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Always look for the good in stories. Even when they’re bad.
As writers, we read for more than just entertainment. We read books to analyze what works, what doesn’t, and how we might bring our own stories to life. The only problem is this: when reading a story with a lot of flaws, it’s easy to get so caught up in its weaknesses that we stop… Read more
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Describing your Character: The Power of a Single Detail
Alexander has red hair and hazel eyes. His cheeks are fuzzy with stubble. He wears a button-down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. On his wrist is a watch. These details build a picture in your mind of a man named Alexander. But what they don’t do is make him feel like… Read more
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How to improve the flow of your writing
When writing a story, your prose can often feel jumbled. Muddled. Disconnected. Like it just doesn’t flow. And for a long time, I never knew a clear, tangible tactic for fixing that problem, except by feel or by trial and error. Then I learned a simple, but effective trick for improving flow: Go from the known… Read more
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The cure for a boring character? Let them surprise us.
It’s perfectly possible for a character to be well-crafted, but painfully boring on the page. They may be nicely drawn. (Sal had wispy blond hair, knotted up in a bun with a mechanical pencil, wire-frame glasses sitting askew on her nose, and a Metallica sticker on her phone case.) They may even have a clear emotional… Read more
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How to Write Better Descriptions Using Negative Space
The Power of Negative Space A late spring breeze drifts through the open window of your studio, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass and faint cigarette smoke. You reposition your easel to better catch the light. Then, looking at the canvas, you dip your brush into black paint, and you paint the silhouette of… Read more
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Finding the Heart: How to Write a Good Character
Everybody has a story Every person you meet — on the street, at school, at work — has a story. And it’s a story you’ll probably never hear in its entirety. You might catch some of it, if you get to know them. Maybe you grab drink together. Maybe they overshare. Or maybe you hear… Read more
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