Author Archives: Rob Bignell

Craft of Writing: Ensure Descriptive Writing Serves a PurposeWhen writing description, always make sure it serves a purpose. Any description should move along the plot, help develop characters and dramatic tension. READ MORE NOW ON AUDIOBOOK! Storytelling 101 Quick Read SeriesNeed tips on plotting your novel? Starting your story? Selecting the best point of view? WritingContinue reading “Ensure Descriptive Writing Serves a Purpose – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Sept. 29, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Make Use of Local DexterityOne of the kindest things writers can do for their readers is employ “local dexterity.” This occurs when images, sentences, paragraphs and scenes are pleasurable to read because of their vividness. READ MORE Storytelling 101 Quick Read Series ReleasedYou’re writing a book…or trying to self-publish it…or maybe attempting toContinue reading “Make Use of Local Dexterity – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Sept. 22, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Add Color to Your ManuscriptEven if your story offers a lot of dramatic tension and the sentences are tightly constructed, it still can feel a bit monochrome or colorless. When that occurs, the writing probably is not particularly vivid. Rather than read like a piece of fiction, the story instead will feel likeContinue reading “Add Color to Your Manuscript – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Sept. 15, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Maintain the Reader’s IllusionWhen writing any story, your goal ought to be to create and maintain a fictional dream, or an “illusion that there is no filter between reader and events that the reader is actually experiencing what he is reading,” as the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. defines it. READ MOREContinue reading “Maintain the Reader’s Illusion – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Sept. 8, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Crack a Joke – But Only for a Good ReasonJust as in real life when humor is used to ease tension in social situations or to bond with another person, so jokes and comedy serves a purpose in your story. Unfortunately, a lot of novice writers don’t quite know when to inject humorContinue reading “Crack a Joke – But Only for a Good Reason – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Sept. 1, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Silence the Laugh TrackAnother way to tighten your writing is to leave out the laugh track. In comedy television shows, fake recorded laughter often is added to suggest that an audience is present – and to suggest to viewers at home that they also should find a joke humorous. In your story, aContinue reading “Silence the Laugh Track – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Aug. 25, 2026”