Tag Archives: Fiction

One Person – Two Opposite Views

Frank Barron is known for his in-depth studies of the creative mind. Most of these were done in his three decades at the Berkeley Institute for Personality Assessment and Research. His subjects, mostly college students, often took complex elements to … Continue reading →

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The Secret to Emotional Prose

Black Beauty is one of my favorite books because of the emotional nature of the story. As I read it in third grade I cared for that noble horse as his life became a series of downward trends. That was … Continue reading →

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What Do You See in a Character?

How many times have you read posts in which people argue about the merits of fictional characters? I’ve read enough of these to assume many readers prefer imaginary people to real ones. Fictional characters are often created to be braver, … Continue reading →

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Social Learning and Creative Writing

There is a trend to use existing social media (Facebook, Discord, Reddit, Quora, Instagram) to create a social learning group in which members collaborate and share knowledge with each other. So, I’ve visited some of these groups that might interest … Continue reading →

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Is “Show Don’t Tell” Good Advice?

When running out of advice to help a struggling author improve their novel, a more seasoned author may point out the benefits of showing rather than telling. What exactly does that mean? Unless you are producing a picture book, it … Continue reading →

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The Writing Sampler

I recall a time when I could amble through a mall and be approached by marketing interviewers. If I fit the criteria, I could spend twenty minutes of time providing my opinion in exchange for a few dollars or coupons … Continue reading →

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Classics Don’t Qualify as Comps

Before attending my first writer’s conference in Oklahoma, I poured over the biography of all the speakers. Each one was asked to disclose a classic novel in their want to read list. Despite the different books listed I was shocked … Continue reading →

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Distinguishing types of laughter

The muffled giggle, the high pitch twitter, the polished chuckle, the wheezing chortle, and the deep belly laugh can all be taken differently depending on who is uttering the sound. Real involuntary laughter is often contagious in groups, one person … Continue reading →

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Why Not AI?

I write under a curse that requires me to experiment and revise as I create. Despite considering ideas, creating outlines to guide me and re-reading my initial work to improve it, the quality of my writing is not consistent. Unfortunately, … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Creativity, Ideas for writing, Novels, Story structure, Teaching writing skills, Trends in books, Writing trends | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What Catches My Attention in a Book?

We are supposed to judge books by their covers or by the blurbs and by the author’s name. I have favorite books by authors who names I have forgotten. I willing to look at I work with and out of … Continue reading →

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