Author Archives: Rob Bignell

Craft of Writing: Pep Up Your Writing: Replace Overused VerbsEven when using active verbs, sentences still may sound flat. More than likely, that’s because those active verbs are also overused. READ MORE How to Write Engaging, Natural Dialogue in Your StoryOne of the most important tools in your writing kit is dialogue. It can help developContinue reading “Pep Up Your Writing: Replace Overused Verbs – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for May 12, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Turn Passive Passages into Active WritingSo you’ve written a scene packed with action, ripe with conflict, and filled with tension – but every time you read it, the writing feels flat. The problem may be that you’re writing in passive rather than active voice. READ MORE How to “Show Don’t Tell” Read any writingContinue reading “Turn Passive Passages into Active Writing – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for May 5, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Scour Fragments from Your WritingFragments should be used rarely. While they can be used for rhetorical effect, for that to be successful, the fragment needs to stand out from the rest of the text – and it won’t if your manuscript is full of incomplete sentences. READ MORE Writing Advice: Mastering PointContinue reading “Scour Fragments from Your Writing – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for April 28, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Vary Syntax to Give Writing Flavor, TextureWhen writing, you’ll want to vary the syntax, which is the pattern of the sentence’s words – that is, the order of the parts of speech within a sentence. READ MORE Writing Tips: How to Create Your Story’s CharactersSuccessful stories require characters who face some challenge orContinue reading “Vary Syntax to Give Writing Flavor, Texture – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for April 21, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Eschew Clichés Like a Toxic Waste DumpA quick way to strengthen your writing is to replace (or just avoid altogether) overused expressions and phrases. Such expressions and phrases are known as clichés. They include terms such as “avoid like the plague”, “beat around the bush” or “kiss of death.” READ MORE Writing Tips:Continue reading “Eschew Clichés Like a Toxic Waste Dump – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Apr 14, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Improve Writing’s Texture by Avoiding RepetitionOne of the quickest ways to ruin a story’s texture is to repeat the same word between sentences and paragraphs. READ MORE Make Sure the First Page of Your Story is the Best it can Be My writing guidebook Write Your Story’s First Page looks at the 11 must-have components ofContinue reading “Improve Writing’s Texture by Avoiding Repetition – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Apr 7, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Stop Weighing Down Passages with AdverbsAdverbs are words that typically describe a verb (Though they also can describe adjectives and other adverbs, which can be a real symptom of a bloated passage.). READ MORE How to Devise Your Story’s PlotWhen writers come up with a great story idea but don’t know how toContinue reading “Stop Weighing Down Passages with Adverbs – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for March 31, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Ditch the Begin FallacyOne way to tighten your writing is to eliminate the begin fallacy. This occurs when the writer introduces an action to the reader by saying “began to,” as in “My nerves began to calm.” READ MORE 200+ Writing Prompts That Lead To StoriesYou’re stuck on what to write soContinue reading “Ditch the Begin Fallacy – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for March 24, 2026”