At some point all writers are new writers.  Here are some sure-fire fiction writing techniques that might not seem right, that are counterintuitive.  These are big techniques new writers often get wrong because at first glance they don't make sense.   Here's a list of these methods, and how to avoid getting them wrong.  Support the show

How we dress our character will show--that is, to reveal--much about our characters to the reader.  Clothing is evidence of our character's personality, and a strong tool for us writers.   Also, Jack Bickham has solid advice on how to end our chapters.Support the show

Huge rewards for fiction readers are a character's emotions; love, fear, gratitude, respect, loathing, and many others.  Here are techniques on how to create emotions in our characters that will  be intensely rewarding for readers.  Also: an example of the rule of exceptions regarding likeable characters..Horror stories from the black perspective!Hip Hop N Horror is a black urban horror/ sci-fi anthology podcast. .Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

In the last episode we talked about major dialogue techniques.  Here are smaller ones--but still important techniques--that'll make our dialogue shine.  And: how does the best-selling novelist Jonathan Franzen work?  We'll find out.Support the show

Dialogue in fiction is fun to write and fun to read.  Here are seven techniques that'll help make our dialogue shine.  Also, why should we create a character readers hate?  Because those characters can be riveting, and are a strong element in the story.   Here are some famous examples from novels, not main villains, but rather secondary characters who make readers groan when they appear on the page.Support the show

Let's talk about stupid writing,  And: how to get our story going without over-explanation and back-story.  How John Updike and Frank Baum wrote.  And an encounter with Aphrodite in English 101.Support the show

Here is a list of the fourteen biggest mistakes we can make when creating our scene, and how to avoid them.  Also, we'll talk about how to avoid the dull tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock metronome beat when writing sentences.  And: showing rather than telling about a character's personality.Support the show

Adding a close friend for our story's protagonist offers many benefits.  Here are some thoughts on buddies.  And: how did novelists Willa Cather and Nathaniel Hawthorne work?  Plus, techniques for avoiding interior monologue when our character is alone in the scene.  And: should we write the story that's loudest in our head or should we aim for the market?Support the show

Bland settings works against the story, and riveting settings propel the story forward.  Here are techniques for creating powerful settings that will engage the reader.  Also, the Wall Street Journal's interview of best-selling Ken Follett is fascinating, and here is some of it.Aurelius Whitlock's Murder MuseumJoin Marcus and Nathan as they play through original murder mysteries!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

Here are thoughts on how to avoid early mistakes in our writing,  those blunders we might make before we write the first sentence of our story.    Also, a couple of wonderful quotation about writing.  And: new technology tools to help us writers.Support the show

Action is the most interesting element in most novels, and a fight is action.   Here are some techniques for writing a fight scene.   Also, here's an almost sure-fire way to prime the pump of our plotting, a way to invent more plot for our story.   And: thoughts about naming our characters.Support the show

The first sentence of our story should suggest to the reader, "Come on in and listen."  A good first sentence propels the reader into the story, and here are some ways to write them.   Also: Stephen King's twenty important techniques for writing.Support the show

Why should we keep a tie-up later list?   How to create one and their importance are mentioned.   And Angelou, King, and Tolstoy.  Also: should we plan a sequel?Support the show

Listening to characters speak is a great pleasure for readers.  It's as if the reader is a character in the scene, listening in, eavesdropping.  Here are the three most important dialogue writing techniques I can think of.   Also; how can we make our third-person narrator as intimate with the reader as a first-person narrator?  Some thoughts are offered on how to get the reader close to the third-person character.   And: Mark Twain's daily writing habits.Support the show

Humorous characters are fun to read about and fun to write about.  Here are some thoughts on why funny characters are important in our stories, and some techniques for creating funny characters.  Also: Charles Dickens' daily work schedule.Safe, Efficient, Profitable: A Worker Safety PodcastJen & Jen of Allen Safety provide actionable safety ideas to improve safety at your site.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

Here are ways to show with action and dialogue what our character is thinking so we can avoid visiting the character's mind for interior monologue, usually the least interesting element of a story.   And we visit Somerset Maugham, Truman Capote, and Herman Melville.Support the show

Do we need courage to write our first novel?  If so, where do we find it?  Also, writing the physical description of our hero in a first-person novel can be tricky.  Here are thoughts on how we might do so.No Wrong Choices We explore career journeys of inspired & accomplished people to uncover keys to success Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

