Fiction Writing: Dialogue Part 3 – That’s What She Said
We’ve already talked about writing authentic dialogue and making sure the pacing works, but it doesn’t matter how well you write your dialogue if the reader doesn’t know who’s talking. Your dialogue needs one of two kinds of tags: conventional or action. Conventional Dialogue Tags There are three generally accepted [...]
Author Interview: Normandie Fischer
There's no right way to learn to write a novel. Normandie Fischer discovered that when she learned to write fiction. What works for one author won't always work for another, but just in case you're curious, here's what's worked for her. What genre do you write? How did you pick [...]
Book Review: You’ll Think of Me by Robin Lee Hatcher
Brooklyn Myers escaped her broken home and unloving father by eloping to Reno at the age of 17, but her husband abandoned her as well (when she was pregnant!). Brooklyn raised her daughter Alycia on her own, doing her best to make sure Alycia never knew the heartache and rejection Brooklyn [...]
Fiction Writing: Dialogue Part 2 – Pacing
Do you know many people who speak with this type of evenly-spaced monotone? Probably not many (which is what makes this scene so funny). The truth is, people speak in different tones, volumes, and speeds depending on their personalities and situations. When writing dialogue, you need to know how to [...]
9 Quick Fixes for Writing Contest Entries
I love judging fiction writing contests. It’s not because I enjoy pointing out other people’s mistakes, but because I enjoy reading the worlds others have created, and I want to help them identify their weaknesses so they can improve their stories. The first time I judged, I expected synopses and [...]