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How to Show (Not Tell) an Emotion–A to D
Anger Emotions show up on your body in a variety of hand movements, eye twitches, breathing patterns and more. There are so many ways to show what your characters are feeling without boring us as...
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Writer’s Tip #39: Get Rid of Qualifiers
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These...
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How to Tell if Someone is Lying: Body Language
Over half of our communication is done with body language, not words. I study it so I can characterize the people in my books–their actions, hand gestures, facial expressions–and it has taught me a lot...
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Writer’s Tip #40: Use Began and Started Sparingly
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These...
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Writers Tip #106: Back up Your Writing!
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These...
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178 Ways to Describe Women’s Clothing
Fashion… or not There are so many terms for women’s clothing, they boggle the mind–dolmen sleeves, pencil skirt, choker, colorblock. The best conjure up colorful images that share with a few words a...
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Writers Tip #107: Back up a long WIP
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These...
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How to Show (Not Tell) an Emotion–S to Z
Emotions show up on your body in a variety of hand movements, eye twitches, breathing patterns and more. There are so many ways to show what your characters are feeling without boring us as readers by...
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Writers Tip #41: Turn Back Time with System Restore
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These...
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Know Your Character
If your story sounds stilted or fake, the first place to look is your characters. Whether you write character-driven or plot-driven novels, readers engage when they want to travel with the characters...
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Book Review: Born on a Blue Day–Insight into Learning
Born On A Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet My rating: 5 of 5 stars What an extraordinary book! I read it to understand how those who don’t think within...
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Writers Tip #42: Avoid Rhyming Fiction; Stick With Prose Diction
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These...
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Writers Tip #43: Is Your Timeline Accurate?
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These...
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Writers Tip #44: Cut Unnecessary Articles
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These...
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Why I Don’t Get Writers Block
Writer’s block got you down? Try this. I know the popular lore is every author gets writer’s block–that frozen brain that blocks all efforts to put two words together, much less three. It’s that...
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What Do Emotions Look Like?
It is an ongoing test of a writer’s ability, our facility with showing, not telling. Readers don’t want a narrative of how a character feels. And if that emotional character isn’t your Point of View...
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Book Review: A Virtual Tour of Africa
National Audubon Society Field Guide to African Wildlife by National Audubon Society My rating: 4 of 5 stars I purchased this book because several settings in my most recent novel take place in East...
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Writers Tip #45: Finish Sentences
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These...
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What’s Trending on WordDreams
I calculate What’s Trending on my blog by which of my posts are popular a particular ninety-day period. Here’s this period’s run-down: 51 Great Similes to Spark Imagination 178 Ways to Describe...
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Book Review: How to Write a D*** Good Novel
How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling by James N. Frey My rating: 4 of 5 stars James Frey’s How to Write a D*** Good Novel is a classic for writers....
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