months…
Character Map
by Melanie This map is kind of the way I see all stories. At the bottom, you can identify characteristics, like the seven deadly sins, and a comparison to the seven heavenly virtues, or Gandhi’s list of sins, or whatever, so you are ready to compare and contrast. The mini circles on the edges can…
How Well Do You Know Your Character?
Fiction writers generally come in two kinds: those who are strong on plot, and those who are strong on characterization. Rarely is a writer brilliant at both. Thus, even if you excel at great story premises, foreshadowing, plot twists, and careful pacing, you may still receive rejections with critiques pointing to ‘two dimensional’ or stereotyped…