Category: fiction

>Finding Voice

>Most writers are concerned about voice. When you write, you want to sound like you. Some people come out of the womb with their own voice while others keep writing until they find it. I was definitely in the latter category. When I was a kid, I would copy the voices of authors I loved at the time like Louisa May Alcott. As a teen, I experimented with styles and tried on many writing voices. Sometimes I didn’t know if I would ever find me – my own voice and style. Some stories prove that I wasn’t always lost though. […]

>Millitweaks

>My sister coined a new word recently – millitweaks – to describe the minute changes she makes when finishing a song arrangement. She labors over the details, adjusting all these little sounds that you and I might never notice. But she notices them and takes time to make the changes. It makes me think of my own writing and all the polishing work I do. It may just be a word here or a phrase there – things no one else may see. They’re millitweaks. Practically microscopic. But, as I’m sure you’ll agree, they count just as much as the major changes. […]

> It seems odd that tension should be so important to good storytelling. One definition of tension is mental or emotional strain. Think of tense situations or relationships you’ve been involved in. How did they feel? Uncomfortable, awkward, even painful? In real life we avoid tense situations. So if tension is so heinous, why do we desire tension in novels, even if we don’t know it? Why do we put down books that don’t keep the tension going from scene to scene? Simply put, tension in novels keeps us interested. When tension lags, desire to read on lags. When tension […]

>The Sword It didn’t have a name. In fact, he (as it liked to think of itself) and his Master had never spoken. But as the hand choked his hilt, the Sword felt that bond they’d always had from the moment they’d set foot on the practice field together. Now as he sliced through the air, the Sword became an extension of his Master. He was not steel and his Master flesh. They were indivisible, scorching enemies as one. Alone the Sword could feel nothing. But through his Master he felt dry and wet, brittle and rock. He had purpose […]

>Celebrating Finishing the First Draft

>A little over a week ago, I finished the first draft of the first novel I’m writing for publication. My main character came to life in May 2009 and I have had quite the year of developing and plotting. So to celebrate my little victory, I went to Boston, Mass., on Wednesday with my sister and hung out on Newbury St., the prime shopping center in the city. We ate lunch at a cute bistro, did a little clothes shopping, and enjoyed the blossoming spring weather. I came home energized and ready to get back to writing! How do you […]

Category: fiction

>Finding Voice

>Millitweaks

>Tension in Fiction

>#storycraft Flash Fiction Challenge

>Celebrating Finishing the First Draft