Here's a list of the most important techniques we should think about when plotting and writing our novel or short story.  Also, more on making our settings work for our story.  And, how we can show rather than tell about love.Support the show

Did soon-to-be famous writers know as they drafted their novels that they were creating magic for readers?   Maybe.   Maybe not.   And how can we choose the strong word instead the the weak, so that our sentence shines?  Also, here are thoughts on how long our chapters should be, and how to make sure they are not too long and not too short.Everything MattersEverything Matters is a weekly creepy fiction podcast set in a strange paranormal world. Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

Young adult fiction is a vast market, and many wonderful writers create YA novels.  Here are some thoughts on YA, some techniques we might keep in mind as we put together a story meant for teenagers.  Also, what is the balance between not enough detail and too much detail in our scenes?   I'll set out a formula.Support the show

A distinctive voice can add a charming or compelling aspect to a story.  What is voice?  And do we need a distinctive voice?  Maybe not, maybe so.  Here are thoughts about a voice for our stories.  Also mentioned are ideas and techniques regarding flashbacks.Support the show

The words on our page should be a clear window to our story.   How can we do that?  Here are eleven techniques to make our sentences forceful and clear.   Also, some comments on the story arc.   What is a story arc?  Is the concept useful?Support the show

A literary agent or a publisher may ask for a synopsis of our novel, a three to five-page summary.  Here are techniques on how to write one.  Also, can artificial intelligence write fiction?  We'll find out.  Plus, ridding our sentences of filters to get the reader closer to the scene.Support the show

New writers tend to put too much summary into their stories.  I'll talk about how to avoid that mistake, making sure that most of our novels are scenes.   Why is this so important?   Scenes are much more engaging for the reader than are summaries.   Also, here's how to show--rather than tell--about our characters' aches and pains.   And here's a list of the twelve best novels of all time.Support the show

A great pleasure in our fiction reading is coming across a dastardly villain, someone so bad and so well-described we will never forget him or her.  Hannibal Lecter.  Nurse Ratched.  Huckleberry Finn's father Pap.   How can writers create such a villain?  Here are techniques, in particular regarding the physical description of the villain.   Also discussed is how we can get unstuck in our plotting or writing.Support the show

Here are two errors we might make when describing our setting.  First, using a dull setting.  And, second, making the setting inert, that is, not having the setting contribute to the story.   Here are techniques to avoid both mistakes.  Plus, we'll look at how other novelists get to work each day, how they manage to sit themselves down and start writing.Support the show

Once we have completed our novel, it may be time to obtain the services of a literary agent.  Here are thoughts on how to find good ones, and how to write a query asking them to look at your manuscript Support the show

Blue is bluer when placed next to yellow.  Here are techniques on the use of contrast to make our scenes and characters more vivid.  Also, we can learn how to describe characters--and we can be inspired--by reading how the masters create their characters.Support the show

Here are some thoughts about how we can write our story in the first-person, some techniques that will capture the reader.   Also, usually the fewer the adverbs and adjectives, the stronger the writing.  Here's how we can reduce the number of modifiers in our fiction.  And here's a list of the six funniest novels of all time.Support the show

One of the best ways to learn the craft of fiction is to read the works of great writers, those novelists who know how to offer the reader unforgettable images of new places and new people.   Here are examples of character and setting descriptions from skilled writers.   Listening to them, we'll be inspired to create vivid and enchanting descriptionsSupport the show

What's the difference between an idea and plot?  It's important to know as we begin writing.  Also, readers love joyous dialogue.  Here are thoughts on how to write it.Support the show

What in our lives made us want to write?  Here's a discussion about lighting that fuse.  Also: here are techniques for showing rather than telling about our story's setting.  And discussed also is a wonderful way to learn to write that takes little extra time or effort.  Finally, how to write dialogue when the characters are afraid.Support the show

A main reason readers put a novel on their all-time top-ten favorites list is because they fall in love with a character.  Here's how we can create characters readers will love.  Also discussed are techniques for writing sad dialogue.  And also: how to get unstuck when writing or novel or short story.Support the show

I've been checking out the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, and here are some impressions of its use for writers.  And: what are the benefits of identifying our novel as being in a genre?  Also, more on  those pesky dialogue tag modifiers.  Support the show

