Author Archives: Rob Bignell

Craft of Writing: Coax Readers to Eat Story’s Veggies by Promising CookiesIf you want to impress readers, give them a cookie. A term coined by CSFW’s David Smith, a cookie is some item in the text that rewards readers paying close attention to the story. READ MORE 200+ Writing Prompts That Lead To StoriesYou’re stuck on whatContinue reading “Coax Readers to Eat Story’s Veggies by Promising Cookies – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Nov. 3, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Hide an Easter EggSometimes the real pleasure of writing – and reading – isn’t about a well-crafted tale with a fast-moving plot involving intriguing characters set in a well-described landscape. Instead, the real smile comes when the author leaves a special treats for the reader, such as hiding some surprise not germane toContinue reading “Hide an Easter Egg – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Oct. 27, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Layer Imagery with Symbolic MeaningDescriptions and imagery can carry additional levels of meaning by being presented as figurative language. Such wording compares two items, usually by giving one symbolic meaning. Such connotations can carry great emotional weight. READ MORE How to Master the Craft of WritingYou’ve written a short story or a novel.Continue reading “Layer Imagery with Symbolic Meaning – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Oct. 20, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Incorporate Imagery into Your StoryWhen creating your story’s setting or explaining what your characters are doing, you’ll need to use imagery. Imagery is necessary to move along the plot and to establish tone. READ MORE The Best Guide to Writing Your Novel! You dream of being a published author. You don’t have timeContinue reading “Incorporate Imagery into Your Story – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Oct. 13, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Describe what’s in Front of You, Not what’s in the Rear-view MirrorWhen writing action scenes, avoiding rear-view mirror descriptions typically is a good idea. In such a description, an object is described only after it’s been part of the action. READ MORE “7 Minutes a Day…” Series Now on Audiobook!Need to fill up someContinue reading “Describe what’s in Front of You, Not what’s in the Rear-view Mirror – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Oct. 6, 2026”

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”