As an editor I have some pretty standard red flags I look for, but a REALLY common blunder is the dreaded information dump. Some genres are more prone to this than others. Science fiction and fantasy can be particularly vulnerable. How DO you keep the pace of the story and still relay about the prophecy, the starship, the dragons and the dragons prophesied to have starships?
Tag: show don’t tell
Nov 11 2015
The Secret Ingredient for POV Magic—Capture Your Reader & Never Let Go
When we make POV errors? It shatters the fictive dream. That is why getting really good at POV is vital. We must maintain the magic. Here’s the secret that a lot of writers don’t realize about POV.
Share this:
Sep 14 2015
Using Dialogue to Create Dimensional Characters
So last time we talked about the basics in regards to dialogue and once we grasp the fundamentals—like proper punctuation—we then can focus more on elements of style. How we deliver the dialogue. We can tell a lot about people by the way they speak. What people say or don’t say speaks volumes. As the writer, it …
Share this:
Jun 12 2015
Why Flashbacks Ruin Fiction
All of us will feel a NEED to explain why a character is moody, angry, broken, bawdy, whatever. DON’T. Resist the urge to EXPLAIN. In fact, if readers don’t know WHY, they will want to turn pages to find out WHY.
Share this:
Aug 22 2013
Show, Don't Tell—Using Setting to Deepen Your Characters
Social media is an amazing tool, and it is a wonderful time to be a writer, but, I am going to point out the pink elephant in the room. We still have to write a darn good book. If we don’t write a darn good book, then no amount of promotion can help us. Sorry. That’s like putting lipstick on a wildebeest.
Share this:
- 1
- 2
International Association of Professional Writers & Editors
Featured Books
Rise of the Machines—Human Authors in a Digital Age
What is a brand? A platform? Why do we need one? How do we get one? Better still how can we create a brand with the power of driving book sales and still have time left to do THE most important part of our job? Writing more books.
This book demystifies branding and social media and harnesses the same passion and imagination we authors use to write books, then uses that to locate and cultivate a devoted fan base. The methods taught in this book can weather any technological upheaval, and is virtually fad-proof. The new cool social site might change, but your platform will remain.
More info →