How can we get off the dime and start writing our novel or short story?  Here are some thoughts.  Also, readers love emotional dialogue; techniques to write romantic dialogue and angry dialogue are discussed.Support the show

Here is a strong technique for immersing readers in our settings.  Readers will think they are right there with our characters.  Also, almost all stories should have a romance, and keys to writing romance scenes are reviewed.Support the show

Here is a strong technique to make our characters vivid and memorable for the reader.   And also: most novels should have action scenes.   The craft of writing a powerful action scene is reviewed.Support the show

Sometimes a scene we've written just doesn't feel right.  Something is amiss but we can't put our fingers on it.  Here's a method to figure out what might be wrong and how to fix it.  Also: we can get stuck in our thinking about the plot.  Where should the story go next?  What should we add?  Here are ideas on inventing plot points.Support the show

A terrific way for writers to find inspiration is to hear legendary sentences from famous novels.  Here are a few.  Should we fiddle with fonts in our manuscript?   And slow motion is a powerful tool for our scenes.Support the show

Can we use a spreadsheet to plot our novels?   Some authors do.   Here are thoughts about using Excel for outlining a story.   Also, most main characters in a novel tell the truth to the reader.   But some don't.   Sometimes an unreliable narrator is a strong tool for plotting.   Plus, should authors fiddle with the speed of time in our novels?   Hurrying time and skipping time?   Here are some techniques regarding the flow of time in our stories.Support the show

How can we handle the dispiriting feeling that writing our novel is a huge, endless, and hard chore with completion far in the future, if ever?  Here are some thoughts about facing our big writing project.  Also mentioned are some sentence-by-sentence writing mistakes that are easy to avoid.  And this episode presents some specific words we can delete from our manuscript, and our story will magically be better.Support the show

Creating a timeline can help us keep things straight as we plot and write.  Also, here's a discussion of authorial distance, which is the closeness or distance the reader feels from the scene's subjects.  And a list of ways to avoid sentence-by-sentence weak writing.Support the show

For each scene, the perfect number of characters exists.  We'll talk about that number.  Too few, and we don't have a scene.  Too many, and the scene is like a subway at rush hour.  Also, here are some techniques regarding metaphors and similes, a skill that can make our writing more lyrical and engaging.   Please note: I will be out of the office next week, and so won't upload a new episode next Friday, but will return for a new episode the following Friday.Support the show

How many words a day?  Too fast, and our story might be sloppy.  Too slow, and we'll never finish.  Here are some thoughts about our pace of writing.  And also; contrast is a critical tool for us writers.  How can we use it?Support the show

Here are thoughts on how we might handle doubts about our writing abilities, the fear of failure.  Plus, more tips on facing the camera.   And: humor is a wonderful tool for writers.  Add some laughs to our stories.Support the show

We shouldn't write about embarrassing stuff, and here's a list.  Also, here are techniques to rev up the middle of the novel, often the hardest part to write.Support the show

Here's a strong way to make our sentences pop, to make our writing lively and energetic.   Also: how to keep the reader engaged by reducing disbelief and so making our story more real.Support the show

Let's apply the wonder factor to our stories, giving readers elements that will make them shake their heads and smile, and so remember our writing.  And here also are techniques to avoid inertia in our writing.Support the show

The ending of our novel should be a surprise but not a complete surprise.  Here are techniques for crafting that balance.  And famous character descriptions can inspire us to create our own fascinating character portraits.Support the show

If we are going to spend a year or two writing a novel, shouldn't we avoid a mistake in our very first chapter that ruins the novel's chances with agents and publishers?  Here's the mistake and how to avoid it.  Also mentioned are techniques on keeping the point of view tight.Support the show

Dialogue is fun to write and fun to read.  What's the best way to mix dialogue with action?  How can we make sure dialogue and action work together to propel the story forward?  And how science fiction legend Ray Bradbury came up with his plots.Support the show

Sometimes when plotting we run out of ideas.  Here's a good way to prime the plotting pump.  And more on qualifiers, the leeches that infest the pond of prose.Support the show

No one in line to buy an autographed copy of your novel?  You are not alone.  The Wall Street Journal tells of famous authors who have suffered empty bookstores.  And techniques for fitting our narrative voice to our genreSupport the show

