Craft of Writing: Prevent Countersinking from Dragging Down Your StoryOne way for an author to slow a story is to employ “countersinking.” A term coined by science fiction writer Lewis Shiner, countersinking involves making explicit the very actions that the story implies. An example is: “We need to hide,” she said, asking him to seek cover. READContinue reading “Prevent Countersinking from Dragging Down Your Story – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Aug. 11, 2026”
Author Archives: Rob Bignell
How to Identify a Book Marketing Scam
Unsure if the latest “marketing expert” emailing you is a scammer or not? Here’s an ongoing list of them.
Pen Engaging Dialogue – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Aug. 4, 2026
Craft of Writing: Pen Engaging DialogueNo doubt your story will include dialogue in which characters speak to one another. Unfortunately, too many beginning writers drag their story into a furrow of tedium by poorly handling dialogue. The problem is that their characters’ dialogue mirrors actual conversations too closely. READ MORE Everything You Need to Know toContinue reading “Pen Engaging Dialogue – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Aug. 4, 2026”
Types of Book Marketing Scams
Unsure if the latest “marketing expert” emailing you is a scammer or not? Here’s an ongoing list of them.
When to Use a Quotation Mark at the End of a Paragraph
When a character’s dialogue continues in a new paragraph, no quotation mark is needed at the end of the paragraph until that character finishes speaking. That’s because a closing quotation mark signals that the character is done speaking and that if there is an opening quotation mark at the beginning of the next paragraph thatContinue reading “When to Use a Quotation Mark at the End of a Paragraph”
Use Plain English, Please – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 28, 2026
Craft of Writing: Use Plain English, PleaseEver read a sentence in a story and excogitate why the author couldn’t just use plain English? The author is guilty of polysyllabism, or using a long word for effect even though a shorter word is better. For example, the first sentence of this entry would have been writtenContinue reading “Use Plain English, Please – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 28, 2026”
How Book Marketing Scams Work
Unsure if the latest “marketing expert” emailing you is a scammer or not? Here’s an ongoing list of them.
Beware of New Beta Reader Scam on Bluesky
While Bluesky so far has been a fairly scam-proof social media platform – thanks to its ability to create sharable moderation lists that block bad guys – that strength is being tested. Book marketing scammers, knowing that many authors have left Xitter and Facebook, have been trying to find ways to infest Bluesky, and theirContinue reading “Beware of New Beta Reader Scam on Bluesky”
Improve Writing’s Texture by Avoiding Repetition
One of the quickest ways to ruin a story’s texture is to repeat the same word between sentences and paragraphs. For example: Koorana quivered as Birray’s scent grew stronger than ever before, so strong that the teenager thought it entwined with her very blood. For a teenage male with such wide shoulders he possessed the sweetestContinue reading “Improve Writing’s Texture by Avoiding Repetition”
Avoid Handwaving to Cover Story Flaw – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 21, 2026
Craft of Writing: Avoid Handwaving to Cover Story FlawSometimes when a car salesman has a shoddy vehicle to sell, he tries to distract you from the flaw by pointing out something that’s good – like turning up the radio and raving about the great sound system so you don’t hear the engine knock. READ MORE Self-PublishingContinue reading “Avoid Handwaving to Cover Story Flaw – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 21, 2026”