In narrative, we catch characters in the middle of things but each story has its own history. A flashback moves back in time, catching us up on the significant events that happened before the story’s opening. It can fill in essential backstory, influence the way we view the present, or illuminate a character’s desires and… »
Recently an aspiring novelist told me she would never feel successful unless she published a bestseller.
I replied that book sales have little, if anything, to do with literary achievement. After all, if making the bestseller list is the chief barometer of a writer’s success then… »
The human body is the best picture of the human soul. ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein
It’s a scientific fact: body language speaks volumes about what’s truly in our hearts and minds. Postures, facial expressions, mannerisms, gestures, movements, the way someone holds his arms, what his eyes focus… »
Memoir is character-based non-fiction. As obvious as this might sound, what’s often missing in an early draft of memoir is the narrator’s engagement with his or her own story. Observers… »
Recently I stumbled across an article offering advice about how to go from initial idea to story. This author’s prescription for creating compelling fiction? First, outline. Know your beginning, middle,… »
We’ve all faced it at one time or another. We sit down to write, hell bent on churning out pages of vivid, moving prose. Then instead of being set on… »