Dialogue is fun to write and fun to read.  Here is a strong technique to make our dialogue fascinating for readers.  Also, novel writing's rule of exceptions.Support the show

We'll talk in this episode about another big mistake, one that will cause agents and editors to put aside our manuscripts after four or five pages.  Also, some dialogue is better than other dialogue, and so here are tips on writing fascinating dialogue.Support the show

Dialogue that does only one thing might be inert.  Talk between our characters should do double duty, and here are techniques about how to write double-duty dialogue.   Also, how to avoid the as-you-know syndrome in dialogue.Support the show

What's the one most important writing technique for novelists?  If we get it wrong it sinks our publishing chances.  We'll talk about how to get it right.   Also, how to add the charming or funny or odd trait to our character that will make him or her stick in the reader's mind.Support the show

Can we know in advance if we have the talent to write a novel, before we spend the time and effort to write it?  Here are some thoughts.  Also, we can get better at close observing and phrase- making, and some techniques are discussed.Support the show

Here are techniques for creating fictional villains readers will love to loathe and fear.  We writers can make readers shudder when our scoundrels  appear.Support the show

Readers want to fall in love with our characters.  Here are some techniques about how to create characters readers will be passionate about, and so will dislike seeing the novel end.  Also, some advice on handling minor characters.Support the show

Some scenes are too much, and they may ruin a novel for readers.  What are they?  Plus, here are some good techniques for describing our characters, having our descriptions do double duty.  And don't forget the quirks.Support the show

How can we know when we've prepared enough?  Is it time to start chapter 1?  Here's a list of eight things we probably should have figured out before we start our first chapter.  Also, how to show rather than tell about emotions and reactions.Support the show

Some elements of a novel are more interesting than others, and some are less interesting.  Writers should give readers more of the involving and fascinating aspects, and here is a ranked list of those elements.  Also, a look at how three great writers describe their characters, and what we can learn from them.Support the show

Scene structure is an art hidden from the reader but critical for the success of a scene.  We'll talk about structure in this episode.  Also, here is one of the best ways to avoid mushy, colorless sentences that don't grip the reader.Support the show

Should we as writers practice our craft?  What are the benefits, and how should we do so?  And here are more ideas about making clear to readers what our character is thinking.  Also, here are some laughably bad sentences.Support the show

Here are eight signs that our plot isn't as interesting as we'd like, which is to say; it's dull.  And how to fix it.  Also, how do we carve out the time to write in our busy lives?  A good author reveals how she did it.Support the show

We should show as opposed to tell most of the time.  But sometimes telling is fine.  Here is a formula for when to show and when to tell.   Also, we'll talk about techniques for clear and spare writing.  And the reason Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is my favorite novel.  And a wonderfully funny sentence from Lee Child.Support the show

Making a list of our favorite novels is fun and it can teach us something about writing, plus the strong technique of check-mark plotting.Support the show

Plotting our story is so important that we return to it here.  How can we know what works and doesn't work in a story?  We'll talk about plotting techniques including good advice from a Pulitzer Prize winner.Support the show

Successful novels almost always follow a pattern, and we'll talk about the pattern in this episode.  Also, what put you in mind of writing fiction?  I'd like to hear from you about it.  And several more odd book titles.Support the show

Vladimir Nabokov said a writer should have the enchanter quality.  Here are examples from H.P. Lovecraft.  And how does Nora Roberts work?  Also, showing rather than telling about the weather and personality.  And some John Lennon.Support the show

Formulas became formulas because they work.  Our genre will offer guidelines (formulas) for our plots.  And: titles are fun to think about but it's sometimes hard to invent a good one.  Here are some thoughts about coming up with a good title.Support the show

Interior monologue and how to avoid it.  And more techniques regarding the critical skill of showing rather than telling.  And visits to John Steinbeck and Willa Cather.Support the show

We writers may never know to whom our words will have a profound meaning.  Plus, the importance of cause and effect.  And the perils of interior monologue.Support the show

Should we show friends and family our manuscripts as we compose them?  Good reasons for and against exist.  The key to vivid writing: be specific, definite, and concrete.  Plus, famous romantic lines, avoiding useless analogies, and a technique for vivid writing: using verbs rather than verb objects.Support the show

What should we look for when editing our own manuscript?  How do famous authors do it?  What should we look for as we edit?  This episode discusses the editing process, the good and bad of it.Support the show

