March 28th, 2010
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Twisting the ending of a story is like putting icing on a cake, a cherry on top of a sundae, or nuts in brownies. It is a writer's finale.
The reader won't see a good twisted ending coming. On occasion, even the writer doesn't know where the ending is going. If that is your case, you will have a lot of trouble twisting the ending.
First, find a natural ending. Now, decide on an alternate ending that will surprise the reader. Next, look for a common denominator between the endings. Then all at once steer the storyline in another direction.
One good twist is to take the reader back to the beginning scene of the story. This is the loop effect. Another good way to twist the ending… Continue reading Twist Your Endings
June 12th, 2009
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Most creative writers are so eager to sell their work that they don’t stop to consider what rights they are selling. The word “Rights” is an indicator of how the publisher can use your work. “Rights” has nothing whatever to do with what you are paid or the copyright of your work.
Editors will usually buy First North American Serial Rights (FNASR). After the buyer publishes the story one time in North America, the author once again retains the rights to it. When you’re offering these rights, place “Offering First North American Serial Rights” in the top left hand corner of the document.
One Time Serial Rights – If you are offering the rights for simultaneous submissions, put “One Time Serial Rights” in the top, left corner. This… Continue reading Beware of Selling Your Rights
June 12th, 2009
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All creative writers are bound to an invisible law of journalism. From the beginning of time, the same structure has been used. All of the great writers use it. But after this lesson, you will see that story structure is far more than the initial breakdown:
· Exposition – the beginning, what the story is about
· Conflict – conflict with man vs. man, man vs. nature, or man vs. internal conflict
· Climax
· Resolution
If you Google “story structure,” you will find variations of the story structure. You may see it it written a little differently, but it comes down to theme, conflict, conclusion. No matter how you word it, the basic answer is the same. All of these things must be present to make… Continue reading Short Story Structure - 13 Points You Don't Want to Miss
May 31st, 2009
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When you have finished reading this article, you will have a good idea on how to write believable dialogue and know when you can break the rules.
Using effective dialog is a main part of any story. Good dialog moves the story forward and makes characters come to life. Dialogue will engage your readers as you reveal your characters to them.
This definition comes by way of the Encarta World English Dictionary: “the words spoken by characters in a book… or a section of a work that contains spoken words.
Dialogue has several functions:
? To express through conversations what the reader must know so they can understand the character’s actions, motivations and thoughts.
To convey character that will reveal the lives of people in the story.
?… Continue reading Secrets of Writing Dialog
May 19th, 2009
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Three D characters are three-part beings. Just what does that mean? It means they will be like real humans, with twitches, procrastination, appointments, problems, a past, present, and future. Are they mentally handicapped? Will their mental state destroy their lives and that of others? This is what it takes to make believable characters.
Supporting roles can be 2-D. Their role will be a supporting one and the reader doesn’t need to know every detail about them. However, you need to mentally connect with them as well as you do your 3-D characters.
Do the following exercise just twice (3-D characters only), and that’s all it will take. From then on, it will be automatic impulse. Each story will have a good force (protagonist) vs. an opposing force (antagonist)… Continue reading Character Developing Secrets