It seems to me that there are six general ways to open a story. The first way, as I discussed last week, is with description . The sec...

Openings are frustrating. At least for me. So much is riding on them. Often, if you don’t catch your reader’s interest with the first...

What Is An Image System? Before I talk about what an Image System is let’s look at an example of one in use.  In Pierre Boileau...

I love Halloween. Always have. Perhaps that’s why I love a good horror story. The first horror story I heard was a spine-tingling tal...

Ever been stuck for a plot? You wanted to write something but all your ideas fled, leaving you with what seemed like an infinite white ...

NaNoWriMo is almost upon us! What is NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo (or NaNo for short) is a terrific way to help kickstart a creative ...

I’m a rebel at heart. I like it when writers break so-called rules and still produce a stunning piece of writing. The Rule: Never...

Let’s talk about blind spots. We’re often told that protagonists need to be likable but it’s just as important that they have flaws...

In previous posts I’ve talked about the difference between mysteries and thrillers . In a mystery an event happens toward the beginni...

My mother cleaned our house from top to bottom every year; she cleaned out every drawer, every cupboard, every closet.  That’s prac...