Topics of earlier episodes are boiled down to sixteen points, and we'll talk about them briefly.  Also, here are some things we can do to make our sentence-by-sentence writing more pleasing to readers' eyes and ears.Support the show

How can we shake loose from our brains plots for our novels?  Here's my favorite way.  Plus, benefits and perils of writing with a partner.  More on accents.  And avoiding adverbs, which are not a writer's friend.Support the show

Why don't we begin our novel?  Here's a reason, and a way to avoid it.  Plus, we'll talk about qualifiers and intensifiers, the leeches of language.  And some thoughts on profanity and slang.  And why age benefits novelists.Support the show

Many adjective and adverb s do nothing but pad a sentence, making the sentence rickety.  Here are some techniques on avoiding these useless or unintentionally funny modifiers.  Plus, some words are just too much.  We'll avoid these, too.Support the show

In this episode we focus on sentence-by-sentence writing.  How can we make our sentences vivid and powerful?   Some strong techniques are discussed, such as avoiding cliches like the plague.Support the show

Our writing should be a clear window to the story, and a technique is to, in Einstein's phrase, keep it simple but not too simple.  Here are some techniques for doing that, along with a discussion of metaphors and similes.Support the show

As writers, should we be concerned with a themes for our stories?   And a critical question: are writers allowed to be weird?  We'll also return to the need for early conflict in our stories, and then go on to discuss vivid writing.Support the show

Our setting -- the place and time of the scene -- anchor our characters the the ground.  Here are techniques for writing our settings to get the most from them, so that they play a strong role in the story.Support the show

Our topics this episode are how to avoid breaking the fourth wall, onomatopoeia (clunk, thud, kersplat), and techniques on ending the novel.  We'll also talk about some bad writing, really bad writing.Support the show

Dialogue is so important to our stories that we'll talk more about it here.  Then we'll move on to foreshadowing--including the Chekhov's famous gun--and coincidences., where one is fine but two are not.Support the show

A fictional character's dialogue sounds like a person speaking in real life, but not too much like a person speaking in real life.  In this episode we'll talk about dialogue techniques that draw the reader into the story.Support the show

Here are techniques to control our point of view so that our story doesn't have a dizzying quality as the reader jumps from one character's mind to another character's mind.  We'll also discuss a writer's narrative voice.Support the show

The difference between showing and telling is so important that we continue with it in this episode, including the technique of saving it for later.  Plus, we'll talk about the grammatical person.Support the show

We'll talk about the most critical skill for vivid writing, showing versus telling.  Showing reveals.  Telling explains.  Showing is almost always more involving for the reader, and we'll discuss how to show rather than tell..Support the show

We'll discuss the difference between summary and scene., and why writing scenes rather than summaries is so important.  Point of view will also be briefly touch on, along with techniques on how to end a scene  Rhythmic placement of scenes is also a topic in this episode.Support the show

Crafting a scene involves mechanics hidden from readers.  Here are techniques that lead to the success of a scene: ways to grab the reader, immerse him or her in the scene, and then launch the reader into the next scene.  Support the show

How can we create compelling villains and lovable and maybe eccentric sidekicks?  How many characters should we put in a scene?  How about basing a character on a friend or relative?  And are there tips for naming our characters?  Learn these techniques and more ini this episode.Support the show

Characters in fiction come in a huge variety, and creating characters involves techniques that discussed in this episode.  There are reasons we find Scout Finch and Hermione Granger and Jack Aubrey and Katniss Everdeen so compelling, and let's find out why.Support the show

We'll talk about how to keep the reader involved in  the story, how to move a plot forward.  And we'll discuss one of my favorite topics: the novel's first sentence.Support the show

Is there an idea dump where we can find a fresh plot for our novel or a strong plot point for the next chapter of our novel?  No, but good methods exist to develop plots, and that's the topic of this episode.Support the show

Getting ready to start a novel.  Drafting a  a plan (timetable).  An outline (pros and cons).  Other useful pre-writing and during-the-writing documents.  Recommendations for a novel's length.Support the show

Follow the rules.  Go with what works to increase our chances of getting published.  Writing can be learned.  And if we know how to write, we can get better.  A critical ingredient: persistence.  One negative thing about learning to write.  Leaning to concentrate.  And a technique about weeping.Support the show