No matter your process, it’s crucial to nail the humanity of a character with their humanity and complexity on the page. And to nail their essence from the first breath in your story.
Declutttering sentences give Jessica Morrell the same thrill that Marie Kondo (author of "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up") experiences when she organizes sock drawers or attacks a kitchen's junk drawer. Continue reading to see Jessica's list of junk words.
Dialogue electrifies and ignites fiction. It brings characters and conflicts into focus, especially when characters argue, coerce, and threaten.
Click here to read and then access the handy WORD file that you can print out of the above points on compelling Writing Fiction and interesting Non-fiction. Part Two in Chanticleer's Writing Toolbox series on Developmental Editing.
While rules and techniques are not written in stone, most of the basic guidelines of fiction stem from logic and an understanding of dramatic structure. We've included a handy list that you can print for your writing toolbox.
Sometimes the antagonist isn’t as important as the protagonist; in some stories, the antagonist is a threat so potent that he/she shapes the trajectory and tone of the story. But let me clarify before we go further. Jessica
Plan for overall tone and mood from the get-go: ATMOSPHERE says, Jessica Morrell. She has been giving a lot of thought to why certain novels are bestsellers, what works and what doesn’t quite work. Click here to find out about her findings and to read her insightful writing advice.
Jessica Morrell reads, analyzes author techniques, and builds lists of nouns and verbs. She scribbles and underlines each and every article she reads to study the tools of writing. And she shares what she has learned with us!
Fiction and memoir writers need to be omnivorous–searching out classics and bestsellers, prizewinners and Goodreads favorites–reading widely, and analyzing with an eye for structure and arcs. And they need to analyze movies and read screenplays for storytelling techniques.
If you’ve been writing awhile, you know that action scenes don’t come easy. Jessica Morrell has some ideas for you.